Every day, the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean and Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and shines its rays through the windows of a family beach home that’s nestled in the dunes. And every night, on the other side, the sun sets over the marsh—or what the denizens of this historic resort town call the creekside—and puts on a show that, regardless of the weather, will take your breath away.

The home, which finds its purpose as an escape for a busy family with adult children and grandchildren, was fittingly built on family-owned land. Where a dramatic A-frame house once stood—and on its porch the homeowner as a child, with his father next to him in a rocking chair, staring out at the ocean—there’s now a five-bedroom respite designed for one thing: to bring members of this family together.

“The house reflects what they use it for, just like a beach house should,” says Barbara Westbrook, owner of Atlanta’s Westbrook Interiors. This beach house, Westbrook’s first, is one of many properties she has designed for this family over the years, which allows for special insight into exactly how they use the property. “The longer you do this work, the more repeat clients you have, and that’s really nice,” Westbrook says. “It makes it more personal, and more relaxed.”

This story appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of MILIEU. To read the complete story or to see all photos, visit the MILIEU Newsstand to purchase this issue in print or visit Zinio.com to purchase this issue in digital format.  

INTERIOR DESIGN BY BARBARA WESTBROOK

ARCHITECTURE BY KEITH SUMMEROUR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD POWERS

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIP GROSSMAN

WRITTEN BY ZACHARY WILSON