For a well-traveled couple seeking a getaway at the Jersey Shore, Longport offered the perfect escape: a peaceful Atlantic County enclave where uncrowded beaches and a laidback pace made it easy to unwind.
The owners commissioned SOSH Architects—now part of WATG’s Atlantic City office—to design a modern, three-level home on a prime beachfront lot. Defined by its relationship to the beach and surrounding landscape, the generously proportioned residence features five bedrooms and six bathrooms, comfortably accommodating visiting family and guests while supporting the owners’ love of entertaining.
That sense of place also informs the open, airy interiors, which combine the relaxed character of the Jersey Shore with influences from the couple’s other favorite beach destinations, including Miami, the Hamptons, St. Barts and Malibu. Philadelphia-based Bergman Vass designed the interiors, with Erica Vassalotti and Dana Bergman overseeing the entire scheme—from the millwork, cabinetry, stone and flooring to the wall finishes.
The home’s connection to the outdoors is particularly pronounced in the living room, where “clerestory windows provide a dramatic view of the sky,” says Vassalotti. The floating stair offers another carefully framed perspective. “Walking up the floating stair to the second level and taking in the views through large expanses of glass is quite breathtaking,” she adds. Black window frames reference exterior details and provide an edgy contrast to the white-framed sliding doors, which might otherwise have seemed “too heavy” or obstructed the scenery.
The designers carried that sense of light and openness throughout the interiors, using a restrained palette and carefully edited furnishings to create spaces that feel uncluttered, casual and inviting. In the living room, a tailored sectional, upholstered in an elevated performance fabric, looks chic while standing up to everyday life by the water. In the family room, a deep, cozy sectional, in another indoor-outdoor fabric, is ready for whatever comes through the door—from the couple’s dog to wet, sandy guests returning from the pool or beach.
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Natural textures and materials reinforce the home’s organic character and soften its modern lines. Quartzite, marble, and warm woods—including white oak, bleached walnut, and bleached ash—flow through the flooring, walls, and cabinetry, creating continuity from level to level.
In the modern, clean-lined kitchen, bleached-walnut cabinetry is complemented by a range of work surfaces, including a contrasting dark-walnut butcher block. A raised, wood-topped island with waterfall edges provides an inviting place to sit, while the white quartzite countertops and backsplash, veined in soft sandy tones, evoke the natural beauty of the beach.
The kitchen’s efficient layout supports both everyday use and entertaining, with easy circulation between the kitchen and the home’s social spaces. This emphasis on hospitality continues in the dedicated bar just off the kitchen. “Our clients tell us that the space is ideal for entertaining,” says Bergman. Finished in champagne-toned metal, the bar’s striking Amuneal cabinetry provides an elegant backdrop for the couple’s extensive collection of barware and spirits—and their passion for cocktail making.
The lower-level spaces open onto the pool and beachfront, reflecting the owners’ desire to capture the relaxed, easygoing spirit of St. Barts. Limestone flooring and lighter wood tones lend the family room a bright, airy feel, while a custom built-in bar keeps refreshments close at hand. The cabinetry’s vertical nickel-gap detailing “gives the space a more casual, coastal feel,” Vassalotti explains.
In the adjacent powder room, a charcoal-brown, marble-topped vanity has “an almost petrified wood-like appearance, adding a natural, sculptural quality to the space,” says Bergman. Limestone clads the sink wall, while a suspended pendant with a slatted wood shade reinforces the room’s natural-material theme.
Occupying the home’s third level, the primary suite feels like a private, quiet luxury beach retreat. Relaxed linens, an upholstered headboard and sheer window treatments create a sense of calm, allowing the rhythm of the ocean and ever-changing skies to take center stage. Even the marble-clad bathroom remains closely connected to the landscape, with uninterrupted water views and evening sunsets framed through the shower window.
