6 min readEvery year, our Whole Home project grants us the opportunity to pair up with pros at the top of their game to create a cohesive, exciting, and memorable space that represents the best in design. We like to think of it as part creative incubator, part playhouse; a space for designers to throw anything at the wall (literally and figuratively) and experiment with all those “someday” wishlist ideas they’ve been dying to try out on a client.
This year, the brief was even more exciting: to help House Beautiful transform not one but two luxury condos in the heart of Charleston into design-forward destinations that represent the best of city living. The resulting homes—one geared towards a couple’s retreat, the other a party pied-à-terre—underscore a distinctly Charleston idea: that history, hospitality, and modern life can share the same address. From clever furniture swaps to layouts that facilitate fun, here are the most genius details we noticed from this year's showhouse.
1.
A Drapery Upgrade That Adds Instant Polish
Designer Lauren Lubin added an extra layer of visual interest using ribbon trim.
When it came to adding dimension to the guest bedroom in Unit 1, fabric was Laura Lubin’s secret weapon. The Ellerslie Interiors founder wanted the secondary bedroom to feel like a space assembled over time, and a spot that made guests feel immediately at home. To achieve that layered, heritage feel, she ensconced the room in an assortment of eye-catching prints, including bed and window drapery in Stroheim fabric.
To help the latter stand up against the room’s regal bed, she relied on a clever trick of the trade: adding a leaf-like Stroheim trim to the base of the drapes, followed by Fabricut bullion fringe. The sophisticated finishing touch makes the window treatments feel even more thoughtful and custom, but it’s also a great way to upgrade store-bought drapes.
2.
A Clever Small-Space Bar
Your favorite sips can still be within reach, even when square footage is at a premium.
Instead of a traditional dining room, designer Nicole Salceda of Eye for Pretty imagined this room off the entryway of Unit 1 as more of a dining lounge, a low-pressure setting where the homeowners and their friends could enjoy casual bites, games, and pre-dinner drinks.
Of course, no entertaining zone would be complete without a bar, but fitting one into the already-bustling space would be difficult. Salceda’s solution? A slim console tucked between two Rowe Furniture banquettes that doubles as a spot for mixing cocktails, stashing glassware, and storing favorite spirits. It’s like if your favorite chic hotel had a bar in every room—and your favorite sip was always ready for happy hour.
3.
A Banquette That Replaces a Couch
The dining room staple got new life in designer Mark Kennamer’s writing room.
Designer Mark Kennamer’s dedicated writing room is a symphony of beautiful colors, textures, and finishes—but there’s one piece that really stands out from the pack. Instead of outfitting the space with an overstuffed sofa, he kept the scene streamlined and made the most of the available square footage by using a Lee Industries sectional banquette—typically found in dining nooks—to provide seating without taking up a substantial footprint.
Realized in a rich olive green and finished with trim, it holds its own against the room’s more glamorous details (that metallic Phillip Jeffries wallpaper!) and gives scribes plenty of spots to sit with a pen and paper when inspiration strikes.
4.
Cabinets That Help Your Appliances Stand Out
Instead of disguising their presence, why not lean into their polish?
Outfitted with creamy Kingdom cabinetry and beautifully veined Dekton countertops, Unit 2 boasts a European-leaning kitchen that would be any chef’s dream. The bespoke touch of the Bennett Hofford team is evident throughout, but nowhere does it shine brighter than on the range wall, where a Quintessential Teal La Cornue CornuFé range takes center stage.
To reinforce the Parisian bistro flair of the range, Ford used the brand’s newest metal cabinetry system, CornuFé Kitchen Collection, to carry the stove’s dark finish and brass detailing into the surrounding storage.
5.
Narrow Pull Drawers By the Range
Bennett Hofford made the most of every inch with clever storage solutions.
Charleston is a city known for its iconic restaurant scene, but that doesn’t mean that the kitchen could fall by the wayside. When outfitting the cook space in Unit 1, Susan Ford, who leads design-build for Bennett Hofford, relied on Kingdom’s bespoke cabinetry options to ensure every drawer, door, and cabinet had a purpose.
Our favorite feature? A pair of slim drawers that pull out on either side of the range, outfitted with the internal systems to support storing oils, spices, sprays, and cooking utensils. Not only does it give everything a (very organized) place to land, but it helps keep the countertops clean, so guests can spend more time admiring the beautiful veining in the Cosentino slab—and whatever’s cooking up on the Viking range.
6.
A Smart Floor Plan Swap
Dinner and drinks become the center of the action with this clever layout.
For Chloe Legras of Boxwood Avenue, the European way of entertaining—relaxing, meandering, and without an agenda—is what drove the vibe of her great room. With the idea of hours-long lunches and casual aperitivo in mind, she flipped the layout in the expansive main living space on its head, making hosting a priority, not an afterthought.
Instead of giving a cozy sofa pride of place next to the Dekton-clad fireplace, she tucked the dining area at the far end of the room, allowing it to become the room’s focal point. There, a pair of stools tuck neatly beneath the Four Hands table when not in use, but pull out easily for bonus seating as the party expands.
7.
An Impactful DIY stool
Adding a plush pop of pattern to your space has never been easier.
Sometimes a room just needs the right finishing touch, and for Katie Monkhouse of Monkhouse Studio, that meant a convenient spot to perch while spinning records. Her dedicated listening lounge is moody and transportive, made all the more comfortable by a bevy of places to relax with a record, from the Lee Industries sofa to the stool tucked beneath the Four Hands console, which she DIY’d with a graphic fabric and legs she found on Etsy.
8.
A Picture Rail For Easy Hanging
A touch of shine—and a whole lot of convenience.
Between art, mirrors, and drapery, there can be a lot that goes onto the walls of a room—and designers are no strangers to fiddling until everything is just so. Having the flexibility to experiment is key, and designer Michael Mitchell cracked the code on doing it with style in his indulgent primary suite.
He surrounded the entire perimeter of the room with a gilded rail, from which he hung everything from art and vintage screen panels to the room’s Art Nouveau-inspired drapery. The best part? Switching things up is as easy as moving around some hooks and chains; no patching the walls required.
9.
Layering Art on Top of Art
Robin and Regina Reaves make a case for the maximalist gallery wall.
As a tribute to the many art galleries lining the streets of Charleston, Robin and Regina Reaves of R&R Interior Design 365 chose to elevate a wing of Unit 2 into an at-home art gallery, complete with remote-controlled picture lights and sconces from Pooky, art from Minted, and more. The only difference? Instead of opting for a quiet white backdrop like most traditional galleries would, they leaned into their more-is-more design DNA, layering a transportive Phillip Jeffries mural beneath an eclectic gallery wall for a maximalist approach to displaying—and enjoying—art.
10.
Bedroom Seating That’s Not the Bed
Comfort is key, but having options is even better.
Designer Anissa Zajac of House Seven Design loves a plush bed (“I want [it] to feel like you could fall into it,” she says), but that doesn’t mean it should be the only spot designated for relaxation in your bedroom. When designing the primary suite in Unit 1, Zajac topped the Four Hands iron canopy bed with a small loveseat from Lee Industries at the foot, giving the room’s occupants a spot to sip their morning coffee, read before bed, or catch up on post-work e-mails.
