88
Rethinking Architecture: From the Inside Out
Charleston Charm
I
nspired by the Adirondack style, this Charleston-area home was built around its view.
As soon as you enter the front door, you're struck by the presence of the lagoon out back, captured
by the portal window feature in the entry and enhanced by intentional ceilings throughout. The living
room features a rock-faced fireplace, beamed vaulted ceilings, and large dormer windows that filter
natural light into the space. Indoor dormer balconies sit opposite the external dormers to provide both
symmetry and peeks at the landscape behind the home.
Layers of detail, from the beadboard three quarters up the wall to the crown molding and the beams
above, help break the voluminous space visually while remaining true to the cohesive design. Changes
in flooring patterns and materials indicate transitional spaces as you walk between rooms. So, too, do
the ceiling treatments differ from room to room. A circular staircase leads to exquisite guest quarters
and, in true Camens style, the eye is drawn up the staircase, flooded with light. Other features include
an Old World-inspired wine storage space with a stone floor and brick ceiling, custom cabinetry in the
combined kitchen and dining space, and the infinity-edge pool and deck, elevated above the lagoon.
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC
