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The home’s designers continue the curved detail introduced by the architects by bringing in dining chairs with arch detailing. An in-floor fireplace was custom created by the SHELTER team.
Trifecta of visionaries led by shelter custom-built Living created this contemporary home to fit within the Lowcountry vernacular of its marshy setting on Daniel Island. The homeowners, who envisioned an open, functional layout, asked SHELTER to lead the charge, relying on the builder’s reputation for constructing luxury modern homes that each make a distinctive statement. Since what they had in mind was different from the usual Daniel Island archetype, the homeowners felt SHELTER’s commitment to detail and customization and its talented in-house team of builders, artisans and designers made the company a good fit for the style of home they aspired to build.
“We have found a niche in designing and building contemporary homes that fill a void in the Charleston marketplace,” says Jenny Butler of SHELTER Custom-Built Living. “As people move to the area from other parts of the country, they are interested in a style that’s a little different from the typical Lowcountry.”
While these homeowners are South Carolina-grown, they were interested in the clean lines of a more modern style. They relied on SHELTER to vet architectural and interior design firms and bring them the top contenders to consider adding to the team. From that list, the owners narrowed it down to husband-and-wife-owned Boyd Architects and Jenny Keenan Design.
“As a boutique firm, we are unapologetically contemporary but unmistakably of the place,” says architect Lucas Boyd, who along with his architect-wife, Rachel Boyd, aims to prove contemporary design can fit in well with traditional neighbors. “The homeowners wanted a home that was even more modern than we designed, but the Daniel Island Architectural Review Board is quite prescriptive in its stylistic mandates, which we had to follow. Our job was to knit together the historical approach to architecture with contemporary features.”
To avoid having a giant monolithic structure, the architects instead created four distinct brick-gabled structures connected by “hyphens,” or links between the larger volumes. The volumes were rotated to take advantage of the views and better serve the interior architectural design. Using hyphens to connect larger portions of a building hearkens back to a strategy used in many of the area’s historic homes as they were renovated over time. Homeowners often enlarged footprints and connected newly constructed add-ons to the original dwelling through the use of smaller enclosed buildings that acted as intermediaries or bridges. It was this historical context that allowed such a contemporary design like this home to blend within the traditional style of homes on Daniel Island. “It’s an effective way to take the edge off of larger buildings,” Boyd adds. “Since hyphens have a history in Charleston, they are architecturally palatable.”
The team relied on elemental materials to add richness to the exterior, including whitewashed brick, natural stone and modified Kebony wood for contrast and warmth. While they eschewed the composite materials often used in harsh coastal environments, the natural materials they chose hold up just as well in the salt air. “This is the first time we have used Kebony, which is treated to resist decay,” says Butler. “The architects specified a custom stain on it to pull in the warm brown undertones of the whitewashed brick.”
SHELTER brought an entire team of artisans and professionals to work on the home, including in-house designer Kecia Heyward, who managed the overall design. She also spent a lot of time researching new materials and vendors to bring to the project. “We don’t like to copy other clients’ homes and instead take a fresh approach to each project,” she says. “That’s what makes SHELTER unique; all of our homes look very different from each other.”
One of the first custom features that visitors see when they drive up to the home and enter the foyer is the grand sculptural staircase designed to function as a piece of permanent art. It introduces the rounded, curved theme that travels throughout the home’s interior architecture, softening the straight, clean lines of contemporary design. “It took many professionals and craftsmen to properly engineer the stairway and get its curve to fit the space,” says Butler. Made of Venetian plaster with an integrated handrail, it promotes the clean lines the homeowners wanted. A striking glass pivot door connects the covered landing to the foyer just steps in front of the staircase. It was matched to the home’s windows for a seamless aesthetic.
