Inside the Beach House from The Summer I Turned Pretty: Real Location, Fictional Charm

If season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty has left you dreaming of summer love and sunlit days by the sea, chances are the Fisher family’s beach house is at the top of your wanderlust list. While Cousins Beach is fictional, the home that brought it to life? Totally real, and rich in design detail that’s just waiting to be discovered.

Where the Dreamy House Really Is (and Why It Sounds Like Cape Cod)

Though Cousins Beach feels as if it’s straight from Massachusetts, the beach house was actually filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, specifically in a gated golf-course neighborhood known as Porters Neck Plantation. Made for television, real estate, and impossible summer days, the home’s cedar-shake façade, hydrangeas, and New England charm are pure set design magic.

Set Design: Cedar, Hydrangeas & That Romantic Vibe

To nail the Cape Cod feel, the production team did more than just find the perfect home, they reshaped the landscape. Palm trees were removed, and hydrangeas, their centerpiece, were planted in droves. As set decorator Beth Robinson put it: “It’s the kind of place where you can walk in from the beach and put your sandy feet on the coffee table.”

Inside, everything felt welcoming, lived-in, and elegant, not austere. Though most interiors were filmed on screen stages at Screen Gems Studios, the house’s exterior set the visual tone for those casual, magical family summers.

colorful hydrangeas blooming in lush garden — Photo by Arlind D

The Real Home’s Key Features

According to filming location guides, this isn’t just any house, it’s a full-blown luxury home:

5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
Infinity-edge swimming pool
Private dock, pier, and a 33-foot boat slip
Surrounded by water and lush greenery with low-country views that feel both serene and cinematic

Even though fans can’t tour inside, many of the show’s most iconic exterior shots, like beach arrivals or Fourth of July gatherings, were filmed here.

Want to Live The Summer I Turned Pretty?

Visit Wilmington, NC: While the house is private, nearby filming sites are accessible, think Wrightsville Beach, Fort Fisher, Carolina Beach Boardwalk, and more.
Do a location tour: Many readers have turned Wilmington into their own version of Cousins Beach with travel guides, Insta-worthy stops, and picturesque strolls.
Bring the vibe home: Inspired by the show’s interiors? Embrace cedar shingles, soft coastal colors, hydrangeas, and warm, lived-in charm, some of the same elements set decorator Beth Robinson described.