Distinctive. stylish. welcoming. The cottagey new showroom for Jean’s Custom Workroom reflects the owner’s Charleston sensibility and offers a totality of interior design services under one roof for both professionals and homeowners.
“Builders, architects, interior designers—we work with all of them,” says owner Jean Peters. “We offer options for a variety of circumstances. A person who needs a designer can come to the studio and work with my on-staff designer, Logan Miller. Clients can also bring their own designers. It’s a one-stop shop—we also have access to contractors.”
Peters also provides new designers awaiting South Carolina licensing access to Jean’s Custom Workroom accounts, allowing them to enjoy discounted pricing on products they can pass on to their customers.
A Charleston native, Peters’ passion for interior design grew out of sewing sessions with her grandmother. “We would sew clothes,” she recalls. “I hated it! So, I ventured into window treatments and creating them caught my imagination.”
That revelation served her well years later while raising her daughter and casting about for a new project.
“I’d quit my job and stayed home while Emily was growing up,” explains Peters. “But I needed something to do, so I started working with a few designers. When she was old enough to be on her own, I rented the commercial space in Kiawah and realized my dream of having my own business.”
On display in the new studio are samples of all the products and lines carried by Jean’s Custom Workroom: a variety of furnishings, including couches and accent chairs, antique rugs from Turkey, woven shades, lighting, knickknacks, coffee table books and original artwork by local artist Fallon Peper.
Among the top lines available through Jean’s Custom Workroom are Elk Group International and Bramble furniture; lighting from Forty West; designer fabrics by F. Schumacher & Co., Kravet and Thibaut; and a wide selection of upscale decorative hardware for window treatments.
Custom drapery created expressly for clients is crafted in a nearby workhouse Peters has operated since starting the business 15 years ago. “That’s our specialty,” she notes. “We custom-make drapery, bedding, pillows, cushions, slipcovers and upholstery.”
Indeed, Jean’s Custom Workroom is a treasure trove of sumptuous fabrics and creative ideas waiting to be spun into the signature piece of your dreams.
Jean’s Custom Workroom celebrated the grand opening of the expanded studio recently, following a renovation that preserved the vintage property’s good bones and old hardwoods. Quaint and craftsman-like, the “zhuzhed-up” place is packed with personality, unique product and good energy.
Peters gave up her space on Kiawah Island in favor of this more central location in the Charleston suburb of West Ashley thanks to a burgeoning business magnified by the pandemic lockdowns.
“So many people were homebound, and they couldn’t help noticing things around the house in need of a redo,” notes Peters.
And because she is extremely hands-on, performing complimentary consultations, measuring entire homes and dividing her time between the studio and her nearby workhouse, the location’s access to Mount Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and Daniel Island benefits both her clients and her own demanding schedule.
“I do on-site consultations everywhere, from Kiawah and Seabrook, Hilton Head, Bluffton and Myrtle Beach to Atlanta, and areas throughout North Carolina,” says Peters.
A talented designer in her own right, Miller is also available for client consultations and brings her unique creative sensibility. “We’re hoping to offer a more intimate experience for clients,” says Miller. “I still work with clients I had 16 years ago. I build collaborative relationships with them and the designers I meet. Once we have that, they stick with me.”
In addition to Lowcountry locals loyal to the studio, Charleston’s popularity as a first- and second-home destination delivers plenty of new folks to the door, as well. “We have new people walking in every day,” says Peters. “And we’re working with designers from New York, California, Chicago and Ohio because their clients are here.”
Personalized service. Expert guidance. Top name brands. Jean’s Custom Workroom delivers a unique experience tailored to every client because every home is unique.
Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer.
