Open House Magazine 2022

OPEN HOUSE LONG BEACH ISLAND’S HOME DESIGN MAGAZINE

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Coastal Living real estate group

Luxury Sales & Full Service Rentals CoastalLbi.com | 609.492.4444

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CONTENTS S P R I N G

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Featured 52 BUILT TO LAST

Interior Design

28 WAKING UP REFRESHED

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SUBLIME DESIGN

HOME DECOR MISTAKES TO AVOID

20 RELAX & STAY AWHILE

25 ASK THE DECORATOR

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CONTENTS S P R I N G

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Home Improvements

Building

44 THE HEAT IS ON

90 BAYFRONT BEAUTY

96 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Kitchen 126

Outdoor Living

THE ULTIMATE KITCHEN REFRESH

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POOL 101

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ONE STOP SHOP

RELIABILITY OF TEAK

TIMELESS BEAUTY

112 NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

81 OUTDOOR SURROUNDINGS

86 ENHANCING THE GARDEN EXPERIENCE

118 LEGACY HOME

Technology 140 LATEST & GREATEST

Home Care 144 PROTECTING YOUR PIECE OF PARADISE

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W E L I S T E N . W E D E S I G N . Y O U E N J O Y. INTERIOR DESIGN

FURNITURE

BED & BATH LINENS

LIGHTING

WINDOW TREATMENTS

1012 CENTRAL AVE, SHIP BOTTOM | 609.361.9297 BETWEENTHESHEETSNJ.COM | INFO@BETWEENTHESHEETSNJ.COM OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Hello

Evolving On the Cover

OPEN HOUSE LONG BEACH ISLAND’S HOME DESIGN MAGAZINE

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From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic has defied almost every economic prediction. What many feared would be a long and devastating economic downturn didn’t happen—it was actually quite the opposite here on Long Beach Island. The local real estate sector boomed, home construction and renovation demand soared to record rates, and the number of visitors to our tiny little barrier island only grew exponentially as time went on. COVID introduced multigenerational living under one roof, and with it, the need for larger homes with more amenities.

This evolution of LBI includes focusing on creating that outdoor entertainment oasis, installing swimming pools and spas, fire features and mood lighting, getting that landscaping perfect, setting up an ideal home office space, and finally pulling together the athome fitness room. And although demand for these goods and services remains high, supply chain shortages and delays coupled with the increase pricing of material goods has led to a little backlog for those looking to have these items installed or completed, well, yesterday.

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PHOTO BY MICHEAL SPARK

But be patient with your local business owner, dear reader. So many of them are adjusting and evolving into this new pace of business, while others are working tirelessly to deliver quality products and exceptional services, despite the pressure. Whether designing interiors or exteriors, and everything in between, a new pool of talent has emerged here on Long Beach Island, and we are so very happy to share them all with you in this issue of Open House Magazine.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy our Spring issue as we bring you some of the island’s most beautiful homes and the region’s most sought-after service providers. We hope you enjoy reading through these beautiful pages as much as we enjoyed creating them.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Open House Magazine.

-The Founders

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2 Generations Selling LBI’s Finest Homes for 40 years...

CALL COWLES 609-492-1300 4 Aggressive, professional marketing of your property.

4 Maximum exposure to prospective Buyers.

4 Expertise in handling all aspects of your real estate transaction.

4 Personalized one-on-one service.

David Cowles Broker/REALTOR 609.290.0779

Michael Cowles REALTOR 609.290.3680

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The DESIGN MAGAZINE for Long Beach Island

OPEN HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE magazine is the top resource for consumers who want to tap into design and architecture communities in the Long Beach Island and surrounding area.

CO-FOUNDER | CHAIRMAN PUBLISHER

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VP OPERATIONS LUELLEN HENDERSON CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LISA SIMEK S P R I N G

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PHOTOGRAPHERS JOHN MARTINELLI MICHAEL SPARK MICHAEL JOHN MURPHY

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LISA SIMEK DENISE PETTI SARAH HODGSON ELAINE SISKO THOM SWEENEY SUSAN FIELD CAROLYN MIJAL JENNA COWPERTHWAITE

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For a digital copy of Open House Magazine visit our website at bay-magazine.com. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without express permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed by writers commissioned for articles published by Open House Magazine are not necessarily those of the magazine.

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Sublime DESIGN A SER ENE APPROACH TO COA STAL IN TER IOR S

WRITTEN BY DENISE PETTI

New home construction on the island seems rampant these days with no apparent end in sight.

While LBI has long experienced growth, the pandemic certainly served to magnify a massive shift from the mainland to the sea. Builders and designers find themselves working overtime to meet demand from a plethora of clients seeking a myriad of redesign and renovation projects in an effort to create or update their coastal homes.

Serenity Design has been one lucky beneficiary of all the buzz, with an influx of inquiries based on their long-standing credibility for delivering outstanding decor and interior aesthetic vignettes.

Owners, Donna and Victoria Grimes, collaborate with homeowners to create refreshing spaces for discerning palates. Their reputation on the island has served them well, likely owed to their commitment to not just meet, but exceed the needs and expectations of each and every client.

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Interior Design “Our goal has always been, and continues to be, to create environments that enhance the surroundings and lives of the clients for whom they are created,” says Victoria. “We have a combined experience of thirty-plus years working with clients at every stage of their home project.”

Serenity Design is Long Beach Island’s only complete design center. When it comes to building, renovating and decorating, the mother-daughter team designs everything from kitchen cabinets and custom built-ins to floor plans and furniture. They coordinate the choice of bathroom finishes and tile selections with contractors and installers to make the selection process not just simplified and streamlined for the client, but enjoyable as well.

The store encompasses a wide range of products for the contemporary coastal home with an ample array of hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile and marble for floors, walls, backsplashes, and countertops.

“We also have a large variety of chandeliers, lamps, pictures, small accessories, and furniture,” Victoria says. “So even if you are just popping in to find a nice gift, we’ve got a nice array of unique pieces, plus interesting cottage finds and antiques.”

Recently, an owner of a beautiful Loveladies lagoon-front home reached out to Donna and Victoria, shortly before purchasing her property. Being as the primary home was located out of state, and seeing as the home had been purchased in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Donna and Victoria adapted their service model and were prepared to safely manage the project from concept to completion. Everything from the homeowners’ budget to lifestyle goals factored into the initial design interview and subsequent planning process, which took place remotely via email and Zoom calls.

“The consultative conversation is the best time to get really honest about what each party brings to the table,” Victoria says. “Chemistry between owner and designer is key.”

The family had previously owned a home on LBI many years ago, so they were already familiar with island living. The home they purchased boasted a wonderful outdoor space for entertaining and also had ample space for Serenity Design to flex their brand of creative expression.

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Interior Design With design reins in hand, Donna and Victoria set about creating a fresh, beach house design scheme that included furnishings, decorative pillows, bedding and artwork as well as the owners’ own unique accessories. Since the views from inside and outside the home seemingly go on forever, in any and every direction, the designers made it a point to incorporate furnishings that capitalized on the views no matter the vantage point. From the lovely rockers on the front deck to the family room’s swivel chairs and decorative bench on the landing of the stairwell, the spectacular bay view can be serenely appreciated from one spot, the lagoon view from another. What’s more, there’s a full panoramic view from the rooftop, complete with Adirondack chairs and barstools for enjoying refreshing cocktails at sundown.

From start to finish, Serenity Design remained at the helm of every selection including tile, light fixtures, paint colors, indoor and outdoor furniture, window treatments, even bedding.

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“Having control of the full scope and palette really set this home up for a stunning outcome,” Victoria says. “All of our selections work together to create harmony, balance and flow as the eye moves about the home.”

Flawless and effortless execution aside, Victoria and Donna both credit the success of the finished product to great communication, hours of research, hundreds of emails and phone calls, and most of all, trust from the homeowners themselves.

The owners were so pleased that they asked the mother-daughter duo to help them with a design project at their primary residence out of state.

“The end goal,” Victoria says, “Is always to ensure that the homeowner enjoys the final design just as much as we enjoyed creating it for them.”

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SERENITY DESIGN Everything for the Home of your Dreams

FURNITURE | TILE | ART LIGHTING | RUGS | ACCESSORIES

Shoppe Open Year Round 1102 Long Beach Boulevard Ship Bottom, NJ 609.494.5162 | serenitydesignlbi.com OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE 19

Interior Design

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STAY AWHILE WRITTEN BY JENNA COWPERTHWAITE PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHN MURPHY

Upon opening the front door of Little Bungalow, you are immediately greeted by a light, clean scent, beckoning you to relax and stay awhile. The notes of coconut milk, amber and vanilla that linger in the air are owner Alexandria Roth’s signature scent, Dusk. It’s essentially the feeling of a perfect beach day encapsulated in a beautiful candle; the perfect introduction to the space Roth has created at her Surf City boutique. Alongside the olfactory delight, fresh white walls and ambient beats in the background work together to create a vibe different from most other shopping locations, likely inspired by the years Alex lived in Los Angeles.

It is precisely that simple, sophisticated atmosphere which allows her incredible selection of merchandise to steal the spotlight. She sources items from around the world, focusing on distinct, handmade pieces that will stand the test of time in any home. Alex has orchestrated an environment that entices customers to slow down and explore, running your hands along the chunky knit pillow displayed on the wooden shelf, turning over the one-ofa-kind olive wood and bone serving spoon or caressing the irresistibly luxurious Turkish cotton-fleece throw, her long-standing, best-selling item.

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Her selection of dried florals draws your eyes around the boutique and will have you rethinking the antiquated concept of dried flowers, as she incorporates colors that harken the peaceful feeling of the beach alongside airy dune grass and sharp palm fronds.

She offers three different sized bouquets and will also make custom arrangements. Dried florals provide the perfect solution to adding that sense of warmth in a home without the burden of daily watering. Ele-

ments of texture and nature are also incorporated in her lineup through the show-stopping juju hats from Cameroon. A luscious mix of feathers woven together, they are a true statement piece when situated over a headboard or fireplace mantel. Or perhaps it’s the baskets from Ghana that catch your interest, perfect for transporting happy hour accoutrements to the beach or housing a reading selection in the living room.

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Interior Design In the winter months, Alexandria spends a great deal of time exploring different places in search of new merchandise. Not only does she source small-batch, handcrafted items, but always has her eyes open for various vintage pieces as well, collecting beautiful ceramics and rugs. Over the years she has formed relationships with many of her customers and often has someone specific come to mind when she spots a particular piece. It’s a wonderful reward when summer arrives again and that customer visits her shop and does indeed connect to the found treasure.

Roth’s sense of attunement allows her to offer a formal personal shopping option, as her lifestyle boutique also carries an edited selection of chic pieces for easy summer dressing.

An especially popular option during Covid, she often consults with her customers prior to their appointment to ensure a fruitful experience. Her capsule collection of caftans, tunics and dresses by coveted fashion brands like Natalie Martin, Gillia and 9seed, are clothes you’ll want to live in and hold on to forever.

For those in search of a gift for others, Little Bungalow’s gift baskets are the perfect solution, whether it be for a hostess, a housewarming or even a 40th birthday party. Alex’s distinctive apothecary selection often finds its way into a basket, and she will also customize a basket to ensure it speaks directly to its recipient.

Going into her sixth summer, driven by the entrepreneurial spirit deep in her genes, Alex is honored to be part of the Long Beach Island community. Her focus on quality and service cement her boutique as a mainstay. Shopping at Little Bungalow is truly a treat for the senses; one often forgotten in our culture dominated by online shopping. Attentive to you, your home and your gifting needs, Little Bungalow offers a unique atmosphere and curated selection you will find no where else.

Little Bungalow is Long Beach Island’s exclusive source for the coveted Poppy and Sage product line. Their bohemian-inspired products support small communities on the island of Bali where they are handmade with a focus on environmentally sustainable practices.

Pop in to find beautiful rattan, straw, teak and cane pieces perfectly themed for serving and entertaining on our little island.

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Beach Barn Boutique Gifts . Clothing . Antiques & more I n t he hea rt o f S hi p Bo tto m

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Interior Design

Ask

THE DECORATOR Q & A WITH THOM SWEENEY PHOTO BY JOHN MARTINELLI

Thom Sweeney is founder and owner of Thom Sweeney Interiors, an award-winning full-service interior design studio specializing in contract design and residential business. With a well-trained and careful eye for quality, craftsmanship, and statement-making furnishings & textiles, Thom is recognized for his bold and elegant, yet timeless and classic styled designs.

Q. How do I add those finishing luxury touches to my home without spending a fortune?

-Georgina, Manahawkin A. It may be easier than you think, Georgina! First of all, I would suggest adding picture lights in just about every room. Whether you use them over a print or a painting, they somehow seem to elevate the subject matter to “very important.” But more importantly, they add another source of ambient lighting, which is so critical in making a room feel luxurious. Additionally, if you don’t have them already, have dimmer switches installed immediately on all of the lighting you possess because that is what controls the mood of the room.

The next items that instantly add luxury are fresh flowers and live plants. I know, I know. I hear it all the time, “But, I kill every plant I ever bring into the house!” Listen, if you make a concerted effort to remember to water and be sure there’s sunlight, you may surprise yourself with how good it feels to keep plants alive. It’s a challenge, but start with a cactus or a succulent. They tend to be the most forgiving.

If you still can’t seem to keep them alive, then think silk. But there is absolutely no excuse for not having fresh-cut flowers on the table. They’re available at every food store, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg.

