A Shore Thing

When Interior Designer Vanessa Deleon and her husband restaurateur Bobby Bournias decided to open their third restaurant on the Jersey Shore they realized they needed another place to call home. The search was on for a  beautiful bay front home to fit their modern style. After several bidding wars,  they finally closed on a traditional home in Brick, NJ.  

With the house found, the couple next started redesigning the interior to better match their needs and personalities. The bedrooms, bathrooms, dining room, living room, foyer, and outdoor entertainment area were all transformed. The palette of the home is mostly soft grays but for several rooms that feature original shiplap walls, Deleon chose bold navy paint with ceilings painted in soft whites. To build a cozier feel, she layered in comfort colors. 

As you walk up to the front door a colossal Cast Stone by Phillips Collections greets you making you feel like you’ve found a treasure from the bottom of the ocean.  Once inside, the foyer boasts a large-size Half Moon Mirror by Ben & Aja Blanc, that reflects light and captures your best side.

The massive playroom for their four-year-old that sits over the 3-car garage is partially wallpapered in a beachfront setting. Two steps up into the kitchen area, which boasts a spectacular view of the bay, Deleon replaced the dark granite countertop with a beautiful Invisible blue marble slab from Artistic Tile, to modernize the kitchen and capture the perfect beach vibe. The beach feel continues into the dining room which features a rope light fixture that illuminates the wood resin dining table with a transparent groove in its center mimicking a waterfall. 

In the living room, comfort rules as the Bernhardt tweed sectional is the ideal place to take in the views. Several blankets lay within reach on each corner sectional. Deleon comments, “On a clear night the moon gleams over the water for a perfect view.”  Deleon added natural elements to the space for interest including two large River Rock tables by Phillips Collection. A petrified-wood side table illustrates the seamless combination of formal and informal elements with various textures. 

Upstairs, the hallway displays a full wall of beach photos by Slim Aarons. In the master bath Deleon used blue quartz throughout the shower area. “The veins in the quartz are like an intricate work of art,” says Deleon. Another work of art was adding the DXV Hardware collection used to capture a nostalgic feel. The entire master bedroom and bath were renovated to better suit the couple’s taste and extend the beach feel. 

Because this is waterfront, the perfect place to take in the views from the outside is  just as important as the inside design. The outdoor entertainment area features a stainless steel kitchen by DCS that is equipped with all the bells and whistles, such as a BBQ grill, sink, refrigerator, ice maker, beverage cooler, and prep area. “This is where I get to kick my shoes off and Chef Bobby creates some of his favorite dishes,” said Deleon.