Beach house rebuilt for a family

It took three years, and a lot of deliberation, but back in 1979 Stephen and Phyllis Lishnoff of Moorestown finally made their decision:

After renting seashore homes and visiting and revisiting the area, they would build a home in Loveladies Harbor, what was then an almost deserted bayside section of Loveladies on Long Beach Island.

That decision turned out to be fortuitous. Today, the Lishnoffs spend time with children, grandchildren and each other on a lagoon in what has become prime real estate on this popular island. They have completely rebuilt the original house to address changing needs and desires, so that it now accommodates three generations in carefully planned and designed space.

"We wouldn't change a thing. This house perfectly suits our needs now," says Phyllis, an accomplished artist who spends much of her time, from May well into September, in this sun-splashed house. Her husband, an insurance executive, joins her for long weekends, as do two daughters and four grandchildren from Delaware and the Philadelphia suburbs.

Initially built by Long Beach Islander Lud Ulman, the house was done in seashore "upside-down style," with bedrooms at ground level and the kitchen and living areas upstairs.

Today, a lush master bedroom/bath suite in soothing tones of beige and off-white, with a private outdoor shower and perfect views of the lagoon, remains on the first level, which also houses a full kitchen/living/dining area and a screened-in porch.

Across the second floor sprawl four bedrooms and two baths, plus an all-purpose den/playroom.

An expansive outdoor space has a pool, a lounging deck, a dock, and even a sculpture area complete with the whimsical Umbrella Man standing by. Outdoor "residents" always have included assorted watercraft.

Stephen and Phyllis credit Philadelphia architect Samuel Gordon with sharing their vision of the redesigned house, which took more than a year to complete.

"Sam was both imaginative and trustworthy," says Stephen, noting that despite all the changes, the roofline and footprint of the house remained the same.

One major concern was how to design a working kitchen in an open living space. That was handsomely accomplished. The kitchen is a central hub, with granite eating and working countertops that interlock to conceal the sink and that also divide the work area from the living room adjacent to it.

Windows in the dining area are placed high to avoid street views. The space is dominated by the couple's first purchase for their redesigned home: a striking Murano glass chandelier composed of the drinking cups of workers who actually create the glass. An expandable table easily seats 12.

Once the changes were made, Phyllis set about making the home uniquely theirs through decor enlivened and enhanced by her artistry.

During her training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, she assumed she would work in a specific discipline, presumably sculpture. But a professor warned her that, in art, you often don't remain where you began.

That has proved true in Phyllis' life and is reflected throughout her summer home, where her passion for photography and assemblages is revealed. A casual visit can become a riveting art tour.

She has a penchant for lively color and some degree of whimsy. Thus, the upstairs bedrooms are executed in delightful palettes, with many of the bedspreads and decorative pillows created by Phyllis herself.

Turn a corner and you're likely to find some of her nature photography. "I find birds among the most fascinating creatures in the world," Phyllis explains, noting that when they spend time in Florida during the winter, she is out in the marshes and beaches, capturing the beauty and grace of egrets and herons. An alabaster owl she sculpted holds court in the living room, perched on a pedestal.

Says Stephen, who leaves most of the designing to his wife's artist's eye: "She's amazing. She sees things in nature that others may not."

Upstairs, the den/playroom is a perfect showcase for her unusual assemblages, three-dimensional works incorporating painted wood, metal, and assorted machine parts that add a singular element to the room.

The dwelling, part of a popular local open-house tour several years ago, stands near the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. The Lishnoffs have been involved in its numerous cultural activities, which attract hundreds of summer and year-round residents. (Stephen is a past president of the foundation's board.)

But ask the couple what it is about their home in Loveladies that means the most to them, and they don't miss a beat. It boils down to how they define a good life.

"This is a place where we can really be a family. Our daughters had wonderful summers here, and now they come back with their husbands and children," says Stephen. "The world slips away, and it's just us."

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