2023 Trends and Timeless Design
I recently was at the High Point furniture market and started chatting with a woman at the shuttle stop. She told me that she is a trend spotter. I asked her what the new trends are. She was very coy and said that she could not tell me. But she did say that gray is passé and subway tiles are horribly out of fashion. She expounded by saying that anything that you see a lot of - is already old news.
Maybe being a trend setter is not as desirable as it seems. A friend of mine is friends with a New York-based trend setter. He describes her as looking completely strange and out of place, because she is wearing a look before anyone else. Think about the first people who wore ripped jeans as a style and we all thought they needed to throw out that pair of worn out jeans.
As we move into 2023, HGTV gray and the modern farmhouse aesthetic is definitely history! Gray is replaced with rich earth tones, such as earthy terracotta, ox-blood red and luscious browns. A popular neutral is warm creamy white.
We are seeing a lot of natural renewal materials; stained wood cabinets and walls, iron railings and unlacquered brass hardware. As lovely as Moroccan Zellige tile is, it might be reaching its saturation point. What is hot is stone mosaics, which have been around since the Romans.
According to the American Society of Interior Designers 2023 Trends Outlook, There will be an emphasis on sustainability embedded into both the form and function of the home. These clients aren’t just expecting energy-saving, carbon-footprint-reducing features like smart home technology, rainwater tanks, and low-energy lighting. They’re also after environmentalism as an aesthetic. Gone are the hard surfaces and synthetic materials in favor of “warmer, more fashionable” touches like brighter woods, natural fabrics, and the integration of renewable materials ranging from wool and cotton to cork.
I agree with Caroline Herrera who said, “I don’t like trends. They tend to make everyone look the same.” The opposite of trendy is timeless. My discussion with my shuttle companion turned to timeless design. She said that when a house is integrated with the landscape it becomes timeless because it belongs to its place. I agreed, especially since site specific designs are what we do.
This project in Long Cove on Hilton Head Island was built on the last waterfront lot. It was full of beautiful live oaks and most people thought it was unbuildable because of the trees. We nestled the house among the trees and all the neighbors were amazed that we didn’t remove a single tree from the lot. You can see more photos here.
On the Boards - Beach Front
We just presented this beach front house to the clients and they love it! This is the ocean side with multiple terraces and porches. The top deck will have endless views - probably almost to England!
"Suited to a T"
T House featured in Residential Design Magazine!
The new national magazine, Residential Design, chose to publish our T-House in their second-ever issue! We couldn't be more pleased with the article, which so accurately captures the essence of our town and our firm. This project was great fun and our enjoyment of the design and process is reflected in the final product.
Editor Claire Conroy wrote, “Although much new building in the area evokes the “Lowcountry” look without a thoughtful understanding of its practical aspects and pleasing proportions, several local firms are mining these antecedents in fresh, appealing ways. Frederick + Frederick is one of the best examples. Jane and Michael have a deep knowledge of the climate, sensibilities, and sensitivities of the place they call home and headquarters for the firm. They understand the traditions of the Lowcountry, and the subtle ways to honor and elevate them at the same time.”
The issue focuses on small houses. Conroy commented “A small house is like a poem. Each design choice must fit the rhythm perfectly. It’s often as much about editing out what’s not essential as it is about choosing what to include.”
Check out the article from Residential Design here.
View more photographs of the T-House on our portfolio page, here.
See this project from beginning to end in our video "The Architectural Process."
Do I stay or do I go?
Whether to renovate, rebuild or move in Beaufort County, South Carolina
The skills and expertise of your architect can help you in your decision to renovate, rebuilt or move. There are some great properties in Beaufort County with houses that are way past their prime and require such decisions. These houses often include; dated kitchens, small non-functional bathrooms with ugly tile, mean little windows overlooking a great view and rooms built below FEMA’s base flood elevation. Maybe you own one of these properties or are considering buying one for the view. Homeowners of older properties often come to the point where they have three options:
1. Renovate and/or add an addition to the existing house (and this might include raising the house), This is the most sustainable option when you consider the amount of construction waste kept out of the landfill.
