Portside at Grande Dunes, a senior living community situated near the beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C., offers a design aesthetic unlike other senior communities in the area. Under the lead of Betsy Valadez Baldwin, design coordinator for StudioSIX5 (one of the nation’s leading interior design firms in the senior living sector), the interior design team took influences from coastal trends and combined them with both modern and traditional senior living designs to create a coastal transitional community. The result feels like an upscale beach house that’s equally comfortable, casual and sophisticated.

“We took a lot of cues from the local area to guide our design process,” said Valadez Baldwin. “We also worked with the architect from the very beginning to ensure the exterior was evocative of the interior so there would be a seamless transition. We chose a coastal palette with a lot of blues and grays complemented by pops of color, namely coral. I feel the colors are representative of the ocean, sand and seascape sunsets. In addition to colors, the use of wood paneling, white trim and aquatic accessories gives the community a beachy vibe.”

Portside at Grande Dunes includes many custom features as well. The carpets were inspired by sea urchins, ripples in sand and ocean water. The upholstery on the furniture was chosen to either make spaces subtler by using solids or to liven them up using patterns. If the finishes and accessories were fun and eccentric, StudioSIX5 went with more modest furniture. However, if the room was clean and simple, they chose more dynamic patterns to bring energy into the space. StudioSIX5 also commissioned a wide variety of realistic looking succulents and greenery to add another dimension to the design that is often left out.

“We brought in several playful elements that make this community stand out,” said Valadez Baldwin. “The light fixtures are modern and diverse, taking their inspirations from wicker beach furniture, sea urchins and a school of fish, among other things. The curated art selection is thought-provoking, imaginative and exciting, giving residents, guests and staff something to engage with at every turn. This was my first true coastal project, and our goal was to bring modern trends into the design, while maintaining a sense of comfort and creating a timeless design that is current and won’t go out of style.”