Seashell house Demere Key originally Sea Grape Lodge

Every inch of this house on Demere Key (just off Pine Island) is encrusted with seashells. It is mind boggling to think about adhering each and every one of those whelk and conch shells to the outside walls….. much less, collecting all of them together!

whelk and conch sea shells built a house on Pine Island Florida

The house was originally built by Phil Degraff to be a winter resort and named it Sea Grape Lodge.

Seashell House made of conchs and whelk shells

The lodge closed a number of years ago and now is a private residence so we tried to be as respectful as possible while driving by in our boat…. but it’s like stopping in front of a house with every inch covered in christmas lights… it’s mesmerizing!

Seashell yard wall as a fence on Demere Key Pine Island Florida
Even the fence is covered with shells
Seashell encrusted house in Florida made with conchs and whelks

Oh my, I couldn’t get enough this gorgeous place… I was on overload with seashell eye candy!

An island with a seashell house Sea Grape Lodge on Demere Key

After first posting this, I received some rich historic information from quite a few people who commented on this post. Please click on the title or comments to read many wonderful stories of folks who either stayed on Demere Key or have fond memories of the property.