+ Southern Belle

A longtime client and owner of this 4,500 sq. ft. historic Charleston, SC home asked the firm to restore its 1778 architectural details and charm. We were tasked with an additional 1,000 square feet to meet the client’s program. The restoration required a complete gut renovation, with the design process taking approximately seven months to complete. This was followed by a two-year construction period to ensure that every detail was painstakingly restored.

Working with the Historic Charleston Foundation, John MacDonald and the project manager James Christopherson, were required to restore or replicate the existing exterior structure and interior details. Using old black and white photos obtained from the Library of Congress, Morehouse MacDonald was able to replicate long lost details such as the property entry gate, mantels, cornices, hardware, and other historical details. The new additions utilized sympathetic materials such as Old Savannah Grey brick, hand-hewn timbers, and a unique back bar made up of local oyster shells to compliment the period details. The end result is a seamless blending of old and new, bringing this beautiful antique back to its original glory.