30 “Surf Shacks” That Make Laid-Back Living Look Really, Really Good
From revamped midcenturies to coastal cabins inspired by sand and sea, these places in the sun will make you want one of your own.
Welcome to Beach Week, a celebration of the best place on earth.
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to suit up for some much-needed outdoor fun. Below, we’ve rounded up 30 surf-inspired homes and short-term rentals that prioritize putting everything down for some relaxation under the sun.
NYC Is Old News for This Surf-Crazy Couple Who Moved to Montauk and Built a Beach House
Oza Sabbeth Architects and the Brooklyn Home Company teamed up to create this 2,800-square-foot home in the Ditch Plains hamlet of Montauk, in Long Island, New York.
The kitchen’s large island is the heart of the home, bringing guests and family together. "The kids love prepping food, coloring, and just chatting with us," says Leah. "At all times in the day, if someone is in the kitchen, the little ones will gather at the island and get involved in whatever we are doing. It’s sweet that they love being with us in these moments."
Designer Sohei Nakanishi created a seaside family getaway in Japan’s Chiba prefecture as a retreat from urban life. The facade integrates a mix of natural materials that reference the home’s surroundings, in addition to a courtyard that sports a bright-citrus accent shade.
Photo by Yohei Nakazato
Part surf shack, part modernist dwelling, this 2,500-square-foot house on Sweden’s southwestern shore is no fussy show home. Board storage is integrated into the design, so residents just grab and go—and nobody worries about sand or wet footprints brought in from the beach on the concrete floor.
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
On a rustic strip of coastline near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, S-AR designed a beach getaway with an open concrete grid that frames its natural surroundings.
Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen
Lauren and Brittan Ellingson, the owners of Notice Snowboards, a custom snowboard and wakesurf company in Whitefish, Montana, approached Workaday Design and builder Mindful Designs to concoct a new lake home for their family. The brief was, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on getting the family outdoors as much as possible.
Photo by Gibeon Photography
HGTV stars Robert and Cortney Novogratz transformed a "generic white box prefab" into a cozy surfer paradise for a family of four in Montauk, New York. The clients’ paddle collection and surf art are used as interior decor, while large windows and sliding glass doors emphasize the indoor/outdoor living experience.
Photo by Robert and Cortney Novogratz
Homeowner and surfer Christopher Hansen envisioned a secluded oceanfront retreat in León, Mexico, where he could keep an eye on the waves. From the beach, stairs lead up to the concrete-and-glass structure’s principal bedroom on the second level.
Photo by Manolo Langis
Reilly, pictured here, deleted the original front door in order to create an expanse of uninterrupted wall in the living room. The existing slider is now the main entry point. She clad the exterior with planks marketed as a shou sugi ban product that reads as burned, knotty cedar. A new, corrugated metal roof replaced asphalt shingles.
Julia and Dusty Wheeler’s family home in San Diego features a curated collection of handmade pieces, vintage treasures, global goods, and skateboarding memorabilia. The midcentury residence sports a classic "Southern California cool" ambience.
Photo: Hunker
In New South Wales, an L-shaped prefab designed by ArchiBlox draws in northern light and captures views of the ocean. The residents of the Byron Bay House can judge the surf conditions from their bedroom before heading out to the beach.
Photo: ArchiBlox
Architect and surfer Kenichiro Iwakiri transformed a 40-year-old cottage into his own beach house in Shonan, Japan. This region, located south of Tokyo, is known for its surf spots.
Photos by California Komuten
A horse barn–turned–seaside haven hones in on the ocean’s meditative vibes, with round windows and sweeping glass doors that swing open to let in the salty sea breeze.
Photo: Mariko Reed
"Giulietta Carrelli of Trouble Coffee says, ‘Build your own damn house,’ and I agree wholeheartedly with that," says Mason St. Peter, who crafted his dream surf-inspired cabin in Los Angeles’s Topanga Canyon with his partner, Serena Mitnik-Miller.
