Design in Charleston

Who doesn't love coffee table books?! Said Nobody EVER!

My passion for design never stops even on vacation. To my surprise along our journey down king street in Charleston, SC we noticed Mitchell Hill it looked like a store we couldn't pass up.

Abstract & Geometric forms are all the craze right now.

Patterns & Colors around every corner.

Transforming traditional chair forms & re-upholstering the piece with high contrast textiles. The pillows are also beautifully showcased with one larger square pillow and a small lumbar support. When deciding on throw pillows for your space, one must first know there color scheme. Pillows are always best when the scale of the pattern is different than the one next to it. Mixing with colors & texture brings an added interest to the seating arrangement. 

Remember those tips next time you find yourself staring down the pillow wall. Questioning yourself on if you need another pillow or not?! We all do it!

What is your craziest must have when you find yourself in a home store? I have to pull myself away from the coffee table books & throws. I believe you need a different throw for every season! It's almost time to get the fluffy fur blankets out, yay to Autumn near.

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Castle on Craven

Known as "The Castle" in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Photographed shot by Stephanie (author) on vacation in Beaufort.

During our vacation in the low country one of our stops was in Beaufort, South Carolina. One day we decided to take the car for a drive and see what we could find. We discovered many beautiful 19th century homes but one in particular stood out from all the others. This house has earned the nickname "The Castle" due to the nearby river flowing alongside the property resembling a moat. One can only gawk and imagine what the interiors must look like in this twenty-three room mansion and the amazing views held from each of the seventy-nine windows. 

Well, we are in luck. Veranada Magazine got the story and captured an array of beautiful shots inside the getaway home of jewelry designer Elizabeth Locke.

Main entry & staircase

Photo captured by Veranda Magazine

Antique Cane Sofa & Chandelier.

Photo captured by Veranda Magazine

Elizabeth Locke, on the porch of her vacation home

Photo captured by Veranda Magazine

Large window opens out onto the front porch

Photo captured by Veranda Magazine

Aiken-Rhett House

Once operating as the main entrance of the home now resides two symmetrical parlors divided between two pocket doors. The character and details of the house are popularly known as Greek Revival.

The Aiken-Rhett House is a beautiful time capsule built in 1820. The tour takes you back into time seeing what it was like living in Charleston, South Carolina during the era. The home was passed down through several individuals who created what we see today.  The wealthy merchant,  John Robinson, purchased the land and built the original house. Governor William Aiken purchased the house; therefore, passing it down to his son William Aiken Jr.  After William Jr.'s death the house went to his daughter Harriet Lowndes Aiken and his son-in-law Major A.B. Rhett. They went on to raise their children in the house and made renovations to the property that are visible today.

The house is now owned by the Historical Charleston Foundation and located at 48 Elizabeth Street. They’ve adopted a conservation approach holding true to the style and original state of the house. They seek to preserve and protect the building and artifacts of historical significance. 

Circular plaster centerpiece located in the two symmetrical drawing rooms. From the center moving outwards with 12 radiating acanthus leaves enclosed within a plain band centered by a beaded trim. The ornate outer trim with rosettes encloses the medallion from which is suspended a glass French chandelier.

Stair Hall

Main central stair hall leading to all three floors. This room is rectangular with a wooden staircase and two octagonal-and-turned balusters to each tread.

The furniture and decor in the house are original to the families who lived there. It is clear that time has left its mark. There is still something so beautiful about the scroll work and "C" - curves that go into this floor mirror spanning the second floor hallway as shown above.

View looking up to the third story ceiling, a plaster cornice, and centerpiece consisting of 12 radiating acanthus leaves surrounded by a greek key fret band.

Verandah's of the Aiken-Rhett

Buildings in the south have two and three story porches, known as piazzas, that are strategically designed to take full advantage of the local winds. The porches also come in handy as a covering when the afternoon rain showers begin.

The columns of the porch are doric in character with turned baluster railings. The single hung windows transform into doorways that allow you to walk onto the verandahs. These windows are advantageously placed to allow for a cross breeze through the house and are extremely common in the South.

