Two weekends ago we slipped out of New York on Saturday morning and headed to one of the small ferries that take residents across to Fire Island. We were visiting old family friends and planning on a rest-filled retreat on this unusual island with no cars and very little in the way of amenities. It's all salty beach shacks and simple interiors that usually get shut down during the winter months.
Our friends have had their house for over forty years (it's in Davis Park) and it has changed slowly over the years - mainly with artistic additions on the walls and the tables - but some things never change. The harsh winters and the closeness to the sea, make keeping things simple a must and there's no point in putting too much money into anything, so self made decoration is a nice alternative.
The weekend was overcast but warm and as you look around you'll notice the effects of Hurricane Irene, which burned off much of the leaves on the trees and swept the beaches clean. Enjoy!
The House
Outside the House (all the houses are up on stilts)
The Beach & Walkways
A Bit of Food (Check out the video!)
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Beatriz's Fun & Functional Workspace
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sheex Bedding
How to Cook Rice on the Stove
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Makes me pine for my old stomping grounds! Great photos!
I spent a week on fire island last year. What a great place.
Absolutely gorgeous! LOve the colours and textures. What's with the Raid though? I realize the can matched the vignette, but ...?
Love the Island life. It looks very cozy and simple. So serene. We live in Mexico, right on the water and have fixed up a rental. Anytime you want to visit, feel free to come down. We will entertain you.
Charming! One has to love the ocean, it's where I dream to be.
Could do without the can of Raid on the bedside table.
OMG! This is a house someone lives in. NOT a design showcase. I smiled when I saw the dishwasher open (mine seems always to be) and the trash can pulled out a little bit. This is the way people live, not exist. Thank the owners for sharing their home with us. Even those who seem not to appreciate it.
Interesting -- this looks like kind of the standard house or apartment that people I know live in; it's not decorated in any special way (except, as noted in the introduction, the owners didn't invest a lot of money in the furnishings). Still, it's a restful, pleasant looking place and I'm glad it was included on the AT website.
This feels very 1973 - and I mean that as a compliment. Michael Tolliver would feel at home.
@JynxnJez: Right? I can totally see this being Michael Tolliver's escape. In the best possible way.
And the Raid can is there because they obviously need it. I love that this house is so lived in and loved! It reminds me of my grandma's house--and I definitely mean that as a compliment.
I love how beautifully the blue in the rug goes with the blue on the sofa! And lovely semi-faded blues that are so tranquil.
Autumn is the loveliest time on Fire Island, but please don't tell anyone else. It was one of my favorite escapes in the 17 years that I lived in NYC, and these gorgeous photos capture it vividly. I also thought the RAID can was a witty touch, a sharp poke in the eye to all the compulsive stagers on AT.
yuck on the RAID! now all i can think is 'oh, so this place has poison sprayed all over it.' not awesome.
'oh and lots o' lots of bugs in the bedroom!!' also not awesome.
Heaven, full of magical touches, all saying life - the beach are beautiful. As a Floridian, loved RAID on bedside table; mine is on the floor, bedside.
The perfect beach retreat.
Lovely! I have a beach cottage in Wisconsin on a lake. Nothing better. Great pictures!
I wish I could be there right now. I loved this post. Yes, the house feels very lived in -- this is exactly the atmosphere of Fire Island. It's a very laid back place, and even the houses right on the ocean have a very simple, beachy feel. I grew up vacationing there with my family, and it's one of my favorite places in the whole world. Thank you!
What a lovely home. I adore that rug in the first photo. I would imagine that is a pretty unique piece, but does anyone know where I would find something similar?
Best lamp ever. Everything is lovely. I love Davis Park. Would love to rent a week there! Raid and all. It's a beach house, you don't have raid, you got bugs! Plus I believe that is a less toxic can. The people who don't use raid and end up calling an exterminator are usually gonna deal with more toxic chemicals but because they don't see it they dont think about it.
I think the green lamp may be a Bjorn Winnblad?
This is our friends' home! I knew I recognized it. We were lucky enough to spend a week there a few summers ago. Heaven.
So excited to see this article! My husband grew up spending every summer on Fire Island in Davis Park. We got married there June 2010 and he is lucky enough to have friends that are still there. We live in Florida, but visit every year. It's a magical place!
That home is peaceful and full of natural beauty. An annual hurricane season, in itself stressful, paradoxically can help a person relax by inhibiting obession with fancy decorating. Having it rubbed in my face every summer that my home can be reduced to a debris-strewn empty lot definitely helps me lean toward frugality and simplicity. It also encourages me to research moving outside the hurricane zone since I can't afford two seasonal homes, but that's another post.
Bugs are a fact of life. Get over it!
Bugs are a fact of life, yes, but on this part of AT the focus is on aesthetically pleasing spaces & objects--form as well as function--and to most people, cans of Raid aren't decorative. This is a design site, so people are obviously going to discuss & debate design.
Haven't been out to FI in quite awhile, however, just love to be reminded of the easy, whimsical beach lifestyle that this little house embodies. Delightful!
Awesome beach house!!!! Love the decor, love the deck and all its natural beauty. I love it when real people share their home.