Include (a few)
beachy touches.
“We removed the
stairwell spindles and
replaced them with
hearty Manila rope,”
says Haile. “I was leery
of going overly nautical,
but to my surprise, it
added a playful texture
to the house.”Enjoy meals
fish-camp style.“Dinner depends on
what we catch or what’s
in the local seafood
markets that day,” says
Haile. To maximize space,
this dining area is the
only one in the home. In
bad weather, the family
eats in the entryway.
Anywhere with water
would do—a river,
lake, or ocean. We
weren’t looking for
extravagance, just
something that was
down-to-earth and
easy to manage,” says
Haile McCollum who
grew up sailing in
the Northeast. Her
husband, Ben, a Thomasville native, had spent summers
visiting family friends in St. Teresa, Florida, and the couple
was seeking a spot where their sons, Parker, 14, and William,
11, could have similar life-on-the-water experiences. “Close
proximity was the dealmaker. We wanted to be able to leave
our house on Friday afternoons in time to catch the sunset.”
Just under 2 hours from Thomasville, St. Teresa was
ideal. Located east of Apalachicola, this 3-mile stretch of
beach maintains a rustic, genuine Panhandle culture—a
slow counterpoint to many fast-paced, condo-laden coastal
areas. St. Teresa still clings to an Old Florida lifestyle where
everyone has a love for the natural world, shared fishing
piers, and an appreciation for utter simplicity. This is also
why it’s nearly impossible to find property available.
“We checked the real estate listings weekly, but nothing
was ever there,” says Haile. Then, one day, a rare “for sale”
sign was spotted. She remembers, “Ben called and said,
‘Haile, I found a house. You need to drive down and see it.’
So I went right away. It was a mess—dark and overcome
with years of being forgotten. It needed a big effort, but
when I walked down our skinny beach path and stood
at the Gulf, I knew we had to be here.”
Both old-house lovers, Haile and Ben fell for the history
of “Why Knot,” the 1939 cottage built and nicknamed by
its original (and only other) owners, the Hannon family.
“Some people said it was a teardown, but to us, it just needed
vision,” says Haile, who turned to her “white paint strategy”
as the cure-all. “We did only what was absolutely needed,”
she says. Most of the furniture came from storage. The
tile was bought at Lowe’s. The back porch’s farm sink once
belonged in the McCollums’ Thomasville home.
“The family before us really knew how to live right. Now,
when I give our neighbors a tour through the house, every-
one has an old tale to share. Usually, the story starts with
rum cocktails on the back porch. We’re certainly keeping
that relaxed and festive spirit alive,” she says. Here’s how she
updated this cottage but left it just right for St. Teresa.“I DREW A
CIRCLE WITH
A 200-MILE
radius aroundour home inThomasville,Georgia.