In a post labeled "better late than never," I'm finally taking the time to share all about our quick trip last month to the 2024 Southern Living House in Kiawah, SC. You can read the details here about our trip to Charleston, including recommendations on where to stay and eat if you've never been before. If you can make it soon, I highly suggest taking the short drive to Kiawah Island to explore the SL House before it closes to the public next month. But if you're unable to visit in person, relax, grab a drink, and join me on a personal tour of the 2024 Southern Living House.
2024 Southern Living House
Climbing up the front porch stairs in the 2024 Southern Living Home reminded me of my Grannie's house in deep south Georgia, especially when my eyes spied this fantastic modern day interpretation of an antique joggling board. You can read more about the history of joggling boards as well as shop for one of your very own right here.
We barely walked inside the front door when my breath was absolutley taken away at first sight of this gorgeous hallway with this stunning, wait it needs to be said in all caps, STUNNING wallpaper depicting Charleston's Hampton Park by Rebecca Atwood. The hallway alone had me at hello and wondering what the asking price of the home was.
As you continue walking down the hallway to the left of the front door, you'll find yourself in the softly sophisticated powder room and get a preview of the undertones that greet you elsewhere in the home. In case you were wondering, the paint color is Sherwin Williams Bateau Brown.
You do have do buy tickets to tour the SL House and once you have your tickets for a specific day, it's basically an open house where you can arrive and linger during the day. Due to the Saturday crowds, we had to wind our way around the house to visit different areas before circling back to the main living room and kitchen areas, which is how I soon found myself back what I would call the butler's pantry at the Friends' Entrance, their term mine, before checking in on the laundry room which is the door you see below on the far right...
You can't see it from the hallway but once you step inside the laundry room, you'll find a sweet space for a dog (or cat) bowl for food and water.
Note the pot filler above which seems magical. We're designing a kitchen for clients right now with a similar built in space but have opted not to use a pot filler above the bowls for our client's 85 pound puppy for fear said pup might bump their head or accidentally turn the water on when it's humans arent' home. Looks great, just wondering out loud how practical this pot filler might be in the long run. Things that make you go "hmmmmm?"
Directly opposite this butler's pantry/keeping room is a screened in porch....
that overlooks the low country coastal marsh backyard and pool area to the left...
Note the carriage house and spool (aka in my world as a small pool or spa + pool). I'll share pics of the carriage house in part 2 soon but for now let's head back inside the main house shall we?
Wait, I forgot the dog run. Yes, I said dog run. How cool is that?!?! Pardon my photo through the screen on the porch but I was trying to figure out what the hubs and our dear friend Jeff were looking at. It turns out everybody loves a good dog run.
Here's a clearer picture of the back porch and the outside dog house itself that my people were just inspecting the details of...
I love the variety of outdoor seating available out here. The outdoor ceiling fans should help with moving air and mosquitoes during the thick of summer and there's always a lovely reprieve waiting for you on the screened in back porch.
If you need me, I'll be on the porch swing with a glass of sweet tea, a stack of Southern Living magazines to catch up on and this view to soak in...
Back in the main entry hall and at the front door, you'll see a wall of woven Gullah baskets.
Turn left at the baskets and you'll enter the primary bedroom and ensuite. Turn right and you'll find the stairs to the second floor which I promise to post soon in a part two.
I feel like now is the perfect time to give a shout out to the South Carolina-based team that turned this project from just a dream into reality for Southern Living Magazine.
Interior Designer: Allison Elebash of Allison Elebash Interior Design
Architect: Kirsten Schoettelkotte of MHK Architecture
Builder: Tom Dillard of Dillard-Jones
Landscape Architect: Scott Parker of DesignWorks
Interior Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Design is in the details and I know from experience how many people it takes behind the scenes to make a project like this look effortless. Teamwork makes the dream work and my hat is off to everyone who had a hand in this project whether they're listed above or not. The care and like I said, the attention to detail was obvious and there at every turn and I was there for it.
