Contemporary T House
Retirement Retreat with a View
This home was designed as a retirement retreat, somewhere peaceful and practical, with sweeping views and a feeling of openness despite a modest footprint. The goal was to build something that felt spacious, light-filled, and resilient, all within a carefully considered budget.
This home featured in Residential Design Magazine.
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Location
Beaufort, SCStyle
ContemporaryContractor
TD Builders
Photographer
John McManusPublications
Built Smart, Built to Last
We embraced simplicity and efficiency from the start. With a one-room-wide layout and generous north-facing windows, the interior opens up to the surrounding coastal landscape, making the home feel larger than it is. Wide doors connect the indoors with nature, while strategic placement on the site ensures beautiful views and steady breezes.
Rather than splurge on size, we focused on quality and performance. Impact-rated windows and fiber-cement siding over a rainscreen help the home stand up to the harsh coastal climate. Spray foam insulation, a compact HVAC system, and an on-demand water heater deliver comfort and energy savings year-round. Every design move was intentional, from the 4-foot modular planning that reduced waste to the polished concrete floors, porcelain tile, and simple slab-front cabinets that balance durability and beauty.
Maximizing Every Dollar
This retreat proves that great design isn’t about square footage or flashy finishes, it’s about clarity, purpose, and the feeling of home. With smart choices and a strong connection to its surroundings, this house offers a graceful, low-maintenance way to enjoy retirement on the coast, proof that living well doesn’t have to mean living large.
From the client…
“We retained Frederick + Frederick to design our new home in Beaufort, SC, and it was a very wise decision. The Fredericks seamlessly handled the design, prepared construction drawings, scheduled interviews with recommended contractors, and conducted weekly inspections during construction of our home. We lived 9 hours away and greatly looked forward to the weekly reports, which included numerous photos and drone videos (very cool). Throughout the process we not only had someone “holding our hand”, but we also had assistance in narrowing down every selection/decision to just a handful, in lieu of the hundreds we may otherwise have faced.
We would have no hesitation in recommending the Frederick’s to anyone needing a “one stop shop” (from permit to occupancy) or simply help with a home’s design, they can do it all.”