20 Cool Beach Houses With Curb Appeal

Summer means a full house when you live at the beach. Marnie Oursler, host of Big Beach Builds, created this retreat with guests in mind. There’s plenty of comfy furniture, a screened-in porch and three roomy balconies for breathing in the salty air. Plus, a bunk room for her nieces and nephews.

Location: Bethany Beach, Delaware

Size: 6,400 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Intellectual Gray, Sherwin-Williams and (front door) Heritage Red, Benjamin Moore

Homeowners Betsy and Ryan Chapman were drawn to the home’s light blue color and great location. With the beach only a block away, it’s easy to pack the wagon and go.

The family can soak up the tropical scenery from the second-story balcony, which is outfitted with outdoor woven chairs, pillows and a table.

Location: Anna Maria Island, Florida

Size: 2,200 sq. ft.

Paint color: (house) Try Delano Waters by Benjamin Moore for a similar look.

Lots of people dream about moving to the beach. Holly and Mike Izard took the plunge, leaving behind Northeast winters for balmy Florida. Their home, located a few blocks from the beach, fully embraces its beach house identity with nearly every shade of blue under the sun. “It’s practically a neutral when you live on the coast,” says Holly. The result is, “a vacation home we never have to leave.”

As for the coastal cool exterior, an aluminum roof can withstand salty air, and the porch’s three shutter panels between the columns offer much-needed shade.

Location: Atlantic Beach, Florida

Built in: 2019

Paint colors: (house) Whitetail and (shutters) Storm Cloud, Sherwin-Williams

Sandy and Victor Gringas knocked down the dumpy 1970s house that originally sat on the property, located steps from the water. They had to keep the home’s original foundation because of zoning regulations, so they built upward, spreading 2,000 square feet over five narrow half stories. Sandy hired an architect who specializes in historic beach homes and stuck with a lived-in look. “People always assume our house has been around for ages,” she says. “It’s the ultimate compliment!”

Location: Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Size: 2,000 sq.ft.

Frequent travelers Dave Arthurs and Brennan Pardee have visited 55 countries between them. So when they found themselves drawn to Palm Springs, California, again and again, they took it as a sign. In 2016 they snagged this condo to use as a getaway. Both of them work remotely so “the decision to stay full-time was a no-brainer,” says Brennan.

Location: Palm Springs, California

Built in: 1963

Paint colors: (house) Swiss Coffee, Dunn-Edwards and (front door) Bora Bora Shore, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

Cedar shakes, lush landscaping and a blue front door — this home on Cape Cod has all the classic coastal charm. This wasn't the case when Katie and Eric Hooper bought the house in 2008, though. The façade was covered in vinyl siding, and it had all of the original (non-functioning) windows. When the couple tackled an exterior refresh, they installed new windows and tore off the siding, revealing the shingles underneath. The couple decided to replace the shingles to restore the beachside home to its orginal look.

Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Built in: 1954

Size: 1,500 sq. ft.

Paint color: (front door) Try Bedford Blue by Benjamin Moore for a similar look.

Gary and Nili Ovsiowitz purchased this ’60s-era home overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a cul-de-sac down the street from Gary’s parents and a couple of blocks from his brother. The family-friendly location was perfect, but the look felt out of sync with the seaside address. Before the couple upgraded the exterior, the home’s charms were hidden behind blah stucco and an overgrowth of climbing vines. Cedar shingles, major pruning and a new front door color quickly boosted the curb appeal.

Location: Malibu, California

Size: 3,160 sq. ft.

Paint color: (front door) Santa Monica Blue, Benjamin Moore

Seanna and Matt Covell spent their childhood summers in Ocean City, Maryland, eating French fries on the boardwalk and biking barefoot with friends. They wanted the same for their girls, so when this bungalow — just two blocks from Matt’s parents’ place — came on the market, they snagged it. Matt, a builder and designer, took the lead on transforming the dilapidated house.

Pink siding and a sunburst design in the gable set the tone for the family’s laid-back lifestyle. The living room and kitchen open to an expansive deck (by Trex) — a space that’s equally geared toward kiddie-pool dips and entertaining. The bar window swings out to let in the breeze.

Location: Ocean City, Maryland

Built in: 1960s

Size: 1,000 sq. ft.

Paint color: (house) Try Alyssum by Sherwin-Williams for a similar look.

For years, Lorin and Jeremy Seidman had rented places around New England for their family’s summer vacation. They fell under the spell of this Cape Cod meets Colonial for sale. “It was love at first sight,” says Lorin.

Although the house on the bay was in great shape, it didn't quite live up to Lorin’s dream of a classic yet modern New England beach house. An easy upgrade: painting the front door. “I wanted an entrance where you couldn’t walk in without smiling at the color,” says Lorin.

Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island

Built in: 2003

Paint color: (front door) Soft Glow, Benjamin Moore

Lisa Marie and Scott Brooks know potential: Together they've built or renovated 25 homes in three states, most of which they've resold. "This house actually had a lot of pros," says Lisa Marie. "A pitched roof and a sunroom with lots of windows, plus great big oak trees all around." This hidden gem just needed a bit — OK, a lot — of polishing. They bought it through short sale and spent a year on the overhaul. Now the fixer-upper is their home for good.

Location: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Size: 2,000 sq. ft.