The primary bedroom was all in on luxurious layers. I love how the designer carried the gorgeous wallpaper up the walls and onto the ceiling, even wrapping the air returns. She was all in and I salute her. Note too that the custom paper was color matched to the wainscot and trim (painted Sherwin Williams Soft Sage btw). Looking out the windows, it just looks like the outdoors continues on the inside.
Pillow heaven y'all. This is one of my favorite equations for pillows on a king sized bed and no, there is no such thing as too many pillows as long as you have the proportions right.
A great example of a mix of high and low bedding. They used white bedding from the SL line at Dillards for the base layers and then custom pillows and blankets.
Turning around from this exact point will take you through the primary closet...
and into the primary ensuite bathoom.
When we walked in the hubs yelled, "hey! it's just like our new bathroom!" It made me smile that he recognized some of the similar features or details I put into our recently completed bathroom renovation. It's definitely an ensuite I'd be happy with to call home one day down the road. In the meantime I'm in love with ours (reveal soon y'all!!).
Peek-a-boo, I see you.
Back in the main living and dining areas, there was eye candy to devour at every turn. I spied so many trade vendors in this house y'all, it made me downright giddy. In fact, reviewing the photos now as I type makes my heart go pitter patter, just thinking about the projects we have lined up in the new year and the design plans and vendor lists I've already started in my head. I. can. hardly. wait. 2025 is gonna be good.
Speaking of good, let's walk back to the main living and dining area of the first floor. Note the layer upon layer of textures, pattern, and color in both hard and soft finishes that weave a sophisticated but unstuffy story throughout this house.
And the same holds true for the lighting...layered with ambient light from ceiling to wall sconces, not to mention floor lamps and table lamps, altogether a wonderful warm mix of textures, finishes, and materials.
I love how the designer brought in littles touches of greens and browns on the throw casually settled on the back of the sofa as well as the cushions on the dining room chairs (atop slipcovers...say it with me, delicious layers are where it's at). To me, its a nod to the marsh that lies right outside the back door. What a tale this house weaves.
The flange on the sofa, the colors, oh my!
Lovely little accents everywhere...
I know I called the bar area in the Friends' Entrance, down the little arched hallway you see to the right below, a butler's pantry earlier as I was describing the area. Well, I stand corrected, kind of. It's more like a pass through.
In the left of the photo above, you may be wondering what that little area is, tucked in just behind the kitchen. In Texas we'd call it the butler's pantry. Here in the Southern Living House, its called the Scullery. Tomato, tomatoe, all I'll say is that sink is t tiny for washing up but I do love the name though and am putting a scullery on my dream home wish list. Look at all this storage y'all. Can you imagine?
Perfect for storing dishes and glassware for any and every occasion.
I sent this photo to a client for a fireplace project in her home. Her cast stone fireplace is going to be beyond gorgeous.
I love it when the designer calls out for the registers and speakers to be faux painted. Details ya'll. It's all in the details and worth every penny I promise.
I know, I got every angle I could of every room and then some. And most without people in them. Score!
How amazing is this house y'all? It's a dream is what it is. And this is only the first floor! But the tour for today must come to an end. Don't be sad, I'll leave you with a little lagniappe. Look at this fun little alcove area at the bottom of the stairwell (remember if you break left at the gullah baskets on the wall it goes to the primary, well, take a right and you're deposited at this spot. All my fellow Mahjong players and especially my repeat client Mrs. A, this one's for you....
Stay tuned for part duex soon where'll we go upstairs on the second floor of the main house and over into the carriage house as well.
In case I don't get a chance to post next week, I hope you get a chance to spend time with people you love and wish you a very happy and reflective Thanksgiving. If you're reading this during a difficult time in your life, I wish you peace and comfort. This is the first holiday season in a couple of years that I'm not absolutely dreading after the deaths of a very dear friend and my parents. Give yourself grace if you're not in a festive holiday mood. Here's a post from last year about embracing the holidays in a low key kind of way. It was just what I needed to hear and maybe you might too. xoxo.
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