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Spring Island Revival
Spring Island, South Carolina
AT THE END OF A WINDING DIRT ROAD IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA lies a peninsula along a tidal marsh, thick with live oaks lining the water’s edge. On the peninsula sits a well-ordered ensemble of traditional architecture, a meticulous enclave deftly woven within the lush, natural habitat.
Stretching along the marsh, the massing softly evokes the impression of a home that expanded over time. The design recalls early 19th century Greek Revival architecture in America with period-inspired details virtually concealing the home’s 21st century origin. The design team made use of the Greek Revival vocabulary to lend an old-world feel and provide a dynamic language of mouldings and motifs to draw from. This was filtered through traditional building forms in the Lowcountry, resulting in a series of structures that balances sophistication and simplicity.
ON THIS 6 ACRE SITE we created an estate that includes a main house, carriage house, guest house, pool pavilion, and a series of small ancillary structures. The buildings are linked by a series of axial relationships and balance, creating a sense of spatial enclosure upon arrival in the entry court. The entry lawn provides a moment of open simplicity as a counterpoint to the complex tapestry of surrounding trees and coastal foliage.
A LONG DRIVE leads to an arrival court where the main house takes center stage. Inspired by homes and details from nearby Beaufort and Savannah, the composition artfully balances a welcoming scale with a large, gracious front porch featuring flanking curved stairs.
THE FRONT DOOR playfully interprets the large single-panel doors as seen in Greek Revival precedent, adding a panel of leaded glass for shared light and views across the entry lawn.
THE LIVING ROOM is a richly detailed space, a balance of formality and freshness. A wall of glass doors and transoms frames expansive views across the rear porch to the marsh beyond.
THE LIVING ROOM
THE SITTING ROOM AND OFFICE create a textural counterpoint to the adjacent formal living room.
Saturated colors and grasscloth wall covering enrich the experience of this more intimately scaled room.
IN THE PRIMARY BEDROOM, a wall of French doors and transoms provides ample light and views and leads out to the shuttered sleeping porch.
A dressing room leads to the primary bathroom, its free-standing tub set under a skylight.
OUTSIDE THE PRIMARY BEDROOM, a cozy sleeping porch faces the marsh. Hanging beds allow for gently swaying naps, and a shutter wall with operable panels creates a sense of privacy and enclosure when desired.
A JIB DOOR in the dining room opens to the front porch. In a party setting, guests can flow in and out without ducking, allowing a graceful and playful meander around the home and grounds.
THE DINING ROOM
the kitchen’s classic feel is informed by historic furniture pieces. A sophisticated scullery serves both the kitchen and the dining room.
the morning room is wrapped in glass on three sides.
The “haint blue” ceiling and vintage-style paddle fan reinforce the feeling of an old porch turned interior space.
DETAILS DERIVED FROM CLASSICAL AND VERNACULAR PRECEDENT OF THE REGION contribute to a rich architectural language.
THE GUEST HOUSE is composed of two separate cottages connected by a screen porch.
a strong axis across the site reveals a layered glimpse of the pool pavilion through the elliptical central passage of the carriage house.
THE POOL PAVILION boasts classical details that speak to the overall language of the estate.
MONUMENTAL MOMENTS are balanced by quiet, but architecturally compelling vistas.
THE REAR OF THE HOME stretches out along the
marsh where a series of wide steps descend
to a brick terrace and lawn beyond.
Dark painted wood fencing virtually disappears into the foliage at the marsh edge
and allows the creamy exterior of the house to
shine.
