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In the master suite, the view of the marina is a constant pleasure for the Swetnams. An open balcony extends the back of the house with two areas for lounging.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

August 28, 2005

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There’s never a dull moment for the Swetnams or their guests with a marina view. ‘Sunrise is just spectacular,’ Elaine Swetnam said. ‘You can see all the mast shadows in the water, it’s just great.’

Elaine and Monte Swetnam plan to move to Copano Bay from Port Aransas and they’re taking their home with them.

The Maryland natives designed their 3,298 square foot Port Aransas home with the help of Island Architects about five years ago and the retirees want to keep a good thing going.

“This was going to be our last home until we were old and creaky,” said Elaine Swetnam, 69. “…We’ll go with the same floor plan for the new house, but a more island/Caribbean look.”

Life as a geologist moved 68-year-old Monte Swetnam and his family about 14 times around the country, including to San Antonio where they owned a marina and eventually learned about the Texas coast and the charm of Port Aransas.

So the self-proclaimed gypsies settled on waterfront property, awakening to sunrises and sunsets overlooking Island Moorings marina.

“Sunrise is spectacular here,” Elaine Swetnam said. “I have more photos of sunrises than dolphin shots because I miss them. They’re so fast when they jump out of the water.”

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

The couple’s gallery of art stretches along the length of the staircase. The art lovers’ collection spans their 47 year marriage, reminding them of places they’ve lived.

Height and light

The home’s exterior geometric arches make a contemporary statement in the Caribbean and brick styled homes in the neighborhood. Monte Swetnam took the silhouette of the house to design an accent for the house front, signaling something curious about the interior design.

Homebuilder Thaxton Kypke made the architectural element a reality, along with the rest of the couple’s ideas for a simple, airy home filled with light and a tireless waterfront view.

“The high ceilings and open spaces are designed to draw you to the water,” Elaine Swetnam said.

Stone-white colored walls cover the interior space without an inch of crown molding to break the flow of natural light or contemporary lines of their Danish influenced furniture.

“Our Arizona house is incorporated in this house,” Monte Swetnam said. “There are no door frames or molding. It’s a Southwestern design.”

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Leather cream-colored sofas and sprinkles of primary colored accessories add a subtle brightness to the sailing-themed guest quarters downstairs.

Casual living

On the first floor, an open staircase gives way to a casual living space that overlooks the covered patio. Two guest bedrooms, one overlooking the canal and the other overlooking the front yard, give their guests privacy downstairs and access to the waterfront.

“We do a lot of entertaining here,” Elaine Swetnam said, standing under the covered patio. “We’ve had a lot of crab feasts and shrimp boils.”

The Swetnams spend most of their time upstairs where the living area, kitchen, dining area and master suite bask in natural light. The dining and kitchen areas view the living space that is divided into two sitting areas — one with red leather sofas overlooking the marina — the other with two leather green contemporary recliners set in direct view of a TV recessed in a niche.

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The Swetnams’ master bath has custom cabinetry and a double vanity.

Culinary convenience

A Danish teak dining table accented with a modern matte stainless and glass chandelier fuse with the kitchen’s simple, clean lines. Custom red oak cabinets with a natural lacquer finish contrast with granite countertops speckled in black, silver, reddish and gray tones provide a contrast. Stainless steel appliances, including an automatic vent hood that recesses into the stovetop island, are a few of the kitchen’s culinary conveniences.

“We did part of the counter as a serving station and it worked out well,” Monte Swetnman said. “Elaine stores her china underneath it too.”

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Dusk casts a comforting glow in the upstairs living area where the Swetnams spent most of their time reading, entertaining guests or soaking up the view.

The circular-shaped layout upstairs from the kitchen to a converted office space past the stairwell leads to the master suite near the living area.

Waterfront views

More modern furniture enhances the weightlessness of the room and its waterfront view. Built-in red oak cabinets lined with mystery adventure books and historic novels outline both sides of the TV niche. A coffered ceiling above the bed, which mimics the dining room, adds height to the room. In the master bath, custom cabinetry follows the kitchen’s design with seawater-colored tile covering the floor and the double vanity.

The couple hasn’t decided when they’ll start building their new waterfront home, but at least they have a solid idea of their home’s design.

“We’re taking the house with us and hopefully our friends,” Monte Swetnam said. “With the ferry ride, they’ll have to spend the night more often.”