Architecture by Dave Robertson, Robertson Design, Construction by Michael Gump, Bull Creek Management, Interiors and Property Management by Beverly Serral, Beverly Serral Properties, Listing by Tristan O’Grady, COAST Brokered by eXp Realty
With more than 5,000 acres, including five miles of pristine beaches, Sea Pines is the premier community for oceanfront homes on the island. Recently, the luxurious and lavish set of beachfront addresses recently welcomed a new and enviable member: 15 Bald Eagle. The abode is astounding for many reasons, including the location, the quality of the construction and finishes, and the amazing team that put it all together.
Beyond the fact that the home claims a beachfront lot of more than half an acre in Sea Pines, also extraordinary is its proximity to a walkway, with the beach path adjacent to the property, adding additional value to the location.
“Lots on the walkway are desirable because they are deeper at the end of the street on the ocean,” said Tristan O’Grady, listing agent and Realtor at COAST. “That allows for a larger house, more parking, or even a bigger backyard, depending on the architectural design.”
Because the location is just off South Beach Lane – one of the most coveted streets in Sea Pines – it is relatively unaffected by the traffic on Sea Pines Drive. It is also within a small hidden community only minutes from both South Beach and Harbour Town where there are opportunities for dining, shopping, boating, fishing, and more.
“This home is so unique and exceptional because it’s a combination of an oceanfront property in the desirable Sea Pines community; it’s a brand-new construction, which is a rare thing; it boasts extraordinary design and construction; and the interiors are impeccable,” O’Grady said.
An Architectural Triumph by the Carolina Shore: where breathtaking views and innovative design come together to create a timeless masterpiece.
Dream Team
A property of this caliber obviously doesn’t build itself and it doesn’t happen overnight. In 2020, the owners reached out to Dave Robertson of Robertson Design. Back then, an older house (built in the 1960s and about 4,000 square feet) sat on the lot. The owners were interested in buying it as an investment, updating it, and flipping it.
“After walking through the older home, I told them we should knock it down and build a new one,” Robertson said. “As it was, the bedrooms were very small, the views weren’t great, and the pool was also small. The location, though, was amazing, and I thought that we could really take advantage of it and utilize all the newest building technologies to build something brand new that would enable the owners to do very well when they sold it.”
Initially, the owners wanted to stick with a remodel. Robertson ended up designing a new house to sit on the existing foundation, while upgrading and expanding the foundation. His goal was to give them something that would maximize the number of bedrooms and the ocean views. His design was an “upside down” approach, situating the kitchen, the main common areas, and a couple of bedrooms upstairs for the best view, with more bedrooms and secondary common areas downstairs.
Every Detail Tells a Story: from the $100,000 master closet to the Roman-inspired pool, this brand-new home is the epitome of thoughtful and sophisticated oceanfront living.
Outdoors, Robertson envisioned a special space where year-round entertaining is seamless from inside to outside with plenty of room to swim, lounge, cook, and dine.
Drawing the design is one thing, and fleshing it out is another. Robertson is quick to give credit where it is due. “This house sits on one of the biggest lots on the ocean,” he said. “It’s not very often that anyone gets to do something to this level. This kind of success is rarely the result of one person doing something spectacular, yet it is a collaborative effort and everybody who participated is really good at what they do.”
To accomplish the construction of Robertson’s design, the owners called in Michael Gump, general contractor at Bull Creek Management. With more than two decades in the industry as his foundation, Gump is poised to handle virtually every aspect of luxury home building along with the business of homeownership beyond the buildout, including one-time home inspections and maintenance, up to weekly, monthly, or quarterly inspections that will assist absentee owners as well as full-time residents.
“The fact that 15 Bald Eagle is oceanfront is the best feature any home on Hilton Head could possess, so we wanted to ensure that every possible feature of the build out would reflect and highlight the view and the level of quality of amazing project,” Gump said. “It is the result of the team coming together to deliver the best ideas and give this home the ‘wow’ factor.”
