Above & Beyond

A Gulf Coast Retreat Like No Other

Story courtesy of ELP Luxury Vacations | Photography by McEachin Media

Welcome to Above & Beyond, a luxurious custom home in Seagrove Beach, Florida, on Scenic Highway 30-A on the northwest Gulf Coast. The south side of this stunning vacation rental, with unobstructed Gulf views, boasts the highest elevation on 30-A and easy beach access only forty yards away. The north side of this beach house is located directly on 30-A, with private parking for up to six vehicles. Above & Beyond exemplifies an upscale contemporary coastal retreat designed to easily host up to twenty-two guests with seven stunning bedrooms featuring five king beds and twelve twin XL bunks.

The owners of this unique beach vacation rental created Above & Beyond from the ground up because they saw a niche to fill in the 30-A vacation rental market. “We would vacation in the area and were unable to find a beach house that could accommodate all of our family members at the same time,” says Stuart Lloyd. “So, we decided to build it for ourselves and other families who wanted the same things we do.” The nearly 7,000-square-foot property in Seagrove Beach was the perfect fit, with space for a large private yard, landscaping and trees, a private pool and pool deck, and plenty of room for guest parking. The Lloyd family worked with Archiscapes Architects and Grand Bay Construction to bring the vision to life. Above & Beyond is professionally managed by ELP Luxury Vacations.

Located on a 7,000-square-foot lot in Seagrove Beach, Florida, and just steps from the white-sand beach, Above & Beyond is a luxury vacation rental property managed by ELP Luxury Vacations.

The house was inspired by the distinctive architecture of ocean-front beach homes in Malibu and Manhattan Beach, California—not too modern, not too coastal, and not too traditional—perfect for a 30A beach vacation. Above & Beyond features iconic urban architectural styling that spans a vertical footprint of four levels, featuring seven bedrooms and a fourth-floor media room. Each of the eight rooms has a full private bathroom, and there are two additional half-baths in the home.

“This home was definitely one of the most exciting and one of the biggest undertakings we’ve ever been part of,” says Chris Burch, founder and president of Grand Bay Construction. “Working with Stuart, whose vision was very specific, made us better as a company, because we learned how to do new things and to improve upon things we had been doing. A couple of my favorite things about the house include the glass elevator—we’ve only done a couple of those—and the NewTechWood accents, which were Stuart’s idea. It’s a new composite material that’s really easy to maintain, looks great, and can hold up well in the salt air, which is crucial here on the Gulf Coast.”

Archiscapes Architects and Grand Bay Construction worked closely with homeowner Stuart Lloyd to create a contemporary residence evoking the modern luxury of Southern California with a Gulf Coast twist.

Above & Beyond wasn’t the Lloyd family’s first investment home; in fact, Stuart has been building vacation homes for around two decades, and loves the rental and marketing side of the projects as much as the construction side. “All the homes we’ve built have been intended to be not just a second home but a rental property that can generate income,” he says. “I hate seeing a beautiful beach house sit there unused for months; we want ours to host families and friends who can really enjoy the vision and care we’ve put into the property.”

Stuart continues, “We love to build a house where each room has a really nice element, whether that’s lighting or exquisite tile on a bathroom wall; the rest of the room can be engineered at a more moderate-to-high-end value but still look extremely high-end, creating equity the day the house is built. Grand Bay pulled that off spectacularly for us.”

Best of all, Above & Beyond is just a thirty-second walk from a public Seagrove Beach access, so visitors can enjoy the perks of the beach house without the need for a golf cart, wagons, finding public parking, or worrying about restroom access. When their day at the beach is done, they can experience the best of both worlds with a gorgeous resort-style negative-edge pool and hot tub within a large private patio oasis, complete with a synthetic grass layout area, outdoor dining, grill, putting green, and ping-pong table.

Above & Beyond can accommodate up to twenty-two guests, with plenty of “wow” factor in the design of every space, including the zero-edge pool and hot tub.

The house has earned a five-star reputation, as many architects, builders, bloggers, realtors, and designers from across the country have already given positive feedback on the vacation rental, and several influencers have requested to showcase Above & Beyond in their own marketing and media. With the perfect location south of 30-A in Seagrove Beach, Above & Beyond provides instant access not only to the beach but also to area shops, dining, bars, boutiques, and more.

To learn more, check out Above & Beyond on This New House, a video web series proudly presented by Grand Bay Construction. The episode features an exclusive sit-down with Chris Burch and Stuart Lloyd as they discuss the story behind the Above & Beyond villa, walking us through the creative process and collaborative journey that brought Stuart’s vision to life, from their first meeting to the final reveal. As a real estate mogul and tech developer, Stuart shares more insights into luxury marketing and building, offering a unique perspective on what it takes to create an unforgettable property. He is also preparing to launch a new online real estate platform, KeyListings.com, to revolutionize the way realtors and buyers search, tour, and select homes for their lifestyles. Don’t miss this inside look at the exceptional detail and personal touch that makes Above & Beyond a one-of-a-kind design, and stay tuned for more news.

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Visit GrandBayConstruction.com to see more projects, and check out ELuxuryProperties.com to book your stay.