Contemporary St Helena Island House
We are pretty excited about the preliminary design of our latest house. Think lots of glass- looking onto spectacular creek view, gracious living spaces, both inside and out, the roofs are flat and either loaded up with solar panels or vegetation. It is fun to design for these clients who requested an “ultra-modern” house. The house is raised up to get it out of the flood plain, which also capitalizes on prevailing breezes.
Designing is a process – we present the initial design to our clients which begins the conversation. The above sketches were the first designs after feedback from our clients we revised the design as shown below.
OTB Frogmore
Our latest project on the boards is for a young, active family moving to Frogmore, SC. The piazza, screen porch and courtyard double the living space. The kids all have a fun loft space above their bedrooms; perfect as a reading/study nook or a hide-and-seek spot.
On the Boards- Camp St Mary
Our clients purchased an acre and a half on the Okatie River, the property is on a high bluff- a gorgeous view. There is an existing house on the property, a single story, brick house built in the 1970’s. Initially, we designed a renovation of the existing house. After analysis of the amount of work required, and the fact that they were structural concerns due to a very large live oak tree that was really close to the house, we’ve decided that a new house is the best course of action. Here are the preliminary design sketches.
On the Boards
The latest new house on the boards is on deep water on the Coosaw River. The clients wanted a “Mediterranean Ranch.” Here’s what we’ve come up with
February Construction Update
It’s February in the Lowcountry, which means it can be 37 degrees or 73 degrees, like today! We are loving watching our projects being built. First up is the Cane Island house, which is going to be amazing! This week, they are working on the interior stairs and they just finished sanding the wood floors. Here’s a couple photos:
The Brays Island renovation is 99% done, and wow, looks great! Next time we will share professional photography of this stunning house, as well as the before pictures.
We have two of our Camellia plan houses being built in Beaufort right now! Its fun to see them side-by side
The first is in Islands of Beaufort:
The other Camellia is in the Grays Hill area of Northern Beaufort County, on the Marshes of McCalley Creek
These three projects are just getting started. A new house on Brays Island, the great porch on St. Helena Island and a renovation project in Rose Hill.
On the Boards November
Fripp Island, SC
Coffin Point, St. Helena
This house is a dogtrot, with two bedrooms in the main house and another over the garage (one of the elevations shows an optional one-story garage, but the clients preferred the two-story option)
Colleton River
This house was put on hold last spring and is now back on the boards. It has undergone some revisions to meet the owner’s requirements.
October Construction Updates
The weather is cooling off and activity on our job sites is in full swing!
The Magnolia
First, I want to show one of our Close to Custom houses that has been recently completed in Mississippi. The owners are so happy with their dogtrot! You can see more info about the Magnolia here.
Camellia
Another Close to Custom design, the Camellia, is in the beginning stages in Islands of Beaufort. The foundation is a sealed crawl space for the house and a slab for the garage.
Lucy Creek
Our friends on Lucy Creek are renovating to improve their outdoor living space. It is going to be a fabulous spot to enjoy the view!
Cane Island
Interior trim is going in, and wow, it looks fantastic! That stair hall!
Spring Island Reno
The goal for the kitchen was to lighten and modernize, I think we’ve achieved it at the Shrimp Pond Studio house. Loving the cabinets by Sanders Woodworks!
On the Boards in July
Brays Island
Here’s a house on Brays Island that we designed years ago. The new owners are adding on to the main house and also building a new guest house.
Palmetto Bluff House
This house is on a beautiful, wooded lot in Palmetto Bluff. The guest house is already built, we designed the main house and garage to complement the existing building and to take advantage of the marsh views over the May River.
Fripp Island
A fun renovation project on Fripp Island, perfect for family vacations, all year long!
Lady’s Island
This project is an outdoor living improvement. We have gotten lots of calls lately about improving outdoor living spaces. Adding pools, decks, porches, fireplaces/ firepits, outdoor seating, kitchen and dining is super popular right now!
May Construction
Spring Island
This house (and its owners) are special to us. While its not uncommon for us to revisit a Frederick + Frederick house to renovate or add-on, we don’t typically get the opportunity for so many projects at the same house. This house was built around 2000, then we built the guitar & quilting studio and a courtyard for new owners (photos of that project are here). We won an honor award from AIASC for this phase of the project.
Then we did a bathroom renovation and modified the gable end in the front of the house. Now we are renovating the kitchen, pantry and downstairs bedroom. Demo is complete and framing is underway!
Cane Island
Siding is mostly complete, decking and window trim are being installed. The house on Cane Island is looking great!
Brays Island
This big renovation project is nearing completion. It is a really unique project and we can’t wait to see the final product soon!
2021 Kitchen and Bath Trends
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the online home design platform Houzz, recently released independent reports on design trends for kitchens and bathrooms. The AIA’s research is gathered from a panel of 500 AIA architects who specialized in residential design. Houzz’s research is from their community of homeowners who have recently completed a renovation project.
Unsurprisingly, with more people staying at home due to the pandemic, there are new trends reflecting how we are adapting. Due to the desire the carve our personal space the request for an open concept floor plan by opening the kitchen up to other living spaces decreased significantly; the AIA reported an eleven percent decrease and Houzz a ten percent decrease.
As people limited their trips to the grocery store, pantries increased in size. The AIA and Houzz reported growth of 10% and 13% respectively. The AIA reported that pantries are not only bigger but they are now a work hub with an additional dishwasher, refrigerator and other small appliances. Pictured above is what our clients call their “Costco Room” in their under construction house- plenty of space for all the toilet paper.
Opening the kitchen to an outdoor living space continued to grow in popularity with outdoor kitchens the leading trend reported by the AIA.
According to the Houzz survey for style trends, the most popular style for kitchens is transitional, with modern and contemporary styles in a close second. Farmhouse style peaked in 2019 and continues to decline popularity.
The AIA found that the top three trends in bathroom design include larger curb-less showers, universal design for aging in place, and shower stalls without a separate tub in the bathroom. Houzz reported that only 10% of renovators include a separate bathtub.
Houzz renovators cited an old and outdated space as their primary reason for the project. Therefore 89% of the homeowners change the style of the bathroom. The desire for clean lines resulted in modern as the number one style for bathroom remodels with contemporary in a close second. Traditional and farmhouse are not as desirable.
Whole house remodels and additions grew by 27% in 2020 and kitchen and bath remodeling projects grew by 20% according to the AIA. Due to this increase, firm project backlogs are currently five to six months.
Though not cited in the research by Houzz or AIA, outdoor showers are very popular among our clients. I imagine this is a geographic trend, and that an outdoor shower is not requested often in a cold or snowy location. Here in the Lowcountry, the climate and the proximity to the beach make this trend popular and practical.
