Even as young as age 5, Erik Puljung knew he wanted to be an architect.  In retrospect, he thinks he was drawn to a career designing homes because his family was building a house at the time and the process piqued his interest.  Besides, his favorite pastime was playing with the colorful plastic construction bricks known as LEGOs.

As a youngster, Erik also felt certain that someday he would own a beach house.  He became an architect after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design and has worked for Hansen Architects, P.C. for six years.

As far as the beach house goes, it seemed that Erik was destined to find the fixer-upper that he stumbled upon in 2001.  While attending SCAD, he certainly knew about Tybee Island.  In fact, he remembers going to the beach at the north end near the lighthouse on a particularly blustery day and not liking it at all because of the blowing sand.  After that he spent most of his beach time on Hilton Head Island, S.C., where his family had vacationed for years.

Later, after visiting friends on Tybee’s 2nd Avenue, Erik discovered that the beach between the pavilion and 12th Street actually was quite inviting, unlike what he experienced that unfortunate windy day on the north end.  He also liked the idea of owning a house in an established beach neighborhood similar to the one in which his friends lived.

During one of those trips to Tybee, he noticed a for sale sign on the circa-1940s house across the street from his friend’s home.  He immediately telephoned the Realtor, who told him the property had just gone under contract that day. 

“I was having a rough day,” he recalled.  Fortunately, he gave the Realtor his name and, later that day, after the phone rang, Erik’s disposition improved mightily.  The Realtor said the contract on the house had fallen through.

As a result, Erik said he managed to buy “one of the last good deals on Tybee.”  Coincidentally, his house is one of three identical houses — all in a line — on the block, although the one next door is turned sideways.

Erik became only the third owner of a house that, through the years, had been remodeled and added on to.  After closing the deal, Erik proceeded to “peel back the layers” of carpet and paint until he found wooden floors and knotty pine walls.  The house was livable, so he decided to spend a couple of years with it “as is” so he could figure out how he wanted to restore and use it.

Almost immediately, Erik knew that the house would be a great place for entertaining on weekends and having friends and family over any time of the year — most especially during the warmer months. 

His primary residence is in downtown Savannah, where he has lived for 13 years.   He also owns several rental properties in the Landmark and South Victorian districts.

He figured his beach house would be for him and eventually for the wife and children that he hopes to have one day.  Meanwhile, he decided to use it as a weekend and summer retreat.

“I needed a fun house,” he mused.

After studying the cottage — inside and out — for a couple of years, Erik drew up plans that included loads of details that he might not have thought of if he hadn’t gotten to know the house by living in it — warts and all.  He now describes it as his “really big little house” because, although it looks small from the front, it sleeps eight and is ideal for entertaining crowds.

For his work in restoring the charming cottage, Erik received a preservation award in 2006 from the Tybee Island Historical Society.  He is proud of the honor and believes he maintained the charming character of the house.

The front yard is bordered by a white picket fence that has a wide gate on one side to allow guests to park on a second driveway.  All in all, about eight or nine vehicles can park at the house.  This where-would-guests-park question was something else that he thought about during his first two years of ownership.

Asbestos shingles on the house’s exterior were replaced with hardy plank shingles, and old windows were switched out for more energy-efficient ones.  The shingles are khaki, the shutters and trim are navy blue, and the front door is a bold red.

Previously, the screened porch that runs across the front of the house was glassed-in, but Erik knew immediately that an open porch was an absolute necessity in order to catch the refreshing ocean breezes.

Once inside the house, visitors step into an L-shaped area that accommodates a living room, dining room and kitchen with simple furnishings, a few accessories and a handful of framed pieces of local art.  Erik is especially pleased with a black-and-white photograph of his grandfather that hangs in the dining room.

“Simplicity is the way to go,” explained Erik, who describes himself as a “khaki kind of guy.”  He’s convinced that a beach house doesn’t always have to be overloaded with bright tropical colors or nautical accessories. 

The living room is furnished with a khaki-colored sofa accented with red throw pillows, two chairs, a couple of small tables and an unobtrusive entertainment shelf for the television and other electronics.  A bathroom behind the living room has an interesting shower three steps down that Erik redid using exterior stucco.  White walls, tile and fixtures are found in the other part of the bathroom.  When a linen closet was ripped out, an exterior door was uncovered, so Erik installed one of two convenient outdoor showers on the property.

The living/dining room has cypress walls, pine floors and exposed ceiling beams that Erik debated about painting white.  He finally decided to paint, which opened the room considerably.  A half-dozen or so windows are framed in wide, white trim.  Simple roller blinds that practically disappear when they’re rolled up let in loads of natural light.  At night, or when the shades are drawn, Erik can choose from several lighting sources, including two rows of miniature halogen flood lights, lamps or two fixtures over the dining room table.

A black-and-white photograph of two twin beds by the late Jack Leigh peeks out at the halfway point of a narrow, curving staircase leading to the second floor of the fairy-tale-like cottage.

Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bath.  The walls and angled ceilings in both bedrooms are knotty pine, which adds to the coziness of the second floor.

Back downstairs the kitchen is “clean architecturally” with stainless steel appliances.  However, Erik didn’t want to lose the cottage feel, so he added a farm sink and bracketed cabinetry.  During the two years before he started the renovation, Erik came to the conclusion that the rear of the kitchen needed to be wider to accommodate a crowd when entertaining.  He pushed back the wall a bit and added a serving counter that is ideal for parties and cookouts.

The patio, with its barbecue grill and swimming pool, is the focal point of the backyard.  Towering palms add to the ambience of this spot where guests and family gather.

Just outside the kitchen door is a private guest suite with a door that opens onto the patio.  The suite has a bedroom that is simply furnished with a metal bed and a few accessories.  A Ray Ellis painting hanging over the bed adds a touch of sophistication, Erik said.

Only one person described the bedroom’s funky looking cement floor as “disgusting,” he added.  “But, hey, it’s the beach.”  The bathroom, like the two others in the cottage, is sparkling white.

The flat roof of the guest suite screamed out for a sun deck, so Erik added a spiral staircase that guests can climb to enjoy the rooftop view. 

Also in the backyard is a long, slender building, only a few inches from the house, where there is a room with built-in bunks.  A second door opens to a storage/laundry area with a utility sink and a useful galvanized metal countertop. Through the laundry room is a door that leads to the second outdoor shower.  The front of the building has double doors that, when opened, reveal storage aplenty for bicycles, tools, lawn equipment and beach gear.

A large metal shed took up most of the backyard when he bought the house.  His neighbor now has the shed, and Erik has the bunk room and storage area, not to mention the pool and attractive landscaping.

Erik remembers his growing-up years as fun times spent with his grandparents and parents.  Both have moved to Savannah and often visit the Tybee cottage.  Years ago he watched the July 4th fireworks with his grandparents.  Now he is returning the favor by inviting them over to his house to see the Independence Day celebration from his front porch.

“Having this house is definitely a dream come true,” he said.