The bonus is that you get to arrange them. Pro tip: Never, ever just stick them in a vase without cutting the stems at varying heights (be sure to keep the tallest in center). There is just something about fresh flowers that telegraphs a message of luxury. And don’t forget to get creative with the container. Do you have any silver pieces around from the wedding? Get ‘em out!

A piece of silver here and there adds immeasurably to the richness of a home. Substitute a silver cup on your vanity in lieu of the porcelain one, just remember that you’ve got to clean silver about once every month or so (you can buy some silver cream while you’re at the food store buying your flowers). Futhermore, you can get nickel or non-tarnishing silver picture frames at places like Home Goods, and they would be great substitutes for the white ones you may have with words like FAMILY scrawled on them (a cheesy no-no in my book).

Speaking of books, I am surprised by the number of homes I see where there are no books anywhere. There are none on the bookshelves, none on the coffee tables.

Nowhere. Did you realize that just the right books on the coffee table for instance, on subjects ranging from Fashion to Home Decor to Paris, can create a luxury feel simply with their dust jackets? What coffee table wouldn’t more elegant with a copy of “The Gardens of Bunny Mellon” on it? Or Louis Comfort Tiffany: Man or Myth”? Anyway, you get the idea.

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Interior Design

Waking up Refreshed WRITTEN BY CAROLYN MIJAL

Sunlight streaming in through soft billowy curtains, the sound of the sea gently taking you from sleeping to waking. Waking up refreshed and ready as you take a morning stretch with the most luxurious fabric at your fingertips. The bedroom, the boudoir, the master suite, is there anything more intimate than having your own personal oasis that whisks you away from the world? At any age there is a special feeling of having a room of one’s own; from picking out paint colors for the walls, to selecting furniture and items to adorn the walls. Selecting your duvet for the center piece of the room, showcasing your own personal style. Did you pause to think about the sheets?

Now I know what you could be thinking, the sheets? I’ll just pick up something that fits the bed that is new and that is that! Kristin, Maryann and Laura at Between the Sheets will certainly tell you that there is a huge difference and if you are in the market for sheets, you most certainly should not be picking out just any sheets. The most important element of any room is the sheets, especially when you consider who the sheets are for: yourself.

The time it takes to invest in a fitness, nutrition, and skincare routine shouldn’t stop at your bed sheets for the sheer fact that sleeping is the most important element of all the rituals that make up our day. And what is more important than the investment in the wellbeing of what is between the sheets: you.

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Laura Oppermann is the maven of the linens at Between the Sheets and her wealth of knowledge for Yves Delorme is incomparable. For the last 25 years Between the Sheets has been a proud partner with Yves Delorme. Yves Delorme is a globally recognized brand celebrating their 177th year of artistry this year. The exclusive partnership between Yves Delorme and Between the Sheets is a testament to the quality that both provide to their clients.

To understand the exclusive partnership, one must know the rich and sophisticated history of Yves Delorme. Founded in 1845

by Ernestine Fremaux this luxury linen house focused on quality, sustainable, and vibrant craftmanship and for the last six generations they have balanced comfort and strength. Yves Delorme standard of excellence guarantees that their products are standard 100 by OEKO-TEX ®, certified free of toxic substances and safe for the skin.

Laura connects with every client and has helped countless clients create their dream beds. Providing clients with the most comprehensive and personal experience when picking out their bedding Laura is the person to enlist when creating the bed of your dreams. “The amount of time people spend in bed is almost a third of their lives sleeping” Laura said “as you are creating a beautiful home why stop at just the bed. The bed is what ties the room together. It is the finishing touch to any room and more importantly for your sheets you want sheets that feel fabulous and are comfortable.”

The best way for clients to understand the quality of Yves Delorme is to go into Between the Sheets and have a consultation with Laura. “First and foremost, we encourage all clients who are looking for new bedding to come into the store and feel the sheets. It is a personal purchase

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and to appreciate them we encourage our clients to come in and find the ideal product for their needs.”

Between the Sheets’ repository of Yves Delorme extends way beyond, color and thread count. The inventory and possible combinations for every client are endless.

Yves Delorme collections are the ultimate in sophistication and luxury. Clients can select their sheets and bedding and find towels, robes, and sleepwear to match. The fabric types vary and transition from season to season. Not only will your room seamlessly transition from winter to summer, your bedding will provide you with exactly what you need throughout the year and help you achieve the most well rested sleep for optimal daytime functioning.

Triomphe – a cotton sateen blend is smoother and warmer, perfect for cool fall and chilly winter

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nights. While Percale is the most decadent breathable cotton that is so soft and billowy waking up on a summer day will feel like you woke up at a fivestar resort in the Caribbean. Feeling luxurious isn’t only for vacation. The most important feeling when it comes to your bed is the feeling of complete and utter relaxation.

Personalization is the key to creating a space that best represents your own individual style and needs. Leaving a duvet cover partially folded to expose the pattern or color of sheets or adding a decorative pillow as a finishing touch to the bed.

Anything is possible with Yves Delorme and Laura at Between the Sheets. The Yves Delorme craftsmanship make these sheets durable and family friendly.

What better display of love is there than wrapping your entire family in comfort and luxury.

Interior Design

Laura’s twenty years of experience provide her with the educational foundation to ensure that clients know the quality of the linens they are purchasing and how to best maintain them so they will last for years to come. “One of the most common mistakes people make when taking care of their bedding is over drying their sheets. You do NOT want to over dry the sheets; you wouldn’t over dry your hair or favorite shirt. The same goes for your sheets.” Her go-to guide for keeping Yves Delorme linens looking and feeling great prove that laundry day can be an enjoyable experience.

Laura’s Laundering Guide: •

‌Wash your sheets by themselves in either cold or warm water. Never hot

•

Get them out of the wash quickly once they are finished, never let them sit in the machine.

•

Dry the fitted sheet first by itself.

•

Dry the flat sheet and pillows next.

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Never use high heat, do not over dry the sheets.

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Never use a dryer sheet.

Curious to feel and see the difference? Between the Sheets is located at 1012 Central Avenue, Ship Bottom, stop in the store or call to make your personalized appointment with Laura!

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Cleaning Service

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The #1 BROKERAGE on LBI for DECADES Why List or Buy With Anyone Else?

Call One of Our Convenient LBI Locations Barnegat Light Office 609-494-1776

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Born Into The Business Written by Ashley Williams

Garabedian is a second generation Broker-Builder. Matthew spent his summers on LBI, where he now lives and works year-round and is an integral part of island life. In his younger years, Matthew served as on Officer for the Long Beach Township Beach Patrol and was the Commodore for the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club. His wife, Coleen, graduated from the Southern Regional School District. Today Matthew is a member of the Ship Bottom Fire Department and his company, Garabedian Real Estate Companies, has since become a familiar and well-respected name in real estate.

“We are brokers. We are builders. We are real estate.” Matthew says.

It’s one of a few of his working taglines, he says, and one that encompasses the pulse of his hybrid company’s focus. Awarded Top 30 Under 30 by age 24 in Realtor Magazine, Matthew credits his classic style street hustle and exemplary client communication practices for his long-standing success. He attended the executive program at Harvard Business School for Real Estate Finance and Development and the Construction Management Program at Columbia University. Even amid such Ivy League academic credentials, Matthew still cites experience as his best education.

Matthew prides himself on working in the trenches and is heavily involved with both companies, in both of his office locations, South and North, each and every day.

Matthew’s successful world is held together in what he calls his Business Bible. This custom-made, hand-held planner allows him to track every day, every week and every month.

He keeps it close beside him at all times and credits his proprietary planner with his ability to effectively operate his office and job sites.

Everything Garabedian does is about managing goals and schedules; from his agents to his clients to his own personal life, he focuses first and foremost on setting a date and then coming in ahead of schedule with value as his top priority.

When you work with either one of the Garabedian Real Estate Companies, you work directly with Matt.

“Whether it’s selling, building, or buying… our clients’ equity and value positions are of the utmost importance. The average builder doesn’t have that kind of knowledge of the real estate market and the average broker doesn’t have that kind of knowledge of the construction side. That’s our difference.”

Referring to the brokerage side of the business, Garabedian

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states, “We do things differently at Garabedian. We are about leveraging the market outside of the local area. As the only firm on Long Beach Island that is independently owned with offices also in North Jersey, it allows us to exhaust the exposure of a property to all potential buyers, not just strictly local.” He is also licensed in NYC. This exposure guarantees our listing clients the highest value for their property when selling.”

This strategy seems to work well. Since the firm started in 2016, Garabedian claims he’s never had a residential listing fail to sell.

The camaraderie, the culture, and the collective mindset may just be what keeps this lean brokerage firing like a small hedge fund. With twenty agents between the two locations, Garabedian is always pushing his team to succeed.

Garabedian is not as concerned with the number of agents but rather in the quality and productivity for our clients.

Whether on the brokerage or building side, our clients’ equity is always a top priority. It’s not important where we’re sitting, it’s what we’re doing differently to achieve the goal.

On the construction side of the business, he credits the constant communication with clients with allowing him to be a creator of value. Garabedian assists clients in not only finding property, but also managing the build while protecting their equity. In addition, our architecture and interior selection specialists, included in our service, help bring ease to our clients throughout the process, allowing a new project to be enjoyable instead of a headache. All done under one roof.

Garabedian is currently completing and preparing several homes for immediate delivery, with more custom homes expected to break ground this fall.

Recent construction client, Lynn Goldstein, affirms the notion that a smooth process from concept to completion is absolutely essential. She and her husband recently hired Garabedian to build their primary residence in Surf City.

“We are ecstatic to be in our new home,” Goldstein says.

Through a referral, we were impressed with Matt’s strong real estate history, so we gave the office a call. Matt called back within a matter of hours on a Saturday evening, so that truly set the stage. Matt’s a real go-getter and his company was a great choice for us.”

“Matt was extremely proactive and very organized with files and spreadsheets, all of which were very clear,” Goldstein says. “He told us exactly what we were paying, juggled supply chain issues, followed up and followed through with vendors. He’s just very detail oriented so supplies were there and lined up. Contractors were stacked and ready to go from one phase to the next. Matt is really on his game, he made sure we didn’t incur higher costs.”

This is one of the key differentiators Garabedian identifies for his business and allows Garabedian’s projects to keep moving smoothly.

Goldstein concurs, “We were in a time-sensitive situation, living in a long-term rental from October to June, so we appreciated Matt’s constant communication. His follow-up and turnaround time were great and it really made all the difference. Communication was key, and he delivered our project on time despite COVID delays. As a one-stop shop, having the architecture, interior selection specialist and working alongside Matt made the process enjoyable.”

Garabedian looks forward to brokering and building for generations to come on LBI and hopes one day his three daughters will choose to work alongside him and continue to grow the business.

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Interior Design

HOME DÉCOR MISTAKES TO

AVOID WRITTEN BY LISA SIMEK

Decorating your own home is more intricate than it seems. The art of interior design takes a very keen and knowledgeable eye. It is relatively easy for the average person to fall in love with fabulous home décor pieces while out shopping, unbeknownst that the item might look less than perfect once brought into the home. More often than not, this is the benefit of working with a professional; trained interior designers understand how color, lighting, room size, scale, and placement affect how items suit a room. Their training and experience allows them to know whether

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a certain piece will make or break the design structure of any given space.

Since interior designers have seen it all, they’re more than familiar with the common design mistakes people frequently make. In an effort to help homeowners avoid these often-costly blunders, the experts at Oskar Huber Furniture and Design in Ship Bottom, have made a list of the most common design faux pas that people tend to make when designing their interiors. Read on to ensure they don’t happen to you.

PUSHING THE FURNITURE UP AGAINST THE WALLS Your instinct may be to take the brand-new sofa or sectional and automatically push everything against the wall. Sometimes that works, especially if a room is very small. But it’s also a very common design mistake most people don’t even realize they’re making. The designers at Oskar Huber share that the room will feel larger and more spacious if you create more walkways by centering your furniture or creating a couple of zones with furniture and rugs, depending on the size of your room.

Their interior designers suggest to create intimate seating areas instead of keeping everything apart. Not only does this invite people to mingle, but you can still offer individual space without crowding. Group

furniture in front of focal points, such as a fireplace or TV, and if the room is too narrow, for example, then try breaking up the space with a couple of separate seating areas. This is an especially useful tactic in open and broken-plan spaces.

NOT MEASURING THE SPACE BEFORE ADDING FURNITURE A cardinal sin of interior design: not measuring your space before ordering expensive or custom furniture.

A lot of people aren’t considering the proportions and size of a room before adding various furniture pieces.

Taking measurements of a room is imperative before buying anything. One thing the Oskar Huber designers see frequently is homeowners putting something very tiny or overly massive into the wrongly sized room, which completely inhibits its functionality and dooms its aesthetic. If you know you need an enorOPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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ADDING AREA RUGS THAT ARE TOO SMALL OR LARGE A rug is often underestimated as one of the core elements of a room’s décor, therefore it is imperative to get it right. An area rug that is too small can throw the design of an entire room off and make the room appear smaller than it is. A rug too large causes the furniture to get lost, and the room doesn’t look proportionate.

mous sectional for your Super Bowl parties, don’t forget to think about the size of the coffee table and rug that will accompany it. Equilibrium of proportions is key, as they have also seen a large, overstuffed sofa in a room with a petite piece of art placed above it that looks completely out of place and unbalanced.

Many homeowners ignore the rule of scale and proportion, or simply don’t understand it. This mistake is easy enough to fix, but one needs to evaluate each décor item first separately and then as part of the overall design in the room.

