The Palmetto Bluff Effect

This elegant and smart Hilton Head Island home is a mash-up of two residences.

Story by Maria Martinez + Photography by Lisa Staff

Palmetto Bluff is more than a beautiful community — it is an inspiration for home design in every community. Its exacting standards served as the inspiration for this Hilton Head Island home that incorporates a relaxed and informal style, coastal colors and maximizes outdoor living.

“The homeowner literally asked me for a ‘Palmetto Bluff-style home’ on the Island,” chuckled Mike Kronimus of KRA Architects. “Since I live and design in Palmetto Bluff, I knew what they meant. The lot had a spectacular view so our design started with a large patio that extends across the back of the house, as well as a large upper deck and oversized windows.”

It can be a dream or a nightmare to build a new home, and fortunately, in this case, it was a dream for the homeowners as well as the builder, Paragon Construction. Despite two hurricane evacuations during construction, the homeowners moved in less than a year after work started, and the job finished on budget.

“The owner and designer (Lynes on Design) collaborated with us to build a home that was a combination of two other homes that we had built,” said Rick Leach of Paragon Construction. “The owners liked certain aspects of each home and wanted to create what they called ‘a mash-up.’ We were able to stay within their budget by spending the money on two high-impact areas — the great room and master bath. We used products like porcelain large-plank tile, shiplap and top-of-the-line Hestan appliances. In the other rooms, while still beautiful, we used more budget-friendly products like LVT flooring, standard tile and drywall.”

The kitchen is the heart of most homes, and that is certainly true here. This kitchen is intentionally simple and serves as a backdrop to the view and is open for easy entertaining. The Caesarstone Statuario Maximus on both the counter and backsplash gives a classic look of Carrera marble but is more durable and as timeless. The countertop looks substantial, thanks to a 2.5” mitered edge to give it a thicker look without the weight or cost of a thick slab. The cool white of the kitchen stone is offset by the darker wood-look planks that are actually tiles.

“Porcelain planks and tiles have become popular because of their durability, low maintenance and endless styles and shapes that give designers flexibility,” said Brian Baltzegar of Stoneworks. “This home is typical in that we now see porcelain floors more popular than travertine, and quartz countertops are becoming as popular as granite. This natural wood-look porcelain tile is a large plank in the Albero line and perfect if you have dogs, which the homeowners did.”

Lowcountry living is synonymous with outdoor living. On this large porch, the herringbone Savannah brick pattern and tabby fireplace incorporates Lowcountry natural finishings.

“It was difficult to choose outdoor furnishings because the directions were ‘comfort first, simple style and weatherproof. Oh, and watch the budget!’” said interior designer Debi Lynes. “We worked with Casual Living in Bluffton and selected very sturdy furniture and neutral fabrics. Color can be added with pillows and throws, but the simplicity meshes with the brick and casual feel.”

“The pool design in this home isn’t typical of the Lowcountry but is one that is becoming more popular,” said Mark McCabe of A-1 Pool Service. “Many pools in the area are quite small and older. In this case, the homeowner wanted to incorporate newer features like a beach entry but also include the traditional Savannah brick from the porch to accent the water and fire features. Other more popular features we incorporated were the tanning shelf, cocktail seat and the more dramatic water and fire features. Beach entries are becoming more popular in larger pools as are tanning shelves. In this case, the tanning shelf allows more seating to enjoy the view.”

Landscape design was as important as the interior design at this home because the view and setting are what attracted the owners to build on the empty lot. Jeramiah Dunn of Greenscape Landscape Services combined real and artificial turfs, landscape lighting to complement the fire features and full-sized trees.

“The palms and magnolias were installed at a mature height of 14 feet, and 60-gallon Wax Leaf Ligustrum provide instant privacy,” Dunn said. “We wanted to make it feel like the home has been there for years, so the large plants were a priority. It was also important to incorporate lighting so the beautiful trees would be the heroes at night when the ocean goes out of view.”


The Home Team

Designer: Lynes on Design   Architect: KRA Architecture + Design
Builder: Paragon Construction   Pool: A-1 Pool Service
Landscaping & lighting: Greenscape Landscape   Stone & tile: StoneWorks
Appliances: Appliances by Design   Audio & electronics: Custom Audio Video
Closets: Signature Closets of the Low Country

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