Home showcase: Rewriting the rules
When you want it all, nothing else will do. This Palmetto Bluff home serves as the inspiring truth of that credo.
Story by Barry Kaufman + Photography by Bryan Stovall Gallery
When building a new home, some people walk into the process with a vague notion of how their home should look and feel. There are some who amass a vision board – elements and details that they’ve absorbed from magazines and Pinterest. And then there are those who begin the construction process with their dream home already conceptualized.
This Palmetto Bluff home was the result of that pre-rendered vision. The owners had cultivated their vision board from the 23 different places they’d called home, ready to finalize the vast geographical and architectural journey they’d been on into one spectacular property.
“They had a lot of styles to pull from, so this came down to combining all of that with their own sophisticated tastes into something that would be appropriate for Palmetto Bluff,” said Allison Bonner, architect and co-founder of Pearce Scott Architects.
From the glass hutch in the kitchen, to the alcove for cookbooks in the corner office space, the owners came to Pearce Scott Architects with a treasure trove of details. In finding a home for all those details within the confines of a typical Palmetto Bluff home, they rewrote all the rules.
“It’s not necessarily modern, but it is sort of pushing right to the edge while still keeping traditional forms,” added Pearce Scott.
Step inside, and enjoy the view from the edge.
Merging time and design
The house’s corner lot location provided the first opportunity to flex some creativity, with Pearce Scott Architects angling out the front entryway, merging architecture and landscaping in a wide entry stair that incorporates a gurgling fountain and plants. Angled away from the entry, the screened lanai, den and master bedroom align along one wall to capture waterfront views.
“Part of Palmetto Bluff is this idea of evolutionary architecture,” said Scott. This architectural language tells a story, suggesting pieces that were later added on to the original home, each reflective of its own era. “The pieces shouldn’t necessarily match, so we played with that.”
The exterior also allowed Bonner to express her own love of getting the tiniest details perfect. “I’m kind of a dork about details,” she said with a laugh. She points to the dormer windows as an excellent example. Rising from a portion of the house set in painted brick, it serves as a transition to the Boral siding found on the adjoining section. “It had to be built out to match the same plane as the brick, so it was kind of a Swiss watch. But it worked out really nicely, and the contractor did a great job.”
Blending form and function
The soaring great room shows how the owners’ initial vision informed the layout, while serving as a springboard for Pearce Scott and team to pursue the limits of their creativity.
“The owners wanted the dining room open to the living room, but they still wanted it defined,” said Scott. The addition of a second-story corridor, connecting a guest room and an office, provided the perfect way to set the dining room apart, tucked into an alcove where the hall overhangs the space. At the far end the angled entryway allows for light to stream in, illuminating the space while adding a sense of greater depth.
Beyond utility
A perfect example of the way Pearce Scott Architects balanced the owners’ vision with the language of Palmetto Bluff came in the back kitchen. A mainstay in the community vernacular, this space was enhanced by several additions, including a wine tower, a “drop zone,” laundry and corner office space.
“This was all very specific, and they knew exactly where they wanted things laid out,” said Bonner. And while this space serves as the utilitarian heart of a functioning home, the owners still wanted it to carry visual appeal.
“You’ll typically see this referred to as a ‘clutter room,’ but there’s nothing cluttered about it,” added Scott.
A symphony of textures
The primary bedroom serves as a testament to one of the owners’ greatest wishes – to fill their home with a blend of different textures. The natural grain of the hardwood floor, the texture of the wallpaper and the drape of the curtains all create an organic oasis – one that just happens to enjoy spectacular views and a private garden courtyard.
“The trim was also very important to them; that it had detail without being too heavy or gaudy,” said Bonner. “Even using a flat stock on the ceiling gave it just that little extra bit of texture and dimension.”