The key to mastering scale and proportion is to make sure you have included items that are of different heights, sizes and shapes to keep the eye moving while making sure to give it some places to rest. This is why Oskar Huber Furniture and Design offers complimentary design services to their customers— to help avoid making these mistakes in the first place. Their designers come to your home, listen to the clients’ needs, and make recommendations of how to properly pull the room together. Be it a small space or a completely open floor plan with multiple spaces that need to work as one, the designers at Oskar Huber can help.

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The right size rug will anchor the space and offer unity for all the pieces within the space. Area rugs are a critical design element that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Oskar Huber designers specialize in aiding homeowners find the right rug for each space. Working from blueprints or a finished area, the design professionals as Oskar Huber Furniture lay out the room and show you a preview of how the rug size will look in the room— ensuring that you don’t make a costly mistake.

OPTING FOR DESIGN OVER FUNCTION Having a home that looks like it belongs in an interior design magazine is great, but living in that home may be

Interior Design

a whole different story. The most common design mistake people make is forgetting to be honest with themselves about how they live and function in a space. We can all look at a pretty picture in a magazine of a home and say, ‘Yes, that’s what I want my space to look like,’ but does that consider a homeowner’s lifestyle, family/pets, and livelihood? It’s important to be realistic with your expectations and be honest with how a pretty picture in a magazine or social feeds will withstand your functional needs or uphold the experiences you want from interior spaces over time.

Oftentimes, this is when professional designers know the questions to ask and help to figure out the flow of a space to ensure you are making designs with not only aesthetics, but comfort and functionality in mind. The showroom at Oskar Huber is a great place to walk in, browse and “sit test” a couch, for example, and perusing their plethora of swatch catalogues for stainproof/fade proof fabrics is a must. Their professional staff of interior designers know how important it is to have a functional space and will ask you the right questions to be able to narrow down how you, in fact, will use the space, and which pieces are more practical for your family. Once they have an understanding, they will ensure your layout and furniture selection is not only stunning, but stunningly efficient as well.

IGNORING THE LITTLE DETAILS A large portion of making a room look exquisite is about adding details that pull the space and design together.

With so much attention placed on getting the perfect aesthetic, furniture, and lighting, it’s easy for one to start running out of steam when it comes to the finishing touches. These finishing touches are the benchmark of what separates an average final design from an extraordinary one. The Oskar Huber showroom has all of the soft furnishings one could need—from artwork, indoor plants to a boatload of accessories— to complete a design and make the room feel like home. The design experts urge homeowners to avoid buying things just for the sake of it, and only buy things that genuinely spark joy. Oskar Huber designers often recommend specific details such as frames, vases and cushions as a great way to pull together a color scheme and give that polished, cohesive finish to your home.

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LARGE SELECTION IN-STOCK OR YOUR CUSTOM ORDER DELIVERED IN AS FEW AS 10 WEEKS* *SEE STORE FOR DETAILS

UNMATCHED COASTAL CHOICES.

Our Ship Bottom NJ (Long Beach Island) store is your destination for everything coastal. Bring the sounds of the ocean, the warmth of sun and your beach memories inside with our coastal style furniture and accents.

Ship Bottom NJ / 609-494-8127 101 W 8th St, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 Mon - Sat 9-6. Sun 10-4.

Also in Southampton, PA oskarhuber.com OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Home Improvement

THE HEAT IS ON Electric Fireplaces are Cooler than You Think WRITTEN BY DENISE PETTI

Coastal luxury on Long Beach Island brings to mind sublime thoughts of the sounds of waves crashing on the beach, the spectacular sight of the blazing sun setting over the glistening bay and the scent of the briney salt air as you cross the causeway onto a little barrier island so many love to call home.

When we think of beach life in high season, naturally we think morning coffee at sunrise and evening cocktails at sunset out on the breezy porch. We dream of luxuriating in a long, cool outdoor shower, so well-deserved after a fun and active day in sun, sand and surf. Some might say these are the iconic, nostalgic and sentimental visuals at the fore of summer life on LBI. Not so quick to come to mind, though, may be the charming ambiance of hot summer nights in front of a

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roaring fire. These thoughts are usually relegated to fall and winter vignettes, such as ski lodges and mountain chalets.

Whether part of a backyard cabana, set alight to enhance the ambiance of an inviting summer gathering space by the pool, or be it in a living room, bathroom, primary bedroom or even bathroom, electric fireplaces are running the full gamut of premiere luxury aesthetic options on Long Beach Island and around the world.

For centuries, a fireplace hearth has been the central gathering place of the home and still holds a prominent position as a coveted feature in today’s home builds. It’s not just wood-burning and gas fireplaces either that are being featured in modern home design. Rising fast in popularity, the electric fireplace now finds itself having

a strong voice in the home interiors conversation.

Beautiful, practical and safe, electric fireplaces bring the added benefits of being clean, efficient, gasless, odorless, stylish, maintenance-free and cool to the touch.

“Whether you’re talking about a primary residence on the mainland, a multi-generational beach house or a secondary investment property, a home just has more cachet when it has a really nice fireplace,” says Kathy Gould, President of Cajam Marketing and Marketing Manager for Touchstone Home Products, a leading manufacturer of quality electric fireplaces.

Based in Exton, Pennsylvania, Touchstone Home Products, Inc. offers easy-to-install wall mount, recessed, linear and outdoor electric fireplaces with advanced features including realistic LED flame displays, heaters, remote control operation and Smart home Wi-Fi connectivity.

“When it comes to having choices,” Gould ads, “You can put an electric fireplace in any room without having to add a gas line, venting or chimney. Simply plug in or hardwire, and turn on the ambiance.”

Lest the term “electric fireplace” threaten to resurrect visions of corny yule logs placed on the television set at Christmastime, rest assured. Today’s modern solutions are far and away more sophisticated and evolved than their fake, cheesy predecessors. The first electric fire was invented in 1912, before becoming immensely popular in the 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that the

‘realistic wood-burning flame-effect’ technology was invented.

Today, electric flames are more realistic than ever before, practically indistinguishable from their gas and wood burning counterparts. This is achieved through sophisticated LED lighting technology, a development in which Touchstone Home Products heavily invests. As a leading manufacturer, they offer a variety of flame colors and options. Many units come with both driftwood log sets for a traditional appearance as well as acrylic crystal embers for a more modern appeal, giving customers the option to pick and choose their desired look.

Modern electric fireplaces also offer a whole range of special features, some including a display that depicts the temperature setting, sleep timer and color themes adjustable via remote control. Flame effects and supplemental heat are operable independently from one another. Many units offer versatility with installation and mounting options. Customers may choose from wall mount, partially recessed or fully recessed depending on the desired look. Some units even include WiFi. So you can say, “Alexa, turn on my fireplace.”

Affordability and simplicity of the installation is what many modern homeowners and contractors find most attractive about the product. Not only can builders add these units as low-cost line items to new builds, customers can also get creative with install options. Featured on the Touchstone Home Products website, custom photos illustrate that creativity and design flair know no OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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bounds. One look at the online gallery shows no shortage of attractive design ideas, from recessed displays to exquisite mantelpieces and custom surrounds.

In fact, at the affordable price point, fireplaces are no longer solely relegated to just the living room or den.

For homeowners seeking to add an element of elegance to a new or existing renovation project, opting for an electric fireplace in any and every room can be the perfect solution for creating a stylish, ambient design flair at a fraction of the cost.

Many homeowners are electing to put fireplaces in the primary suite and even in the kitchen. A Touchstone electric fireplace can easily be added to a bathroom too, making for quite the attractive, cost-benefit option over heated floors, and perfect for when you’re seeking the added warmth and ambient mood of a nice, luxurious spa-like soak in the tub.

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“As a Long Beach Island resident who hosts many guests, I truly appreciate the electric fireplace’s ease of use and safety,” says Gould. “The front glass remains cool to the touch, adding peace of mind in homes with kids and pets.”

As compared to the wood-burning fireplaces of old, with its live flames, inefficiencies, odors and undesirable maintenance, modern electric fireplaces, on the other hand, offer peace of mind and a safer, more economical option. Given the way traditional fireplaces built-up heavy creosote and tended to suck the warm air right out of the home, electric fireplaces offer increased efficiency and a contemporary charm without all the added risk and headache.

Energy savings are an added benefit too. An electric fireplace will comfortably heat a room so homeowners can lower the thermostat, saving on natural gas and heating

Home Improvement

oil costs. Traditional gas and wood burning fireplaces create drafts that pull heat from the house. According to Touchstone, an electric fireplace costs about 20 cents an hour to run on the highest heat and flame settings.

Annual cost approximates to about $50 to $80 per year, significantly lower than the cost of firewood or natural gas.

Gould adds, “Gas and wood burning fireplaces add stress - especially with house guests. Did someone leave the gas fireplace on? Is the flue open or closed?

With a Touchstone® electric fireplace’s auto shut off, it’s easy to relax.”

Recognized for their outstanding customer service, Touchstone offers world-class customer service.

“When you call them up or you place an order, if they say it’s in stock, it really is,” says Gould. “If they say it’s shipping tomorrow, then it’s really going to show up. If you have any issues, whatever it might be,

service calls, damaged products, you name it. They’ll help you.”

When it comes to second homes and vacation homes, an added benefit and convenience is being able to simply walk in the house and flip on your fireplace and have immediate heat in the room, which is especially helpful in drafty houses in the wintertime and beach houses that have a lot of windows.

What’s more, with its modern appeal and overall home value, adding an electric fireplace could be just the right touch for elevating the look and feel of every room in the house, particularly and especially homes being staged to sell. With appreciating home values continuing to rise, adding such an attractive feature throughout the home conveys an added level of polish and panache. Prospective buyers react favorably to homes that are beautifully staged, offering energy efficiency as well as warm, welcoming elegance.

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EASY AMBIANCE

Touchstone® Electric Fireplaces A better alternative to a gas fireplace, Touchstone® Electric Fireplaces offer realistic flames with smoke-free ambiance. Easy to install in new homes or remodels, no gas line or chimney needed. Safe and cool-to-the-touch. Pictured above, the Sideline® Elite Fireplace with Wi-Fi connects to Amazon® Alexa and Google® Home.

TOUCHSTONE HOME PRODUCTS, EXTON, PA OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE CONTACT US: 800-215-1990 � VISIT TOUCHSTONEHOMEPRODUCTS.COM

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Hotel LBI offers the charm of a summer home paired with world class amenities. Relax in your well-appointed room, enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset on the rooftop, or escape for a day of fun in the sun on our majestic island.

Ann Coen Photography

MARKET

Coastal Cuisine

Grab & Go Market

Located on the west side of the building, the Hotel’s main restaurant provides upscale dining, driven by the bounty of our local farmers and fishermen.

Visit our Market located next to the front desk for grab & go items. We carry frozen foods, beer, wine, souvenirs, candy, snacks and much more.

Pool Bar & Grille

Fitness

Hotel guests can stop by for a delicious lunch and refreshing drinks by our yearround swimming pool. Tide Pool is open during the summer season.

For guests who don’t want to miss their daily workout, we offer state of the art treadmills, stair machines, weights & more.

Indoor Pool

Casual Gather A cozy atmoshphere to gather with friends, grab a drink by the fireplace and a bite to eat in Hotel LBI’s Living Room.

With a retractable roof, enjoy our pool rain or shine. In addition to our heated pool, guests can also experience our lounge splash pad, jetted hot tub & indoor games and fun for all ages.

Sunset Views

Event Conservatory

Watch an LBI sunset on our top deck & relax in one of our cozy outdoor lounges.

The Rooftop features handcrafted cocktails & breathtaking, uncontested bay views.

Hotel LBI offers over 3,700 square feet event space, with vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace and panoramic windows overlooking the charming seaside town of Ship Bottom.

Ann Coen Photography

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350 W 8TH ST, SHIP BOTTOM, NJ 08008 | (609) 467-8000 | HOTELLBI.COM | @HOTELLBI |

The Boatyard is a gathering place to come together for casual food and drink, meet up with your family and friends, bring your dog, play games, and enjoy a day on the bay. Arrive by water or land.

Causeway Marina offers marina slips and storage, fuel for boats and personal watercraft, kayak rentals and boat rentals for crabbing/fishing or simply to enjoy a day on the bay!

THEBOATYARDNJ.COM | (609) 494-1371

THEBOATYARDNJ.COM | (609) 494-1371

Eat with friends and family at our indoor and outdoor dining area or enjoy the coziness of a firepit after playing one of the available lawn games!

The Mainland Adventure Park offers a huge variety of heart-pumping attractions including over 50 aerial activities, 50 foot climbing wall, 4 extended zip lines, go kart track, a kids course & much more!

THEMAINLANDNJ.COM | (609) 481-6120 THEMAINLANDNJ.COM | (609) 481-6111

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Featured

BUILT to LAST WRITTEN BY LISA SIMEK

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SPARK

For one Long Beach Island family, it wasn’t just about constructing a home. It was about building a legacy.

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The home that took more than one year to design and another three to build is a work of art that will last well beyond their lifetimes—as it should. It is not only a haven for the pair and their children, friends, and relatives now, but it’s also a tribute to a couple who came from very modest beginnings and worked hard to achieve their dreams. It is a timeless beacon that will nourish generations within its walls and visually enhance the surrounding landscape for many years. It will serve as a respite for their children and their children’s children to rest and replenish—a space that will help remind future generations about the enchanted effects Long Beach Island has always had on all of us.

