Photography by RICHARD LEO JOHNSON

FOR ANYONE WITH A NATURAL AFFINITY for the coast and its critters, a cozy, East Beach lot is the perfect site for a marshside summer home. Such was the case for Lizanne Thomas, who moved further inland from her family’s previous St. Simons Island property. Halfway up the coast of the island, the lot, though small, offered the happy medium she was searching for. With water views, a centerpiece live oak and the wild visitors that came with the two, Lizanne was sold.

“Within the marsh there’s a pond that’s pretty sizable, and the birds gather there at ‘cocktail hour,’” she says. Perhaps she, too, could see herself in those birds: a family gathering by water and seagrass. 

Finding a firm to work with for the new build proved serendipitous in more ways than one. Not only did Jane Frederick of Frederick + Frederick Architects clearly understand Lizanne’s vision to work with the landscape she loved, but also the two discovered early on that they are distantly related. It is possible that family ties are what led to a seamless execution of the project; either way, their shared love for the land unified the home’s aesthetic.

The interior capitalizes on openness and light, providing views out to the marsh wherever possible. Any spaces lacking in windows make up for it in organic coastal elements — seagrass- inspired railings, an oyster-shell chandelier and a kitchen countertop inlaid with South Carolina sea glass adorn the space. “We really work to tie our houses to the landscape where they are, and so that’s where a lot of the inspiration comes from,” says Jane, principal architect on the project.

The enormous live oak tree on the lot became its own key feature, serving as the whimsical backdrop to the home’s bright, airy great room. “We had an arborist come check it,” says Lizanne, “and he said this tree has been here [for ages], will be here for [hundreds of years] and is very healthy.” Jane knew that the tree would become essential to their design plan, but little did Lizanne know exactly how beautifully that tree would be incorporated. “I knew we would enjoy the tree, but I didn’t know that it would become a part of the house.” (The family lovingly refers to the great room as their treehouse.)

When landscape architect Thomas Angell first presented his concept, Lizanne says he was “thinking about something that wouldn’t be a traditional, groomed landscape, but something that really evokes the beach and nature.” This extended from maintaining the integrity of the tree to creating calming, complementary outdoor spaces. The breezy terrace, porch with retractable screen and pool deck are simple and functional, lending distinction to the marsh itself and working with it, not against it. A motorized screen can be raised to keep out summer bugs. Lift-and-slide doors surrounding the pool terrace provide a seamless connection in and out of the house. The rain garden, made to help with stormwater retention, is delightfully wild. “It’s like a treasure hunt every time it rains,” says Lizanne, “with salamanders and frogs and terrapin turtles and birds.”

Besides the friendly housemates, her favorite part of the home is the maple crown molding found throughout, offering a modern harmony and inviting aesthetic. The warm wood tones afforded opportunities for a balance of accent colors both bright and soft — within the home, corals, yellows and teals mingle with muted coastal ivories and seafoam greens.

“My shorthand was, ‘where Southern meets modern,’” Lizanne says. The result is a space that is coastal, not beachy; modern, but not cold. “I didn’t want the house to be dateable. I wanted something that was more timeless than that, but not traditional,” she says. “[Jane and Michael] really captured my vision just perfectly.” 

Owners: Lizanne Thomas and David Black  Year built: Completed June 2020 Square footage: 3,286 Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms Architects/planners: Frederick + Frederick Architects, Jane and Michael Frederick Interior designer: Mary Bryant Peyer Contractor/builder: Coastal Builders, Inc., Tom Tolle Tile/flooring: Savannah Surfaces, Garden State Tile Paint/wallpaper: Adelaide’s Paints, Sherwin Williams Windows/doors: Marvin, Coastal Sash & Door Kitchen design: Frederick + Frederick Architects

Bath design: Frederick + Frederick Architects Lighting design: Frederick + Frederick Architects Landscape design: Verdant Enterprises, Thomas Angell Electrician: Malone Electric Plumber: Holmes Plumbing HVAC: Hudson HVAC Appliances: H&H Lifestyles Pool: Port City Pools Stucco: Hutchinson Stucco Cabinets: Woodcrafters Garage doors: Precision Overhead Garage Doors Metal rails: Sea Island Forge Sun shades: Coastal Canvas Mirrors and shower surrounds: A Pane in the Glass

All resources supplied by the architect.