A Crowning Jewel on the Bay

When a House Becomes a Home

By Jordan Staggs | Photos by Steven Mangum, STM Photography

Developers Roy and Wendy Sembera embarked on the formidable undertaking of creating Churchill Oaks, a new private enclave community in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, about fifteen years ago. Comprising about forty acres on the Choctawhatchee Bay, their vision included much more than a financial investment—it was also a place to call home.

“We wanted to build a place where we could live—where our grown children could come stay and where we would enjoy waking up, taking a walk, meeting people, and making friends,” says Roy, who purchased the land with the dream of building a neighborhood focused on beautiful architecture, family, and, of course, the gorgeous views of the bay, Churchill Bayou, and Hogtown Bayou.

Churchill Oaks owners, developers, and visionaries Roy and Wendy Sembera

Not only have the Semberas achieved their vision, which is still growing, but they also worked closely with architect Matt Savoie and builder Chris Burch of Grand Bay Construction to create their own dream house. Nestled on a point overlooking the bay, walking trail, and the community’s private, thirty-six-slip deepwater marina, the Sembera residence is a gorgeous example of the lifestyle its owners hope all their neighbors will enjoy when they purchase a home in Churchill Oaks.

The house itself is a masterful blend of coastal and traditional architecture with a soft color palette reflecting the area’s white quartz sand, natural wood beams and details, high ceilings, and wall-to-wall windows in the primary living spaces to take advantage of the year-round waterfront views.

“One of my favorite spots is the second-floor deck, where you can see for miles across the bay and also keep an eye out for some resident ospreys who have made a home in one of the trees near the house,” shares Roy. The couple also spend a lot of time entertaining and relaxing on the expansive pool deck wrapping the back of the house, including an outdoor kitchen and lounge area with screens that can be lowered to protect it from the elements all year. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors also open to the living room, allowing the home the best indoor-outdoor living when the weather is perfect for enjoying cool bay breezes and spectacular sunsets.

“This home took several years to design and build from the time of the developers’ initial vision,” says Chris Burch. “It’s one of the best houses Grand Bay has ever built—it just feels right, thanks to the great architecture by Matt Savoie, the owners’ involvement, and leaving no stone unturned when it comes to details. Several times, we started to do things and decided we didn’t like it or could improve it, so we’d take it out and start over or add something new. That’s what makes the home really special.”

It was such a great process, taking all our ideas and putting them together, and it was exciting to see it all come to life.

The materials also set the home apart, Burch shares: the slate roof, massive glass openings (that would have been impossible to include several years ago because hurricane impact ratings weren’t standard yet), multiple fire pits, the infinity-edge pool, the copper gutters, two-hundred-year-old pine beams, ten-foot solid oak doors, custom cabinetry by Keystone Millworks, venetian plaster throughout, and beautiful wood floors from Europe are just a few he lists as standouts.

“There are just so many beautiful things; you’ve got secret rooms and TVs dropping down from the ceiling, plus products like the Kohler digital shower that I knew Wendy just had to put in this house. It was such a great process, taking all our ideas and putting them together, and it was exciting to see it all come to life. Most of the credit goes to the vision of Roy and Wendy, with Matt Savoie doing a tremendous job designing this house and Chad Horton of Horton Land Works on the exterior landscaping design. Grand Bay was the executor of many parts of it. It was amazing to see those ideas transform into an all-around beautiful property we can be proud of.”

The Semberas not only got their dream house when it was completed in 2024 but also learned a lot about building a house and how the process works differently today than it has in years past—no doubt an invaluable experience as they embark on building more homes in Churchill Oaks.

