Feature

IT’S ALL ABOUT The Ocean Views

Marnie Oursler makes dreams come true with her custom coastal home designs

By Sherry Moeller Photos by Dana Hoff

Marnie Oursler, CEO of Marnie Custom Homes, www.marniecustomhomes. com, and host of DIY Network’s Big Beach Builds, is a force in the coastal design industry. She founded Marnie Custom Homes in 2007 to make dreams come true for area homeowners looking for that perfect coastal getaway along the Eastern Shore. Based in Bethany Beach, Delaware, the firm designs and builds custom homes primarily in the Delaware towns of Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Lewes, and Rehoboth Beach.

OCEAN OF DREAMS

A recent oceanfront project, Ocean of Dreams, in Fenwick Island is a second home for the owners, who plan to move in full time after retirement. Oursler used as many windows as possible to capture the serenity of the ocean and panoramic views from all angles – one of the main requests of the homeowners.

Nestled on a narrow lot, about the size of a townhome, the exterior features NuCedar siding in Bracing Blue, a Juliet balcony, a Pergola over the garage, and a spiral staircase leading to the rooftop deck with oceanfront scenery.

Packed with creative design elements inside and out, the kitchen features a custom island with butcher block top, farmhouse sink, open shelving, a separate coffee and wet bar, and high-end Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. Oursler recessed the hood and incorporated clear pendants over the island in order to capture unobstructed waterfront views from the island.

The entire fourth floor is the master suite and includes a shiplap barn door that hides the second washer and dryer, remote controlled skylights to increase natural light, a private balcony overlooking the ocean, and a custom triangle dresser built into the roofline. The bathroom even has a towel warming drawer.

A separate kitchenette for guests includes bold, beachy turquoise appliances by Elmira Stove Works, giving it a California retro vibe. Guest suites offer custom bunk beds with full beds on the bottom, twins on top, and trundles underneath - sleeping 10 total.

A built-in window seat, a small, but mighty powder room featuring floor-to-ceiling fish-scale tiles, pet-friendly elements including a dog shower and custom pet gate, and honeycomb cement tiles on the ground floor bathroom round out a long list of colorful coastal elements making this a one-of-a-kind home.

“Marnie’s building knowledge is second to none,” says one of the owners of this home. “But she is far beyond the builder. She’s an architect and interior designer, too, and has made this experience the best we’ve ever encountered.”