A Custom Palmetto Bluff Home Worth Waiting For
After 15 years of vacationing in the Lowcountry, one family partnered with Front Light Building Company and Iris & Oak Interiors to create a custom home designed around everything they love.
Story by Alea Wilkins
Photography by Eddie Tucker
Key Points
● Front Light Building Company and Iris & Oak Interiors collaborated to blend timeless Southern architecture, modern luxury and two distinct design styles into one cohesive Palmetto Bluff home.
● Expansive indoor-outdoor living spaces create a home that is both highly personal and beautifully functional.
Jay and Julie Train didn’t want to settle. After 15 years of vacationing in Palmetto Bluff, the Atlanta natives set out to create a Lowcountry home that would perfectly fit their lives, capturing all of their interests, personalities and wishes in one custom, three-story residence. The vision required a team of creatives to bring it to life.
“This home began as a true custom process — a blank sheet of paper and a collaborative vision,” says Julie Callaway, director of design at Front Light Building Company. Working with Tasha Moody of Atlanta-based firm Iris and Oak Interiors, Callaway and the crew made the Trains’ dream a reality.
“Over 18 months of thoughtful curation and detail, we successfully brought their dream to life, creating an oasis for their family in one of their favorite places in the world,” Moody says.
Dazzling above the dining room table, a glass chandelier satisfies both of the Trains’ distinct tastes in home décor. Its sparkle feels feminine and glamorous, while its rustic rigging grounds the overall look.
Weighing more than a ton, the custom range hood dominates the kitchen. Its impressive size, accented by gold finishes repeated throughout the room, conveys a love of cooking, while open windows above the sink and a large island invite casual gatherings.
Agree to disagree
Although the Trains share a love for the Lowcountry, their tastes in home design differ.
“Julie likes a dressier, feminine style, while Jay prefers a more casual feel, with touches of rustic,” Moody says.
To represent both, the design team balanced elegance with rustic warmth. In the primary bathroom, regal ivory Dekton clads all four walls. Nearby, a sitting room with a brick fireplace offers a cozy counterpoint. The dining room features a glass chandelier suspended above 100-year-old Heart Pine flooring, blending his and her styles into a one-of-a-kind result.
As the Trains embraced their new surroundings, the design team opened the family room to reveal picturesque views of Palmetto Bluff. “The freshness of the family room, with all of the doors open and the breeze coming in off the water, is just incredible,” Moody says.
Time and place
With strong ties to the South, the couple hoped to preserve the region’s historic character as they embraced their new Bluffton home. Making the most of the property’s stunning surroundings became a top priority.
Moody notes how the family room invites the outdoors in through expansive views, flowing seamlessly into the open-concept kitchen and dining room, with refined accents.
“There is something about this space that evokes a quiet luxury with a natural backdrop that makes your heart happy,” she says.
Blending classic architecture with modern comforts, the residence interprets the Lowcountry’s traditions with creative liberty. Modern climate control allows the entrance’s traditional double-tier gallery to be enjoyed year-round, while the old-fashioned porch swing is updated with plush coordinating cushions. The approach refuses to adhere to one specific era, creating a timeless combination of design and comfort.
“It feels incredibly intentional and unlike anything we’ve done before,” Callaway says.
Dream team
Bringing together contrasting styles and different eras, Callaway stressed the importance of synergy among the entire team.
“It was important that the process felt collaborative at every level — not only between our team and the homeowners, but also alongside [Moody’s] furniture design team to ensure the home and furnishings felt fully integrated,” Callaway says.
That teamwork played a crucial role in the kitchen, where a custom range hood weighing more than a ton posed a hefty challenge.
“Coordinating the installation took significant planning, specialized rigging and an incredible team effort to safely hoist it into place,” she says.
The finished space — an arresting display of culinary sophistication — proved well worth the extra effort.
Elsewhere, the primary bathroom’s Dekton wall covering presented its own challenges.
“While beautiful, [Dekton] requires specialized tools, training and installation techniques for large-format applications,” Callaway explains, sharing that each crew member had to play to their strengths to get the job done.
Although demanding, the combined effort resulted in a home even better than Callaway or Moody could have imagined.
“Through the collaboration between the homeowners, our team, the architect and [Moody], the home evolved in ways that made it even stronger,” Callaway reflects.
A coastal palette, natural fibers and crane-patterned pillows recreate
the Lowcountry’s natural beauty in this guest bedroom. After vacationing
in Palmetto Bluff for 15 years, the homeowners wanted their new home to reflect their love for the region.
Dream come true
Now complete, the home checks every item off the Trains’ wish list. Classically Southern? Check. Blending both of their styles? Absolutely.
Moody particularly admires the Trains’ bold vision.
“One reason this house turned out so special is because Jay and Julie did exactly what they wanted, not what they felt the style of the area or their friends might like,” she says. “I’m a big believer that when a homeowner takes confidence in designing their home without concern for what others are doing, the finished product sings a little louder for it.”
Callaway agrees. This home hits every mark.
“The end result feels cohesive, intentional and deeply reflective of the family who lives there — which is always the ultimate goal.”
