WHILE A NEW ENGLAND FAMILY SPENT DECADES VISITING THE Lowcountry for getaways, when it came time to build their own coastal home, they knew their limitations. “We had been coming to the Charleston area for the last 25 years on vacation, but when we purchased a lot and decided to build our own home, we not only had never built from the ground up before, we knew we were not familiar enough with building in this area and needed support,” the homeowner explains. “That’s why we reached out to Structures | Alair after going through the interview process to find a builder. We chose Structures because of its team-based approach. Structures assigns a project manager and also backs the project with office and design support. We’re not the most creative and didn’t want to see thousands of options for countertops and other finishes. The team looked at photos of our other home to understand what we like and presented us with manageable options to choose from.”
The new home is located in the Kiawah River coastal community on the banks of the Kiawah River on Johns Island. The planned community is situated on 2,000 acres on the sea island, with walking trails, open space views, sport courts, ponds, a shared community farm, and connection and access to the coastline. “This home was one of the first custom residences built in the neighborhood,” says Steve Kendrick, founder of Structures | Alair, which has been building custom luxury homes in the Charleston area since 1999. He says this project was a perfect fit for his company because client communications are set up with the expectation that many homeowners are building from afar. “We meet with clients weekly and coordinate closely with the design team to make the process easy and keep it on schedule,” he explains. “We are attuned to making efficient use of our clients’ time when they come into town to see progress and make decisions as their homes are being built.”
Kendrick started Structures and later joined the larger Alair team when he saw how it could benefit his clients and employees. Project managers receive training opportunities through the Alair network, and clients get a fully transparent cost-plus pricing model, with the chance to see all invoices and payments made as their homes are built. Kendrick and his team are pleased with the ability to network with like-minded custom homebuilders throughout North America who are part of the Alair team, adding their experiences to his company’s knowledge bank.
The homeowners chose architect Beau Clowney to design their home, and their daughter found designer Allison Elebash’s work on Instagram and fell in love with her portfolio. The homeowners especially liked the fact that all three design and construction professionals already had strong relationships from working together on past projects.
The homeowners wanted a casual, relaxed style for the interiors and exteriors that were true to the area. “We were not looking to bring New England design to South Carolina,” the homeowner says. “We love the natural attractions of the area that we have enjoyed over the years. Since our lot borders a tidal creek, we wanted to bring that view inside. We enjoy what is typical design here—high ceilings, lots of windows to capture the light and an in/out flow of living.”
The elevated home has an expansive screened porch on the main level that opens up completely from the living room. The homeowner enjoys that by leaving the door open between the two spaces, family members, including the fur baby, can wander in and out throughout the day, especially in the temperate fall and winter climate of our area. On the lower level beneath the home, the team created an outdoor living retreat, with a fireplace, a pool, an ipe shower and changing area, and connection to the tidal creek for fishing. Views beginning at the front of the home, through the outdoor living spaces underneath it, to the backyard beyond capture the sights and sounds of the tidal creek, which is a tributary of the Kiawah River. “The design, inside and out, fully takes advantage of water views and an outdoor lifestyle,” Kendrick explains.
The homeowner provided some input to the designer for the interiors but relied on her expertise to bring in the relaxed Lowcountry style the family wanted. “We wanted brightness from natural light and some color,” explains the homeowner.
“It’s nearly impossible to improve on the colors and textures of Mother Nature,” says Elebash. “The design for this house took many cues from the beautiful woods and waters of the Kiawah River. We complemented the setting with natural and soothing design elements, keeping things practical for this sporty and outdoorsy family. We kept their lifestyle in mind by choosing comfortable, durable furnishings and fabrics.” Practicality demanded features such as climate-controlled outdoor custom lockers at the entryway for golf gear and other equipment.
Elebash strategically introduced color in key areas, while allowing the natural surroundings to dictate those choices. The butler’s pantry, for instance, is painted in a vibrant green, “Calke Green” by Farrow & Ball. “Along with the pecky cypress ceiling, it might be my favorite pantry I have ever designed!” the designer says. She continued soft greens in the living room, with a conversation area set up with four swivel “chat” chairs covered in a Cowtan & Tout patterned fabric. “It was Allison’s idea to set up the conversation area in the living room,” says the homeowner. “We didn’t think we would use it, but it often gets used when we have guests over.”
Pecky cypress continues on the walls and ceiling of the dining area, setting it apart from the kitchen and living room. The open, flowing main level, which encompasses the dining area, kitchen and living room, is distinctly divided by wooden lintel beams above cased openings—white oak with a specialty finish. Along with bleached oak floors, the different wood species add warmth to the bright, light-filled interiors. By interweaving different textures and layering them into the calming color palette, Elebash was able to create further interest in the interiors. “Grasscloth wallcovering and various wood grains give new homes warmth and a character that’s reminiscent of an older, historic home,” she explains.
High-end finishes in the public rooms on the main level play a role in elevating the home’s design and prove that comfortable living and refinement can walk hand in hand. Venetian plaster on the range hood creates a soft, warm texture; an extra-thick 5-inch mitered Bianco Avion marble countertop levels up the design. A François & Co. cast stone fireplace in the adjacent living room adds sophistication to the casual interiors.
Nature and naturally inspired textures also play a role in the primary suite. “We drew inspiration from the majestic live oaks outside the room’s picture window,” says the designer. “It truly makes you feel immersed in the marshland that surrounds the house. We wrapped the room in a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth and paneled the ceiling in shiplap. A soft STARK carpet underfoot completes the textural palette.” An organic console, shaped like a whale’s tail, in front of the triple bank of windows brings a touch of whimsy to the space. Lucite accents and Visual Comfort bedside lamps with Bunny Williams shades bring elegance and refinement.
A convenient and delightful guesthouse with a kitchenette, connected to the main home by an exterior upper-level breezeway and small porch, allows visitors to have privacy away from the family. It continues the vaulted-ceiling theme of the main house and uses the same textural story, with bouclé chairs and woven shades.
The Structures | Alair team looked out for opportunities where they could add detail and special touches that the homeowner might not consider but that the family would appreciate as they live in the home. In the primary suite, for instance, the builder specified wooden covers over the air diffusers to better blend with the vaulted shiplap ceiling. An innovative vault-within-a-vault ceiling allowed the builder to place HVAC ductwork between the two ceilings, hiding it from view and allowing the focus to remain on nature and customized furnishings.
Since the home was so well designed and constructed, it has been able to transform into a primary home now that the homeowner has retired. It was an easy evolution, with spaces for the multigenerational family to hang out and entertain together, and private areas for both adults and children to enjoy quiet time apart from the group. Aging-in-place features, such as an elevator and a design that has all main living and primary spaces on one level, make this home workable now and in the future. “The design allows us to avoid stairs in the future if we need to,” says the homeowner.
“This Lowcountry cottage-style home has all of the amenities for family life and entertaining,” Kendrick says. “It is a very comfortable home without an ounce of pretension.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
The open, flowing main level, which encompasses the dining area, kitchen and living room, is distinctly divided by wooden lintel beams above cased openings—white oak with a specialty finish.
