With warmer days and MDW ahead, there’s only one thing on the minds of New Jerseyans: beach season. We’re ready to spend summer days along the ocean or kick back by a river or a bay. By now, most beach houses are ready for the season. If yours isn’t—or if you need some inspiration to bring it to the next level—peek inside seven of our favorite by-the-shore properties, all featured in NJ Home. Enjoy this tour:
Loch Arbour
This Loch Arbour cabana designed by Andrew Wilkinson has hosted family events for more than two decades. Interior walls, ceiling and beams all in white provide clean lines and a sense of calm—just the vibe most beachgoers seek.
Three sets of trifold doors open up the cabana and allow guests to easily step outside, while décor like tree stump coffee tables and a wall-mounted surfboard serve as conversation starters for those who remain indoors.
Asbury Park
Hoping not to detract from the ocean view inside this Asbury Park home, designer Marc Goldberg decorated using neutral-tone furniture and relied on smaller throw pillows and accent pieces to provide pops of color.
A large linear chandelier in the main eating area preserves the sight lines, as does the architect-installed column in the corner of the living room, which conceals the power bank for the motorized curtains.
Lavallette
A beach house should be fun and functional for the entire family, and that’s what designers Miriam Silver Verga and Hillary Kaplan intended when they worked with the owners of this Lavallette home. Subtle touches like a chandelier made of navy agate and turquoise jade stones complement the seagrass wallpaper and pickled wood cabinets in the kitchen.
An old garage was transformed into a playful playhouse for all ages: There’s a stand-up Ms. Pac-Man arcade game, refrigerator, wet bar and framed art, including the iconic Asbury Park mascot, Tillie.
Long Beach Island
A wall of windows in this Long Beach Island home slides up garage-style to seamlessly connect the first floor with the pool area. Designer Karen B. Wolf went with a driftwood-topped table and mesh chairs to reflect the home’s palette of sand, white and blue.
The colors were based on the wide-plank white oak flooring found throughout the home, including the third-floor kitchen. The custom porcelain island and backsplash here are in seaworthy coastal blue.
Spring Lake
A Spring Lake family wanted a house by the beach with year-round appeal, so they asked Alma Russo for design help. Repurposed brick floors and antique wood beams over the fireplace give the dining and sitting areas a rustic vibe.
The kitchen exudes an airy and modern feel thanks to white cabinetry and open-design island stools.
Lavallette
Three generations of family use this Lavallette beach home, so designer Pam Cooper ensured plenty of seating in the great room. In addition to two sofas and a pair of armchairs with ottomans, a custom six-seat bench was installed along the 12-foot window.
Cooper brought the same idea to the dining room, this time adding plenty of built-in storage solutions and a table for 10.
Beach Haven
Though built in Beach Haven’s historic district, a newly constructed home received a contemporary feel thanks to architect Michael Pagnotta and designer Vanessa Romond. In the living room, nautical and beachy accents work with the navy sofas and pinstripe-upholstered chairs to create a beachy vibe.
White Shaker-style cabinets reflect plenty of light that streams through a pair of large kitchen windows, while an oversize island offers extra space for dining and entertaining guests.