Building a legacy home can be quite the amazing, emotive project and it was not something that this family was in any hurry to commence. As visitors of the island for the last 50+ years, the couple recalls one set of grandparents’ Barnegat Light home from the 1960s, and along with it, the fond memories of their grand54

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parents and their sweet-smelling rose bushes, unforgettable visits and fishing trips with relatives. It was no surprise that the site of their very own home would have to boast a view of the Barnegat Lighthouse, for nostalgia’s sake.

It was in 2010, when the two were enjoying a leisurely bike ride in Loveladies and noticed an overgrown property that would soon be theirs. A whopping 1.9 acres on Long Beach Island, the site was overgrown with vegetation and trees, and completely void of any piping for water, electrical, sewage or gas access. Yet somehow, they saw the potential of this raw piece of land and took the plunge. It wasn’t until 2016 that they were able to begin to build the home of their dreams.

Not only did the family seek to construct an elegant seaside retreat, but they also wanted to design a home large enough to accommodate the busy vacation schedules of family and friends who stop by, stay

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over, and fill the house with happy bustle. Profoundly inspired by the aesthetic of homes in Stone Harbor, the recent retirees looked to Paul Kiss of OSK Design Partners in order to design a home that exudes a happy balance between practicality and panache. The result? A footprint in excess of 9,000 square feet built by one of the finest contractors on the island, Paul R. Maina Builders.

way, and whilst looking west towards the water there is stunning landscaping sprinkled throughout the yard and perfectly placed lounge areas all around the custom swimming pool. Further yet, the irregular property jets into the bay, offering front row seats to awe-inspiring, panoramic water’s edge sunset views and a custom bulkhead that edges the grounds afore.

In total, the property features 6-bedrooms, 5 full baths and 3 powder rooms (with an additional 2 outdoor showers), an open concept kitchen and dining area leading to an expansive full recreational room equipped with billiard table, shuffleboard, darts and bar, a family room on a separate floor, and an incredible custom office space that transports one right to the inside of a luxurious seafaring vessel. The living room opens onto one of many spacious outside terraces, which includes a large al fresco dining area and an outdoor kitchen. The front of the property has a cobblestone lined winding road-

This home’s true grandeur lies in its details. Not only does it transcend classification of style with odes to transitional Victorian and shingle styles and a touch of modernity in its architecture, the overall vibe of the home is classically picturesque—storybook perfect, but never prim having been fully decorated by the owners themselves. This home uses neutral toned stone, wood and glass in the exterior shell, adorned handsomely with bright terraces and pergolas, colorful flora and native trees, and has that timeless “one for the ages” look and feel.

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The homeowners credit the successful outcome to their builder, Paul Maina. Not only did he maintain a good working relationship with their architect, but it was also his rapport with the couple themselves that yielded such a successful project. They noted that Maina’s attention to detail was impeccable and so was his use of technology regarding communiqué. There was never a phone call unreturned within the same day, as his communication throughout the entire process was unwavering.

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actuary, considers himself very analytical. An example of the builder’s technological meticulousness is his photographic documentation process during construction. For this project, he indexed hundreds of photos of every single wall, stud, pipe, wire and vent in the home. This valuable photography not only documents all of the rough-in details of the structure, but it proves code adherence and provides a map of where things are located in the event that the homeowners would need to find the framing or other components at any point after the drywall is installed.

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Featured

If craftsmanship is the ultimate forte in Maina’s firm’s repertoire, then the execution of the homeowners’ third level office space is certainly the magnum opus of this home. Made entirely of floor to ceiling mahogany wood, attempting to wrap one’s brain around the artistry behind the varying-shaped trim work in the coffered ceiling alone is breathtaking. Mimicking the captain’s quarters of a ship, this room contains authentic porthole windows with brass hardware and fixtures throughout, spectacular built-ins and custom seating and, of course, a suitable working desk with a superb view of the water.

Wood craftsmanship is a common theme throughout this home. Executed perfectly by Dan Smith and the team he put together, the exquisite woodwork throughout can be seen by means of the sweeping expertly constructed, swoon-worthy staircase set within the turret, curved ceilings and all. Even the kitchen island is curved outward in order to seat as many as possible, resulting in custom-built curved doors within the cabinetry to comply with the desired shape construct. One section of the hardwood flooring even has a custom anchor compass wood medallion, which has more than 6 types of colorful wood inlaid in order to create the graphic. Pure artwork.

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house, the homeowners also needed their home to have enough dexterity to handle sun, salt, and sand—plus all the wear and tear an active family can dish out—while maintaining its graceful Stone Harboron-LBI charm. The builder was sure to use only the most durable of materials, to ensure the home is completely storm proof, weatherproof, and virtually indestructible along with the architect’s plan which included a significant number of pilings causing the installer to jokingly note that even if a storm swept away the entire island, this house would remain standing firm.

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Featured It is clear that Maina focuses on the aptitude and expertise of his company, its culture, and the collaboration of his team to reap the rewards of exceptional talent in custom building. He has been able to execute a coastal home with traditional elements in a transitional, modernized way. This home is built with integrity and combines the charms of yesteryear with all the modern amenities and conveniences of today.

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AU D I O | V I D E O | N E T WO R K | S E C U R I TY | B L I N D S | L I G H T I N G | H O M E AU TO M AT I O N

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Outdoor Living

POOL 101

Ask a Landscape Architect with David Ash WRITTEN BY CAROLYN MIJAL

PHOTOS BY SHEENA LYNN

1.For homeowners looking to add a pool to their landscape: Which type of pool is the best for a first-time pool owner? Why?

sign the ultimate customized pool for any landscape, allowing for unique shapes, lagoon like features, and personal style for each client.

Adding a pool to your home is the ultimate one-time investment adding value and resort like luxury to your home. All pools we create center around the design, working with the space and surroundings that are a part of your home, which will create the ideal design for every homeowner. One is that we guide clients to is if they want a standard pool design or a custom one.

Typically, a material like fiberglass is used for pools that have a standard shape. This is ideal for a homeowner who want to have a spacious pool or homeowners who want a classic look and feel fiberglass is the way to go.

2.The age-old debate, which is the way to go: saltwater or chlorine pool? Why?

For homeowners looking to have a custom pool gunite is the best choice. Gunite pools allow for us to de70

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This is a frequent and common misconception that we see in people’s general knowledge about pools. It is completely understandable where it comes from, you hear salt-water and associate it with the feeling of going into the ocean, it’s actually quite the opposite.

When you have a pool that is a salt-water pool, that refers to the process of how the water is treated. The salt in a saltwater pool refers to the process, it is still chlorine. The delivery system is different. Years ago, the process of having a clean swimming environment with chlorine involved using a ton of harsh chemicals and having to use a testing process to ensure that your

pool was functioning at the most optimum levels.

Salt is a better way to achieve the same result. Another added benefit to a salt-water pool is the feel of the water. The water is softer which leaves your skin feeling great after a day of swimming.

3.Preparing the pool for opening, what are the top 3 things that should be on your pool opening checklist?

The number one and best option for any homeowner is to start opening your pool early. Since the start of the pandemic, we have been seeing more and more families come down to the island earlier and staying longer (typically from May to October) so you want to start this process early. The next best option available for homeowners is to have a professional come in and open the pool and for our current and prospective clients we offer that service. There is no better feeling in the world than knowing that the opening / closing of your pool for the season is handled by professionals and there is nothing for you to worry about. Our

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Outdoor Living

team of experts know the time and care each pool needs and how to set it up for a season of relaxation and fun. Current clients are already booking their appointments and prospective clients can set up a consultation.

4.What are the benefits of having heating elements to your pool? Does it eliminate the need for having to have a hot tub?

Heating elements add an entirely new experience to owning a pool. A pool with heating features and elements allows homeowners more use of their pool throughout the year.

The pools that we design have smart heating elements, the heating element will not turn on in the summer, unless the temperature drops. Some pools with spa features have independent heating elements specially for the main pool and hot tub, while pools without spa features have one heating element for the entire pool. The smart heating features are synced to an app on your phone. Knowing that when you arrive home after a long day in the fall or if you are coming down for a weekend all it takes is one simple press of a button and your pool is ready to go the moment you pull into the driveway. For pools that have an entirely separate spa element you can use the spa element year-round, providing more versatility during the early and late bathing season.

Whichever you choose David Ash has the experience and know-how to surpass your expectations.

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L A N D S C A P E | H A R D S C A P E | P O O L S & S PA S L I G H T I N G | I R R I G AT I O N | M A N A G E M E N T S U R F C I T Y, N J | 6 0 9 . 4 9 4 . 7 0 0 7 | L B I L A N D S C A P E R . C O M OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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THE BEST IN NEW CONSTRUCTION ON LBI

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Outdoor Living

Reliability of Teak WRITTEN BY CAROLYN MIJAL

PHOTO BY MICHAEL SPARK

There is a magical store on the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and North 1st Street in Surf City, that twinkles and shimmers, enticing you with each flash of reflected light. Locals know and love the building while visitors are compelled to take a selfie for social media but what lies beyond the mosaic tapestry? Joanne Dozor is a magnificently talented woman embodying the mythical phoenix that transforms and transcends the world around her. In the 2018 she was featured in the fall issue of Bay Magazine. Her fascinating story and the history beyond the Firefly gallery is one that cannot be missed and while her building encompasses so many passions: boutique, art gallery, yoga haven it also is the home of Island Teak.

Island Teak is the premiere Teak retailer on Long Beach Island since 2001. This well- established retail business carries the finest quality hand-crafted teak furniture. Dozor established an exclusive relationship with Kingsley Bate, Three Birds Casual and Barlow Tyrie all of which are the top proprietors of teak furniture.

The teak furniture that Island Teak carries is crafted from the finest plantation-grown, kiln-dried Indonesian and Costa Rican teak. The only other place in the worlds where you can find teak is in Burma. The reliability of teak allows it to be the ideal choice for outdoor furniture.

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True teak originates from a deciduous hardwood tree native to Indonesia and parts of Southeast Asia.

Densely grained, golden wood that will weather into a soft gray. It has a high oil content that acts as a natural preservative, enabling it to be resistant to splitting, rot, warping, shrinkage and swelling. It can endure the elements of shore-life and while it is a fantastic outdoor choice clients can also decorate with it indoors too.

Teak is stain and bug-resistant and easy to maintain.

Costa Rica sets the teak standard in the teak industry as they guarantee the renewal of teak as they are using it for production. Teak furniture is a smart investment that you can feel good about. Dozor takes the time and care to walk clients through the variety of options they have when find the best furniture that will suit their needs. Working with her own stock on site she also utilizes the inventory that each of her vendors have through their online catalogues, which allows clients for full customization of each piece.

The range of possibilities for clients can be catered to their own personal preferences and is limitless when working with Dozor. From adding stainless steel to the furniture for a modern and industrial look to

adding fabric for a cozier feel, clients can mold their furniture to their needs and style preferences. Dozor has a variety of fabric swatches so clients can get a look and feel for each part of the process.

Teak is durable and sturdy, high winds won’t knock it down and with each changing season you can bring the furniture back to its original luster like the day you purchased it. Whether you power-wash, use a little bit of light sanding or if just small stain use Dozor’s stain removal preference ( a combination of 1 part bleach and 5 parts water – spray and let sit for 20 minutes then wash it off) this furniture is built to last and adds timeless elegance to your home.

Next time you are walking down Long Beach Blvd and you see the glimmers and shimmers of Island Teak beckoning you to come in for a closer look stop on in, take a look around the wonderfully curated selection that Joanne has crafted, take a seat on one of the teak pieces she has outside the store and as you are soaking in the beauty of the mosaic that dances around the building envision this timeless piece of furniture in you own back yard as you soak up the first rays of summer.

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Outdoor Living O U T D O O R

S U R R O U N D I N G S WRITTEN BY ELAINE SISKO PHOTOS BY JOHN MARTINEL

A gunnite swimming pool, natural travertine hardscaping and IPE lounging decks along with a poolside cabana, gas firepit, water-side bocce ball court and lush landscaping created a comprehensive outdoor retreat for the homeowners of this lagoon front property in Beach Haven.

As a follow-up to this impressive design-build al fresco project, the homeowners set their sights on the re-build of the property home and, in the process, maximized summer living without delaying construction on site.

While initially seeming unconventional, as in some cases with a project of this scope, the development of an outdoor living environment prior to new home construction has its advantages, states Mark Reynolds, owner of Reynolds Landscaping and Mark Reynolds Project Management (MRPM), responsible for the design-construction of both projects.

This is especially true in today’s volatile environment, where production delays and material shortages can stretch the construction timeline of a new home project upwards of 12 to 18 months from the start of construction.

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Outdoor Living Gone are the days when windows, doors, siding, appliances and other home components can be delivered within weeks of ordering. Today, construction decisions require a certain degree of permanence and intense back-and-forth discussion to avoid lengthy delays and backlogs. On the other hand, a fully developed outdoor living design-build project of this scale--including accessory structures, custom swimming pool, new bulkhead and docks—can be completed in much less time, ranging from 3 to 5 months.

In a traditional construction sequence, this timeline would be added to the end of the 12 to 18 month home building process.

In this particular case, given the projected timelines of both the new home construction and outdoor living components, reverse sequencing benefitted the process. It provided the homeowners with the opportunity to live in and enjoy their new outdoor surroundings for an entire summer season in their existing home while the necessary planning stage of

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the building project evolved. Even when building construction begins and eventually extends into the summer months, the homeowner can still enjoy the property—taking advantage of water sports along the docks during the day while enjoying a glass of wine next to the fire in the evening.