Historic Details

All of the colored photographs pictured above were taken by me on our tour of the Aiken Rhett. The information I gathered was from an audio tour and, much to my surprise, the amazing documents compiled after 1933 by the Historic American Buildings Survey. I found the information through the Library of Congress. 

The black & white photographs appear to be taken between 1977 - 79. 

I cannot pinpoint the era in which the drawings were created but to my understanding it appears to be after William Aiken junior died and passed the home down to his daughter & son-in-law. The drawings show changes to the structure by transforming the size of the two drawing rooms and moving the main entrance to the side of Elizabeth street. 

Front elevation, drawing

Front elevation

Main entrance after the renovations

West elevation, drawing

First floor southwest room, also known as the two symmetrical drawing rooms.

Check out my other post about The Charleston Foundations additional property, The Nathaniel Russell House. 

Please let me know what you thought about this post? All feedback is always welcome & helpful.

Nathaniel Russell House

The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina. I am breaking down our destinations as we adventure through the low country. 

Nathaniel Russel House - Charleston, South Carolina. The rectangular house has a symmetrical facade. The second floor windows are ornamented with white marble lintels recessed below roman inspired arches. 

Gardens leading to the visitors center

Front of house

I am absolutely in love with the gardens in the low country. The climate is humid and tropical, resembling a hothouse. It rains almost every afternoon so I doubt many people have to think about watering their plants. I live in California and envy this flourishing horticultural climate. 

The most important architectural feature in the home is the warm yellow ochre staircase hall that spans three stories. The spiral staircase is a canteliver design (the step above supports the step below). This was all accomplished by the use of wooden pegs, not a single nail or screw was used during construction. The center features a troupe-l'oeil painting, an artistic illusion to trick the eye into believing the design is 3d.  

Elipitial medallion to meet the second story

The shutters and pine plank flooring is original to the house. To prevent the furniture from being further damaged by the sunlight, the shutters are closed during specific times of the day. 

Adjacent to the spiral staircase sits the oval dining room. The walls are covered in turquoise wallpaper applied square by square and painted after application. Interesting fact about life in the south: they begin the day with breakfast; as much of us do, although they eat an early supper around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Later in the evening around 5 or 6 leftovers/cold-cuts are served or available if people are still hungry, followed shortly by dessert. 

The oval drawing room is located on the second floor right above the dining room. This is where the women would retire to after dinner, separating themselves from the men. The brightly colored and ornate rug is reflected through the entire room with its apricot walls and detailed crown molding.  

This room is similar to what we refer to as the master bedroom. The walls were hand painted with a special brush to replicate how it would have looked in the 18th century.  The furniture in the home is not directly related to the Russell family, but pieces from the time period that they resided in the home. The Nathaniel Russell House is definitely a site to visit if you find yourself in Charleston, South Carolina. The surrounding area and neighborhood of this site allows for an incredible opportunity to walk around and enjoy the beautiful homes. The sister property to this house is the Aiken-Rhett House. I will share more about the Aiken-Rhett in later post. 

Georgian style four poster bed with upholstery hangings for ornate and warmth purposes.

Have you had the pleasure to visit Charleston, SC? If so what was your favorite thing about the historic downtown district? 

Please share comments below if you enjoyed the following post. Thank you.

Lotus Garden - 5 Flatlay Techniques

I am constantly inspired by vibrant prints and textiles. This lovely Shumacher wallcovering from a 1920s archive document shows imagery of the Japanese culture. This application will bring life and energy to any room.  Flat lays are my go to when creating content for the blog. Below are my 5 helpful tips to get started. 

5 Flatlay Techniques

1. I begin with a main piece of inspiration and pull colors from the scene. Choose an item you can build from & that speaks to you.

2. I always try to incorporate a living quality, usually this comes from a bouquet I have around the house or a stem from garden. 

3. The third item is a textile this will add texture and interest. I like to use a piece of fabric, small throw, scarf or a cloth napkin.