“It was phenomenal,” Roy shares. “Even when we didn’t always agree with Chris or the other team members, I think that’s what makes something great—you have a roundtable of ideas and realize that someone else’s idea might make the home better.” Wendy also worked closely with interior designer Marisol Gullo of NTS Design Group—another Churchill resident—on furnishing and decorating the home. The Semberas brought in artwork by several of their favorite artists, including their friends from ESOM Art in New Orleans, Tony and Tracey Mose, and Roy and Wendy’s daughter, Abby Sembera, to add pops of color and personality throughout the home. ESOM Art and Chris Baker of Neon Natur even held a pop-up art gallery at the house to celebrate the holidays in December; Roy and Wendy hope to make it the first of many community events held there.

Churchill Oaks lies in the heart of Santa Rosa Beach’s northern side, ideally situated for residents to make the journey to the affluent shops, communities, and beaches of Scenic Highway 30-A on the Gulf of Mexico, hop over to beloved bayside restaurants like Farm & Fire or The Bay, or head a few miles west to shopping and dining at Grand Boulevard Town Center and Sandestin. Having the ability to travel by boat or even kayak makes this idyllic spot even more coveted by locals. Many have come to understand that the bay offers a level of peace and privacy not often afforded to those who live on the busy Gulf side but with all the perks of waterfront living.

Another perk—perhaps the most important one to the Semberas and others who have called Churchill Oaks home for years—is the people. Roy and Wendy personally know every homeowner in the community, where it’s not unusual to stop and chat with your neighbors while you’re out for a stroll or golf cart ride, and happy hours, dinner parties, and coffee dates are commonplace among residents. It’s a lifestyle that seems to be dying amid the hustle of life and business in 2025 with the increasingly digital spheres in which we socialize—but a lifestyle that humans seem to crave. Real connections among neighbors are forged and fortified within this community that values grassy lawns, walking trails, playgrounds, centuries-old live oaks, Spanish moss, and gently lapping waters. Becoming a Churchill Oaks homeowner is akin to joining a family. “It seems like every time we have new owners in the neighborhood, everyone wants to get together to hang out and get to know one another,” says Roy. “The people we have here are all amazing, good people with great stories.”

The community is far from complete. With Phase I filling out the initial bayfront area at the end of East Hodge Road, Roy and his team—comprising several renowned area architects, including Matt Savoie, Geoff Chick, Gregory Jazayeri, and others, plus Chris Burch and Matt Ellington of Grand Bay Construction and Tim O’Hara of Coastal Custom Builders—are ready to take the next steps in the community’s growth.

With Scott Jenkins of Jenkins Engineering overseeing the expansion, Churchill Oaks Phase II promises sixteen new homesites along Musset Bayou Road and Hodge Road, plus an array of community amenities. A new pigeonnier will welcome visitors and residents as they arrive, followed by a new brick-columned entrance to the residential streets. In addition to expanding the neighborhood’s beautiful walking trails, Phase II will feature a park, pickleball courts, a high school-size basketball court, two guest bungalows, and an adults-only clubhouse, pool, and bar to complement the existing bayfront family-friendly clubhouse and infinity pool. Italian cypress trees create privacy between new homes as they do in Phase I, all of which feature exterior gas lanterns, a pool, a fire feature, and an outdoor kitchen.

“As the landscaping matures, it becomes really zen,” Roy says. “There’s a beautiful lakeside garden feeling for walking, with some alleyways that will open up to special community spaces with gardens, water features, or sculptures.”

I think that’s what makes something great—you have a roundtable of ideas and realize that someone else’s idea might make the home better.

Another marina is also planned, west of the original one. Roy shares that the mission to build a deepwater marina for residents of Churchill Oaks was inspired by his and Wendy’s trips to the Bahamas, where people often boat to their favorite restaurants and bars for a meal or entertainment. “People there will hop in their boat, then get out barefoot and walk up to little bars to get a burger. Now we’re doing that here in our little jet boat, going to North Beach Social, The Bay, or LuLu’s, or taking the bigger boat over to Destin.”

He continues, “I want to build these homes and amenities and have our homeowners feel like it’s the finest place to live in Walton County. That’s what we’re doing.”

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Visit ChurchillOaksLife.com and @churchilloaksfl on Instagram to learn more and see available homes.