Text: Lynn Nesmith
Photography: Jean Allsopp
Morning arrives effortlessly on St. Simons at the vacation home of LeeAnn and Walter Muller. The sky gradually changes from a soft pink to a golden glow, and the freshwater pond glistens with the earliest hint of light. As the sun peaks above the horizon, scores of wood storks take flight over the maze of rivers, creeks, and tidal marshes that define this coastal landscape. With such tranquil surroundings, it’s easy to see why the Mullers were drawn to this locale.
“Several years back, we were on a golfing getaway on Sea Island,” recalls LeeAnn. “The setting was so beautiful that we stopped halfway through our first round and headed to the real estate office.” They reviewed the maps of the budding new Frederica Township on St. Simons and chose a prime property with water on three sides. Although the couple had never built from the ground up, they relished the prospect.
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
Timeless Lowcountry Charm: Inside a St. Simons Island Retreat That Celebrates Nature and Family
To oversee the project, LeeAnn and Walter turned to architect Tim Adams, who had just completed a house nearby, and designer Douglas Herrin, who the couple had worked with for more than 10 years on their primary residence in Atlanta. “It was a perfect collaboration from the onset,” says LeeAnn. “Douglas knew our family so well and understood our lifestyle, and Tim had the architectural vision we needed.”
The result is a home that defers to nature, something that seems to inherently come with a setting such as this. Approachable and familiar, it offers a fresh take on a Lowcountry raised cottage with wide steps, a deep front porch, sturdy columns, and a trio of dormer windows. The home’s precise proportions, welcoming scale, and hand-crafted materials establish a sense of permanence. Reclaimed Old Chicago brick pairs with rough mortar in a creamy white hue based on the color of the local sand. Wood siding on the wings and a mix of cedar shingles and copper on the roof instill the patina of a historic structure that could have evolved over the ages.
Balancing the drama of the landscape and finesse of the architecture, interior spaces marry the best aspects of a modern open plan with traditional forms and an underlying sense of symmetry. Rooms effortlessly flow from one to another. Traditional details, authentic materials, and subtle shifts in moods combine with thoughtful furniture placement to define the functions of the various spaces.
“This is a house that never lets you forget where you are,” Herrin says. “We made minimal use of draperies to allow every space to be deluged with a play of light from sunup to sundown.” Accordingly, views of water and moss-laden live oaks inform the interior palette of muted greens, grays, browns, and blues. Wide-plank antique pine flooring establishes instant character underfoot, while wooden paneled walls, vertical board and batten, and unfinished wood surfaces animate the walls. Art and accessories inspired by the surroundings, especially the native birds, are a constant theme.
The spirit of this family home converges in the kitchen where a wall of folding doors opens up to engage a generous screened porch. The open-air living area seats up to 15 around two industrial-style farm tables. The Mullers often push the tables together to create one large seating arrangement that allows everyone to come together. For this couple, it’s all about gathering friends and family in a place that allows them to slow down and savor life along the Georgia coast.