4. I like to mix in an item that is currently in season, in this case the lemon. I was lucky enough to get a bunch from my grandmothers garden.

5. The last item is always a fun creative addition and usually a hobby or interest of mine in this case the ball of yarn, as I like to crochet from time to time.

Please share below some creative tips you have when creating your very own flat lays or how these tips helped you.

Tranquility & Creativity

I've discovered my deepest passions when my mind is most clear. By minimizing all distractions and removing unnecessary items, allows me to have a clear vision. These are the recurring thoughts as I style for specific themes and moments in my life.

One evening, it dawned on me that it had been a while since my last bubble bath. As I lit my Jo Malone candle, I realized how lovely the trio was arranged within the marble tray. The soft pinks & creamy white flowers softened the vanity top, layered with a wood detail for added texture. Between the wood and glow of the fire with the detail of the necklace provides a delicate warmth throughout.

My passion for interiors and love for styling allows me to create and capture these brief moments in time.

“The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.”

— Fabienne Fredrickson

Sun-kissed Hydrangea

Hydrangea flowers are gorgeous with their ever changing colored blooms. They require moist soil and plant food preferably for hydrangeas with an added amount of ph for the soil. They flourish with the added ph and are known to change the blooms blue.

I am still learning how to care for mine day by day. I like to determine how much water is needed based off of how they look. The leaves will droop and feel soft to the touch when they need water. I love these plants that talk back and let you know when its time for water and a little love when you've nearly forgotten. This beauty to the left in the afternoon sun, is a velvety pink hydrangea in my grandfathers garden. He has taught me so much when it comes to plants and how to keep them alive and happy. 

Flower Power

Paul's Flowers

Shopping for flowers is my favorite activity. I enjoy putting together my own arrangements. This allows me to have fun and get creative by mixing different colored blooms. The flowers are constantly changing with every season as late spring - mid summer is known for peonies, therefore they're very hard to find during the winter months. Tulips are quintessential spring and easter flowers. Everyone always wants to know how to keep there flowers longer. I suggest switching the water about every 2 days. It should only take a couple minutes out of your schedule. When you find flowers dying in your arrangement it is best to clip them and toss, so they do not affect the other flowers. I like to keep it simple and switch out arrangements when the time comes. 

What is your favorite time of year to have flowers in your home?

The Garden within the Island

Can you believe it's almost Friday? I feel like the weekend just ended and we were in Washington. We recently just flew up to Seattle, WA to visit family.  It was my first time visiting outside of the airport terminals. I had stopped through before but never left the airport, it's very funny how that tends to happen. 

The trip was primarily focused on destination, Anderson Island which is the southern most island in the Puget Sound. It is accessible by ferry which makes for an eventful stay. Call me an outsider but this was wild to me, a ferry never slows us down here in the Bay Area traffic is the only thought in our minds. I found that making the ferry times was a bit stressful. The ferry ride slowed down all problems in the world. 

The island was full of tall pine trees native to the area and two lane roads veering off into all directions. Our stay was in a beautiful vacation home surrounded by lush gardens. I was in awe of the gardens and jealous of all their land. I only have a small balcony and am limited to potted plants. The garden was like paradise and surprises around every corner. They had tomatoes, onions, garlic, sunflowers, peas of different varieties. 

Yellow Onion, growing tall with beautiful flowers.

Garlic Bulb, tall curvy Spathe perfect for pesto sauce

This trip was one for the books, the quick ones always are. 

What was one of your most memorable vacations to date?

Red White & Blue

The 4th of July is all about showing off your red white & blue. I wanted to find a creative way to showcase the colors in our home without the traditional decor. The floral colors are lighter in hues not your usual primary colors, but who says we can’t go a shade lighter or darker.  We are having a small 4th of July since it is our first independence day in our new place. I didn’t feel the need to decorate to the nine since we are keeping a low key holiday. We have a wonderful view hope that our neighbors purchased a lot of fireworks for a great show.

What are some of the creative ways you’ve transformed the holiday decor in your home?