island home
Above: Wraparound porches offer peaceful sitting areas and cool breezes. Left: The pool overlooks the river and is a favorite gathering place for visiting grandchildren.
as a bar. Epitomizing the farmhouse ambience, the porches are ideal for entertaining a few friends or even a large gathering. For hubby Tony, an avid fisherman, the beautiful views of the river mean dropping a line whenever he desires. Sea trout and flounder are frequently found on the menu at the Lott house. A deep-water dock welcomes visitors by boat, particularly their sailing chums from North Carolina. Four bedrooms and guest suite come in handy when the family comes to visit. Their three grown children and five grandchildren love the picturesque pool and the yard with plenty of room to play or rest. Just as Debbie’s grandmother’s house was a flurry of activity, the Lotts’ riverfront home is alive with goings-on
nearly every day. Debbie is one of the founding members of Flowering Fernandina, and she is always working in her garden or potting some plants to be donated to the downtown’s beautification effort. Her private potting shed holds tools and gardening equipment, everything she needs to create her charming plant and flower displays. She is also a gourmet cook and the owner of Amelia River Cooking, where she teaches cooking classes in her large, open kitchen. When she’s not busy gardening and cooking, Debbie is following her mother-in-law’s passion for quilting. “What we wanted the most here was a comfortable, river home,” says Debbie. “Something about our house gives me a feeling I can’t explain, really. It’s just perfect for us. It’s home.”
46 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
www.AmeliaIslander.com