Friends and clients from northern and western states often ask me if it’s really that special to live in the south – specifically coastal South Carolina. And having lived here since 2000, I think you can guess my answer – it’s always YES! I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the reasons why I and so many of my clients and friends love their homes. But let me share with you the top four…
PORCHES
Southerners love their porches. For us, a porch is one of those essential must-haves in a home. Whether it’s beautiful oaks that surround your property, a tidal creek with its constant display of birds and marsh grasses, a calming golf course, or the Atlantic itself, there’s no better place to enjoy the view than on your porch!
Outdoor living in the lowcountry is more than a pastime. Our temperate climate let’s us enjoy the outdoors year-round. Southerners yearn for warmth and fresh air.
When I was growing up, my dad and I used to sit out on the porch together when it was raining. The sounds of the water and the unmistakable fresh scent that always came after a storm were magnetic. It’s one of my happiest growing up memories.
Porches are a great place to relax with family, friends, or by yourself. They are perfect for sipping a glass of sweet tea, enjoying the cool breeze and lowcountry views in a comfortable chair or napping in a swing or daybed. You can even sit and watch your kids play or greet neighbors and tourists all from the convenience of your front porch.
There is no doubt that porches and lanais are a lowcountry staple. Add screening to keep the bugs out, the right weather-durable furniture, and you can lounge, relax, and eat in total year-round comfort.
GREAT ROOMS
I’d like to tell you that we southerners invented the great room – but that’s just not true. Great rooms date back to glorious mansions and castles that contained one large room where people gathered for celebrations and important events.
Today, great rooms have become the heart of the house. They combine living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and casual dining all into one large space. The great room is where families spend the majority of their time and where everything happens.
Let’s face it – when relatives are in town or when you have a group of friends, great space planning means being together in one room is going to be pretty special.
RE-CLAIM/RE-PURPOSE
Keeping true to our southern roots, mixing the old with the new is what our homes are all about.
Combining older or antique furnishings with new, gives home owners and their guests a connection to the history and natural beauty of our area.
Reclaimed rustic materials successfully combine with elegant architectural details to create dramatic eclectic blends. One-of-a-kind reclaimed pieces can be used for many spaces from the ceiling to the floors and everything in between.
LOWCOUNTRY STYLING
We have our own unique interior design style here – it’s called lowcountry style.
When people walk into a southern home, guests get an immediate sense of lowcountry comfort. I describe it as an unspoken invitation to sit down, put your feet up, and to stay as long as you like.
The lowcountry is blessed to have some of the most stunning natural surroundings in the country, and that’s where we draw inspiration for our homes.
Lowcountry style is about blending the interior elements and furnishings with the natural beauty of our waterways, our air, and our natural landscape. More than ever, I work with home owners to design and decorate rooms that are reminiscent of the sea, sand, and marsh.
Southern homes reflect the art of choosing well. Over and over they are beautiful examples of perfectly combined interior finishes, paint colors, and furnishings.
By Stasia Berk