He and Craig, along with their kids Gavin, 4, and Vera, 3, zip south to enjoy the house as often as they can. “The second we arrive, we feel like we’ve been transported somewhere special,” says Craig. “And now I finally have room in our Atlanta garage for my bike!”

Long before he appeared on HGTV, Vern Yip was an architecture intern who fantasized about one day living in Rosemary Beach, FL, a resort town on the Gulf of Mexico with thoughtfully planned, pedestrian-friendly streets. Vern was so fixated on owning property there that he started collecting furniture for his dream place, stuffing it all into the garage of his Atlanta home. “I had everything—sofas, hangers, coasters—except the house itself!” he says.

Ten years later, in 2013, Vern and his partner, Craig Koch, who owns a pet care business, finally got the chance to buy a lot in town. Vern drew up the plans for the four-bedroom West Indies–influenced Dutch Colonial, then, once it was built, filled it with his stash of treasures.

“Lots of things in this house are precious, but I protected them so we could enjoy them,” says Vern. For instance, glass tops shield wood tables from spills, and antiques like the carousel animal from a Parisian flea market are displayed out of harm’s way. Durable, budget-friendly pieces fill the room too, including chevron elm stools from flash sale site My Habit and ceramic tile floors from Sassuolo, which have the rich look of ebony hardwood but won’t get scratched.