Onscreen: Weekend at Bernie’s The Opulent 1980’s Ocean Front Estate

Weekend at Bernie’s is the comical campy cult classic starring the Brat Pack’s Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman. What starts off as two low level employees thinking they stumbled upon a career defining discovery, turns into a weekend with their corrupt boss’s corpse at his magnificent beach house. To their shock no one catches onto the charade as they pass off Bernie Lomax as alive and well during their stay at the fictitious Hampton Island.

Architecture fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the home will be saddened to learn Bernie’s house was constructed just for filming and demolished shortly thereafter. According to IMDb, the beach house was built on Fort Fisher Recreation Area in North Carolina, nowhere near The Hamptons in New York.

The elevated home can be reached by a long wooden path. The exterior shows a muted color palette as to not detract from the natural surround. A glimpse of the double-pitched skylight can be seen on the left.

Reinforced concrete, wood, and walls of glass are the predominant building materials. Minimal ornamentation highlights the building’s architectural design.

Glass blocks were a major 80’s trend that occur in abundance throughout this home. Note the peach and lilac paint tones in the front entry.

Unfortunately we catch very few glimpses of the kitchen in the film. This screenshot and the one above hint at deep periwinkle cabinets and butcherblock countertops.

This film provides not-so-subtle proof to millennials that fiddle leaf fig trees are not a home decor fad unique to this generation. Bernie’s beach house is almost junglelike in the variety of house plants, shapes, and sizes. From ficus to palm trees and even succulents, the green plant life softens the interior creating a warmer space.

The stairs lead up to the master bedroom and a suspended walkway lead to the guest room. It’s surprising a house this massive only has two bedrooms.

A peak into the master bedroom through a wall of windows.

This view of the wet bar emphasizes the spacious step-down living room with the two-story ceiling height. White and gray square tiles are the primary flooring material throughout the first floor, a natural selection for this modern beach estate.

Bernie Lomax “relaxing” in all of his glory. The integrated wet bar and living room layout make it easy to see why this party house along the boardwalk is ideal for entertaining.

Complementary mauve couches and loveseats offer plenty of seating options for guests. Matching coffee tables with objet d’art provide visual interest among the array of scattered glasses and champagne bottles.

Contributing to the expensive decor is an original Lichtenstein painting sure to impress wealthy friends and neighbors.

A Baldwin grand piano adds a glossy focal point and yet another opportunity for Bernie to display his wealth. In contrast, the unsightly and inexpensive vertical blinds were commonplace during this time period.

An aerial view of the living room.

A curved pony wall with a glass block inlay sections off the dining room from the staircase and foyer. The glass top dining table is surrounded by ten arm chairs draped in heavy fabric. The floral center piece on the tabletop is one of the few colorful blooms we see on the property.

Bernie’s ocean view home office is a few steps down from the dining room.

A modern spiral staircase in the office provides an alternative route to the second story from this side of the home. The bulky 80’s sound system can be seen in the built in wall unit.

The rear deck off the living room and office has a large pool and plenty of lounge chairs to enjoy the coastal rays. Designers maintained the same color palate outside with teal patio furniture.