Last month’s cover of Philadelphia magazine left me grinning.  The editors read my mind.  It has essentially been my goal to get everyone I know from Philly to become my neighbor here, “down the shore”, even if just seasonally.

In the past year, we’ve successfully converted two couples.  As you know, we’re working on my parents weekend cottage but you probably didn’t know that our friends, Marsha & Steven, also purchased a home here.  I originally met Marsha when we were neighbors at multiple Clover Markets.  Since then, they’ve become real neighbors!

They spent last fall and winter turning the fixer upper into an inviting retreat where they can relax and pursue their crafts. It is no surprise that they were able to transform this house into a home so quickly. Marsha had a successful career as an interior decorator for over twenty years.

Since retiring, she paints, gardens and makes mixed-media jewelry that she sells on Etsy and at local markets. Their beach house is complete with a studio brimming with vintage materials for her jewelry line.

The home has been updated from floor to ceiling with fresh paint, new flooring and carpet. Collections of shells and sea glass hued bottles line the shelves as if they were always there. The couple furnished the house with a mix of antiques that they’ve owned for years and new vintage-style pieces that blend seamlessly with the old. As Marsha said, “If you stay with the things you love, they’ll never go out of style.”

I love nothing more than to be invited in to tour someone’s home.  To peruse the layout, the architecture, the way they use color, mix patterns and especially their “finds”.  It’s so inspiring!