When Nicklaus and Sid Williams-Heath moved to Nicklaus’ hometown of Gulf Breeze, Florida, they built their house with holiday hosting in mind. In fact, their first Christmas party, an annual caroling gathering that doubles as Sid’s birthday bash, took place in the studs of the home before it was even finished.

“All we had was the fireplace, so I just set up a Champagne bar and we put out some benches,” Nicklaus recalls. “That, to me, was the first breath of fresh air that gave this house life.”

They worked with architectural designer Robert V. McCown, builder Kevin Russell, and designer Nicholas Pica on the process, which took 16 months from start to finish, but their dream of a “distinctly Southern” home was in the works for far longer than that. Over time, the Williams-Heaths drew inspiration from their travels, including Christmas vacations spent at The Inn at Serenbe in Georgia, Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, and Alys Beach in Florida, where they were married in 2017.