Sunday, April 4, 2010

Brooke Steuart - Outdoor Living


Have you missed my Featured House series?  I know I've missed giving you a glimpse into more beautiful homes over the past few weeks, but the series is back and I'm bringing it back with a bang!

For months now I've been trying to take you inside this beautiful beach house owned by Brooke Steuart, and over the next week I'll be taking you on a tour of her beautiful home situated along the Atlantic Ocean.  I was lucky enough to meet Brooke a few years ago when I wrote a feature about the home she shares with her husband and four darling children.  Brooke is the design genius behind Brooke Steuart Interiors, LLC, a full service design firm located in Calvert County, Maryland.  Brooke has a long list of faithful clients, and she was also asked to design a social living room in the Fall 2009 Design House in Washington, D.C.  The room she designed has been featured all over the web and in numerous print publications.  To see more of Brooke's "Georgetown" inspired living room you can visit Apartment Therapy.

Brooke and her husband both have demanding careers, and with four active children to raise, they needed a place where they could turn off their cells phones, kick up their feet, and just relax as a family from time to time.  So the couple purchased a beach house just a few hours from home, and Brooke used her design talents to create a vacation home that is not only comfortable and inviting, but drop dead gorgeous as well!

Because there are so many wonderful aspects of Brooke's vacation home in Delaware, I've decided to feature her beach house in a series of posts so that you can savor each area and take in the beauty of each and every room.  All of the photos you'll see in this series of posts are by a wonderful Maryland photographer by the name of Mike Busada of Mike B Photography.

I thought with warm weather approaching and the lure of soft sand and crashing waves, I would start the tour off by showing you the outdoor spaces at the Steuart's beach house.  So kick back, grab yourself a margarita and enjoy! 




Brooke's design philosophy of "surround yourself with the things you love," to create "the art of living" is evident both indoors and out in her vacation home.  She loves bold colors and isn't afraid to use them to create eye catching spaces which draw visitors in and make them want to stay awhile.



These bold punches of color sizzle just like the summer heat and give a fun, tropical feel to the wide decks that overlook the water.  These coral colored lounge chairs, adorned with colorful pillows, provide the perfect spot to catch a few rays or get caught up on some summertime reading.



And because dining alfresco is what summer is all about, Brooke created a family friendly dining area on the upper deck where she and her family of six can enjoy fresh fish from the grill, corn on the cob, and homemade ice cream!



And where do you go when you want to escape the searing summer sun?  To this comfortable oasis complete with mosquito netting.  This oversized lounge chair would be where I would want to spend the night, gazing up at the moon and the stars!  I love the nautical striped outdoor fabric Brooke chose to upholster the lounger with, and the extra layer of comfort provided by those beautiful tropical blue pillows and the throws in case it gets chilly when the sun goes down.



The Steuarts thought of everything when it comes to creating the perfect beach getaway, including an outdoor fire pit just right for making s'mores.  It's surrounded by comfortable indoor/outdoor wicker to create a casual, flexible seating area.  And the robin's egg blue cushions echo the color of the ocean while the orange accent pillows carry the blue and orange theme to every area of the expansive upper deck giving it a cohesive look without being too monotonous.



Downstairs, a covered porch has a completely different beach vibe going on.  Bold, bright colors give way to a more natural color palette on the porch.  Teak and wicker furniture set the tone for this quiet shade covered retreat. 



A striped rug, cushions in muted earth tones reminiscent of the sand, and ceiling fans make this an ideal spot to wind down after a long day at the beach.  The porch also provides a gathering place for friends and neighbors as they pass by on their way to the beach.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the outside of Brooke's beautiful beach house as much as I've enjoyed showing it to you, and I hope you'll come back soon as I take you inside to see more of this stunning vacation home.  You'll see how Brooke throws design caution to the wind and combines old and new to create the perfect second home for her and her family.

I would like to thank  Mike B. Photography for allowing me to use his great pictures.  To see more of his eye catching photography, be sure to check out his blog by clicking here!  Thanks, Mike!

And because Brooke's website is currently undergoing some changes and may not be up, you can contact her at:


Brooke Steuart Interiors, LLC

Phone: (410) 257-6100
Fax: (410) 257-6137
Website: http://www.brookesteuart.com
Email:bsteuart@comcast.net

16 comments:

  1. Goorgeous and looks very relaxing. I love that double iron chaise!...Christine

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  2. What a beautiful place! I would love to have one of those wonderful porches!
    Thanks for popping in to see me.
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  3. What a gorgeous place! Great place to re-energize :)
    *hugs*deb

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  4. Kat, I am trying to catch up on all my favorite blogs. This house looks wonderful. I would love to have a place like that to go to to relax. Love the double chaise. That is where I would be.

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  5. This is such a GREAT house- I really love the covered porch!

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  6. How beautiful!
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving your sweet comments.

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  7. I love the color combination of the robin's egg blue and coral. Everything is so vivid and fresh looking. And an alfresco meal of grilled fish and homemade ice cream sounds dreamy, not to mention those drinks sitting right there on the rim of the fire pit! I look forward to seeing more of Brooke's beach place! ~Lili

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  8. This is a beautiful house. Love the orange and white, it's stunning. Thanks for visiting junkblossoms. Please visit again soon. Pat.

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  9. Wow I love your review on this beautiful house. This house is so gorgeous and relaxing. You can see how talented Brooke is through her own house decorations. The colors are beautiful and perfect for the beach theme

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  10. Gorgeous - I love everything. I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the house.

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  11. Beautiful place...makes we want to to on vacation! Looking forward to more of these posts from you..Thanks for sharing them!

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  12. That warm, relaxing setting looks fabulous! It's still so cold here. The wind is always blowing, and there is a fresh dusting of snow on the foothills. I'm longing for some warmer weather!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  13. The house just forces you to relax when you walk in the door. Fortunately, I know from experience and sitting around that fire pit in the evening is the best!

    Great write up

    Mike Busada

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  14. SO pretty!! Love that lounger! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  15. She and I must be related, because we have southern maryland brookes and steuarts in our family!

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