'Old soul' warms new home

Mediterranean style

The completed house rises above the dunes, with an asymmetrical blend of round and angular shapes composing a welcoming facade. Like many of its neighbors, the home has the pleasing texture of local Georgia brick, which Truett lime-washed to give it a light color. (Bing: What is lime-washing?)

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Thoughtful reproduction

Truett went to great lengths to produce the kind of crafted details that confer a sense of authenticity. Hand-painted tiles and a marble basin are hallmarks of Mediterranean Revival style. The geometric tiles are from Ann Sacks.

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New look

Atlanta-based interior designer Susan Lapelle found ways to incorporate antique pieces but update them for a fresh feel. She chose stairwell tiles with bold geometric designs instead of the classic Tuscan versions. "They would have looked too dated," Lapelle says.

Truett had all of the black ironwork in the home, including the front gates and the entry balustrade, custom-made by craftsman Charles Calhoun in Atlanta.

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Southern comfort

The design contains a convenient open living area anchored with comfortable upholstered pieces and light sisal rugs, rather than the Oriental carpets topped with heavy, wood-framed settees that are more often associated with strict Mediterranean Revival style.

A sisal rug by Stark Carpet anchors a coffee table from A. Tyner Antiques and tight-back upholstered sofas from South of Market, both in Atlanta. The walls are painted in Benjamin Moore's China White.

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Well-matched

Carved 18th-century Spanish chairs flank a wood chest of the same vintage. Blue-gray steel casement windows, made in England by Crittall, match those of the island's original Mediterranean-style homes.

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Light and lovely

In the bedrooms, Lapelle chose slightly off-white bed linens that are soft to the touch and organic natural window sheers that filter the sun's glare.

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Beautiful view

In the master bedroom, a pair of vintage French club chairs is upholstered in pale green fabric by Cowtan & Tout. A regal headboard from Mrs. Howard and an Oushak rug by Allan Arthur Rugs establish a rich atmosphere.

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Modern vintage

For all of its careful attention to history, the house is not a museum. On the contrary, the clients sought to mix their home's traditional architecture with some subtle modern touches. The kitchen countertops are granite, with shells and sea life embedded in the stone. The terra-cotta tiles were aged with dark wax.

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Aged to perfection

On late-summer evenings, the family gathers with drinks on the poolside back porch. In the hush of dusk, the setting is indistinguishable from gatherings on the same stretch of beach 80 years earlier, just as the family had intended.

Pillows on the loggia and by the pool are by Schumacher.

— Styling by Elizabeth Beeler

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