My friend's beach house was built in the 1930s/40s, and yet feels completely contemporary in design. The exterior is unassuming, and in fact, the home appears alot smaller than it really is. The interior is essentially a square shape with kitchen/dining/guest room & full bath on the ground floor and living/3 bedrooms/1 & 1/2 baths upstairs. I became completely smitten with the covered screened porches, on both the ground & upstairs level, that run from the front to the back of the house. The expansive porch provides a relaxing spot to enjoy the sights & sounds of the ocean beyond the lush landscape while allowing some sense of privacy from neighbors. Clearly, the design of this mutli-functional space accommodates extra room for entertaining needs or sleeping quarters for guests. Details to note, the deep metal awning fastened along the exterior shields the porch from the harsh afternoon sun and any rain from soaking the floors and furniture. Ceiling fans mounted onto original beadboard and the addition of mix & match pieces of vintage style furnishings (in a clean shade of white paint and upholstered in blue toned indoor/outdoor fabrics) keeps the space cool & inviting.
images are mine