Photo: Indoek
"The reason we bought the property was purely for the location—we can walk everywhere," says Rebecca Leijer, who built the 2,152-square-foot timber dwelling with her partner, Damien. "The neighborhood is very special, and we were drawn to the relaxed coastal lifestyle we knew we wanted for our kids growing up."
Photo by Dylan James
Built entirely from teak harvested on-site, this breezy solar-powered home in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, ticks all the right boxes for a pair of avid environmentalists who love surfing.
Photo by Nic Lehoux
Aamion and Daize Goodwin’s radical, triple-decker digs in Hanalei, Kauai, can best be described as Peter Pan meets Swiss Family Robinson.
Photo Jess Bianchi, Aamion + Daize Goodwin, from Surf Shacks 2, Indoek & gestalten 2020
On Maine’s coast, Nick LaVecchia built a passive solar home that is dressed in cedar and fitted with clean lines. "Having spent two years researching the tech side and benefits of passive solar design, I can happily say the house is performing like we had dreamed," the homeowner says.
Photo by Nick LaVecchia
After finding paradise on a Hawaiian papaya farm, filmmaker Jess Bianchi and jewelry designer Malia Grace Mau tapped San Francisco artist Jay Nelson to build their dream home in just five weeks. Located just one block from the beach, the Kauai residence takes inspiration from laid-back surf shacks and is mainly built with reclaimed wood.
Photo by Matt Titone
At the end of a dirt road in Bissel Cove, Rhode Island, this 1940s bungalow is surrounded by tall trees and a small horse farm. "It’s very enchanting and quiet—in the best way," note the residents, who own East Surf Co., a surf wax company.
Photo: Indoek
On the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, a 110-mile sliver of land known for its pink-sand beaches and laid-back vibe, an off-the-grid cabin serves as a getaway for Mark and Kate Ingraham and their 13-year-old daughter.
Photo by Pippa Drummond
Hiromi Matsubara, CEO of Surfrider Foundation in Japan, lives near the beach in an incredible artist community. "It is so quiet that I can hear the trees whisper and the birds sing," Matsubara says. "The sky is so open and the air is so fresh."
Photo by Matt Titone
This award-winning home by New York–based West Chin Architects is situated on a narrow corner lot in a Long Island neighborhood. The cedar-clad residence features a garage-style glass door that opens to welcome the salty sea breeze from the neighboring beach.
Photo by West Chin Architects & Interior Designers
The 4,478-square-foot Yellow Door House features two parallel concrete prefab buildings that are offset from each other. Between the structures, a semi-enclosed area features a bar, outdoor shower, and storage racks for surfboards.
Photo courtesy of Andres Garcia
Wild bush, sand dunes, and scrub surround the circular home on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The Austin Maynard Architects team was careful to minimize the building’s impact on the fragile landscape.
Photo by Derek Swalwell
Inspired by years of traveling through Europe and Africa in their camper van, a Portuguese couple converted a Mercedes Benz truck into a mobile surf hotel, which is known as the Surf Truck Hotel.
Photo by Ases Vorazes
Perched on a steep hillside, the Matanzas Maralto Cabins blend into the rugged landscape of Navidad, Chile. The two cabins—both of which are available to rent on Airbnb—are elevated on wooden pillars about 260 feet above sea level.
Photo by Cristobal Palma
In Esperance, Australia, Fiona and Matt Shillington turned an outdated holiday resort into a cozy compound with restored A-frames, log cabins, and cottages.
Photo by Marnie Hawson
Now available to rent on Airbnb, the revamped 1950s dwelling, known as The Surf Cabin, features airy interiors with laid-back vibes for a breezy weekend getaway.
Courtesy of Sophie-Claire Hoeller
Levy Art & Architecture transforms a disjointed Marina-style house into a laidback lookout on Ocean Beach.
Photo: Joe Fletcher
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