Oceanfront Retreat in South Bethany Beach
On a once-in-a-lifetime lot located on an oceanfront corner in South Bethany Beach sat a neglected and decaying cottage. Marnie Custom Homes gave the property a new life. Translating to “pure life” in Spanish, Pura Vida is an oasis to encourage a simpler lifestyle of ease and comfort.
Marnie’s Magic
Based in Bethany Beach, DE, Marnie Custom Homes was established in 2007. She specializes in building custom beach homes using sustainable and locally sourced materials. The design-build firm’s founder and president, Marnie Oursler, is the first female to have received the National Association of Home Builders’ Custom Home Builder of the Year Award. Totaling 150 custom homes built to date, Marnie Custom Homes builds an average of 12 custom homes per year. The Pura Vida being one of the 37 oceanfront projects the team has built. The design build firm caters to a high-earning market of homeowners looking to invest in the mid-Atlantic region. The design motivation behind the Pura Vida was to make a house that was beautiful, yet functional for a family with five kids and five dogs.
Sustainable New Beginnings
Development of the project spanned 2024. The demolition of the original house started in January and by December the fully-furnished custom home was complete. Practicing sustainable deconstruction is important to Marnie Custom Homes. For this project they partnered with the nonprofit organization Second Chance to carefully dismantle the run-down cottage. This process ensured valuable materials were salvaged and donated to affordable housing and other community projects for reuse.
Maximizing the Landscape
Marnie Custom Homes revitalized the property with the intention of creating the dream beach home that emphasises indoor and outdoor living. “Our primary design goal was to let the views lead the way,” said Celeste Henry, Marketing Director of Marnie Custom Homes. “It’s the kind of layout that invites the outside in and creates a seamless connection between the beach, ocean and sky.” Plans made by Aga Sokolow of Sokolow Architects helped accomplish a layout that takes full advantage of coastal living with 3,731 square feet of beachside luxury.
Tailored Design
The home features six bedrooms, each with their own ensuite bathroom. Every square foot was creatively put to work. Space saving innovations like bunk bed stairs doubling as storage drawers, built-in dressers and hidden cabinetry opened up the home. The pool, ocean and sky are part of the daily backdrop with the utilization of wraparound walls of windows with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors.
A quality custom home builder knows their clients lifestyle and implements elements to ease daily living. Pura Vida exhibits outdoor showers, a pizza oven, and dual screened-in porches with sky lights and ceiling heaters. Even one off the primary suite affectionately called “The Sleeping Porch.”Keeping in mind the five furry friends, the home includes built-in dog crates and a dog wash station. Shades of blue are a frequent motif across the interior including tasteful tile across the bathrooms reminiscent of the sky and ocean outside.
Safe without Sacrifice
Marnie Custom Homes’ expertise in working with oceanfront properties equips them with the knowledge to navigate the complex guidelines when attempting a project like the Pura Vida. Constructing this home required overcoming requirements set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in addition to local town regulations.Utilizing steel framing to reinforce stability, the home was designed with weather-resistant materials with the capability of withstanding Category 3 hurricanes and 130 mph winds. Hurricane-rated windows and doors further complement the weatherized design, as well as tie-down systems that connect each floor with metal straps to maintain the integrity of the structure during extreme storms. The flood-resilient design is enhanced for proper drainage by elevated pilings and pressure-treated materials with permeable surfaces.
A weatherized design does not have to sacrifice energy-efficiency. The home’s craftsmanship includes NuCedar siding made from at least 20% pre-consumer recycled materials with no VOCs. Alongside Marvin modern windows built from recyclable aluminum that reduce heat transfer. Multiple zoned HVAC systems with Energy Star appliances allow optimal comfort while reducing energy consumption. The home represents the brilliant design sense that is necessary to find the perfect harmony between the homeowner’s wishes for a custom home and the builder’s vision for how to see it through. Personal and livable luxury is the standard when building with Marnie Custom Homes, and Pura Vida exceeds all expectations.
