2009 Southern Home Awards | Best Outdoor Space

In Alys Beach, all structures are built in a Bermudan style with a hint of Mediterranean. The 1,100-square-foot rooftop deck on our winning home is anchored by a pergola that houses an intimate seating area. Bougainvilleas are planted in urns tucked into the corners of the pergola.

“Eventually, the vines will grow into the cedar arbor overhead to create a canopy,” says town architect Erik Vogt, who designed the home along with his wife, architect Marieanne Khoury-Vogt. “Later, they will spill over and creep into the upper edges of the courtyard below.” Accessories are kept simple and in the same palette as the white stucco walls.

A fully functional outdoor kitchen is discreetly tucked into its own area for ease in entertaining and dining outdoors. It even includes a dishwasher so that you needn't leave the party to begin clean-up.

The home is a small compound composed of individual structures that center around the courtyard pool area. The south end of the courtyard opens to the street and allows coastal breezes to pass into the space. Large ‘Medjool’ palms flank the pool to offer some shade, while the trunks add a layer of contrasting tone and texture against the white walls.

Underfoot is Dominican shellstone, a type of limestone found in the Caribbean. The stones are loosely packed and sand set. Spaces between them are seeded with green dichondra to soften them visually.

The Florida sun provides an ever-changing pattern as it passes through the pool arbor, which casts its shadow against the stairs that lead to the roof deck. The pool loggia projects slightly over the pool itself, bridging the lounging area and the water. Vines here will also grow to create a cool space for relaxing outdoors.