The Beach Dream - 1837 Ocean Grove Drive

When the Sheperd family was looking for a change from their Texas pace of life back in 2015, they began their search in Florida. With the sunshine and a warmer climate as a permanent goal, they set their sights on the Jacksonville Beaches.

“We vacationed in the Caribbean all the time,” says Cindy Sheperd, “so, we decided to build a house near the ocean so I could walk the beach every day!”

Luckily, they were able to secure an empty lot on Ocean Grove in Atlantic Beach several years ago. With the perfect lot secured, they partnered up with local architect, Mark Macco, and developer Irina Johnson, of Aria Homes, to build their dream beach home. Cindy was so excited for the contemporary design by Macco and allowed him to put his touches on the home.

Johnson has described the house as a contemporary beauty of stone, glass, and dark wood. The house boasts warm colors and rich wood tones that create an intimate feeling and welcoming environment. The wall of windows keeps the light accessible throughout the house.

Johnson also made the most of the lot by building a two-story home with plenty of room for a spacious custom pool and an outdoor kitchen, with covered entertaining spaces. Even the family pooches have room to run around in the back yard --- a rarity for Atlantic Beach! The bamboo trees surrounding the yard give privacy and shade to the property, a natural benefit that the Sheperds appreciate.

The Sheperd family loves the finished product – a contemporary home with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and nearly 4,000 square feet of living space. Cindy says the kitchen is one of her favorite rooms in the home. She loved coming up with the design with her son Alex heavily involved, making it even more special to her. The sleek, gourmet kitchen, with glass-front cabinets and open concept design, is truly her dream kitchen.

The Sheperds enjoy the abundance of outdoor living space that the balconies and patios offer. The highest rooftop deck provides views of the ocean and the family loves to watch the container ships go by and even the wind surfers in the early hours of the morning.

“The top deck is so cool. We watched the Blue Angels from up there as they flew by,“ says Shepard. “They were so close we could see the guys in the cockpit!”

The family loves the custom home inside and out. But all good things come to an end, and they have put the property on the market to return to their roots in Ohio. They’ll be sad to say goodbye but have wonderful memories of their days at the beach.

This article can be found in the October 2020 edition of Sandcastles, a publication of the Ponte Vedra Recorder.