Furthermore, whether returning to their primary home or to a seasonal rental unit at the end of the day, the homeowner has greater insight into and oversight of the daily construction process of their new home. This, in turn, leads to improved communication and a more efficient collaborative environment. Design changes and project details can be resolved sooner leading to enhanced timelines toward the project completion.

Mark Reynolds confided that his long-term business plan when starting Reynolds Landscaping over 40 years ago was to develop a full-service company able to meet all the service needs of a loyal customer base.

With the establishment of MRPM several years ago,

providing personalized new home construction services to a discerning clientele, this early dream came to full realization. It confirmed his belief that one company could manage all the services required to create the ideal home and property on LBI—cohesively transitioning from interior to exterior living and providing a haven both aesthetically pleasing and functionally sound.

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The

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Outdoor Living

ENHANCING THE GARDEN EXPERIENCE

COMMON SCENTS IDEAS WRITTEN BY PEG REYNOLDS

Eye-catching color and contrasting textures create visual and tactile interest in the garden. Grasses swaying in the wind along with the gurgle of a water fountain add further auditory pleasures for the homeowner. Yet the perceptual delights that abound in the garden can be elevated even further if fragrance is considered in the design of planting beds and flowering containers—adding a whimsical element to the environment.

While planting for fragrance can be employed with reckless abandon, a few guidelines should be followed to enhance these olfactory pleasures. Always plant the bulk of fragrant plants where they will be most appreciated—near an entryway, next to a patio, or outside an open window where the scent will be allowed to drift through the house to the pleasure of all it embraces. Be advised, however, that heavily-scented flowers can overpower if planted close together. Furthermore, fragrant plants tend to attract bees and other pollinating insects. As a result, always stagger the placement of fragrant plants in the landscape and be mindful of their irritating and harmful effects to allergy suffers.

Culturally speaking, most fragrant plants prefer full-sun and are deer resistant. To follow is a list of fragrant plant material sure to enhance your outdoor living area and add enhanced sensory enjoyment to all in their path. They include:

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ANNUALS, PERENNIALS AND FLOWERING VINES Sweet alyssum makes an effective 6-inch high edging plant in the garden and trailer in the container. Stock is also fragrant and, at 6 to 12 inches tall, can be utilized in both the early spring container and cutting garden. The spicy fragrance of Sweet William, at 12 to 18 inches high, is ideal for a mid-garden location. These three annuals all come in hues of white, pinks and purples. Nicotiana, flowering tobacco, is a tall, 3-foot high, sweet-smelling flower that bears delicate trumpet-like flowers on early June. Many cultivars of these annual plants are available at Reynolds Landscaping this season.

Lavender, with purple or white flowers on gray green foliage, is a 12-18 inch perennial herb prized for both its culinary uses and calming medicinal properties. When dried, lavender has further applications as both a moth repellent and fragrant sachet in the clothing drawer.

Always a popular offering at Reynolds Landscaping is the three-foot tall perennial Phlox, a late summer to early fall fragrant perennial adding impact as the flowering garden begins to wane.

For fragrant impact on a trellis or pergola, consider the drooping inflorescence of the gardenia-scented Wisteria vine. However, be forewarned that this purple or white spring-blooming vine is a vigorous grower and requires durable foundational support. The intoxicating scent of annual Jasmine is a super-star among fragrant performers--trailing over trellises or evergreen shrubs before dying with the first frost. To extend the sensory impact of flowering vines into the late summer, plant the perennial sweet autumn clematis whose lovely and distinctive scent mimics that of jasmine.

RHIZOMES AND BULBS Easy to grow and naturalizing bountifully throughout the spring garden, the unmistakable scent of Lily of the Valley conjures up memories of grandmother’s garden. This ground cover with diminutive white or pink bell-shaped drooping flowers is best grown in light shade, adding a fragrant pop along the base of trees and shrubs. German, or bearded, iris is among the most beautiful of flowering perennials and, at 2-3 ft high, available in a rainbow of colors, is an eye-catching site to behold.

Several cultivars of spring-blooming jonquilla narcissus are highly fragrant, especially ‘Ehrlichee’ (12 inches with large clusters of creamy-yellow flowers) and ‘Baby Moon’ (yellow and 6- to 12 inches tall). For a highly-scented, summer blooming rhizomic perennial consider the Oriental lilies ‘Star OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Outdoor Living Gazer’ (deep pink and white) or ‘Casa Blanca’ (white). However, be forewarned that Oriental lilies pack a strong scent and, if clustered in a confined setting, can be somewhat overpowering. They grow to a height of 3 feet tall.

SHRUBS AND TREES No fragrant garden would be complete without the distinct and ubiquitous scent of the classic English rose. The David Austin English rose collection offers several outstanding performers including ‘Evelyn’ (coral colored) and ‘William Shakespeare’ (fuchsia). The large, beautiful flowers of the peony are delicately scented and come in a diverse color palette. These sun-loving plants range in size from 18-inch perennials to large 6-feet tall tree-form varieties and, if properly sited, can live in the same locations for over 100 years. Korean spice viburnum is another heavily-scented spring-blooming shrub for the fragrance garden sporting white to light pink spicy-smelling flowers.

Another highly fragrant shrub, and always a popular seller at Reynolds Landscaping, consider the summer blooming 6- to 8- foot tall clethra—a deer-resistant native that grows locally in the Pine Barrens. The vertical candle-like inflorescence of the clethra attracts both butterflies and bees and comes in shades of pink and white. ‘Ruby Spice’ is a particularly attractive pink-blooming cultivar. Another old time favorite for the fragrant spring garden is the lilac with its easily recognizable scent and color palette ranging from white and pink to lavender. ‘Miss Kim’ is an exceptional performer and ranges in height from 6 to 8 feet tall.

Finally, for larger, structural fragrant plant material, consider chionanthus (aka fringe tree) a small patio tree, approximately 12 to 20 feet tall, with delicately sweet-scented feathery white flowers that bloom in mid-spring. The evergreen, southern magnolia, makes a large, eye-catching addition to the summer garden with its bold white 8-inch wide saucer-like flowers. The sweetly scented flowers delight during the warmer months while its shiny evergreen foliage performs double-duty as a winter garland during the Christmas season.

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Building

BAYFRONT BEAUTY WRITTEN BY LISA SIMEK

PHOTOS BY JASON GATES

When a time-honored family shore home was in jeopardy of being sold, the homeowners’ daughter and her husband, along with their children, couldn’t bear to let it go. Inspired by the original home’s alluring vernacular, this completely reconstructed bayfront beauty was designed to maximize the scenic views, and built to be a family home for generations to come.

Seven years ago, our homeowners decided to purchase the beach house of the wife’s parents after realizing the crushing impact that its sale would have on the wife and their now grown children, who were very attached to it.

However wonderful the memories were at the grandparents’ Loveladies abode over the past 40 years, the home itself was in disrepair. Not only was the structure ancient, the foundation crumbling and roof leaking, but the after-effects of Hurricane Sandy were the final nails in its coffin. Add to this the new zoning regulations and building codes, and the family was left with only one choice—knock down the home they spent so many summers in and erect a new one in its place. Up to the task, the pair solicited the design expertise of local architect, Jay Madden, of Harvey Cedars, and subsequently recruited A. Richard Aitken, Jr., of Ship Bottom, with one goal in mind: to build the summer home of their dreams.

The family knew straight away that they preferred not to design the basic three-story, square-shaped home, as they hoped to build as low to the ground as they could while safely upholding the new FEMA

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zoning regulations. They did not want to lose the charm of the ground level, wrap around porch, and, most importantly, wished to carry over another, most endearing, architectural element from the original home: a double-story Great Room facing the Barnegat Bay. Serving as the anchor of the home, this grand, common living area was always the main gathering space of the home and commanded breathtaking views of the water.

With this in mind, the design process was seamlessly completed in less than ten months and building the 3,454-square foot home took Aitken and his team just under a year, with—by a stroke of luck—completion occurring just as COVID was knocking on the world’s door in late 2019. By early 2020 when the lockdowns began, the couple immediately realized how providential the timing of their construction completion was, as they were able to retreat from corporate offices in Philadelphia to a safe and spacious home office at their new LBI sanctuary. The only downside was that, now, the extra bedrooms built with the intention of lodging their children and grandchildren wouldn’t have the opportunity to be used for the next (nearly) two years due to travel restrictions and safety precautions.

Nonetheless, the homeowners share that the fortuitous time they were able to isolate together in their new home during the pandemic was the silver lining to an otherwise unsettling two years. Being together in their dream home not only enriched their lives, but brought the couple closer together as partners during many of the unprecedented obstacles they faced together throughout the lockdown. As a result of the pandemic, they spent more time in that house within a two-year period than they probably would have in 20 years, and were mindful, every day, how fortunate they were to have this haven with its wonderful design layout the reflected the passion, care and attention to detail that went into the craftsmanship of its construction.

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As one would assume, the aforementioned Great Room undoubtedly has the best view of the entire home. Spanning two-stories in height, the outer wall facing the bay is made up almost entirely of oversized windows and large sliding glass doors. Offering the illusion of bowed windows, the entire rear of the home is actually panels of walls that are angled ever so slightly octagonally, with substantial windows stunningly framing the scenic view of the bay, drawing the eye towards the center of the horizon. As one looks out from this sea of floor-toceiling windows, the one element that does not impede the view is deck railings. The builder masterfully constructed planter boxes around the perimeter of the custom Ipe decking, which then made the porch area less than 30 inches above the adjacent grade, and eliminated the need for railings altogether without compromising any safety and maintaining all building codes.

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study. A second-floor office space shared by the husband and wife. Not only does the study have an abundance of windows, but it also has another private deck with direct access to the bay’s sweeping views. Adjacent to the study is a fitness room that is actually located in the center of the home, yet somehow shares the same view of the bay as the Great Room. This is possible because the fitness room is built with a window into the Great Room; so, one is able to look through this window in order to look through the Great Room’s massive windows—essentially a room with a view by means of looking through another room with the view. A brilliant use of space and interior windows in order to make the fitness room appear larger, brighter, and offer a sense of connection with the rest of the home.

The icing on the cake, however, is the homeowners’ favorite feature of all: the private indoor-outdoor shower off of their master bathroom. Not connected in any way

Building to the communal outdoor shower used by their guests, this second outdoor shower is accessible only through the master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom. Aitken built the Ipe enclosure for al fresco bathing access, but strategically created lattice work that lets sunlight and fresh air in, while maintaining privacy.

Not everything in homebuilding is as glamourous as spectacular windows and intrinsic wood craftsmanship.

There were many other aspects of the build that demonstrate Aitken’s artistic ability and engineering mindfulness.

The cedar soffits and railing were all custom crafted for the desired authentic LBI aesthetic that the family yearned to achieve with their home. He stained the red cedar shake siding the perfect shade, giving the silvered effect of weathering, without any of the uneven sun fading or darkening from rain. Not only did that yield the perfect tone of shake from day one, but it is also why, after two years, the siding still looks natural and pristine, and remains protected from the elements.

Aitken also worked closely with the HVAC crew to optimize the cooling and heating zones of the home, enabling the Great Room, with its many windows and facing the fierce western afternoon sun, to remain comfortable and creating additional zones based on the couple’s usage habits. So, if only certain areas of the home are being utilized, they have the ability not to run the other zones. From redirecting the rooflines to improve drainage, to creating custom built-ins for storage and functionality, Aitken and his team were on-site and ready to add value to this home, whether it be through suggestions for enhancements or working hard to execute the custom vision the homeowners had conceived. They used resilient materials in combination with meticulous detail and clean lines in a truly modern way to deliver a bright, light filled home that focuses on the marvelous views of the Barnegat Bay. Although this seaside escape was built with the intention of providing a holiday home that would last for generations, it goes far beyond just a shelter. It is an homage to a family tradition enduring multiple generations, an ode to the best parts of blissful living at the shore, and now a year-round celebration of their particularly beautiful piece of the Long Beach Island coastline.

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Building

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS WRITTEN BY DENISE PETTI PHOTOS BY REAL ESTATE CINEMA

Nestled on the north end of Long Beach Island, overlooking the bay on a quiet little land tract in the peaceful town of North Beach, you’ll find a brand new home built by D. Finelli Construction.

The front elevation is incredible, the views spectacular and across the street is a double easement that can never be built on, offering gorgeous panoramic views of summer sunsets over the bay.

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Imagine walking out onto the front deck, facing the setting sun glimmering off the peaceful tidal waters, overlooking a protected marsh with unobstructed views now and into perpetuity. It’s a direct line to paradise, and David Finelli is blessed to call it home all year round.

Originally the structure was a classic raised ranch.

“That was some house,” David recalls. “The cool thing about it was that we went in there when the place was still this small, quaint little place. Cute, but old. We stepped out onto the deck facing the west and the first thing we noticed were trees all around us.”

He turned to his wife, Laurie, and said, “You know, I think even at this level, we might still be able to get a view, and from upstairs, we’ll have a fantastic view!”

Sure enough, David was right. They put in an offer and commenced with the plans to build their North Beach dream home. The house is beautifully situated just two homes off the bay and six homes off the pristine beaches of LBI,

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offering panoramic views from seemingly every vantage point. The rooftop deck is equipped with a built-in swimming pool and spa with illuminated custom glass railings, and the three-stop elevator makes the reverse living layout a breeze.

The first floor features three spacious bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a family room and a luxurious primary suite complete with bay views, a private balcony, a double walk-in closet and en-suite featuring custom floor-toceiling tilework, double frameless shower doors, double vessel sinks and heated floors.

