By Barry Wise Smith
When a busy over-the-mountain family visited friends at their vacation home in a quiet, gated community on the western end of 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, they started dreaming of owning their own piece of paradise.
So when a new-construction home came on the market just down the street, the family jumped at the opportunity. “We love the area,” the homeowners say. “We fell in the love with the quiet family neighborhood.”
In 2025, the family purchased the almost 4,000-square foot, five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom house as both a private getaway for their family of five and an investment property. “The house was brand new and brand new to us,” the homeowners say.
Situated in a gated enclave bordering Draper Lake and within easy walking distance of the private beach, the house also has a pool, an outdoor kitchen, multiple balconies to take advantage of the stunning beach views, and access to three private beach walkovers, a community dock on Draper Lake and a heated community pool.
The house features hardwood floors throughout, clean white walls, and dozens of windows that flood the interior with natural light at all times of the day. The bright, open-concept kitchen features an oversized island with plenty of seating and lots of countertop and cabinet space. The kitchen flows into the main eating area, which opens to the home’s central living area. The simple, stylish living room features oversized couches for family gatherings and French doors that open onto the main front porch. Each of the five bedrooms—four king suites and a bunkroom with twin-over-queen bunkbeds—feature their own bathroom, for guest comfort and convenience. There are central living spaces and balconies on each floor, and the house features an elevator for accessing the upper floors.
When it came time to design the interiors of their new home, the homeowners turned to a familiar firm they knew they could trust—Twin Interiors. “We used Twin Interiors to redesign our family home a year and a half ago,” the homeowners say. “We already had a good working relationship with the designer and company and knew they could do what we wanted done.”
Twin Interiors interior designer Laurie Fulkerson took the lead on the project and achieved the homeowners’ desire for a cool, coastal feel with plenty of space and simplicity. “We wanted to keep it simple—we didn’t want a lot of stuff,” they say. The design features coastal colors in various shades of blue, gray, and green against the background of white interior walls, with high-end finishes
in sleek, simple styles. Adds Fulkerson, “A successful coastal interior is grounded in the balance of color and texture—natural materials, layered hues and the restraint to let simplicity shine.”
Prior to the sale closing on April 30, Fulkerson and her clients frantically worked to get the house ready for the busy summer rental season. With a two- to three-week period to get everything designed, ordered and ready, Fulkerson made design boards for each room and sent them to the homeowners for approval. “Laurie made the whole process so easy,” the homeowners say. “I don’t think we said no to any of her suggestions. There were a lot of easy yesses.” And that type of collaboration is how Fulkerson enjoys working. “When trust meets creativity, magic happens,” she says. “Working with clients who believe in the process, transforms design into something truly extraordinary.”
Now moved in and settled, the homeowners look forward to making new family memories in their little piece of beach paradise. “Being down here and enjoying this home as a family is truly a dream and such a blessing,” the homeowner says. “We all feel ourselves unwind, catch our breaths from the day-to-day life back at home, and truly relax when we are here. Being together as a family is treasured time, and this is a special place to do that. We pray this home is a blessing to our family and many others in the years to come!”
