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Side of House at Dusk |
It is a blustery day on Long Beach Island. The wind mercilessly whips the hydrangeas, Russian sage, butterfly bush, and wisteria shrubs on an otherwise elegant bayside patio. Stoic little boxwoods stand like sentinels against the backdrop of a cloudy gray sky. A seagull bobs in the shallow waves atop the pool cover, taking a quick respite from the storm.Inside the Beach Haven Park home, the peaceful quiet is palpable—a striking contrast to the ferocity of nature that rages just on the other side of the strikingly expansive windows. “It’s a very secure house,” says owner Tom Dolan as he gazes out over the wide bay. “All the materials I used are very substantial.” As if to prove his point, a seagull smashes a crab against the hard limestone patio. Tom said he wanted solid South American limestone—rather than the typical wood or even wood composite—for his deck on the bay. As a result, seagulls now find it the perfect spot from which to drop their crabs from twenty to thirty feet above. “I gave them a landing area,” he jokes. “Part of my daily chore is to go out and hose it off.”
Living Room |
Luckily, chores are not often on the agenda at this stunning waterfront home Tom and his belated wife, Denise, built over two years from 2003 to 2005. Instead, the five bedroom, 5,000 square foot vacation retreat at 76 West California Avenue serves as a “family rallying place” for Tom and Denise’s two sons, their wives, and four grandchildren. With a large, open plan on the first level, floor to ceiling windows, a kitchen sporting two sinks and two dishwashers, and an outside barbecue grill, bar, and in-ground pool, the home is ideal for family gatherings or large parties.“I really wanted a wide open area for entertaining,” says Tom. The living room alone boasts twelve
eight-foot windows set along a graceful curve, commanding a magnificent panorama of the water and giving one a sense of spaciousness beyond the actual square footage. “You can have twenty-five to thirty people in the living room and it doesn’t feel crowded,” he comments. In fact, this past Fourth of July, the home played host to forty adults and eighteen children under six-years-old. “It’s fun,” Tom says recalling the chaos. “I wanted to create something my children and grandchildren could enjoy.”
View from Dock |
A Xerox executive for thirty-seven years, Tom moved his family often, but LBI was one of the constants in their life. The family was introduced to the Shore in the early 80s during Tom’s first job in Philadelphia. “I always wondered where it was people went at 3:00 PM on a Friday,” he recalls. A friend finally solved the mystery when he invited the Dolans for a weekend. After that, they were hooked. After visiting through much of the 80s and 90s, Tom and Denise finally purchased their own property in 1999. Over a two-year span, the Dolans saw around seven or eight houses when an old, boxy bayside bungalow came on the market. “On a cold day in March 1999, my son and I stood out here on this land and said ‘It’s a teardown, but it’s a great property.’” Besides hiring well-respected professionals, Studio Tagland Architects & Moeller Construction,the Dolans drew on experience and talent in their own family. Previously, the Dolans had built eight homes, so Tom was no novice to the process. And the Dolan’s son, Christopher, has a degree in architecture. Christopher’s biggest biggest contribution came in rethinking the floor plan on the first floor. Originally, the design included a wall between the kitchen and dining room as well as windows and a porch that overlooked the next-door neighbors. Instead, the Dolans chose to remove the wall wall where the home abuts the neighbors, and expand the kitchen seven feet.
Kitchen |
The result is a lovely, wide-open space that allows the entire first floor to benefit from breathtaking bayside views and light.Indeed, in this home, the light, water, and sky can’t help but become elements—and the most striking ones—of the home’s decor. “We wanted to let what was out, in,” says Tom. Interior designer Mary O’Brien Cabaron echoes the sentiment. “One of the first things I was attracted to was the round living room with the panorama view,” she comments. Thus, a soothing palette in cool shades of pale blue, sage, and cream now harmonize seamlessly with the view. “Being a native of LBI, I always like to incorporate colors of the sea…greens and blues,” she adds. After creating the living room arrangement, including an aqua green Century sofa, Mary enlivened an entry space with two Braxton Culler chairs in a dark mahogany rattan. “We picked the deep color to make a punch,” she says. A botanical print on the seat cushions “was a mirror image of the garden, [further] bringing the outside in,” she comments. A visual focal point, the mahogany rattan chairs also accent trim work around the front door. Adding to the design are elements of nature and Shore life. A large sailboat and a pair of carved seagulls rest atop a table. Oversized glass jars brim with earthy elements like woven jute balls, sand, and shells. Tom says the jars are the contribution of his daughter-in-law, who also has a degree in architecture and now works for a home décor company.
Master Bedroom |
Despite its modern, open floor plan, a variety of Arts & Crafts architectural details as well as a plethora of custom millwork (including handmade kitchen cabinets) help to break up the space and keep the feel more rich and traditional. Anderson casement windows include prairie style grills and eyebrows in the second floor master suite. The circular living area not only facilitates conversation but also allows for two fluted columns and a “sunken” ceiling. Geometric Craftsman balusters, rather than spindles, were picked by Denise after seeing them in a magazine. Other elements merge the luxurious and the practical. For instance, each large window has a small, barely detectable custom blind for privacy when wanted. The family room contains a cozy gas fireplace. A full laundry room with washer and dryer can be found on each floor. There are two large walk-in closets in the master suite. There’s a walk-in pantry, granite countertops, a roof deck, a three-car garage, and an elevator. With no basement, a shed holds the home’s three air conditioning units, and a very accessible nook contains the furnace. Clearly, this is a home in which all the details have been considered—and each member of the family played a part. “It was truly a family project.” Though Denise passed away shortly before the home was completely finished, her touches can still be felt everywhere. And the sunsets, which she loved most about the home, remain as brilliant as ever.
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