Photography by Lauren Fisher
What could be happier than a day in the sun building sand castles? For Al and Mary Anne Pirro, it’s coming back from the beach to their cozy vacation home in Bethany Beach, Del. Here, Mary Anne talks about how they chose the town and the home, and how she has made it their happy place.
It took only 20 minutes for us to fall in love. We had driven to Bethany Beach to see a friend’s exhibit in the annual art show. Neither of us had ever been there. “The Quiet Resort” wasn’t even on our radar. The boardwalk band shell, a playground right on the main street, very few mainstream commercial establishments, beautifully manicured streets–it all made us happy. Our second visit was to meet with a realtor.
Tartaruga Villa, as we call it, was totally empty the first time we saw it, just a shell with every room painted the same color. When we walked in, we could almost hear the kids giggle as they planned their next prank, see the perfect place to cuddle up with a book, and taste the crabs we’d caught on the bay. Al envisioned a big comfy couch to just “rest his eyes” for a bit. This was the perfect place to leave all our cares at the door, act like kids, and find our happy.
The three goals in furnishing the house were to keep it fun, comfortable and real. We began with pieces that we no longer needed, mostly those that didn’t make the cut during the newlywed house blend. It was an eclectic assembly of goods: traditional cornices, a 1980’s headboard, a bright red sofa, fanciful drapery, and even an old swizzle stick collection.
When Al saw how much I was planning to recreate, he became a little tentative about so much “handy crafting.” Neither of us wanted the house to look like it was full of mismatched cast-offs. I assured him that with careful attention to the details of the reused pieces and to mixing them with the purchased pieces, it would look great.
Creating is my passion, and this was a dream–an empty house and a stockpile of furnishings just waiting to be renewed! So with scissors, a staple gun and what seemed like gallons of Mod Podge and paint in hand, I set out to create a kick-your-shoes-off kind of happy space.
The Great Room
A lot happens in this room and every inch of space is used. We built the room around big Bertha, an extra deep sofa. When we sat in Bertha (yes, that is the manufacturer’s name for the piece) in the showroom, we felt like we were being hugged by a favorite aunt. She had to come home with us! The alcoves on either side of the fireplace are great for hobbies: a puzzle niche on one side and our son Will’s “art studio” on the other. Bead board inserts painted coral at the back of the bookcases add a welcome pop of color. The artwork is simple and eclectic. Audubon’s flamingo print carries the coral across the room, framed placemats printed with colorful fish hang above the windows, cheerful letters that spell FUN mark the game closet, while a floating shelf holds the puzzle box, creating an ever-changing mini art gallery.
The Den
A red sofa from my bachelorette condo dominated when we first moved it into the space. The sofa’s scale is a bit too big for the room, but I decided to just go with it and make other elements oversized as well. Hawaiian shirt inspired fabric hangs in panels from Ikea hardware mounted to the ceiling. When the curtains are open they look like a piece of art but when closed they create a dramatic floral wall. Shadowboxes now house our matchbook collection and swizzle sticks from Al’s parents’ honeymoon. Because the den is visible from the great room, I used a giant crashing wave canvas from Ikea to pull the coastal greens into the room.
Will’s Room
I started working on this room before Will came along. As children will do, he changed my plans. The only thing left from the old plans is the window treatment: traditional cornices decoupaged with fabric atop matching Roman shades. An unfinished chest of drawers was also decoupaged, but in the same fabric as the bedskirts with an enlarged octopus graphic on the front. Every boy needs a place to hang his hat; for Will, it’s on boat cleats attached to the wall. The hand painted chevron wall eliminates the need for headboards. However, I’m still looking for a cool vintage surfboard to hang above the beds.
The Guest Room
Just about everything in the guest bedroom has been recreated or handmade. Al’s leftover bachelor headboard had great bones. I upholstered the center panel to give it a fresh look and added gimp around the padding for the finishing detail. Paint on the inside of each of the bookcase’s cubbies customizes the mass produced piece. Oversize, contemporary hardware and a coat of paint on the more than 60-year-old chest of drawers makes it look fresh.
The Master Bedroom
The color palette in here is very different from the rest of the house. There are no bright colors, just white, silvery grey and taupe with a splash of aqua for a nod to the shore. The reused draperies are the inspiration for the room. Artisan-made pewter turtle knobs add a little bit of whimsy to the unfinished furniture store demilune tables. By paying great attention to detail in its construction, you’d never know the headboard was made from ¾ inch foam core board and quilt batting attached to the wall with Command® mounting strips.
Now, I must give some credit where credit is due, to Al. Not only did he finish the demilune tables and pick out the great room rug, he was also very patient with my crazy ideas and very late nights. Pretty cool husband.
I am happy!