The House of the Rising Sun sits at the end of a quiet road on East Beach. A testament to Bauhaus-inspired design, the home captured the hearts of her new owners immediately—the perfect space for art.
Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
World travelers with a passion for collecting one-of-a-kind paintings, sculpture, and photographs found in galleries from Manhattan to Denver to Savannah to Cape Town, South Africa, the couple was drawn to the house’s possibility.
“We’ve travelled all over the world and have met some incredible artists, and a lot of it we ship home. This house was perfect for what we were looking for—an in-home art gallery.”
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
The couple bought the home in 2022 and immediately began a gut renovation, which they thought would take one year. “It took us two and a half years to complete. We ran into a lot of dry rot and added all new windows – 157 in total!”
The project took vision and a collector’s eye. They commissioned an artist in Florida to create a plaster motif for a reimagined entrance, inspired by a mural at the Jacksonville airport – in the luggage area of all places.
“We wanted to do a plaster [for the entrance] and got the inspiration from the JAX airport down at the luggage. It was like a serpent. We found this gentleman in Jacksonville and showed him the photos. He went to the airport, and we explained that we didn’t want all those crazy colors. He and two other gentlemen worked on it for close to a month.”
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
“We wanted to keep the openness of the structure for artwork and still have walls for more art. We’ve commissioned an artist for the dining room. He’s working on a triptych. It will be one of the islands with the birds: spoonbills, white egrets, and blue herons.”
The couple loves St. Simons Island and were especially drawn to the community of East Beach. Active and involved, they host events for local charities in the home. “We try to do fundraisers – some political – and are very active in the local symphony. We’ve had some concerts here.”
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
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Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
The property’s biggest draws: hearing the ocean, swimming laps in the pool, and living amidst art that inspires and recalls cherished trips around the globe, especially Africa, where the owner would go back in a heartbeat. A painting of three elephants by local artist Ken Wallin, who shares the couple’s passion for the continent, hangs prominently on one of the walls.
“We’ve been five or six times and would go back this weekend if we had the opportunity. Most recently, we went to Kenya and saw the Great Migration. Before that, Botswana and Cape Town. The animals are incredible – it’s just breathtaking to realize that they are free and unharmed.”
Photos by Nina Dunaway, Empire Sky Co.
