From Dump to Dreamy Beach House

Lisa Marie Brooks, a real estate agent, and her husband, Scott, a commercial airline pilot and builder, 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 of the 2,000-square-foot bungalow. "A pitched roof and a sunroom with lots of windows, plus great big oak trees all around." Now the fixer-upper is their home for good. Says Lisa Marie, "No chance we're selling this one anytime soon."

To most people, the shabby shack with its worn-out siding, cracked windows, and overgrown lawn looked like a condemned shed. But to the Brookses, the little house in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., was a hidden gem that just needed a bit — OK, a lot — of polishing. They bought it through short sale for $270,000, a drastic reduction from the onetime asking price of $900,000, without even seeing the interior in person. The overhaul cost about $120,000 and took a year to complete.

Instead of replacing the dated oak built-in, the Brookses saved money by removing the doors and painting it white (Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams). They also tore out the old wood-burning stove and installed a ventless fireplace. "We did a ton of work, but in the end, we felt like, gosh, it doesn't get any better than this,” says Lisa Marie.

The wall that surrounds the new fireplace was made by setting real seashells and starfish in plaster of Paris. The sectional sofa is covered with durable white denim fabric, and the shag rug feels about as soft as the white sand outside.