The exquisite interior presentation is definitely a part of that “wow” factor. Beverly Serral of BestNest Vacation Properties and Beverly Serral Design, along with her co-designer Courtney May, delivered stunning finishing touches, including furniture and art.
“When Tristan asked if we would be interested in doing a proposal for the rental as well as the furnishing, outfitting, and equipping of the property, I didn’t hesitate, because that’s exactly what we do best,” Serral said. “We love taking a property like this and highlighting its best features. In the case of 15 Bald Eagle, the quality construction was there, the quality of the features, the finishes, the electronics – all of these attributes were either planned or were already in place, so we took the inspiration from what was right in front of us and used that to make it into a BestNest/Luxe property, which is our design and rental concept for our stellar homes.”
Serral and May used many different textures within the same color family, so there are a lot of basic neutrals against some of the more pronounced finishes. Then, they made color statements through the house in small ways through accessories or pillows or artwork, while the large pieces are neutral. The result allows the view to remain the star of the show.
“Our design concept of the space is to complement, not detract from, the view … where you look over the porch, past the outdoor space into the beautiful green landscape, and then on to the ocean,” Serral said. “That’s what is truly special about this part of the beach on Hilton Head. There is the maritime forest that you peer through to see the water, and it’s just magical.”
Defining Features
While the view is indeed magical, the home possesses some captivating features that elevate it to a whole other level of luxury, including 6,500 square feet, six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a flex room, and a direct oceanfront office. The upper level living area is the show place and heart of the home. Wide open and with encompassing views, its design masterpiece is the cathedral ceiling and huge timber beams that are up lit and spectacular. Sliding doors open to a big deck where at least 20 people can comfortably mingle on the upper covered deck.
The kitchen features beautiful stone appointments and commercial grade appliances. The center island is a fantastic design and a gathering spot.
“We carefully chose the Lucite counter stools so they would slide under and kind of disappear,” Serral said. “Even though the dining room is closed on three sides, it is open to the rest of the gathering area, so it’s accessible and cozy all at once. We were also very fortunate to find an incredible dining table that seats 12.”
Every bathroom features stunning tile work and superior finishes, yet the master shower is exceptional.
“One of the more challenging and interesting places is the master shower, which is definitely above and beyond the traditional,” Gump said. “It consists of essentially a half-dome radius system, complicated not only to frame but to tile and light. We overcame the challenges through collaboration with my carpenters, electricians, tile guys, lighting designers, and the interior designer. We put our heads together to compile our own areas of expertise and the result is a beautiful work of art.”
Another work of art is also found in the primary suite – the closet.
“The master closet is truly one of the highlights of the home, and it came with a $100,000 price tag,” O’Grady said. “There is a beautiful center island, with soft touch drawers that are suede-finished, and the lighting is incredible. It’s a dream closet.”
The office space also dazzles. The design of that room and the placement is superb. The walls are drenched in color and the lighting is perfection. Serral and May finished it off with some functional yet interesting furnishings and accessories. A zebra rug on the floor is quite fun and unexpected in a coastal ocean front house. There is only one piece of artwork in the room – big and bold, but not colorful. Rather, it is white, against richly hued blue walls. On top of all that is the ocean view, which can’t be beat.
The outdoor oasis is livable year-round. There is a spacious and fully equipped, luxury outdoor kitchen and ample space for dining and lounging, both in the shade and surrounding the pool. The fire pit is sunken and surrounded by a collection pool, where the infinity edge pool spills over, providing a nice contrast between the elements of fire and water.
“I got the idea for the firepit from the ancient Romans who, of course, didn’t have air conditioning,” Robertson said. “They built moat-like pools surrounding their gathering spaces so that the breeze would pick up the water vapor to cool things off. I thought that would be an interesting addition and it really works. The pool has, without a doubt, been the most commented on element of the house. It’s a half-million-dollar pool and I think it shows every bit of that price tag.”
The stars were perfectly aligned for the final product: visionary architecture, state-of-the-art construction, inspired design, stellar location, impressive lot size, and extraordinary representation.
“When you add it all up, there has never been a brand-new house of this caliber in this market,” O’Grady said. “It is truly one of a kind.”