Other rooms include softly curved architectural elements, such as in the open kitchen and dining area, with a curved wood tambour wall that connects the spaces. It was hand fabricated by SHELTER’s trim carpenters using individually milled white oak boards. The rounded island countertop made of leathered Calacatta Namibia marble continues the theme, with a round pedestal base mimicking the tambour wall. An LED-lit brass reveal on the edge of the island countertop is a one-of-a-kind touch. Gently sloping radius tray ceilings complete the head-to-toe look. Behind the tambour wall, a scullery features a rounded island and curved upper cabinetry while hiding all of the major appliances to maintain a sense of quiet calm in the main kitchen. Its stained oak cabinetry creates a dark and moody ambience, which is a counterpoint to the otherwise light and bright interior. Designer Jenny Keenan introduced furnishings to complement the curves, including a sculptural dining table and accompanying arched chairs from Bradley USA.
The kitchen cabinets provide another touchpoint of customization by the Jenny Keenan Design team, who brought in local cabinetmaker Hostetler Custom Cabinetry to design and install bespoke high-gloss white lacquer cabinets. “The homeowner often writes notes to the kids on the cabinet facing, which can be easily erased,” says Heyward. “It’s an example of the use of another first-time product in this market.”
Bespoke details enhance the home’s seven bathrooms, so that each one makes a signature statement; no two vanities are alike. One, for example, required collaboration and simultaneous installation between the stone manufacturer and cabinetmaker. Its floating vanity sits inside a surround of natural stone. Another bathroom features a thick slab of granite aligned with a fluted wooden base. Diverse selections of geometrically graphic tile in each bathroom give each space an entirely different dynamic.
The drama carries into the private spaces, such as the upstairs home office, where a wall of oversize windows and glass doors leads to a Hartstone paved deck with glass railings. “We left off the cap rail on the handrail for unobstructed views,” says Heyward. It all results in a spectacular marsh panorama that makes every workday a little bit lighter.
Keenan specified furnishings throughout the home to complement the contemporary aesthetic. Since most of the back of the home is glass, the design team kept the furnishings neutral. “The Jenny Keenan team brought the outside in,” says Heyward. “Nature is the color palette. They added textures through finishes and fabrics for added dimension.”
“The homeowners didn’t want a lot of color or pattern, so we relied on textural fabrics to add interest, such as velvet upholstery on the sofa and bouclé chairs,” Keenan further explains. Terrazzo in key locations, such as on the dining room fireplace and on the foyer floor, contribute to the modern feel.
Functional family spaces are important to the homeowners. “I wanted a big, open house but didn’t want wasted space,” one of the homeowners says. “We use every room on a daily basis.” The home gym sees regular use by the five family members, and the theater with its starlit ceiling is a place to relax and escape. Outdoor living amenities provide other points of recreation: a pool, covered and uncovered deck space with retractable screens, an outdoor kitchen, and a private deep-water dock and boat storage deliver plenty of play options. “It is so peaceful to eat breakfast outside on the porch,” adds the homeowner.
Because the configuration of the flag lot extends into the marsh, the backyard affords the ultimate level of privacy. Neighboring homes are only located at the street level and invisible to the family members as they recreate behind the home and take in the expansive marsh and deep-water views in every direction. The geometry of the land and the location of protected oak trees led the architect to position the home at an angle rather than parallel to the street, which further distinguishes it from its neighbors. “It’s a private haven,” says Butler. “By designing the primary suite so it juts out from the main structure, even the pool is fully private.”
While coastal regulations require homes to be raised, the homeowners did not want the look of an elevated structure. The architect and landscape designer, REMARK Studio, worked together to combine a series of terraced planters and patios around the home’s perimeter that create a gradual visual transition that steps down and blends with the land. The solution maintains the contemporary character of the exterior.
As a result of assembling a team of professionals dedicated and experienced in modern design, the family is thrilled to be living in their dream home in a transcendent location. “While nodding to the Lowcountry vernacular by using some traditional elements, the team spun them in a new way that speaks a contemporary language,” Heyward says. “Historic area homes may have been our starting place, but our team was able to create a current adaptation that sits in its environment and respects its sense of place.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
While these homeowners are South Carolina-grown, they were interested in the clean lines of a more modern style.
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The grand curved staircase can be seen from outside the home at the front entrance. “It’s a work of art that transcends its utilitarian function and animates the home’s facade,” says architect Lucas Boyd.
