For Selma and Bob Bernard, life on Flinn Drive has always been intertwined with family, friendship, and the natural beauty of Isle of Hope.

The Bernards moved to Wymberley 47 years ago, first settling nine houses away from their present address. Three months after their arrival, Hurricane David tore shingles from the roof. Bob decided to replace them himself, and neighbors the couple had not yet met appeared, ready to help. That spontaneous show of kindness introduced them to the close-knit spirit that has kept them rooted in the neighborhood ever since.

After outgrowing their first home, the couple purchased 7 Flinn Drive 37 years ago. Bob had insisted on finding a property that bordered Wormsloe and offered access to the Wymberley dock—even if it required substantial work.

Believed to have been built in 1952, the Jim Richmond-designed, two-story house originally placed the family room downstairs and the kitchen upstairs. Because the divided arrangement did not suit the Bernards, they relocated bedrooms to the lower level and consolidated their shared living areas upstairs, replacing walls and floors along the way.

Today, the house is casual, comfortable, and refreshingly unpretentious. With its main rooms surrounded by leafy branches, the second floor has the secluded feeling of a treehouse. Bob’s ironwork lends an unmistakably personal signature throughout, while Selma’s art collection supplies color and character.

The screened porch off the kitchen is the home’s everyday gathering place and the setting for Thanksgiving and Easter dinners. Over the years, the property has also welcomed children’s sleepovers, holiday parties, and evenings spent eating oysters and chili around the fire pit.

Looking ahead, the Bernards plan to update a bathroom for greater accessibility. Selma’s advice to fellow gardeners is practical: Build tall fences, tend the space within them, and appreciate the wildlife on the other side.