The second floor showcases an open concept living space with soaring ceilings, clerestory windows, a gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances, dazzling Quartz countertops and tile backsplash, a fifth sizable bedroom with full bathroom, a dining room equipped with a wet bar that offers a second dishwasher and beverage fridge, and living room featuring a cozy 60” fireplace.

Other special features include power shade window treatments, two tankless water heaters for on-demand efficiency, a three car garage with epoxy floors and custom glass doors, accent lighting, a climate controlled gym, state of the art sound system, natural gas generator, turf side yard, recessed lighting, double outdoor showers, ample deck space and, perhaps best of all, deeded ocean access.

With such a fine oasis to call home, anyone would be right to count his blessings. David Finelli is, in fact, a faith-filled man, committed to thoughtful business and community practices. He grounds himself in his faith as an active member of a local church and the head of a Christian school board. He and his family attend Bayside Chapel in Barnegat, he and Laurie’s four children all attended Lighthouse Christian Academy. They tune in regularly to a program called Elevation Church, a televised faith-based service. All of these endeavors have served to align David’s spiritual ethos with the core of his business ethics.

The Finellis enjoy opening up their home to friends and family welcoming them to study and worship together.

This is something very important to David, especially throughout the pandemic, when attending church service in person was not able to be practiced. Participating from the comfort of their peaceful island home, with friends and family gathered around, served to inspire them to quietly immerse themselves in bible study, deepen their faith and foster community connection during an otherwise isolated and turbulent time.

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Essex county, and grew up in Middlesex and Edison.

He attended college at Stockton University, where he majored in communications and marketing. His father owned a construction business in Essex county as well as a second business near the island. His father’s beach house was where David summered each year during his youth and stayed during his years at Stockton.

“After graduate school,” he says, “My father expected me to enter the business seeing as I grew up on job sites my entire life.”

David chose instead to head into New York City to pursue a career in marketing and advertising. This was right around the time of 9/11, and with his father continuing to ask him to come home and work with him, David ultimately discerned it was time to give it a shot. He left New York, put his marketing expertise to work, and implemented new strategies into his father’s operation. He was able to grow the company and take business to a new level. Then, in 2012, with faith, skill, vision and action, David launched his own company, D. Finelli Construction, here on Long Beach Boulevard in Surf City.

“We have done over two hundred custom builds and we have a 100% customer satisfaction rating,” he says.

“So many people are unaware of how the process works and can easily be led the wrong way. I enjoy educating people. It’s important for them to know how design works, how the building process works, and the finance situation, because nobody has ever told them.”

At the initial meeting David explains the value of having someone they trust design and build with them.

“I believe it’s very important,” David says, “We build houses that are upwards of a million to several million dollars and everywhere in between. Someone will come in and they’ll have a certain budget and vision in mind.

The more I know, the more we can design and build their dream together.”

This approach has been successful, as homeowners feel heard, understood and confident that their wishes are going to be met. “They’ve told me about their children and grandchildren,” David says. “What rooms they want and how many bathrooms they need and how they want to use the house now and into the future.

Every story is different and it dictates how we should go about building the home.”

David goes on to say that oftentimes people will get plans drawn up on their own and bring them in to share with him. As they sit and review them together, he learns that they aren’t pleased with the drawings and have different ideas than the architect presented. This

Building

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often results in expensive modifications to the plans as well as unexpected costs that typically overwhelm and disappoint.

“That’s when I often find myself thinking, I wish I was with them for that. Because if I had met them a year ago, I would have sat them down and I would have asked them to tell me their story.”

According to David, the story informs the need, the need informs the design, the design informs the build, but it’s the budget that informs all else. It’s a skill to strike a harmonic balance between these sometimes opposing forces. Approaching home building in this way saves clients a lot of money, confusion, disappointment and time. With only four or five really nice months out of the year, time is crucial.

One of the things David enjoys doing is educating his prospective clients by letting them know that if they’re even thinking about building, whether it be this year or sometime in the future, D. Finelli Construction has ways to go about it. His goal is to ensure that whoever he is talking to feels confident hiring a builder with a great reputation, with great relationships and a value system that holds its client’s best interests at heart, a company that will allow the client’s budget and design preferences to be at the forefront of every conversation. That way everyone is on the same page from day one.

“That’s how we do it here,” David says. “We get the story from the beginning and know what our homeowners want. We are able to execute this dream with them rather than just trying to fit something in and make it work. In construction, things can go wrong. Most of the time, it ends up being a wonderful process with a great result. And I really want my homeowners to enjoy that process. It’s not often you get to build a custom home. So it’s important. We, as builders, listen and get it right from the start.”

David considers it an honor to serve in this way, not only because he takes into account what his clients’ goals are, he also extrapolates what the decisions mean for subsequent resale value, what the choices could mean to future homeowners that take occupancy down the line. Whether the owners plan on being in the house for the next forty years, or if they intend to pass it on to their children and grandchildren, or renting it and then selling it in two to five years. It’s different for everyone so it helps to look at the bigger picture, what they want and expect to accomplish now and in the long run.

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Building A big part of that accomplishment is tackling supply chain issues that have arisen as a natural outcome of the pandemic.

“We’ve had to navigate it very carefully. David says, “Because it’s been a crazy couple of years. We’ve always prided ourselves on being fairly priced and I’ve raised my price per square foot, maybe, twenty dollars in the past fifteen years or so. Yet in the past two years, I’ve seen that increase go up to some one hundred dollars or more per square foot. It’s drastic and it’s crazy.”

There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight either. David says he has a long list of jobs coming up and business hasn’t seemed to slow.

Although there was a four to six month period of lag when the pandemic first started, when things paused just so that everybody could stop and see what was happening in the world, since then, especially

on and around LBI, new construction has taken off.

“Fortunately, the climate of the island and surrounding areas is so strong right now that you can buy a property at a premium, build a house at a premium, and still end up having huge equity by the time you are done. It’s tremendous.”

To meet this increased demand.

Dave gets weekly updates and forecasts to manage business as the industry as a whole becomes something of a rollercoaster ride.

“We reached an apex of material costs back in July of 2021,” Dave says, “Since then, I’ve seen costs fluctuate pretty drastically, especially for lumber. However, starting back in November, prices shot back up again, almost back to where we were in July.”

While inflated market conditions can surely be challenging, David

makes it a priority to nurture and maintain the relationships he has with his homeowners. He makes calls to people to let them know where they are currently as compared to where they were three weeks ago. This has resulted in appreciative clients that have a better understanding of these precarious times.

“The supply challenges are real,” he says. “There was one month where we couldn’t get circuit breakers.

There were weeks I couldn’t get plywood. There have been odd delays and things like that. I keep my homeowners abreast of things as we go. So if we are supposed to close in August and I learn that there’s a delay on, say windows, I let them know this could ultimately affect our closing date because I strive to keep a very tight schedule.

To stay on task, David and his team utilize an online project management system called Basecamp. It’s an app the whole team has access

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Building to, from the job super to the office manager, the office assistant to the finance team, it keeps everyone in the loop. Each job has its own file and everything from supply lists to work orders gets documented and communicated amongst the key players. The file updates daily so each member of the team is always on the same page, which allows for client communication to remain current and fluid.

With so much to manage and juggle, David admits that he and his family are extremely blessed and fortunate.

“Business has been wonderful,” he claims, “Not just because we are able to build houses and make money, but also because we’ve been able to focus on the community and build lasting relationships, which is what D. Finelli Construction is really all about.”

To that extent, community service and volunteerism is just another part of the man behind the business, with a passionate focus on relationships and service.

“It’s not just about building homes,” David says.

“It’s about giving back.”

What that looks like defines not only Dave’s business, but also community relations, where vision and follow through extends beyond home building.

The company is integrated on a community level with causes and cases that are near and dear to David’s heart, including Lighthouse Christian Academy, Hope for Liberia, Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation and Parker’s Army, to name a few.

“These charities need a lot of financial help,” David says, “Which is why D. Finelli Construction assists with so many fundraisers. They need all the help they can get.”

David began hosting a Bible study at the office. He invited a friend, a man who also shared the same first name David, to join the men’s group and as they got to know one another over the weeks and months to come, they discovered they shared a lot of the same beliefs and supported the same causes.

“We became close friends,” David recalls. “So he asked me to serve a role at his foundation, called David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. Of course it was my honor to do so. We’re able to help local families. It started that way and grew and grew from there. Today we hit over the $2 million mark, which is an incredible achievement.”

D. Finelli Construction is the main sponsor of the charity’s annual gala, which takes place in Beach 102

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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHN MURPHY

Haven every summer. Invites are extended to area homeowners, friends, family and some 300 people attend.

At the most recent gala, the event brought in nearly one hundred thousand dollars, a tremendous success. Every dollar donated goes toward cancer patients and their families who are suffering.

It’s personal too. David’s wife, Laurie, lost her best friend, Lauren, to cancer. She was young, only thirty-one years old. With the help of David’s Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation, individuals and companies are able to support local families like Lauren’s who have a relative with a cancer diagnosis to help pay the bills, get groceries, medicine, rides, whatever the need may be.

“It’s a big deal for us and our community. The foundation has a long list of people who are completing applications so that they can get what they need,” David says.

“It’s just a fantastic foundation and something I’m really proud to be a part of.”

When considering what he feels most defines his success, Dave gives pause, then thoughtfully offers, “When you are in a position to be able to help, you reflect on where your journey has taken you, and the fact that it’s just been a tremendous ride. You consider a night like the gala event, those are the times when you feel most fulfilled.

It’s at the forefront of what’s most important, for sure.”

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S AV E T H E DAT E

MARCH 26, 2023

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Save The Date

August 13th & 14th, 10 - 4 pm

The LBI Artist Open Studio Tour is a free self-guided tour of local art galleries and private art studios. This tour showcases fine art and crafts in a broad range of mediums. The tour offers visitors a chance to view and purchase artworks and explore how, where and why art is made.

www.LBIArtists.com for updates on locations and participating artists.

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Building

ONE STOP SHOP

WRITTEN BY LISA SIMEK PHOTOS BY JOHN MARTINEL

Anyone who still thinks that the services of architecture, building construction and interior design are mutually exclusive has never visited Michael Pagnotta Architecture + Construction (MPA+C) in Ship Bottom. With a full scope of services providing for a turnkey approach to custom homebuilding, their winning trifecta of architect harmoniously working alongside builder and in conjunction with interior designer, all with the same aligned vision, is the greatest factor in the equation of constructing their beautifully designer Long Beach Island homes.

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MPA+C has been designing and building beach homes on LBI for over thirty years. For more than three decades the design/build firm has centered the ability to provide high quality architectural design and construction in one seamless operation. Over the past 8 years the design/ build firm has offered interior design services to ice the cake, so to speak, when realizing the quintessential beach home. “By offering our own interior design services, we are able to see through the concept we create with our clients from the ideas that begin in the earliest stages of design,” shares Michael Pagnotta, founder and principal architect of the firm. Their vision for interiors is much like that of their architecture—to create a lightfilled space that suits the tastes of each individual client, with an emphasis on coastal influence.

Best known for their custom homes, MPA+C also develops many of their own projects including single family speculative homes, mixed used commercial/ condo projects and the 42-lot Island’s End subdivision in Holgate. “That’s really when our interiors began to take off. Kristina Cabey had been our Interior Designer for a while and she and Caryn Hill were responsible for putting together our first model home at Island’s End with tremendous success,” adds Pagnotta. The model home was incredibly well-received and led to many

interior design projects, with clients longing for a similar aesthetic to that of the model.

The Pagnotta team also has a half dozen homes that they have completed as rental properties. These homes each have a unique coastal feel to them, with the interiors for staging and rentals designed by Judy Pagnotta.

With rentals, the team is able to furnish and stage from sources they wouldn’t normally use for a brand-new home. They can be more eclectic and staged to resonate with families seeking a true coastal experience during their short term stay on LBI. MPA+C’s hallmark has always been their custom homes and it is in this unique setting where the team can spread their wings a bit with respect to design. Every home they create is unique to the desires of each client, and they take pride in their ability to recognize these innate style preferences by homeowners, especially at times when it’s not always as straightforward for the client to be able to describe their desires. As architects, they begin with a relationship with clients in order to understand how they want to live and what they want in their spaces. They aim for a tailored seaside design theme that evokes a blissful and breezy getaway.

Leading the Interior Design department is Faye Roeber,

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Building along with associate Olivia Pagnotta. Faye has an Architectural Degree from Pratt and has had extensive experience all over the world before joining the firm a few years ago.

Faye is responsible for assisting clients with their selections of tile, appliances, flooring, paint colors, cabinetry and tops, and interior trim details.

Olivia has a Textile Design degree and presentation skills developed at Jefferson University, and helps convey design intent to clients through mood boards and interior sketches. One of the company’s strengths is their ability to convey design ideas—they have incredible tools at their office to clearly demonstrate and illustrate concepts.

Pagnotta and team want their contemporary homes to still feel warm and inviting, and not like a sterile office building. They provide interior design services for classic, traditionally conceived beach homes featuring coastal colors, hardwood floors, and wall textures such as ship lap and board and batten surfaces. They also combine the sleek minimalism of a contemporary home with the beachy feel of coastal design to procure a crisp, clean and comfortable living environment.

No matter the feat, the MPA+C Interiors Department has experience and success in navigating through today’s challenges like supply chain interruptions and delivery delays. While they may ask clients to be flexible when they can’t obtain certain components, they feel confident that they are more than capable of sourcing out alternatives that will serve clients just as well. They also have resources for elements such as furniture and window treatments that are not available to the general public, which adds another level of customization to the client’s selections.

