It all started with a book. When an Atlanta couple purchased a lush slice of land on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island, they envisioned building a vacation home reminiscent of the island’s shingle-style Ocean Course clubhouse, designed by noted architect Robert A.M. Stern. So they shared his book, Robert A.M. Stern: Houses and Gardens, with their architect, Marc Camens, and interior designer, Caroline Willis, and asked them to create some Kiawah magic.
“They wanted to build something timeless and enduring,” recalls Willis. “As we worked together on the interiors, we were inspired by the gorgeous marsh views and the colors outside every window and we wanted the house to blend seamlessly into the landscape. We sought to make a very comfortable home for a family of five that also feels grounded and substantial.”
Soft colors and inviting shapes create a relaxing area for family and friends to gather in the great room. Comfortable club chairs with Schumacher trim sit opposite a sofa, all by Travis Upholstery, with versatile ottomans in Schumacher Jubilee. Rattan side tables from Joseph Konrad add texture; sculptural blue lamps are from Foxglove Antiques.
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A pedestal table in a corner of the great room provides a perfect spot for family puzzles and games. Holland MacRae table; blue wicker chairs, Mainly Baskets. Since “dogs and sisal don’t mix,” they used both new and vintage rugs. Custom wool stripe rug, Myers Carpet. Curtains in Schumacher’s Acadia fabric; coffee table, Mrs. Howard.
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“The homeowner wanted this study to be a calm retreat tucked away from the rest of the house,” says Willis. Farrow & Ball French Grey bathes the room in an earthy greenish hue. The Visual Comfort chandelier adds contemporary flair to the otherwise traditional space. Desk, Hickory Chair.
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The clients’ family home in Atlanta (which Willis also designed) is a Tudor dating back to the early 1900s; for their island getaway, they wanted some of that same historic feel while still capturing the easygoing spirit of a coastal retreat. Wide-plank floors, moldings, beamed and coffered ceilings, and paned transom windows were used to layer in architectural detail throughout. Each bedroom has drawers built-in beneath the eaves, as often seen in seaside cottages.
“The homeowners didn’t want a plain white kitchen and their favorite color is blue—so we chose a soft gray-blue,” says Willis—Benjamin Moore’s Van Courtland Blue. “Because there is so much blue, it doesn’t jump out and just wraps the room. It also helps separate the kitchen from the adjacent great room.” The couple has three children, so Willis covered the island stools with Schumacher Vegan Leather to protect against spills.
The star of the dining room, in addition to the views, is a painting by France Jodoin that’s framed by the molding. A Gregorius Pineo dining table is surrounded by Palecek armchairs covered in soft blue Vegan Leather by Schumacher. The room is anchored by a Moattar Khotan rug that was custom-sized to fit the room. The Urban Electric pendant was chosen for its slender profile, so as not to obstruct the view.
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Leathered nuage marble from Palmetto Surfacing extends up the wall to serve as a dramatic backsplash, and ceiling beams help balance the full-height cabinets. A Shaw farmhouse sink and hardware from Water Street Brass lend polish.
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Located just off the kitchen, the mudroom/laundry room has an extra refrigerator and dishwasher so it can also function as a prep kitchen. The leathered Absolute Black granite countertops are ultra-durable, and the floor was selected to match the outdoor brick.
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Eleven-foot ceilings—a benefit of a newer home—allowed the walls to double as a canvas for oversize windows offering views of the marsh. “The owner describes the views as ‘moving paintings,’” says Willis. To make the airy rooms feel cozier, the great room was treated to a coffered ceiling, and beams were added to the dining room, along with moldings that frame a large-scale oil on canvas, “all of which visually brings down the ceiling height and warms up the spaces,” says Willis.
Shades of blue mirror the water and sky outside the soothing primary bedroom. Villa House chests used as bedside tables flank a bed upholstered in Schumacher’s Colada Stripe. A Moattar Tabriz rug adds softness underfoot.
Emily FollowillWith a house this open, flow was key. The rooms share a soft color scheme of blue, green, and beige, which reflects the serene vistas. The pale-blue club chairs in the great room and Khotan rug in the dining room echo the water, while the greenish walls in the study color-match the marsh grasses just outside the window. The home’s bedrooms are done in the same peaceful palette, and while each has its own personality, the bedrooms remain neutral enough to accommodate extra houseguests when the older son and daughter are at college.
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Willis wanted the primary bathroom to feel simple, clean, and bright. Geometric Dolomite and Carrara marble floor tiles and Visual Comfort sconces dress up the understated space.
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“This bedroom feels fun but sophisticated enough for the couple’s college-bound son,” says Willis, who used Larsen geometric pillows, shades in Schumacher’s Garden Stripe, and baskets from Toby West Home.
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The daughter chose the lively Ink Splash fabric by Porter Teleo for Schumacher, used on the bed skirt and bench, and Joan fabric (also by Schumacher) for the pillows. Serena & Lily bed and bench.
Emily FollowillSince the couple is considering making this their full-time residence down the road, they wanted to ensure it was substantial enough to serve as a permanent home. The house is so solid and sealed from the elements that the builder, Eliot Hobbs, jokes that it’s “built like a Yeti cooler,” and functional elements like the large laundry-mudroom off the kitchen offer practical conveniences. But for now, the home is a perfectly wonderful place to relax in summer and on holidays, to sit on chaise lounges by the pool, and watch the dolphins frolicking in the distance.
The infinity pool was designed to blend seamlessly into the scenery. From their chaises, the family can watch dolphins swimming out to the river and bald eagles flying overhead. Kingsley Bate chaises; Janus et Cie side tables.
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