A new house and guest cottage that marries Charleston grace with Florida Cracker charm, and fun:

Simple in its construction and fanciful in its detail, the Natchez House is a 1,600SF house and 730SF guest house compound, coded by Seaside in the “Charleston” style. With 7 bedrooms (all with private entrances), 7 full baths, 2 fully equipped kitchens, 2 living/dining rooms, 2 interior staircases (plus one exterior), 2 laundry rooms and many miscellaneous sleeping areas and alcove spaces, the house is a case study in ultimate floor plan efficiency.  Aiding this effort is the economical design technique of “shared space,” including 12 exterior porches whose added 1,800SF almost doubles the house’s size, especially since these porches expand interior rooms through 28 French doors.  Sleeping a total of 18 in comfort and acoustic privacy makes this small house exemplary for its affordability — maximum housing per dollar spent. 

What makes the house familiar and inviting is its anecdotal origins.  Taking its cue from the city of Charleston’s great Georgian period, the “Georgian” style of the Natchez House is more accurately Seaside's own interpretation of the style.

Despite its small appearance, the guest house rises to almost fifty feet in three floors.  At the western edge of Seaside, the house spikes the end of the footpath which threads all the way through town from east to west.  At the edge of the “frontier,” the guest house takes its design cue from great American western traditions, both mythical and real.  Its spindly shape, steep roof and “Snuffy Smith” proportions, shed the lugubrious Charleston character of the main house and adopt a buoyant “wild west” flavor.

As the two counter-balanced buildings face each other, they symmetrically frame an outdoor dining hall.  In this cloistered courtyard a giant 5’x12’ table and 4’ wide commercial grill accommodate all 18 inhabitants from both houses for spectacular feasts in full air.  Crisscrossing strings of used-car-lot lights overhead create a sparkling ceiling for romantic night time dining.