“Evidently, Chris wasn’t a great golfer,” Caroline says. “Snowman became his nickname. We named our farm Red Bird Farm after Luke’s sister and wanted to honor Chris as well.” “Luke, Caroline, and the boys are constantly on the go,” says their longtime designer Chad James. “This is really a space where they can check out and be reclusive. They can just shut off from the outside world for a bit.” As a restorative getaway for the family and their friends, the home was designed to be as serene as it is welcoming. Large, open spaces encourage together time while also taking full advantage of the area’s singular draw: breathtaking ocean views. Cozy, large-scale slipcovered furnishings transform what might have ordinarily been a formal living room into a beacon of casual gathering. The neutral palette is punctuated by the blue of the horizon and unified in the room’s touchstone: a pale blue and yellow rug. Highlighting those views, however, meant a major overhaul of the structure. Built in 1988, the house had what James refers to as a “Miami Vice meets Dynasty " look. To give it an updated beachfront-with-Southern-style appeal, architect Geoff Chick was brought on board to add a fourth story and reimagine the dated layout. The ocean view now beckons from entrance to exit, visible from the moment guests step in the door until they kick off their shoes poolside. That organic scheme wends its way through the house, bolstered by natural materials. In the kitchen, milk glass-hued cabinets (chosen to balance the beach’s intense sunshine) partner with a mosaic marble backsplash and Alabama White marble countertops, which add sparkle and polish to play off the casual appeal of slipcovered stools from Lee Industries. Rough-hewn heart pine floors that Luke salvaged from a factory in Georgia add weight and patina. A beaded chandelier from Revival adds casual grace to this corner. “Scale is important,” James says. “I like light fixtures to feel a little more grand.” “This is where Luke and I can actually relax and not run 100 miles per hour,” Caroline says. “Typically, all five kids are here with us. There is nothing better. And Luke can fish all day, which makes him the happiest man on the Gulf.” Here, Luke and Caroline Bryan pose with nieces Kris and Jordan, nephew Til, and sons Tate and Bo.
