Our goal was never simply to create a beautiful house.
We wanted to create a home that invited us outside and made everyday life feel just a little slower. Inspired by the timeless gardens of Charleston and the weathered charm of old Sullivan's Island, we dreamed of a landscape that felt collected rather than designed, peaceful rather than perfect, and deeply connected to nature. A place for morning coffee on the porch, children running barefoot through the grass, and dinners outside that linger long after the sun goes down. Most importantly, we wanted a home that was meant to be lived in.
The Before
When we purchased the property, we immediately saw its potential, but we also knew every square inch would need to work incredibly hard.
Like many homes in our area, the lot is relatively small and comes with its own unique challenges. Between historic influences, flood considerations, drainage requirements, zoning regulations, and the realities of coastal living, every decision required thoughtful planning.
As a family of five with two dogs, we also knew the space had to support real life. Golf carts. Bikes. Surfboards. Fishing gear. Sandy feet. Gardening. Boating. Cookouts. Neighborhood walks.We wanted room for all of it without ever feeling cluttered.
One of our guiding principles became simple:
Create a home where life can happen beautifully.
The After
Our Design Philosophy
From the beginning, we kept coming back to the same words:
- Functional
- Intentional
- Timeless
- Natural
- Peaceful
Living in the Lowcountry means respecting nature rather than fighting it. We carefully considered sun exposure, shade patterns throughout the day, plant hardiness, drainage, and the balance between pervious and impervious surfaces. Every plant was selected not only for how it looked today, but for how it would grow, mature, and contribute to the landscape years from now.
Privacy was also one of our highest priorities, and it was important to us to create privacy almost entirely through plants rather than structures whenever possible. Layered trees, shrubs, and perennial plantings gently screen neighboring homes while still allowing the garden to feel open, airy, and welcoming.
We also wanted the landscape to quietly solve everyday problems...think hiding utilities, softening fencing, screening storage, creating intentional destinations for gathering, etc.
This project took years of dreaming. Looking back now, I'm so grateful we allowed those dreams to evolve over time. Today, the house feels like an extension of the landscape, and the landscape feels like an extension of our home.
Beautiful homes aren't really about the houses at all.
They're about the lives lived inside—and just outside—them.
Bringing the Outside In
One of our biggest goals was creating a seamless relationship between the house and the landscape. Rather than treating them as separate projects, we wanted the outside to flow naturally into the home, and the home to feel as though it gently spills back into the garden.
Standing in our dining room, your eye is immediately drawn through the windows into the courtyard and toward the chimney beyond. Likewise, when you're sitting outside, the interiors feel like a continuation of the garden rather than something disconnected from it. That visual conversation between indoors and outdoors became one of the guiding principles for every design decision we made.
Nature has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration as an artist, so creating that connection felt incredibly important.
The greatest luxury, to us, is peace and time spent together.
Choosing Our Exterior Colors
Choosing exterior colors is nothing like choosing from a tiny paint chip. We painted samples directly onto the house in many different lights, which was absolutely worth the extra time.
For the shutters, we ultimately landed on Benjamin Moore Great Barrington Green. We wanted something that felt historic, slightly muted, a little neutral, and deeply rooted in nature. It grounds the home beautifully while blending effortlessly with the surrounding landscape. We absolutely adore it.
The exterior of the house is painted Benjamin Moore Simply White. Initially, I worried it might lean too warm or not feel bright enough outside, but it has proven to be exactly right. It feels crisp without feeling stark and pairs beautifully with both the green shutters and our warm wood doors. We tried White Dove, Chantilly Lace and many more. They were all beautiful, but Simply White won.
The large Bermuda shutter at the end of the porch is powder coated in white, providing both privacy and shade while maintaining the light, airy feeling we wanted throughout the front porch.
Our fencing is painted Charleston Green, a historic Lowcountry color that often reads almost black. I was initially hesitant to go that dark. I worried it would make the yard feel enclosed or call attention to the fence itself. Instead, the exact opposite happened. Charleston Green almost disappears. It mimics the deep shadows already found throughout the trees and surrounding landscape, allowing the fence to visually fade away rather than become a focal point. Instead of making the yard feel smaller, it actually opened the space in a way I never expected. Your eye is drawn to the garden rather than the man-made boundaries.
Sometimes the best design decisions are the ones you barely notice.
Exterior Snapshot
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Style: Charleston garden meets antique Sullivan's Island
Goals: Functional, timeless, family-friendly, rooted in nature
Paint: Benjamin Moore Simply White & Great Barrington Green
Favorite Design Decision: Charleston Green fencing that disappears into the landscape
Thank you for following along on this journey. It has truly been years in the making, and I'm so excited to finally begin sharing it with you.
Live beautifully,
Jordan
Coming Next
I've received so many questions throughout this renovation, so over the coming weeks I'll be sharing much more of the process, including:
- Every plant we selected and why
- A complete exterior paint guide, including all paint colors, finishes, and stain selections
- Our porch furnishings and sources
- How we disguised fences, utilities, storage, and other less attractive necessities using thoughtful planting
- Lessons we learned throughout the renovation