2. Tear the existing house down and build a new house on the same property, or
3. Move.
To help you decide whether you should stay or go, consider the following:
- Do you love the location?
- Do you have a great view?
- Is the house built above FEMAs base flood elevation requirements? If it is below you are limited to spending 50% of the value of the house on the renovation or the house has to be raised.
- Is the house built behind the current OCRM coastal or municipality river buffer setbacks? If your house is in the setback, you are not allowed to add any additional square footage in the setback but you can keep what is there, which might be an advantage.
- Will current zoning laws allow you to add onto your house?
- Will you over-build for the neighborhood?
A few years ago, we had clients who owned a beach front house in Port Royal Plantation. The property was in foreclosure when they purchased it at a great price, but it needed a lot of work. The question was should they tear the house down and build new or renovate the existing?
We listened to what they like about the house: besides the great location, they liked the feel of the spaces, the flow of the rooms and the relationship of the rooms to the ocean. Two other positive conditions were the first floor was above the required base flood elevation and the zoning allowed us to add the needed square footage. It was apparent that renovating the existing house and adding a small amount of square footage was the right approach. The project turned out beautifully.
Tearing down a house and starting over is a big step. The cost analysis of what is salvageable compared to the desired result is a good place to begin. Sometimes it is not obvious what the best path is at the beginning of a project or the conditions might change. For example, current Port Royal Plantation clients’ initial project was redesigning the windows in the great room. While documenting the existing conditions we discovered some structural beams in failure. In consultation with our clients and structural engineer we decided to reinforce the foundation.
Then Hurricane Matthew hit. There was water damage throughout the house; and the roof and foundation were compromised. After considering the amount of work to repair and renovate compared to starting over, our clients decided to build new. A big advantage in this project is the new house is placed to enhance the views of the Sound.
What is the 50% Rule?
Thoughts of hurricanes are starting early this year with the potential tropical storm forming off of our coast. In the past, I have written about protecting your existing house and best practices for new construction (March 2013 and December 2011, respectively). The area with some confusion are the rules for repairing and/or improving your existing house which I will address today.
Beaufort County and the municipalities within the county all participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA establishes a base flood elevation above mean sea level which is revised periodically. Buildings must meet the NFIP requirements which include having the first floor above the base flood elevation or higher depending on the flood zone, along with other requirements.
If the cost of improvements or the cost to repair a damaged building exceed 50% of the market value of the building, the entire building must be brought into compliance with the NFIP requirements. The market value is for the building only, not the property, any landscape improvements, or detached accessory buildings. The value can be determined by a licensed appraiser or the county’s property assessment.
The only items that are excluded from the cost of improvements or repair are as follows:
- Plans and specifications
- Surveys
- Permit fees
- Cost to demolish storm damaged buildings
- Debris removal
- Landscape improvements
- Detached structures. If the detached structure is habitable space it is subject to the same rules when renovated or repaired.
Many existing houses in the county do not meet the NFIP requirements and must adhere to the 50% rule. Most houses built in accordance with the 2009 or 2012 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) meet the NFIP requirements and are not subject to the 50% rule.
Municipalities often adopt a cumulative substantial improvement policy which combines any combination of repairs, reconstruction, rehabilitation, additions, or other improvements to a structure during a finite period of time that is limited to the 50% value. The cumulative substantial improvement policy for Beaufort County and Bluffton is 10 years; the City of Beaufort is 5 years; and Hilton Head currently does not have a cumulative substantial improvement policy.
When purchasing an existing house it is prudent to do the homework to determine if the house is built above the flood plain. A local surveyor can provide a flood elevation certificate that shows the flood zone, the required first floor elevation, and the actual first floor elevation. That fixer upper might seem like a good deal until you realize the cost of raising the first floor and meeting the NFIP requirements.