"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn." ―Lewis Grizzard (American writer and humorist, 1946-1994)
Musings on the beauty of Alys Beach from the photo files of Alys Beach Marketing, including photos by Kurt Lischka of Moon Creek Studios and Allison Pedigo.
This visual exploration of the details found in the design of Alys Beach is a continuation of our “of Alys” series. We kicked off the year with the “Urns of Alys,” noting the function behind the form of this iconic Alys detail. Whether bubbling over with water as a fountain feature or holding plants and herbs for color, scent, sustenance and/or a touch of organic contrast, these urns are specially built for longevity; fortified by a process of hand-turning concrete layers over steel reinforcements.
In this edition, we’re calling your attention to a beautiful tradition encouraged in the design code of our town – the gifts given to the street by the architects of each home, thoughtfully woven into the plans. These gifts are designed to engage us as we walk the pathways around Alys, causing us to slow and take notice, or offering a subtle gesture of hospitality.
Along the north end of the Sea Garden pedestrian path, several examples of these gifts can be easily found. A sweet, pint-sized fountain tucks low into the corner of an entry. This water fountain, designed especially for the dogs of Alys, is a welcome gesture of refreshment for our treasured canine companions. Continuing down this path, benches enclosed in creeping cover, or an exaggerated stretch of concrete accented with bolsters at the armrests, lend the perfect cool spots for a quick rest or a sweet photo op. Along the path, planters are built into facades as architectural accents, lined with century plants, palmettos, or rosemary and adding visual and sensory interest with color, texture, and/or a soft, clean, herbal scent. Jasmine-covered arched entryways and the romantic protrusion of a Juliet balcony, recessed water fountains and a grand staircase accented with a scalloped balustrade; these are not just details, they are gifts. Gifts of intention, of beauty, of pause.
These gifts encompass many of the “details” we’ve addressed in our musings on urns, water, colors and even chimneys “of Alys,” and those details that we continue to explore. However, it offers a new and charming insight to understand these details to be gifts, thoughtfully planned and incorporated into the design by the architects and the individual homeowners. We hope this offers a new perspective with which to slow and experience the details of Alys Beach.
We continue to experience a high volume of sales interest as spending patterns have turned more domestic, both in travel and in focus on the home, with an emphasis on stability and legacy-building. At this time, we are still seeing a few opportunities in The Easterly, one of the Gulf front condominium residences in the early stages of construction. We also have a good selection of homesites which present different building opportunities – from custom to Somerset (semi-custom). With resale homes selling as quickly as they hit the market, be sure to connect with our Alys Beach sales team if you are interested. Our sales team is also the very best place to start if you’re interested in knowing what the options are for building a home in Alys.
A look at some of the options for building in Alys Beach
With a scarce inventory of resale and completed homes in Alys Beach, it’s a good time to explore options for building. Our Somerset Homes Program is designed to minimize the timeline from purchase to occupancy. While there are no real shortcuts to building in Alys given the quality of construction, design, and craftsmanship, Somerset Homes make the process more efficient by coordinating the architects, Alys Beach Sales, and Alys Beach Construction in a seamless effort.
Somerset Home designs are construction-ready and represent refinements from more than a decade of town building. During the purchase process, an Alys Beach Sales team member helps the buyer to select a home plan that best fulfills their needs. Once the Somerset Home design has been selected, the buyer is taken to the Somerset Home Resource Center to explore the extensive, curated selection of interior fixtures and finishes for personal selections. Â From here, the Somerset Homes Purchase and Sales Agreement is reviewed and completed with the buyer, including payment requirements and discussions on the timeline for fixture and finish selections, the construction process, and the closing process at the time of home completion.
From completion of the purchase agreement, the team proceeds with construction, communicating progress with the buyer throughout the process. The home is constructed according to the plans, specs and the buyer’s finish selections and, once completed, the closing takes place and the buyer receives the keys to their new home! Following construction, repairs and maintenance are provided by an on-site warranty team, offering timely attention to the homeowner’s needs.
Building an Alys Beach home is a major commitment, a commitment to a home built for legacy. The Somerset Home Program helps buyers to realize the goal of getting into a new, personalized home more easily and in less time than with a fully custom build, a simpler way to begin the life experience that is Alys Beach. Life Defined.
*including photos by Kurt Lischka, Moon Creek Studios and Brittany Godbe Photography
All things new for Alys Beach logo wear at the Alys Shoppe, and the newly refreshed website.
