Home showcase: Inspired interiors and a wealth of textures create a new kind of Lowcountry luxe in Palmetto Bluff

Look and feel

Story by Barry Kaufman + Photography by Kelli Boyd

There’s an old saying, “No risk, no reward.” For the Forlenza family, building their dream home in Palmetto Bluff was an exercise in proving that statement to be true.

“Ellen Forlenza was a dream client,” said architect William Court. “She was willing to take risks because she had a really fun design aesthetic already. She allowed us to go to places a lot of clients wouldn’t let us go.”

Taking chances through bold textures, eye-catching details and an inspired sense of scale, the Forlenzas worked with Court Atkins Group and Element Construction to create a home that took the timeless Lowcountry look of Palmetto Bluff in dazzling new directions.

“The family had toured another home that we built in Palmetto Bluff and they liked the layout, which is what led them back to Court Atkins to modify it to fit their needs,” said Andrea Eldred with Element Construction. “Even though they liked the layout of the other home, it was very traditional, and they wanted something much warmer feeling to fit their family’s vibe.”

Throughout the home, this desire to shake up the Palmetto Bluff formula manifested itself in myriad ways: the intersection of materials found in the great room; the staggering scale and flow of the kitchen; the bold color choices found in more intimate spaces. Even the sheep stools, found throughout the home. 

“I wish I could take credit for that,” said interior designer Adrienne Warner, who worked closely with the Forlenzas on the home’s aesthetic. “They were on vacation at a hotel in the Cotswalds, and there were sheep all over the lobby… that was one of the most outside-the-box ideas they had.”

Each room became a testament to bending the rules and creating something brand new in the process.

Blending brick with bold ideas

Even before entering the home, its exterior speaks to this respectful tweaking of the rules. Architectural guidelines for Moreland Forest, the Palmetto Bluff neighborhood where the home can be found, demand brick or tabby on the exterior. The team complied with that demand by running brick along the front porch, up a large gable and across the breezeway toward the garage. 

“There’s a materiality to it, a strength in adding the brick,” said Court. “And that big brick gable next to a glass wall really exposes the front stairway in a contemporary way. It’s one hint toward a more contemporary interior.”

A grand welcome 

That interior reveals itself in the sweeping openness of the great room. Rather then centering the great room on the entry, the team shifted it over to the right, putting the doors to the porch at the heart of the sightline when you walk in. 

“It’s an interesting take on the old center hall arrival with the foyer and separate spaces, so it’s all one open space,” said Court. “When you walk in, you get a great linear symmetry between the great room and the kitchen.”

A material blend that steals the show

And that stretching view between the two spaces, framing mesmerizing scenery of Palmetto Bluff’s inland waterway, also serves as an introduction to the playful blend of materials throughout the home. In the great room the rich tones of brick and wood come together beside brilliantly designed built-ins, custom crafted with slots that allow the look to be changed at will, with ease. In the kitchen rich quartzite waterfalls down wood accents on a center island, transitioning to a tile backsplash accent wall. 

“It was important for them to bring in a lot of different textures. If you look at how the brick and wood in the great room compliment the plaster and tile in the kitchen, creating a cohesive atmosphere,” said Eldred.

Function meets artistry

This seamless kitchen design combines practical elements with artistic details, creating a space that is as functional as it is visually striking. “The plaster hood in the kitchen became a focal point,” Eldred said. “A local vendor, Prestone, came in and applied the plaster finish to a custom hood design built on-site. In addition, the tile backsplash going wall-to-wall adds another layer of depth.”

Design harmony in every detail

The great central space, anchored on gorgeous water views, serves as a great spot for entertaining while also introducing the fearless blend of materials and textures that sets the home apart. 

“You can really see where the homeowners wove in some traditional elements, like the big slipcovered sofa juxtaposed with the cleaner lines on the armchairs,” said Warner. “It’s more challenging for designers because you’re going to see all those elements at the same time, so they have to flow together.”