Just one block from the Jersey Shore’s sandy beaches, The James Bradley is a 17-room boutique hotel set in a 1904 Victorian mansion. The historic home once belonged to James A. Bradley himself, the wealthy brush manufacturer and real estate mogul credited with developing the area, but it had already been turned into a quaint inn by the time George DiStefano purchased it in 2021. He then enlisted New York City-based interior designer and close friend Sebastian Zuchowicki to gut the space and reimagine it for the modern traveler.“It had been layered by so many different renovations, so there were Victorian details and Neo-Georgian details—it just looked like a hodgepodge,” Sebastian explains. “It was the perfect time to abstract everything and start from scratch. And I thought it could be nice for every room to have its own identity. It’s a good model to get people to keep coming back, so they can experience a different room every time they stay.”Guests can choose from soft, neutral rooms and dark, moody suites—but textured limewash walls, sumptuous European linen bedding, and vintage furniture can be found throughout. Plus, George’s own creations–like folding white oak screens and wooden X-shaped lamps—are peppered in for a handmade touch. The result is an entirely fresh approach to coastal design—far from seaside tropes—that we’re eager to replicate.Here, 9 ideas to steal from The James Bradley to get the dramatic-yet-relaxed look at home.Photography by William Jess Laird, except where noted.Above: Though George and Sebastian stripped the inside of the 120-year-old building, they kept its grand facade intact to honor the history of the house.1. Tile floor to ceiling.Above: Across from the check-in desk, a floor-to-ceiling grid of iridescent zellige tiles surrounds the fireplace. “All those tiles are made by hand, so they have a lot of movement and there’s a lot of variety in the color,” says Sebastian. “It doesn’t just feel like white everywhere. And it’s a good backdrop for anything you put on top of it.”