Previous:

From the street, the house offers a refined interpretation of contemporary Lowcountry architecture, blending clean lines with a laid-back island vibe.

Dream home should be functional and beautiful, but it should also be unique to the people who live there. It should also be designed to create special moments and memories. Features such as a perfectly sun-warmed room in which to read or a generous porch where you can sit and watch the world go by are the kind of elements that put the dream in a dream home.

Charleston’s natural setting shapes how most local dream homes are built. In the Lowcountry, most face the gorgeous views, catch cool breezes, and incorporate light colors and natural materials to counter the heat and humidity. Here, nature matters so much in what we want from our homes that without fresh, creative thinking, we risk having houses that look just like our neighbors’ homes.

Novella Homes, the builders behind the marsh-side masterpiece we’ll see today, has earned a reputation for bringing unexpected elements to its clients’ dream homes. Under the leadership of Steve Guaglianone, a third-generation homebuilder, Novella transforms familiar features into something remarkably fresh.

Guaglianone is innately innovative. He doesn’t want to build the same home twice, so he’s always thinking about how to push the envelope within the context of what the house is meant to be and how it’s meant to work. Darryl Cobb of Cobb Architects provided the architectural vision for this project, while Novella’s longtime collaborator Jesse Vickers of JLV Creative contributed a distinctive touch to the interiors.

This architectural gem is on Captain’s Island, a settlement with deep-water homesites on the Wando River and Ralston Creek. Accessible only by boat or via the Captain’s Island Bridge, this secluded enclave has evolved into Daniel Island’s most coveted waterfront community.

From the street, the house presents a sophisticated take on contemporary Lowcountry architecture, with a streamlined form and function that reflects the island’s relaxed lifestyle. However, step inside and you’ll realize this home is full of the fun surprises and mind-blowing craftsmanship that Novella is known for.

The homeowners are an active couple from Atlanta who planned to retire in Charleston. They wanted a home where they could embrace a relaxed island lifestyle and have plenty of room for entertaining and hosting overnight guests. They came to Novella with a clear vision. “They wanted a high-quality house with a great marsh view, and that’s what we’re known for,” Guaglianone says. Many of Novella’s clients live out of town, so the company has processes in place to make long-distance collaboration easy and enjoyable.

The home’s Southern transitional design features classic elements, including a welcoming front porch, tin roof and low-lying roofline that honor the island’s character while creating a sense of visual harmony. “The architecture was dictated by Captain’s Island, which in our minds lends itself well to Southern architecture,” Guaglianone says. “When you build an elevated home, you want to keep the roof low, so it doesn’t feel too tall and monumental. Bringing the roofline down makes it feel more like a home.” This thoughtful approach to scale ensures the 5,500-square-foot residence maintains an inviting presence despite its impressive footprint.

Stepping through the front door, visitors enter a dramatic 37-foot foyer with an extraordinary natural white oak ceiling, which sets the tone for the home’s elegant, comfortable vibe. Immediately to the right, black steel and glass doors open to a light-filled, organic home office. While the hall-facing wall is all black steel and glass doors, two walls and the ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore’s “Kendall Charcoal,” a saturated blue-gray that changes with the light. Behind the desk, white geometric tiles create a crisp feature wall.

Further down the hall, an archway leads to a cheerful mudroom with distinctive harlequin tiles and a drop-zone organizer with a bench, hooks, drawers and cabinets. The custom unit is painted light gray-green, and the cabinet doors and drawer fronts are covered in grasscloth.

This is one of those elements where Novella and JLV do what they do best. The drop zone is expertly designed and built to fit the space, and the color isn’t used anywhere else in the house. This helps the new home feel collected and gives this space a moment to shine when it could just as easily have been overlooked or relegated to the background. This room also has a coat closet, elevator access and stairs to the second level. A second arched doorway here permits natural light from the great room. Beyond the mudroom, another arch leads to the hallway to the primary suite.

The left side of the foyer contains a powder room with a substantial floating marble vanity and backsplash that elevate it to more of a holy font than a place to freshen up. Next is a climate-controlled reach-in wine cellar with black steel and glass doors and a white oak display wall. Finally, an arched opening to a back hallway connecting to the kitchen, pantry and a stunning laundry room might make you look forward to folding clothes. If you can drag yourself out of the entry, the true showstopper is ahead: the great room with spectacular marsh views and expertly executed design details everywhere you look.

Here, the home’s signature architectural element comes into focus: carefully crafted arches that create visual rhythm throughout the space. Arches are not easy to construct and are especially hard to do correctly; another example of how Novella’s expert craftspeople make something complex look easy. The great room also has plaster walls and ceilings, which give it a tasteful old-world texture.

