Page 127 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2024

A tiled bath with modern chrome fixtures and a large glassed-in shower separates the living area from the bedroom located at the opposite end of the structure. The deep blue ceiling above the
bed immediately draws your eye upward where you can appreciate the lines of the slanted ceiling mimicking the exterior roof. Jim crafted bedside tables from firewood racks and hung a gathering of pendants over each one that enhances the collected and curated feeling found throughout.
The galley kitchen shares the middle section of
the guest house with the bath. It offers an icemaker
and refrigerator drawers for cool beverages and snacks. A large picture window gives the space light and a bird’s eye view to the seductive pool offering relief from the Mississippi heat.
It is evident a lot of thought went into making every space comfortable and inviting.
While he was the man in charge driving the project, Jim is quick to credit the support of friends and artisans for making the family’s vision a reality. “This project was a total collaboration. From the building department in the Pass, to the builder who got us to the dried-in stage, to the neighbors who told me about a new siding product, to our long-time friend and designer Holly Harrison who gave us color direction and was on call when we needed advice, everyone we turned to was just so helpful,” he says.
Most home projects of this magnitude share the experience of something not going as planned. Jim and Bill know this all too well. “You must be ready to make changes on the fly when you need to. Every project is going to go over budget. It just is. And sometimes something doesn’t work like you thought it would.” Early in the project Bill called for the team to take a break and reexamine the guest house’s layout. His idea of separating the living and primary sleeping areas with the bath and kitchen created a much nicer, smoother flow between spaces. They both agree, “Projects evolve. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep things moving and sometimes you need to change direction. But if you keep communicating, compromising, and reaching out for help, you will be surprised at how good it turns out.”
The new pool house turned out to be even better than the family could have imagined. “There are days I just like to spend time in the guest house. If feels like I’m worlds away from everything when I’m in here. I love it,” says Jim. “The house needs a name, but that will come,” they say.
After all the friends that will be visiting this summer, we are thinking a name will come sooner than later.
Sassy Bird Interiors
122 Court St., Bay St. Louis 228.344.3181 www.sassybirdinteriors.com
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