Salt air and humidity are unforgiving on finishes that look perfect in a showroom. A lot of specification decisions that seem purely aesthetic are really about which materials will still look intentional in five years on a coastal site.
Locally sourced stone tends to outperform imported alternatives here, partly because it's already been selected over generations for exactly this climate. Treated timber needs a genuine maintenance plan, not just a one-time sealant.
The lesson from this project: budget for the material's full lifecycle, not just its delivered cost, and coastal finishes stop being a recurring problem.