We completed this Fire Island beach house just before Hurricane Sandy hit. Though the house is only a few steps from the Atlantic, it rode out the storm unscathed thanks to our upgrades. We opened the common spaces to a new deck and pool, raised on tall wood pilings.

Then we clad the whole house in a hurricane-proof shell: vertical cement siding, rust-proof metal roofs, and projectile-rated windows. We added a new wing to the second floor for extra bedrooms and bathrooms. An open riser stair forks to the kids’ rooms on one side and to the primary suite on the other. Whitewashed fir boards and exposed beams make up the interiors palette, with windows positioned to receive ocean breezes.