Text: Emily Jackson
Photo: Jeff Herr
For Sallie and Warren Williamson, it was familial history and a pristine view that beckoned them to the quaint Florida town of Mary Esther. Thirty-five years ago, the Greenville, Alabama, couple chose a second home along the Intracoastal Waterway, just as Warren’s grandfather had done in the 1930s. Their mid-century modern retreat became a coastal escape for the Williamsons, their three daughters, 11 grandchildren, and a coterie of guests. “The Lord gives people various talents—ours is entertaining,” laughs Warren. It was during one of their many dinner parties that one particular guest’s arrival would prove most serendipitous.
17. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
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10. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
9. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
8. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
7. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
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2. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
1. Coastal Charm with Mid-Century Elegance
Designer Mallory Mathison Glenn, then a college friend of one of the Williamsons’ daughter, struck up an instant kinship with Sallie over their shared tastes. So when the Williamsons decided to expand their vacation compound, affectionately called Camp Palm, onto the adjacent lot, they naturally commissioned Glenn to orchestrate the interiors. “It’s always a pleasure to work with Mallory,” says Sallie of their now 12-year-long client-designer partnership. “She is so talented.”
“They wanted the place to feel like a cheerful, fresh version of an old Florida fish camp,” Glenn says of the new home’s design scheme. Hansen Architects from Savannah, Georgia; local builder Darrell Moss; and Greenville-based Coker Construction Co. helped Glenn bring the Southern vision to life.
Taking architectural cues from a traditional Florida house where Warren’s mother spent her summers, Camp Palm boasts 12-foot ceilings and a screened sleeping porch upstairs. While the home is a kaleidoscope of well-appointed color, Glenn began with a neutral canvas of pine walls swathed in Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White,” along with oak floors in a hand-scraped driftwood finish. “We made the spaces invigorating by layering in patterns and color,” she says. Schumacher’s “Chiang Mai Dragon” chinoiserie print covering an entry bench became the inspiration for the color palette throughout the living spaces.
In the cypress-paneled living room, a sweeping vista of the water and Santa Rosa Island sets the stage for relaxation. “The Williamsons really wanted the living spaces to have the views, so those rooms all face the water side of the house,” says Glenn. As a haven for festivities, the living room called for pieces that could stand the test of a good time and look beautiful doing so. A neutral-hued wool-and-silk-blend rug welcomes barefoot traffic, while generous seating encourages comfortable camaraderie. “We made sure that the furnishings could endure grandchildren, cocktail hour, football game parties, and people coming in off the boat,” says the designer.
To add a collected sensibility to the new home, Glenn sourced a menagerie of pieces from local vintage shops and added a layer of familiarity with works by Alabama artists such as Nall and Catherine Booker Jones. The masterful mix of personality and practicality suits every occasion, from a formal evening in the dining room to a reflective morning over coffee in the upstairs den—something the designer can attest to. “It’s very rare to go back to the project you’ve put so much time and love into creating and get to experience it as a guest,” says Glenn of a recent getaway to the house. “I had so much fun enjoying it.” For perpetual hosts Sallie and Warren Williamson, there is no greater compliment.