Two arched niches with built-in cabinetry and natural oak floating shelves frame the gas fireplace and television. Throughout the home, white oak flooring provides a warm contrast to the predominantly white walls and ceilings. In a bold, harmonious design move, JLV Creative selected an inviting burnt orange sectional as the room’s centerpiece, which is complemented by white swivel chairs positioned to capture both conversation and panoramic marsh views.

Behind the sofa, a wide arch frames the dining area and open kitchen. Warm white oak beams overhead add architectural interest and natural texture. The dining space features a wet bar with a marble sink and brass floating shelves against a moody blue-gray board-and-batten wall. A substantial wooden dining table comfortably seats eight guests beneath a brass arched light fixture that echoes the room’s architectural language without obstructing sight lines.

The kitchen perfectly balances functionality and aesthetics with white cabinetry, a generously sized rectangular island with seating for four and two ingenious butcher-block tables extending from either side of the island like wings. At the heart of the cooking space, a gas stove nestles in a marble-backed niche flanked by floating shelves and additional cabinetry. On either side of the central cooking zone are two paneled doors with gray-washed white oak planks arranged in a distinctive diagonal pattern, cleverly concealing appliances.

Perhaps the kitchen’s most extraordinary feature is a set of 18-foot motorized sliders that open to a screened porch with retractable screens, creating a truly indoor-outdoor experience. An outdoor fireplace, grill and living area allow you to walk right into the kitchen easily and enjoy beautiful sunset views. Beyond, a three-sided infinity-edge pool appears to merge with the marsh, blurring the boundary between the built and natural environments.

Every exceptional home presents unique design challenges, and for Guaglianone, the hallway connecting the entry to the primary bedroom suite offered an opportunity for innovation. “There was a hallway leading from the entry hall to the bedroom, and I didn’t want it to feel dark,” he says. “To let light into the hallway, we put in a recessed wall and had a local ironsmith make a brass-plated steel wall with reeded glass and uplighting.”

The resulting feature transforms what could have been an unremarkable passageway into one of the home’s most distinctive architectural moments. Custom brass-plated frames with circular brass motifs backed by reeded glass panels capture and redistribute natural light, creating a gentle luminosity throughout the space. “It was a challenge because everything had to be so precise; it was a labor of love for sure,” Guaglianone adds.

The primary bedroom suite, which Guaglianone counts among his all-time favorites, exemplifies the team’s ability to create luxurious and livable spaces. In the owner’s bathroom, Novella and JLV avoided the clinical all-white aesthetic common in luxury bathrooms. Instead, this room offers something more meaningful: a uniquely personal, serene and organized sanctuary. The wood floor and ceiling add unexpected warmth, while the shower enclosure cleverly combines marble on its lower half with wood-look tiles above, creating an elegant treehouse effect rather than a conventional spa atmosphere. Custom vanity mirrors echo the distinctive brass and reeded glass elements found in the hallway.

Adjacent to the bathroom, a spectacular walk-in closet nearly matches the size of the bedroom. It features custom built-in shelving, a vanity positioned to maximize natural light and a central island beneath a contemporary chandelier, all wrapped in soothing French blue walls.

Another arched opening leads to the spacious bedroom, where sliding glass doors frame breathtaking marsh views and provide access to the pool deck. The design approach here is intentionally restrained: simple, organic and bright, allowing the live oaks and natural vistas to take center stage.

The home’s second level accommodates family and guests with four additional bedrooms. Three, including a mini primary, have marvelous marsh views and en suite baths, while the fourth overlooks the front of the property. Thanks to unexpected touches, each has its own personality. One en suite features colorful floor tiles complemented by a painted board-and-batten wall, while another has contemporary white tile with a gold eight-pointed star motif and a sophisticated deep blue vertical panel wall.

A central billiard room creates an inviting gathering space for multigenerational entertaining. The walls are crisp white to harmonize with the white felt top of the billiard table, while the ceiling is painted deep blue-black to give the room an atmosphere. A wet bar and beverage station in custom wood cabinets keep refreshments handy.

In this home, as in all of Novella’s work, the delight is in the details. The expert craftsmanship in every element, no matter how challenging, from arched doorways and decorative wood ceilings to masterful custom millwork and tile, is a hallmark of the company’s high standards.

For Guaglianone, this project represents the best of collaborative success. “The clients were a dream. They were so nice to work with. They trusted the builder and the design team, and it’s one of my favorite homes we’ve ever done,” he says. “And we work so well with JLV; they always push us, and it makes us better. We make magic together. The clients absolutely love their home, and they’re enjoying their time here.” *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

Left:

With an abundance of warm, organic materials, the primary bathroom is a departure from typical all-white color schemes.