Island Idyll

A NEW HOME ON THE ATLANTIC COAST PAYS RESPECT TO THE PAST WITH THE PERMANENCE TO CARRY ON

- JODY GARLOCK

Kiawah Island. The name alone has a certain allure and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, certainly enchants. Pristine white sand beaches stretch for miles along the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, rivaled only by the views from nearly every vantage point. Palmetto trees and lush vegetation create a welcoming natural habitat for wildlife, including hundreds of bird species.

Yet this isn't a tropical island paradise. Located about 30 miles southwest of Charleston, the barrier island is steeped in Southern charm and Low Country intrigue, with luxury homes and championship golf courses rising against a backdrop of river tidelands, marshes, maritime forests, and the ocean.

Architect D. Stanley Dixon and interior designer Beth Webb, both based in Atlanta, knew such a magical location called for an extra-special home for a couple building a legacy property for their children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations. "We wanted the house to feel timeless-like an old manor house on the ocean that has weathered many storms and gotten better over the years," Dixon says.

For the most part, Dixon and Webb eschewed typical island-or Hamptons or Nantucket-style for features and furnishings that lend classic elegance with the relaxed ambience expected of a getaway home.

"It feels more like a primary residence as opposed to a beach house," Webb says. "The thing about Kiawah Island is it's really a four-season location. You do have spring, you do have summer, you do have fall, and you do have winter. So you can play to that." 

To ensure the home blended with the overall aesthetic of the gated community, Dixon took inspiration from one of the island's golf clubs, the design of which was rooted in the 19thcentury English country estates of architect C.F.A. Voysey, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement.