Stono River Residence published in Luxe Magazine

Inspired by mid-century architecture, this modern residence located in Charleston, South Carolina captures Stono River views with transparency and clean detailing. Forever thankful for our clients who trusted us and the collaboration with these pros:

Landscape Architect: Steve Dudash

Interiors: Allison Elebash

Builder: Cline Homes

Photography: Julia Lynn

Styling: Kate Malpeli

Author: Stephanie Hunt

Excerpt from Luxe Interiors + Design Southeast Nov/Dec 2022 by Stephanie Hunt:

“The sun slipping beneath the horizon of Charleston’s Stono River affords a view unlike any other. The languid humidity, lingering nearly the whole year here, filters light like a kaleidoscope, tossing color to and fro. Frame this scene in the arms of majestic, moss-draped oaks, and it’s enough to take your breath away.

Such were the natural gifts of a picturesque Charleston property, where one couple hoped to capture these Lowcountry dreamscapes from every angle. Although the pair had adored a steel-and-glass addition at their previous, more traditional home, the Stono River site afforded the opportunity to indulge their midcentury preferences from the ground up. A respected real estate developer in the area, the husband already had collaborated with architects Rush and Judy Dixon on several commercial projects in the past, which made teaming up for a new residence a no-brainer. “This house is all about the view and connection to the water,” reveals Judy, adding that a benefit of embracing a modernist discipline is its inherent minimalism. “From our first meeting, these clients were clear they didn’t want something grand, fussy or ostentatious; rather, a home that would be organic, eclectic and clean,” she continues. “They understand the power of simplicity.”

Joining the project from the outset, landscape architect, Steve Dudash had the fortune of consulting heavily on the home’s siting, even directing a 180-degree flip in orientation to best capture the sunset views. To further leverage the river vistas and blur boundaries between inside and out, the Dixons devised a transparent, open living space. Bound by glass on two sides, it’s bookended by the primary suite as well as a two-story tower hosting additional bedrooms and a den. “The main living area easily absorbs all comings and goings when everyone is busy at home, but it still feels intimate when it’s just the two of them,” Judy says. “It was essential that every room, every space, feel comfortable on a personal scale, and with a connection to nature.” In the public spaces, cypress ceilings, soffits and a louvered overhang that filters strong afternoon sunlight all speak to local natural materials. Such details underscore the tireless efforts of buider Jay Godefroy and his team, including design coordinator Alexandra Frick. “Jay was exceptionally patient and thorough,” reveals Rush, who ensured a nod to classic Charleston vernacular by way of a white stucco facade.

Serenity comes not only from the breathtaking location, but from the simplicity of the interiors, where designer Allison Elebash capitalized on the Dixons’ modernist hallmarks. She anchored the main living area, for example, using a curved sofa with 1970s notes. “Solving the seating configuration in such a large horizontal space was tricky,” admits Elebash, adding that its embracing shape and golden mohair upholstery smartly combine form and function: lush to the touch, but durable enough to stand up to daily life. “I loved the practicality of these clients,” continues Elebash. In every part of the house, “they wanted to avoid anything extraneous; everything is purposeful.”

A custom walnut dining table bridges the area between this gathering space and the kitchen, where a calming palette of earth tones and sky blues is expressed through a dark gray island countertop and azure leather stools - all streamlined, per the clients’ request, so as not to compete with the views. But Elebash pushed back against the husband’s “no maintenance, no upkeep” pragmatism when it came to the kitchen backsplash. “I insisted we go with real marble,” recounts the designer, who specified a book-matched slab of Calacatta Namibia because “nothing beats the drama of natural stone.”

Situating the pool deck to capture the same sight lines as the house, however, required no cajoling. “Everyone agreed on the size, shape and location of the infinity pool, which would be surrounded by a bluestone patio,” Rush recounts. “The owners’ bedroom wraps around it, so again, there’s a connection from their personal space as well as the living room.” Keeping the pool and patio on the same elevation as the house likewise guaranteed the outdoor areas - updated by Dudash with fresh plantings of beautyberry, African iris, Foster holly and more - would be a seamless extension of the interior.

From this vantage point, the homeowners can fully soak up their fulfilled vision: a modern homage to Charleston’s ancient landscape that marries old and new, indoors and out, natural and man-made, with peace and practicality. After all, as the storied river and old oaks know, simplicity is best when nature’s beauty is so abundant.”

What Modern Design Means to Us

We are passionate about design, work hard and have fun along the way. Over the years, we have leaned more and more toward minimalism and a modernist approach to our designs while keeping eyes wide open to the environmental and built context. Add in the end user’s programmatic requirements to complete the march towards form following function. Historically, the term ‘modern architecture’ describes an architectural style lacking ornamentation and embracing minimalism, usually by incorporating the use of glass, steel and concrete. The Mid-Century Modern era emphasized bringing nature inside, a contradiction of materials and textures, bold and geometric forms among others. Modern design to us means functional, empathetic, sustainable, and edited design. Our derivation of this movement is ever changing with the needs of our clients, construction materials and sustainable strategies. We feel there is power in simplicity and continue to evolve, refine and explore with each design opportunity.

Entryway at a custom home in Mount Pleasant with floor and ceiling materials carrying through from inside to outside. Photo: Tripp Smith

The offices in Coastal Fertility Specialists’ Nexton location benefit from full height glass bringing natural light and views as well as a respite from the clinical areas. Photo: Chris Smith

Brighton's Court at Nexton

The vision for Brighton’s Court, a pair of commercial buildings on Brighton Park Boulevard in the Nexton community, is to create a welcoming retail and office environment through deliberate architecture and site planning. The buildings engage the street and benefit from a central courtyard gathering area envisioned to have specialty trees, seating, and catenary lights to create an inviting outdoor room for employees and patrons.

The general architectural direction is informed by the client’s neighboring building, Coastal Fertility Specialists, and strives for clarity in form, varied textures, and engaging entrances and spaces. The buildings are “book-matched” along the courtyard axis and are massed so that the outer ends of the buildings are weighted “bookends” to the overall composition. The heavy masonry forms gradually erode toward the courtyard, enhancing the connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Composite wood and glass becomes more prevalent toward the courtyard emphasizing this gradient concept.

This project is under the purview of the Nexton Design Committee and thus their design manual. Per the architectural guidelines, “Garden offices should combine materials thoughtfully and offer an opportunity to explore and blur the boundaries between discrete inside and outside experiences. The temperate climate should be exploited through development of exterior spaces. Forms and architectural devices should be developed to emphasize the human scale of these workplaces.”

Project Team

• Harbor Contracting - General Contracting

• Empire Engineering - Civil Engineering

• ADC Engineering - Structural Engineering

• Charleston Engineering - Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing Engineering

• Belk Lucy: Leasing Agent

Bird’s eye view of the two “book-matched” buildings and central courtyard.

Diagram showing the gradient concept For building massing from heavy to light - blurring the line between inside and outside

Charleston Modern Infill - UPDATE

This speculative infill development included three single family residences located in the Cannonborough neighborhood in downtown Charleston. The client’s desire for a modern aesthetic with durable, low maintenance materials was executed with cementitious V-groove and lap siding on a stucco base. Now two of the three residences have been completed by Zourzoukis Homes and are for sale.

Click HERE for a link to the listing and additional photos by our friends at Birchin Lane Realty.

Holy City Orthodontics

“Your smile starts here.”

Holy City Orthodontics

It is always a privilege helping our commercial clients realize their goals by being behind-the-scenes of their business, craft an effective and hopefully inspiring built environment and as well as reinforce their brand. We recently had the pleasure of developing an interior architectural scheme for Dr. Rebekah Anderson and her new practice, Holy City Orthodontics. Dr. Anderson’s clear vision for her practice translated into focused discussions on how to create a welcoming, bright and modern space. The design uses light woods, white marble and modern lighting in conjunction with an intuitive work flow / equipment layout courtesy of Patterson Dental.

Before earning her Certificate in Orthodontics and Masters in Dentistry at MUSC, Dr. Anderson studied at UNC - Chapel Hill (Bachelors in Chemistry) and Boston University (Masters in Medical Science, DMD). “We plan to open the doors to Holy City Orthodontics this summer, and I could not be more excited. We've got an all-star team helping with our build-out. We're excited to treat children and adults with braces and clear aligners. All are welcome!” Rounding out the team is HG Engineering (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) and Harbor Contracting as the General Contractor.

Fulton Residence: Unique Modern Living

The design of this residence began as a collaboration between Alka Construction and Rush Dixon Architects to continue the Fulton Neighborhood’s “unique modern living” approach to the built environment. We appreciate what Alka has created in this neighborhood and our collective goal was to create a “Lowcountry Modern” aesthetic that responds to the site. Prior to the commencement of construction the homeowners purchased the property; we were then able to customize the design to their passions and way of living.

The house was designed to have functional and easy spaces to live in, that can work equally well for entertaining, family time or solitude. A significant design moment is the custom wood scrim wall which not only separates the entry from the dining room, but displays artifacts from the homeowners’ many travels. We measured each of these special pieces and created several iterations of the wall detail until we landed on the best configuration.

The properties in Fulton are intentionally modest in size which creates a rich density similar to the courtyard living of neo-traditional neighborhoods like Rosemary Beach or Alys Beach. This creates a challenge when laying out the house and exterior living spaces as the goal is to create privacy and functionality. The site borders on beautiful wooded wetlands which we wanted to embrace as a natural backdrop and short view. The main entrance is centered on the dining room and living room which creates a view corridor through large full glass sliding doors to the woodlands. The master bedroom is another beneficiary of the wooded view.

Photo: Ebony Ellis

Photo: Ebony Ellis

Photo: Ebony Ellis

We were but a small part of bringing this design to reality. The homeowners and Alka took the lead on the interiors with help from Cabaret Cabinetry, Urban Electric, Inspired Closets and Tile and Stone Design Studio. Click here for more photos and drawings.

Mount Pleasant Modern

“Modern architecture does not mean the use of immature new materials; the main thing is to refine materials in a more human direction.” Alvar Aalto

Design goals for this residence included simple lines, livable spaces and sustainability. Thoughtful and exacting decisions were made collectively with the client, architect and builder. Materials include warm woods, stucco and glass.