TIME FOR A CHANGE

A couple introduces glamour to their Isle of Palms home

BY HOLLY FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS

DesignCHDver2-Image-1

For 11 years the Vicente family made their home near Summerville, South Carolina, where they raised their young children. In 2016, after living with toys scattered about the house, they chose to alter their lifestyle by moving to an Isle of Palms home where they could enjoy a more “grown-up and glamorous” lifestyle.

“As the kids got older, we wanted to create a more sophisticated look,” Jen Vicente says.

So, she turned to CHD Interiors in Mount Pleasant, where designers Karsen Hood and Michelle Still created a style that was clean and functional for Vicente, her husband, Raymond, their three children and four dogs.

CHD Interiors offers personalized interior design services along with home furnishings and accessories at its two locations: Mount Pleasant and Murrells Inlet.

Developing a home design that meshes perfectly with a customer’s lifestyle and personality is the company’s specialty.

DesignCHDver2-Image-2DesignCHDver2-Image-3

Its motto is: “Our design tells your story.” Owner and lead designer Lance Griffith earned a reputation for quality service with an uncommon design approach. His signature style, known as “Lowcountry chic,” embraces the comfortable, relaxed lifestyle of the South.

“Jen was super fun to work with, since she was so open to new ideas,” Hood says. “She wanted a clean, modern look that would offer functionality for family life.”

The Vicentes’ two-story house has an open layout with five bedrooms, including an additional first-floor master bedroom for guests. There’s also a detached garage with an 800-square-foot recreation room where kids can hang out and play Ping-Pong.

The team established an uncluttered, transitional look for the home and added the touches of glamour that the Vicentes desired.

Mixed metals—silver, gold and brass—and vibrant touches of color bring the rooms to life, while natural woven fabrics and textured surfaces reference the Lowcountry.

Glamour reigns in the master bedroom, where the designers specified a gold chain-link chandelier and platinum-finished drapery rods. A plush rug and snow leopard-patterned bed scarf keep the look soft. Nightstands covered in lacquered grass cloth are at once dressed up and understated.

In the living room citron accents adorn pillows as well as the base of the ombré sheers. A sisal rug with a modified Greek key pattern subtly references geometric patterns on the chairs and in the base of the coffee table. The conversations between modern and traditional continue in the dining room, where the designers deftly combined a claw-foot dining table, an acrylic chandelier and a bold piece of abstract art.

Having an interior designer involved allowed Vicente to be strategic and focused in making design decisions. “I didn’t want to just piece it together,” she says.

The Vicentes plan to stay in this home for many years, so it was essential that the house reflect their lifestyle and personality without being trendy. “I wanted pieces that would speak for themselves, but no clutter,” Vicente says. “I love things that wow you, but not lots of knickknacks.”

A good example are the custom-made window treatments throughout the home that add an artistic and textured element to each room. Vicente was surprised to discover that custom blinds are less expensive than plantation shutters. Blackout blinds help keep the house cool.

CHD Interiors helped the couple efficiently create the look and ambience they desired. “We have been saving for this project,” Vicente says. “When the time came, we simply wanted to do it right.”

Holly Fisher is a writing and marketing professional with Fisher Creative in Mount Pleasant.

More Information