When Jasmine Roth (host of Help! I Wrecked My House) and her husband, Brett, built their family home, they nicknamed it The Roth Homestead for its comfortable and organic vibes. They dialed up her beachy chill style to create a place that's cheerful and whimsical for daughter Hazel.

Location: Newport Beach, California

Paint colors: (house) Homestead Brown, (trim) Frosty White and (front door) Halcyon Green, Sherwin-Williams

Homeowners Karen and Brian McMahon welcome a steady stream of visitors to their coastal Rhode Island home all summer long. “Around June we hear from friends we didn’t even know we had!” jokes Brian.

The house looks sprawling, but it’s actually a moderate 2,499 square feet because of local regulations that limited its footprint. To guarantee they made the most of every inch — and got as many ocean views as possible — the McMahons asked architect Jeremiah Eck to outfit the three-and-a-half-story structure with multiple decks that seamlessly transition to the indoor living areas. "We call the house Boomerang Hill because we hope once you visit, you’ll always come back," says Karen.

Location: Block Island, Rhode Island

Size: 2,499 sq. ft.

Paddleboarding, sailing, hiking, s’mores, repeat. That’s daily life for Sarah and Burke Hayes and their family in Sherwood Forest, a woodsy community in Maryland. Burke's family has had homes here for generations, so it was only natural that the couple would get a vacation home of their own here once they had a family.

The place they bought was a total teardown, so Sarah, an architect, steered the new build. She re-created the space with cozy seating areas inside and out, and chic cottage-meets-nautical touches. Says Sarah, “I’m grateful that our time here allows our family to go back to a simpler way of life.”

Location: Annapolis, Maryland

Size: 3,300 sq. ft.

Paint color: (house) Essex Green, Benjamin Moore

Some things run in the family. For Kelly and Vince Tague, it’s summers spent at the shore in the quaint oceanside town of Avalon, New Jersey. That’s where they each vacationed with their families growing up; it’s where the two met, shortly after college; and it’s where the pair bought this seaside charmer on the bay in 2014.

“Vince first took me to see it right at sunset,” says Kelly. “You can’t watch the sun going down over the water and not fall in love with this house.” Inside and out, the Tagues kept the design simple, "like you want shore living to be,” says Kelly. “Besides, nothing can compete with that view!”

Location: Avalon, New Jersey

Built in: 1970s

Paint color: (house) Pelican Gray and (trim) Super White, Benjamin Moore

Vern Yip has had a love affair with Rosemary Beach, Florida, since the ’90s, when he first visited the town and fell for its walkable, bike-friendly layout. In 2014, he and husband Craig Koch built a dream home there, but just two years later, someone made an offer on their place they couldn’t refuse. Dream home number two became a possibility when they found a ripe-with-potential property not far from the original one. “I always have a soft spot for a house that needs love,” says Vern.

He revamped every inch, knocking down a wall that blocked the water view from the kitchen and turning a third-story outdoor space into the master bedroom. The decor is Vern's take on beachy: bright and built for easy living. A beach house doesn’t have to fit a nautical mold, says Vern. “Nobody should feel pressure to go overboard with mermaids!”

Location: Rosemary Beach, Florida

Size: 3,500 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (stucco) Pure White and (siding) Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams

There wasn’t much to love about the run-down cottage Vicky Patton and her husband, Henry, spotted while house-hunting in Georgia in 2012. The past-its-prime bungalow had zero personality. But Vicky saw potential in the two-bedroom, one-bath eyesore. “The layout was great,” she says. “Despite the size, I knew it could live large.”

Before the redo, a scraggly lawn and faded yellow exterior hid the home’s charm. Tropical blue paint and façade-improving tweaks, like chartreuse shutters and a coral-color screen door, instantly boosted the curb appeal. With plenty of greenery, including a shady 20-foot-tall palmetto palm, the bungalow transformed from teardown candidate to midcentury gem.

Location: Tybee Island, Georgia

Built in: 1950s

Paint colors: Try (house) Frosty and (shutters) Fluorescent Lime by Valspar for a similar look.

What could draw a city-loving Miami resident to a beachy suburb? A roomy layout and a 1,000-square-foot backyard did the trick for designer Nicole White. “After years in a condo,” says Nicole, “it’s a dream to have an outdoor area where people can come over for wine, dinner or both.”

Location: Sunrise, Florida

Built in: 1986

Size: 2,028 sq. ft.

This Cape Cod-style home in Florida is full of seaside charm. The gray cedar shakes are a similar shade to the roof shingles, creating a monochromatic look. Crisp white trim draws eyes to the large stone patio and the sweet arched door. The manicured landscaping matches the home's neat exterior.

Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Paint colors: Try (house) Cement Gray and (trim) Super White by Benjamin Moore

Die hard junkers and vintage shop owners Linda and Chris Bradford fell in love with this Spanish-style bungalow for its bay views and proximity to the beach. (The Pacific Ocean is within walking distance!) To make it their own, they've filled it with far-from-perfect reclaimed pieces for an overall result that feels light, airy and lived-in.

Playing off the home's terra-cotta roof and orange awnings, the couple decorated the patio with happy hits of orange like the striped pillows and tablecloth.

Location: Long Beach, California

Built in: 1927

Size: 1,100 sq. ft.