lyfia, thanks, and we agree. The glass company said building codes only require us to use safety (tempered) glass for the two end panels; the center three could be annealed, if the glass started 18" off the floor. How crazy is that? We'd never want to take that risk, either. Yikes. Fortunately the bid for tempered glass was only about 15% higher than annealed glass (which really surprised me.) So we'd only consider tempered 1/4" if we use glass. Laminated glass (with the plastic skin in the middle) would be the safest, but it's super pricey. I think safety glass would be OK. Another option is 1/4" plexiglass, which I think would work as a substrate for the glass mosaic, as long as I didn't go too big with the panels. (I think big plexi panels might flex, which isn't good for a grouted mosaic...?) At some point I need to go ask the folks in the stained glass/mosaic forum here. So far the pricing for thick plexiglass seems comparable to tempered glass. There would still be small grouted glass pieces on one side of the divider (we could put it on the low traffic side) but I don't think the surface would be risky for kids, since all the sharp edges would be embedded in grout. And it would be pretty hard to break. We considered colored plexiglass panes too, but it just seems so "mod" for the informal, earthy textures in the house. Colored tempered glass and frosted tempered glass are way too expensive (pushing $1000 just for the frosted glass idea, for five 5' panels.) I considered frosted films and frosted spray paint, but I think those ideas have a limited life span (especially if the house has active kids) since the spray frostings can scratch off. And DH keeps wishing for color, and he's got me agreeing. It has to be somewhat transparent or it blocks too much light. So, now considering a fairly open wooden framework, with smallish glass mosaic panels scattered. Still playing with ideas...!

Didn't mean that it was too narrow of course. Beach houses are usually pretty narrow. The thought only is to not make them more narrow then they have to be. The screen makes sense now. But then what is on the middle of the second floor? I thought the screen was the 1st floor garage space or something. But what the plan does is make the 3rd floor really narrow - which I see often. Looks good as an elevation. I have to admit that I am more practical and our house is boxy as a result - and we weren't allowed to have a 3rd floor. But that being said, can the roof structure be tweaked a bit to allow bigger windows on the side? I feel that 2 feet windows will not match your inspiration. Not asking for 6 ft windows, maybe 4 ft. It would still be a cool room but 4 ft windows would be better. CPartist's floor plan is what I was thinking too - bathroom in the non water side. Don't forget sunsets of course. In our area, the newer houses tower over the old ranches - mostly 40 years old on our beach. So they can enjoy the sunsets on the sound side from higher floors. This of course assuming you are east facing for your water view but not sure if you have said that.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I’m sorry I’m just posting now but I didn’t realize I had any responses, let alone so many! No the house isn’t a flip. We used to have a huge 1920s Mediterranean and its just the two of us, so we decided to downsize. We purchased this home because of the size and location. At the time this pic was taken we had just completed the siding and were in the process of painting. I don’t like the driveway encroaching on the walkway/patio, and it’s the main problem I am trying to solve. I love everyone’s ideas and suggestions. We would love to add a porch but can only build out 3 feet from the concrete pad. We are planning to expand out the 3 feet though and possibly add columns. I agree we need something vertical on either side of the door and hadn’t considered hanging plants, which is a really inexpensive and simple solution! I did purchase very large stepping stones for the walkway since I like the modern look. Thank you again everyone. And btw, the interior was completed first and it is beautiful. This home is the perfect size and location for us. We have a gorgeous view of the intracoastal and are very happy here. I will post pics when the exterior has been completed. Cheers!

Agree with you that landscape needs a lot of attention. Looks like there is nothing now so you have a blank slate. Adding plants & changing the hardscape will make a dramatic difference in the look of your house. How wide is the area with white rock? Do you know what was there before rock went in? It looks like really wasted space now. No clue as to your location & weather but wondering if small scale pavers would work to create additional parking & would also widen the walkway to house. If there’s soil under the rock, maybe the front 1/4 of the length could be converted to planting bed for small evergreens to soften the whole expanse & create a soft barrier between paver parking & house. The pavers lining walkway on both sides look like trip hazard & I’d remove them so there’s level surface across entire expanse of driveway, rocked area & grass. Widen & increase size of planting beds on right side of house - remove the small brick circle planting areas. A wide curved planting bed across the entire front of house would make such a difference. Again, no location clues except the trees with no leaves so you may be in a place that has a ”real” winter. If so, it’s a good time to find a landscape designer & have plans drawn for spring planting. If you’re so inclined, planting can be DIY to control costs but well worth it to get professional design. Check your local nurseries for help. As for the house, I agee with @cat_ky - house & roof looks like needs a good cleaning. Maybe a creamy white - not bright white - for siding parts & trim around windows The storm door should match window trim - looks like it’s black. Love the blue door color. Where are house address numbers? Add them to right of front door - large numbers. Add a new & much larger porch light. Not black for either numbers or light - too harsh - maybe bronze?