Julie and Rowan Taylor envisioned Charleston for years, and they have now made their dream house a reality. They began to visit the city often from New Canaan, Conn. and their admiration for the handsomely aged buildings, tall palms, and enormous oaks, as well as the pulsing urban heart, only grew. What is Charleston’s architectural style? This architectural style is the result of South Carolina’s oldest city. It demonstrates its evolution through time and includes eight architectural styles: Colonial , Georgian, Federal , Classic Revival Gothic Revival and Victorian, Italianate, Victorian and Art Deco . These eight historic buildings help you discover Charleston’s charming and charming charm.But Mr. Taylor worked for a company based in New York City, and the couple had three daughters who had their own friends and routines, so a move didn’t seem realistic.
Their daughters left and Mr. Taylor started his own company, making the idea seem less unlikely. In the meantime, they had welcomed Pippa (10 years old) to their family. But a relocation seemed feasible. On a flight to Charleston in 2016, Mr. Taylor decided that he would conduct a real-estate search using his iPad.
Ms. Taylor, 54, said that he leaned over the plane and said, “Look at this house.” “I replied, “We have never been inside one.” “Would you like to see it?
He did. After touring several houses, Mr. Taylor increased the stakes. He said, “Which one do y’ like the best?” Ms. Taylor replied. “He called me bluff.”
After they had found a house that they liked, they made an offer and started to imagine their lives in it. But then the deal collapsed. It was too late to reverse the decision.
Ms. Taylor stated, “Over the course the next few months we just made the decision that, you’re what, we are going to do it.”
While looking at other houses, they also consulted with Eddie Fava of Charleston’s E Fava Architects. Ms. Taylor was open to buying a house with cosmetic updates. However, after having gone through a full-blown renovation in Connecticut she decided that she didn’t want to be involved in the project.
That was before Taylor bought a magnificent Federal home in South of Broad from 1788. It measured 8,130 square feet and featured large rooms and a walled garden. They wanted to avoid having to do extensive restorations and updates. But Mr. Taylor was unable to get the house out his head so he asked Mr. Fava for a tour.
Mr. Fava returned with a glowing report. “I said, It’s all you don’t want but it will be all you want, without any doubt. It’s the biggest project. It will be a lot more than you expected, but you will be happy when it’s over.
In January 2017, the Taylors bought the house for $5.35million. They then moved into a rental house down the street and started the long process to revive the house with Mr. Fava and Betsy Berry an interior designer and Sheila Wertimer, a landscape architects and a partner in Wertimer & Cline.
The project required a complete gut renovation. However, the design team wanted to preserve the house’s character and bring it into the 21st Century with modern systems and spaces. This included rooms for working and watching TV.
Mr. Fava stated, “I believe that you can have both the best and worst of both worlds in these kinds of homes, provided they are thoughtfully assembled.” It doesn’t need to be a museum home.
They retained and removed the original doors, molding, and paneling so that they could be reproduced as necessary and then put them back. They restored the staircases and patched up the floors with matching pieces made of antique heart pine.
Additionally, Mr. Fava made major architectural changes. He removed the floors from an adjacent former carriage house to make a new double height family room on ground level. The dressing room is connected to the primary suite.
Ms. Berry was equally keen to mix old and new. She said, “This was my dream job, because the history is just so incredible.” “What I love to accomplish is to respect and honor this age, while also giving it a sense of youth and modern touches to make it more alive and vibrant.”
She painted the pine floors in the entry hall and sun porch with a pattern, then sanded them and scuffed them to give the feeling of age. The dining room is filled with antiques and contemporary furniture. She covered the walls in a custom-painted scenic wallpaper by Gracie. A Branching Bubble chandelier from Lindsey Adelman was hung from the ceiling.
She proposed lacquering the walls in the living room. Ms. Taylor suggested that she use a bold raspberry color. “I originally suggested a safer color to her, but she said, “No, I want color.” Ms. Berry stated, “I want it to be bold.” It was frightening for me, but it turned out beautifully.” The Taylors finally completed the project they had been reluctant to undertake after two years of planning and construction and more than $4million. Near the end of December 2019, Ms. Berry stated that the Taylors moved all their belongings into their closets and made beds. “All the Christmas music was playing and fires were lit,” Ms. Berry said. She continued: “We walked through their house with all their daughters and then we went to the salon. Julie and I hugged and cried.