Open Season
Coastal Living|Fall 2023
In beachy Isle of Palms, a Charleston couple with design and hospitality chops (and a growing family) revive a tired 1960s ranch
Andrea Nordstrom Caughey
Open Season

After 10 years in New York, designer Kate and restaurateur Ben Towill were ready for life on the water. Having fallen in love with historic Charleston, the couple moved in 2014 and went on to launch three restaurants. Then came that life on the water: Kate and Ben trained their creative focus on a tired 1960s ranch in nearby, beachy Isle of Palms for their family of four, including Oscar and Iris, now 6 and 2. "Living at the beach brings sandy feet, wet dogs, and kids in bathing suits. I didn't want anything too precious, so I used lots of natural, strong materials, without clutter or over-design," says Kate, a Pratt Institute graduate and cofounder with Ben of Basic Projects, a lifestyle-driven design and hospitality firm.

Kate served as interior designer on the project, teaming up with local architect Heather Wilson to streamline spaces in the 2,300-square foot, three-bedroom, three-bath cottage that had been chopped up by previous haphazard renos. "Heather gave us the best budget-friendly advice: Focus funds where you spend the most time ... the kitchen and garden," says Kate. Eliminating walls between the gutted kitchen and dining area and adding 12-foot sliders opened this busy hub to the backyard. Enlarged front windows, simple front steps in lieu of a porch, and a clean white facade blurred inside and out.

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