I’ve always wanted a home on the water. I don’t have one. Twenty years ago, I had a house in California with a pool. More recently, during my time as a homesteader, when I’ve been in six houses in four years, I’ve been living in a house (that wasn’t mine) on a lake. Every morning, I would wake up to a lake view from my bedroom. I was looking at those calm waters and feeling lucky. I was thinking, “Look what I’m going to see!”
Not getting old. At night I would often sit on the balcony until the sky was so dark that the horizon disappeared, and the lake and sky turned into one.
However, when DC and I bought The Happier Yellow House five years ago, the view of the water wasn’t high on our priority list. It wasn’t on our list at all. There were other factors, such as location, number of bedrooms, access to good restaurants, price, and a fenced yard for dogs.
“I think everyone feels the restorative qualities of being by the sea,” says Jessie Conroy, author of At Home on the Water (Gibbs Smith, May 10, 2022).
A few years later, when we remodeled the landscape, where I couldn’t show a lake or ocean view, I lobbied for a pool. I pressed hard. After all, we live in Florida, largely on the equator. In the summer it gets hotter than the asphalt on Mercury.
“I had a pool. DC said. “They are a lot of work.”
I said, “I had a pool, too.” “We can hire a service. Plus, swimming is a good exercise.”
“You never swim,” said DC. I hate that it’s too practical.
“I would if I had a pool!”
He said, “Join Y,” without joking.
I said, “But I just want a pool to look at, sit with my feet up and have a fruity umbrella drink.”
“We will put a fountain. You can prop your feet on it. I will bring you an umbrella drink.”
Argh!
Our landscape designer put together two plans, one with a swimming pool, the other without. We priced both. We considered not only the cost of installing a swimming pool (a lot), but also the maintenance, which surveys show is anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 a year for maintenance, repairs, electricity, and water.
I couldn’t justify the pool either, but that didn’t stop me from wanting a pool. No if. not now. Some desires, including most of mine, are not rational. What is rational in diamond jewelry and designer handbags?
Put in a water fountain. sigh.
live through pictures
Anyway, all that wailing is to say that when I was offered the opportunity to review a new book, At Home on Water by Jesse Conroy (Gibbs Smith, May 10, 2022), I jumped at it. If I can’t have a house overlooking the water, at least I can live voyeuristically through those who do.
The coffee table style book has arrived. I bored out at its 208 glossy pages. I indirectly (and perceptually) toured 12 coastal homes, ranging from a country cottage in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to a large, modern Revival home in Palm Beach, Florida, to a Spanish colony in La Jolla, California.
“What inspired this book?” asked Conroy, when I called her on the phone at her home in Boston, where she lives with her husband, 11-year-old son, and 9-year-old daughter. Turns out, she doesn’t have a home on the water but she does have a second home on Cape Cod within walking distance of the beach.
“The idea came about during the early days of the pandemic,” said Conroy, a writer and editor at home magazines and current editor of Modern New England Magazine. “We were all at home sitting in uncertainty and a lot of downtime. I started asking myself, ‘Where do I want to be right now?’ and I started to picture the kind of home I personally longed for at the time.”
And it’s the kind of home I crave all the time.
She relied on her magazine links to be highlighted by the candidates. She then did all of her research, including interviews with the owners, architects, and designers, remotely. “Every house in the book is a haven,” she said. Her personal favorite home is a home in Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts, featured in a chapter titled “Previous Existence.” She’s talking to her because “she’s not very fancy, and she’s ready to move into a family with kids.”
For those lucky enough to live on the water, as well as those who just want to incorporate a waterfront vibe into their home, Conroy offers the following design tips:
Make the star show: Never obscure a view of the water. A lot of waterfront homes don’t have any window treatments, or those do have very few.
Decorative tone: Avoid any furniture, including fabrics, paint, or wall coverings, that compete with the look. “I admire the bold and risky design, but in a coastal home I think you should tone it down,” Conroy said. The same is true of Lake View properties. “Anytime you see a body of water, zoom in. This is the reason to live there.”
Cap on colors: Pull coastal colors in. A good rule of thumb is to use shades of white, off-white, sand, and blue, Conroy said. Pale pastel colors such as pink ballet slippers or green celery can also be used. “But I would avoid bright red or orange.”
Don’t be too extreme: Resist themed accessories, such as overhead banners that say “From This Way to the Beach.” While it’s a good idea to choose throw pillows in coastal colors, skip those with anchor motifs. Likewise, go ahead and hang artwork or seascape photos, but bypass nautical props like ship wheels and fishing nets.
Don’t underestimate the update: Waterfront homes are not low maintenance. Coastal homes are affected by salt, sun and storms. Lakefront property owners often need to dredge their beaches, and pools of course require regular maintenance. So be careful what you wish for.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll put my feet up on the fountain.
Marni Jameson can be reached at www.marnijameson.com.