The goal at MPA+C is to offer clients the services required to make the creation of the highest quality beach house; one that is fun and as streamlined as possible. All the details of architecture, building and interior design support a unified whole. The result? A timeless appearance, calming interiors, and, most of all, a valuable investment.

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NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION LEADS THE WAY IN 2022 Walters offers one-stop shopping to homebuyers.

The housing market soared in 2021– especially in the new construction sector. In fact, 34.1 percent of U.S. single-family homes for sale in December 2021 were new construction, up from 25.4 percent a year earlier and the highest share on record, to real estate firm Redfin. Meanwhile, the inventory of existing homes fell 14.2 percent in December 2021, year over year. “With resale homes few and far between, new construction homes have been taking up an increasing portion of the housing market in recent years, especially since the pandemic began in 2020,” according to Matthew Gaudet-Walters, Director of Business Development for Walters.

As the demand for new homes continues to be high, what is on the horizon for the remainder of 2022? Gaudet-Walters believes that as individuals continue to work remotely and interest rates remain low, new construction homes will continue to be in high demand as a shortage of existing (resale) homes remains strong.

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In 2021, home supply dropped to its lowest level in recorded history – down 23 percent, year over year, according to Redfin. “It will take time for the housing market to catch back up to its pre-pandemic days,” said Gaudet-Walters. “New construction homes have to be built in order to fulfill the increased demand.”

For those looking to purchase a home, new construction just might be the best option worth considering. “Time is valuable when it comes to building your dream home,” Gaudet-Walters adds.

“Don’t get caught up in nerve-wracking bidding wars. Walters prides itself on providing a stress-free homebuying experience by offering a full suite of services all under one roof.”

The award-winning homebuilder encompasses three separate divisions that include Architecture, Realty and Custom Homes. Together, Walters represents a truly one-stop shopping experience for homebuyers.

“Our team of experts will work closely with you to build your dream home using the latest technology and finest quality building material,” said Gaudet-Walters.

“We’ve streamlined the process from beginning to end. Our in-house architects will team up with you to design a home with you every step of the way to guarantee your new home is everything you’ve dreamed of and more.”

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From traditional shore colonials to contemporary designs, Walters offers a customized approach to homebuilding. “Our experienced team will take your older home, storm-damaged home, empty lot or nothing at all, and transform it into your dream home using modern innovations and technology that fit your vision, budget and style,” said Gaudet-Walters.

If you’re in need of land, Walters will partner with you and your realtor to advise you on finding the appropriate property to fit your new home. Based on the results of the lot analysis, Walters will help you select a home design based on your own personal preferences. And since Walters is an ENERGY STAR® Certified Homes Market Leader, you can rest easy knowing that your new home will meet the stringent standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for energy efficiency.

When it comes time to design your dream home, you will have the option to utilize the services of Walters Architecture. This allows home buyers to work with in-house architects and designers to establish a working knowledge of the property in order to design the perfect home using the latest technology and quality building materials. Home buyers receive a complimentary first meeting with preliminary draft and one revision.

“Our in-house architects will team up with you to design a home with you every step of the way to guarantee your new home is everything you’ve dreamed of and more.”

– M AT T H E W G A U D E T -WA LT E R S , DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The best part of building a new home is living in it, but it doesn’t end here. You will enjoy your new home with the peace of mind that Walters is just a phone call away to help fix any issues that arise in the future. “If there are any issues with your home after move-in, our Warranty team will help you resolve them,” GaudetWalters added. Walters offers a 10-year warranty on structural issues; a two-year warranty on mechanical issues and a one-year warranty on any other issue.

Don’t wait, make 2022 your year and start building your dream home today. Visit waltershomes.com and click “price project” to begin the process virtually.

Once your home is designed and floor plans are finalized, Walters will help you determine your initial working budget. You will also have the opportunity to visit a Walters Homes Design Center to select all the finishes and colors for your new home.

Behind the scenes, Walters does it all. “You don’t need to coordinate anything throughout this process,” said Gaudet-Walters. “At Walters, an onsite Project Manager keeps you in the loop every step of the way from construction through to the final walkthrough.”

About Walters Walters has been building quality homes at the Jersey Shore since 1984. The company offers three divisions, Architecture, Custom Homes and Realty, to offer all-inclusive services that seamlessly bring a homebuyer’s dream vision to reality. Walters Architecture is a completely complimentary service that allows homebuyers to work with in-house architects to design the perfect home with the latest technology and quality building materials. Walters Realty offers full-service brokerage experts that help homebuyers find the right homesite depending on their desired location. Walters Custom Homes offers newly designed custom home plans that help homebuyers through the homebuilding process. Every custom home built by Walters meets or exceeds the energy eff iciency requirements for ENERGY STAR certification.

Walters is located at 500 Barnegat Boulevard North, Building 400, Barnegat, NJ 08005.

To learn more, call 609.597.6999 or visit waltershomes.com.

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Building

Legacy

HOME WRITTEN BY LISA SIMEK

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SPARK

Building a new home is considered one of the most financially strenuous undertakings a person may assume in life; however, the fact that this process can often be the most emotionally challenging is seldom acknowledged. These feelings are only intensified when the new construction has rather large shoes to fill, and it must somehow outshine the nostalgia of an existing dwelling suffused with generations of memories, associations and experiences that are rooted to the original physical space. Therein lies a true feat in itself: attempting to replace such critical sentimental value beyond anything monetary.

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The Background.

This particular homeowner hails from a long line of native Long Beach Islanders. Her great-grandparents put down roots on the promising isle of the Queen City in the late 1890’s. Her grandparents and parents were lifelong residents of Beach Haven. In fact, her grandfather built the original home from the ground-up with his bare hands, and this was after a nearly fatal Bar-

negat Bay boating accident resulted in the loss of one of his arms and a leg in 1949. The family home built

by Grandpa Elliott successfully weathered all of the infamous storms from the history books, and subsisted through some of the worst natural and economic disasters that afflicted the island since the Great Depression. To have assumed that this timeworn and charming bungalow passed down through three generations had a little sentimental value was quite the understatement.

Nevertheless, with their family only expanding, the home’s foundation crumbling and the overall structure only heading towards inevitable demise with every passing season, the homeowners knew that it was undeniably time to think about rebuilding their beloved home. But who could they entrust with such a tall order? Their dream was to construct a home that would fit their modern-day lifestyle, while paying 120

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Building

homage to the legacy of Grandfather’s labor of love and the Long Beach Island they knew of long ago. After researching, interviewing, and heeding the advice of many friends’ recommendations, the family decided that Thomas J. Keller and his building contractor team were the ones that were up to the task.

Following thoughtful deliberation with regards to timing, the homeowners decided to initiate construction after Hurricane Sandy hit the area. Drawing inspiration from three specific homes on the island that they have always admired, designing began. With the help of their architect, they were able to seamlessly combine their favorite elements of old-meets-new from each of these dwellings and move forward with plans for a more modern take on a classic coastal home to call their own.

Tom Keller’s mission as their builder was to now ensure that the structure would tangibly represent their family legacy for the years to come, robust enough to withstand the test of time with the intention of the next three generations (and more) enjoying it alongside their families as well.

The New Chapter.

Amongst all of the doors of a home, the front door tends to be the most important. Stylistically speaking, it influences the first impression one has of a dwelling. As the homeowners’ favorite feature of this home, the striking front entrance certainly sets the tone for the rest of the structure’s aesthetic. The sleek, arched, double wooden doors with sizeable windows are timeless and evoke a warm, nature-inspired look allowing sunlight and scenic views to peek their way in. This grand entry is a pivotal point to the design of the home, and the execution of this solid wood doorway along with the trim work framing it by Keller’s team is impeccable.

Much like the entryway, the façade of this Beach Haven home précises its personality. Large and gracious, yet romanticized with individual decks and porch areas akin to the older Beach Haven Victorians, the home owners strived for that old world charm of a beach house, built for their modern lifestyle. They struggled with the notion of replacing their formerly modest quarters with a significantly larger house, and it was Tom Keller who assured that it could be done tastefully with a familiar, cozy, unpretentious end result. The deck patios crowned with beautiful wooden soffits achieve this ambiance, swathing the home with natural materials to establish that connection with the environment around it. As with every elemental detail, the Keller crew walked the homeowners through counsel above-and-beyond what an average builder would have accomplished while building this home.

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Under the dwelling, there was a significantly large area below the rear deck. Keller’s team met with the homeowners and suggested the addition of a proper ceiling, slanted with gutters, so that the expansive ground square footage could also be utilized as an outdoor living space, usable even in the rain with this newfound shelter. Something they would have never thought to complete otherwise, the homeowners now have seating in an area, with respite from the scorching sun during peak summer days, and protection from precipitation on the rainy ones.

Additional fine points that enhanced the architecture of this 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom home at the suggestion of the experienced building crew included the addition of beautifully rustic sliding barn doors in the laundry area to add a touch of casual elegance; the removal of the master fireplace and replacing it with large, expansive windows doubling the amount of natural light flooding the room; as well as walls of expertly curated stowage areas on the ground floor that would have otherwise gone untouched and not utilized for their ample amount of storage space.

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The home is modern in the sense of its open-concept floorplan, yet traditional with its non-reverse living design plan—contrary to the current prevalent homebuilding trends. There purposefully is no elevator in this home, though most of the bedrooms, including the master suite, are on the top floor. The master bath has a traditional clawfoot soaking tub, which the homeowner shares, is one of her personal delectable highlights of their home. The first-floor kitchen is crisp white, bright and airy, and even as it blends into the rest of the common areas of the home, there is no lack of luster.

The homeowner jokes that due to the great number (and copious sizing) of windows within the home, the only drawback she is left with is not having any wall space to hang up a picture frame or two (but as a lover of natural light, this is a decision that she would make over again).

The pièce de resistance of the home is undoubtedly the office, which exhibits more of a sun parlor vibe. With walls full of windows and transoms that extend to the ceiling, this room was built to have ample sunshine and the best view of the entire home. This room as well as the rest of the home is lovingly sprinkled with tokens from the original house, including vintage fishing poles,

Building

black and white photos, her grandfather’s antique oars and life vests—even her grandmother’s old fishing tournament trophy she won at the age of 17.

But not everything that serves as a tribute to their grandparent’s original home was built into the interior. There was also careful consideration paid to the outdoor garden areas in honor of their predecessors.

All of her grandfather’s favorite native greenery was included in the design of the exterior areas of the home. In addition to his beloved beach plum shrubs, she also planted pine trees, crepe myrtles and –her grandmother’s favorite—limelight hydrangeas. The grounds even nod to her husband’s side of the family by including a beautiful heirloom fig tree that was originally brought to the states from Italy and passed down from generation to generation. Short of planting a yard full of dune grasses, the appeal of this beautiful home engulfed in the island’s natural landscape has truly embodied the aesthetic of times long ago with a dash of contemporary design and build.

It is not only a charming home by the seaside, but it is also a symbol of one family’s lifespan on LBI from years gone by, with many years to come.

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THOM SWEENEY, ASID

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Kitchens

The Ultimate Kitchen Refresh WRITTEN BY SARAH HODGSON

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SPARK

When Denise Mauthe began plans to renovate the kitchen of her Surf City home, she had one goal in mind: entertaining.

a decade, they decided it was high time they refresh their kitchen, the heart of their charming seashore dwelling, for optimal comfort.

The well-appointed, five-bedroom residence is a summer haven for the Mauthe family, who live in Rumson, New Jersey the remainder of the year.

Like most secondary homeowners on Long Beach Island, the Mauthes are accustomed to hosting their fair share of gatherings. So, after more than

“I wanted to modernize it and make it open,” said Mauthe. “I wanted it to be a kitchen where we can entertain our family and friends and gather. We’re always entertaining here. I wanted our home to be cozy and functional with a modern, timeless style.”

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With a team of consultants and construction specialists, Mauthe manifested her appreciation for LBI into tasteful, tangible design elements. The effect? Utter magnificence.

At first glance, the space is a brilliant, monochromatic wash of ivory. Natural light pours from the adjacent living room and bounces off the reflective white recessed cabinetry for a calming, organic glow.

Mauthe adhered to the pearly palette for most of her appliances, opting for a large, panel ready refrigerator that blends seamlessly with the white cabinetry. Matching, innovative crisper drawers are positioned below the countertop to make snacks, cheeses and veggies more accessible.

Accent lights illuminate chunky shelves floating on either side of a gleaming, white kitchen hood. Meanwhile, beside the fridge stands an elegant, temperature-controlled wine cooler with a glass door to showcase its contents.

Perhaps one of the most impressive features of the refreshed kitchen is the expansive island. Along with hors d’oeuvres, cooking apparatus, wine glasses and decor there’s plenty of room for elbows on the surface. Guests can lean along the olympia-white, marble waterfall countertop without taking up precious space.

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Kitchens But the kitchen isn’t all white.

A more studied glance around the room reveals pleasant touches of black, teal, white oak and stainless steel. For example, just left of the island is the open-concept pantry, a nearly hidden gem if not for its bold color. The spacious nook is a splash of gold and “Vardo” (the official Farrow & Ball paint color). Deceivingly large and doorless, the storage room promotes accessibility and, according to Mauthe, makes guests feel like they’re a part of the family.