The Alys Shoppe has undergone a spring refresh with new colors and a fresh new website. New logo wear has just arrived in colors patterned from Pantone’s Spring/Summer 2021 Fashion Colors Palette including colors such as Cerulean, Illuminating, Raspberry Sorbet, Amethyst Orchid, Burnt Coral, Marigold, and Rust. We have also brought in new options for logowear including more offerings from fan-favorite brand Toes on the Nose, the ever-popular hoodie sweatshirts, rash guards and activewear for the entire family, koozies and more beach gear. A fun, bold departure from the signature “classic” Alys Beach logo wear, we hope that you’ll find this new palette to be uplifting and unexpected.
The Alys Shoppe website has also received a “spring cleaning” with a clean, fresh application and expanded inventory. With so many of our friends and family unable to make it down to see us in person, we’ve placed a greater effort in making our online shopping experience easier to navigate, cleaner looking, and more comprehensive. We hope that this enhances your experience and makes it more enjoyable to bring a little piece of Alys Beach into your lives.
Did you know that, while The Alys Foundation is responsible for funding the Alys Beach signature events and artwork, it also supports local nonprofits? Let us give you the lowdown on the Foundation so you know the important role it plays in our town and the larger community!
One of The Alys Foundation’s most important roles is the underwriting of Alys Beach signature events. Just this past February, the 30A Wine Festival’s Intermezzo events were held in Alys Beach. With 11 small-scale experiences celebrated throughout Alys in the town’s green spaces, pocket parks, and loggias, Intermezzo was warmly received by our Alys Beach homeowners and a few of our neighbors and friends. As in years past, proceeds from the 30A Wine Festival Silent Auction benefited the Children’s Volunteer Heath Network, raising a significant contribution even in the midst of our reimagined events.
Next on the events agenda is Digital Graffiti: A Drive-Thru Experience, taking place this May 12-15, 2021. Over the years, Digital Graffiti has explored the interaction between life and art through technology in an incredible display of creativity. The white masonry of Alys Beach’s architecture provides the perfect canvas for artists from around the world to showcase their work in a digital, interactive medium. This year, in an effort to continue compliance with the CDC’s recommendations for social safety, guests of the Digital Graffiti festival will drive through the streets of Alys to experience the digital displays of art. A custom, interactive app will provide information, an installation map, and will offer guests insights from the artists on the creation of their works, inspiration, and process. There are sure to be a few surprises in store as this year’s festival revisits engagement and interactivity, and technology’s role in connection during this pandemic season.
As traffic control and safety will be paramount during the DG events, tickets are being sold on a pre-sale basis only. Tickets will not be available at the event. Tickets are purchased for a specific 20-minute time slot, with each time slot limited to 20 vehicles. Please see the Digital Graffiti website to purchase tickets and for more information on event logistics.
While our events continue to look different in 2021, we are so grateful for the opportunity to engage our friends and neighbors with these beautiful, innovative experiences that allow us to connect and interact in new ways. We also continue to expand on these cultural offerings through our Art on Demand efforts with the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, and leading up to our newest event offering, Alys Beach Crafted. We look forward to telling you more about Crafted soon, and we can’t wait to see everyone later this spring for Digital Graffiti.
*Note: Photographs Intermezzo and past Digital Graffiti experiences as captured by photographers Pure7 Studios, Kurt Lischka – Moon Creek Studios, Shelley Swanger, and Julia Kate Mace.
See where Alys Beach has appeared in the news since we last checked in…
Southern Living listed Alys Beach the first of “20 Best Places to Live on the Coast,” in an article that was recently republished by Money Inc., again listing Alys Beach as the number one best place to live on the Gulf Coast.
Sought-after Nashville interior designer, April Tomlin’s renovation of her Alys Beach home was featured in the digital version of The Nashville Edit in an article titled “Alys Beach Allure.” https://nashvilleedit.com/2021/03/alys-beach-allure/
Veranda included an Alys Beach home in a round-up titled “Take a Tour of the South’s Most Extraordinary Homes,” which links back to the original 2019 full home feature. This article was also picked up by Yahoo.com!
Local media covered Visit South Walton’s Perfect Awards, which Alys Beach received for Best Event for the 30A Wine Festival at Alys Beach (Platinum), Best Wedding Venue (Diamond), and Best Kids Attraction (Gold) for Fonville Park.
Thank you for joining us for the Eighth Edition of The Alys Journal. As Spring Fever takes hold, we hope that these words and images give you a moment of pause, a springboard into the new life and growth that abounds this time of year. The sights of spring sprouts and blooms, the scents of earth and growth, the sounds of laughter and play; as contemporary American author Lisa Kleypas captures in saying, “This is the perfume of March: rain, loam, feathers, mint.” Breathe in the renewal of this springtime “…when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ―Charles Dickens