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Years of summering on Long Beach Island have given Mauthe ample time to jot down mental notes for her dream, seaside kitchen. She approached the project with a clear and articulate vision. Each drawer has a purpose. Each appliance and piece of hardware has a role to play in the comprehensive aesthetic of the room. A custom cabinet for spices here, a drawer for kitchen cutlery there. A designated bar just for coffee. A pair of massive, walnut countertop cutting boards that curve over the edge of the marble surface.

Like most home projects, one renovation led to another. The tsunami of improvements flooded from the kitchen and into the living room. Added white shiplap and whicker elements emanate a simultaneously cool and warm ambience, while gray and black decor ground the bright palette. Mauthe and her team wanted to take advantage of the open concept layout of the first floor and implement design components that would increase the fluidity from room-to-room. Mission accomplished!

Denise Mauthe credits the following vendors in her kitchen refresh project: Tilton Construction Company in Harvey Cedars; Handmade Furniture Company in West Creek; Diane Rominowski Interior Design in Little Silver; Bain’s Outdoor Living in Rumson, Third and Lennox in Rumson; KPalm Fine Art in Rumson.

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120 LONG BEACH BLVD LOVELADIES NEW JERSEY 08008 609.494.1241

56 Annual Open House ERSON P N I Tour th

Wednesday, August 3 10:30am–4:30pm

Rain date Thursday, August 4, 10:30am–4:30pm Sponsored by Woodhaven Lumber & Millwork

Architecture Panel Discussion +Samuel Gordon + Jay Madden +Stephen Wilson 130 S P R I N G 2 0Midouhas 22 | OPEN HOUSE + M A GGym AZINE

Sunday, July 31 at 10:00am At the Long Beach Island Foundation for more info visit lbifoundation.org

LONG BEACH ISLAND’S COOKBOOK

Seafood

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TIMELESS BEAUTY

Classic kitchen combines clean lines with custom details WRITTEN BY SUSAN FIELD

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PHOTOS BY JOHN MARTINEL

Kitchens

When Nora Vele first met with Yasmin Deren to discuss plans for her new home in LBI, she brought an inspiration-photo of her dream kitchen. The photo of stacked cabinets with glass inserts drove the design—until Deren, a Kitchen Design Specialist at Woodhaven Lumber & Millwork, went to the home to measure the space. The stacked cabinets were not going to fit. With Deren’s calm demeanor and expert product knowledge leading the way, what could have been a stressful situation turned into an opportunity to create a radically different design that exceeded Nora’s expectations.

“What Woodhaven was able to create was a really timeless, elegant kitchen that is much nicer than what I envisioned,” Nora says. “We went from a stacked cabinet look to one that had larger crown molding. I’m so grateful that we didn’t have the height for the stacked cabinets because I love the kitchen I have now.”

Deren meticulously interviewed Nora and her husband, Joe, about their wants and needs to ensure that the kitchen design was not only beautiful and welcoming, but also functional.

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Before moving to LBI full-time in November, the Vele’s lived in Monroe Township. Nora describes her former home as a gathering place, in which she hosted holidays for the last 40 years. She wanted to continue that tradition at their new home in LBI. “We wanted a large island where we could seat a lot of people and entertain. My son and daughter love to cook, and my son likes to make homemade pasta. I wanted counter space for him to be able to roll out dough, and I wanted lots of space for the whole family to cook and gather together,” Nora says.

Deren used these requests to create specific work zones and flow in the kitchen, so that everyone could easily move around and work together in the same space. She designed a large island with a prep sink and a deep blue paint color on its base—a nod to the ocean— which also complements the white countertop and cabinetry. The island’s custom legs resemble the style of the kitchen table legs, creating a cohesive look.

“I often recommend legs on an island in order to make it look more like a piece of furniture. It creates a more 136

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custom look that adds dimension to the overall design,” Deren says.

Other features that support cooking large family meals is a pot-filler above the stove, a double-oven, and a large kitchen sink.

The design combines classic, clean lines with detailed touches: glass doors on the cabinets, panels on the appliances, for a seamless look, and a wood range hood, which Joe was instrumental in selecting.

“I didn’t want the traditional box-hood, I wanted something with a little bit more shape,” Joe says. “The one Yasmin helped us select has a dynamic look and it stands out.”

Wood range hoods are trending, according to Deren, as they are less commercial looking and help a kitchen have a more cozy, warmer feel.

Deren helped the Vele’s choose finishes and knobs that matched the clean style, and found efficient storage solutions for their dishes by selecting cabinets with

Kitchens pegs. Deren shared CAD renderings of the design with the couple as their design progressed, so they could make more informed decisions.

As the kitchen was coming together, the Vele’s realized that one feature they had in their previous kitchen that wasn’t in their new one was a coffee bar, where their family liked to gather in the mornings. Deren quickly solved that problem by installing a roller-door cabinet on top of a corner of the counter. The cabinet can easily roll up to reveal the coffee pot and coffee accessories, and roll down to conceal it.

Off of the kitchen is the pantry, which Nora calls her “She Shed.” The pantry, designed by Sandy Deckman, Closet Manager at Woodhaven, consists of base cabinets, an open counter space, and upper cabinets. The pantry features a premium laminate countertop in Wilsonart Old Mill Oak, adjustable shelving, vertical dividers for trays and cookbooks, and radius corner shelves.

The open countertop is the perfect out-of-the-way spot for the microwave, and adds color for dimension and interest. The lower shelving is useful to tuck away bulky small appliances.

In addition to the option to select a contrasting color for the open countertop space, Deckman says that homeowners can elevate the aesthetic appeal of their custom pantries or closets by choosing from more than 30 shades of melamine, the material used to make the pantry shelving and dividers. The colors range from browns to greys, whites, and off-whites, and can feature different textures and grains.

The home also features a laundry room that Deren designed with a graystone color to give it a warm feel, complemented by bold, blue tilework on the floor to make the space pop. The ground floor kitchenette, Joe’s “Man Cave,” has glazed stained cabinetry and a kegerator for more informal entertaining.

The Vele’s biggest takeaways from this design process are to research, know your budget, have an open mind, and let the designer guide the process.

“Woodhaven and Yasmin were excellent partners. They have access to a lot of different vendors, and they are extremely knowledgeable and flexible. Come into the process with ideas, but be open-minded. You don’t always have to know exactly what you’re looking for,” Nora says. “The kitchen I thought I wanted and the kitchen I got are completely different, but I’m so grateful it happened that way. I love it, and I’m so thrilled with the result!”

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609 389 9970 | 2101 LONG BEACH BLVD SHIP BOTTOM NJ www.expressplumbingnj.net | expressplumbinglbi@gmail.com Master Plumber #12474 HVAC #19HC009117000 138

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OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE 139 concrete design studio

Technology

LATEST& GREATEST

Today’s smart homeowner expects a lot from their Smart Home. If you’ve never heard of a Smart Home, or don’t know what that means, then prepare to hear it straight from Long Beach Island’s expert on the matter.

WRITTEN BY DENISE PETTI

Nick Oramas, owner of Techno Sound & Video in Surf City, has made it his business to integrate technology into island homes for more than two decades now. As technology becomes increasingly more complex and integration more sophisticated, Nick says that Smart Homes are leading essentially all of his company’s service offerings.

“Customer service is what we are about,” says Nick.

“And Smart Home integration is now at the forefront of all we do.”

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connecting sensors like temperature and motion to devices such as lights and locks. Taking a house from rooms filled with multiple wires and switches to one that is simple and streamlined with a single control panel means creating a home that is safe, comfortable, secure, and well, smart.

“We’re seeing a lot more of it. I tell people we can have your TV wired through your speakers and you don’t need five different remotes or even a universal remote,” Nick says. “That same system can control your heat, your central air, your lighting, music, swimming pool, window shades, all accessible from an iPhone or iPad app.”

Nick and his team are often called upon for their input, knowledge and expertise related to the many intricate nuances of Smart Home integration. This includes solutions for helping customers control things such as interior and exterior lighting from their cell phones, programming thermostats from an app, and monitoring surveillance systems from virtually anywhere in the world. From music speakers to door locks to home theater solutions, Techno Sound & Video does so much more than just their name would suggest.

“We’re seeing a lot more architects designing houses with big, high ceilings, lots of glass, and lots of windows because that’s what customers want,” Nick says.

State of the art homes tend to present challenges when deciding where to place items such as a large, flatscreen television or figuring out the best spots for placing wall switches. Techno works with builders, architects and electricians to create solutions such as hydraulic lifts for TVs as well as panelized lighting systems, whereby a low voltage wire can be run back to a centralized panel controlled by a keypad at the touch of a finger.

From creating virtual offices to installing motorized window coverings, technology is more impressive and more user-friendly than it was in the past. These creative solutions allow the architecture to play the primary role, as intended, offering dramatic design statements as the OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE

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Technology

homeowner enjoys seamless technological integration without aesthetic interruption.

Energy savings are a given too with applications that shut themselves on and off as homeowners come and go. The convenience of having immediate and continuous awareness of devices, knowing which ones are operating and when, and harnessing the ability to turn them on or off from anywhere offers not just convenience, but also peace of mind.

Smart Homes even have the ability to be voice activated. Systems such as Josh.ai, which is similar to Siri, Alexa and Google Now, allows Smart Homeowners to simply speak aloud what it is that they want their control pad to execute, then sit back and enjoy the prompt delivery of nearly every modern convenience.

The Josh.ai programming language is built to support natural language voice commands, such as changing the temperature from a smart smartphone or shutting off the lights from a computer. Unlike its modern counterparts though, Josh.ai guarantees privacy and security to its users. Whereas its predecessors are known for “listening” and selling user data to third parties, Josh.ai firmly states on its website that it will never use client information for marketing purposes or sell user data to third parties.

Oramas likes the Josh.ai company for this very reason and has committed to allocating resources toward education and investment in this forward-thinking company.

“We like Josh.ai because the company believes that the actions and words spoken behind closed doors should stay there,” he says. “We are all for any company who makes an effort aimed at protecting the privacy of our clients and their families.”

Effective May 2022, Techno Sound & Video is on track to move into their brand new beach block office located at 20th Street in Ship Bottom.

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ENHANCING YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE SHORE

AUDIO • VIDEO • HOME CONTROL SEE US IN OUR NEW LOCATION

P L AT I N U M D E A L E R Photo: Ryan Paul Marchese

2020 E LONG BEACH BLVD, UNIT B, SHIP BOTTOM, NJ 08008 609.607.7230 | WWW.TECHNOSOUNDANDVIDEO.COM FULLY INSURED • LIC.#13VH06976400A

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Home

Protecting Your Piece of Paradise A Coastal Insurance Market Update

WRITTEN BY BRIAN MCMAHON OF ANDERSON INSURANCE AGENCY

If you’re a coastal property owner in New Jersey, chances are you have more than a cursory understanding of flood insurance. After all, flood coverage is not only a wise investment, but a requirement for many shore homeowners.

Another product that we offer at Anderson Insuance Agency provides up to $10,000 for pool repair. If flooding doesn’t cause damage to your house but wreaks havoc on your pool, our policy would cover the costs associated with draining and refilling it.

For years the only option available to consumers was the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

But because it is a federally backed program, the coverage is very limited. For example, the maximum coverage the NFIP offers on commercial buildings is $500,000. For both condominiums and single-family homes, the maximum is $250,000 per unit.

There are also other carriers available to us which offer a similar policy to the NFIP, only with higher limits and better coverage. Coverage advantages include: replacement costs up to the building limit, replacement costs on contents, and loss of use of the property. This option is available to homeowners, condominiums, and commercial structures!

The bad news? The cost of new construction on the coast is often at least 3 times that number.

Of course, there are disadvantages to the private market. Not every building will qualify for the latest flood insurance products available at Anderson Insurance Agency. The Homeowners carriers will typically only endorse elevated structures that have not had flood claims in the past. Private market flood carriers can even go sour on their flood products and decide not to renew specific policies. Like other coastal homeowners insurance programs, flood insurance carriers come and go from the marketplace.

The good news? In recent years, the industry has rolled out private flood insurance products with higher limits and enhanced coverage that property owners actually need to adequately insure their structures.

At Anderson Insurance Agency, we have two carriers that have flood endorsements available on their homeowners policies. They’ll insure your house and add the flood coverage, all in one, single policy. Now that’s bundling!

The key benefits of these private programs over the NFIP include: full replacement limit of the house, coverage for detached structures on the property, one deductible, and one claim adjuster if a storm causes both wind and flood damage.

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Regardless, coastal homeowners have more options for their flood coverage than ever before and we are happy to discuss them with you! The goal of Anderson Insurance Agency is to help inform and educate consumers about Flood and Coastal Property Insurance. Even if you are not a client of our agency, we would love to answer any of your questions.

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500 Barnegat Blvd. North Barnegat, NJ 08005 Building 400

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Walters Architecture, LLC. - Lic # N.J. AI19884

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Call 609.597.6999 or visit waltershomes.com ALL HOMES ARE TO BE ENERGY STAR® CERTIFIED Look for high performance homes built to EPA’s ENERGY STAR Homes Program. ENERGY STAR Homes offer enduring quality, value-adding energy efficiency features and a combination of materials and equipment that deliver better performance and an overall superior level of quality.

New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ is brought to you by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and does not endorse any one particular builder. Information can be found at OPEN HOUSE MAGAZINE 147 NJCleanEnergy.com.

THE EXPERTISE YOU WANT. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU NEED.

Kitchen Design by Woodhaven Kitchen & Design Center for Ted Fluehr Jr. Custom Homes Designer: Yasmin Deren Photographer: John Martinelli

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