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When T. Phillips of Latitude Design Group saw Five Palmetto Road for the first time there wasn’t even an obvious front door. Now T. has married modern touches with the home’s history, designing a space that is both sleek and clean, with an obvious front door that invites guests inside. 

Enter the home and be welcomed by 4,000 square feet of custom finishes. Handcrafted cabinet details by Carpenters Restoration, wide plank European wood flooring, Italian calacatta gold marble tiled baths, modern black aluminum windows, glass transom french doors, full slab quartz detail with modern waterfall island in kitchen and main baths installed by Palmetto Surfacing, and antiqued wood beams and double sided gas exposed brick fireplace are just some of the many special touches that T commissioned from his partners. The updates to this home are not only on the surface, but also behind the walls. 

For T, it was important to make sure that the house came with great amenities behind the walls and on the exterior as well, so the redesign included replacing components with precision. There is all new electrical wiring throughout the home, new pvc plumbing, new roof and shingles, and a new European high velocity HVAC system. These touches, that might seem small, will make a huge difference in the longevity of the home and the comfort that it provides its future occupants. 

In addition to all of the stunning features in the main house, there are also two detached spaces on the property that offer supplementary square footage. The garage offers two stories of storage. Two car spaces on the first floor, and an unfinished second floor allow for the future buyers to create a custom space to suit their needs. There is ample space for an apartment on the second floor to be rented out, or used as a guest getaway for visitors. Another little building on the lot is the shed, perfect for an office, art studio, writer’s retreat, yoga studio, or just about anything you can imagine. 

Other Unique Features The main house, garage windows, and exterior rear doors are Sierra Pacific. A custom California Pinky’s Front Exterior Door/Porch Steel Glass Doors welcome visitors inside the home. The team used antique barn reclaimed wood beams and mantels for the double sided gas fireplace, as well as custom fabricated Charleston artisan railings.

Rolled/eased trim moldings are seen throughout the house creating a modern look. Storm rated, seeded glass aluminum garage doors were used to assist in protecting against strong winds. The weather treated wood fencing is durable against the Lowcountry climate, as is the Hardie Plank and stucco exterior. The gravel walkways and driveway, and the stone pavers, offer a unique finishing touch.

For more information, visit fivepalmettoroad.com or wtphillips.com.

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Never before seen photos from our Hausful Project File featured in our Fall 2019 issue.

Read the full story here: Hausful

Photography by Patrick Brickman

Never seen before photos from Melcer Tile’s Project File featured in our Fall 2019 issue.

Read the full story here: Fall 2019: Melcer Tile

Photography by Listings in Motion

It’s hard to beat the traditional elegance of a clean and bright white kitchen or bathroom. It’s a classic choice when decorating a home, but many run into the problem of finding a way to have the space feel personalized to their own tastes. A fun way to create a unique look is using colorful accent tiles in your design. Decorative tiles can be used in almost any part or your living space. Whether you want to use mosaic tiles for a classy touch or use a single, bold color to add a fun flare, tiles provide a beautiful accent to the classic white kitchen or bathroom.

With so many options though it may be hard to decide which route is the best for you. To make sure you choose the tile that is perfect for your living space, schedule an appointment with Lowcountry Tile Contractors, Inc. to tour their extensive show room and get an expert’s input. Locally owned and operated, they offer natural stone, ceramic, and porcelain tile, as well as decorative mosaic options for you to choose from. With their help, you can find the tiles that will add an extra touch to your kitchen and bathroom.

What’s a better way to complete your master bathroom than with a luxurious glass shower enclosure? While traditional showers require the maintenance of rods, curtains, liners and more, a glass shower enclosure makes all of this quite simple. Try straying from the typical shower layout, and instead surround yourself with a glass enclosure for a cleaner, more unique feel.

For years, Port City Glass has been providing high-quality glass services, not to mention the option of your very own custom glass shower enclosure. The company’s sophisticated showers can be made of etched, satin, clear, or patterned glass, allowing you to choose what suits your home best. In addition, there are numerous hardware finishes to select from. Spatially, these glass showers open up the bathroom area no matter the size. Along with a modern look and an airy feel, they allow the bathroom’s color scheme to speak a little louder for itself. The transparency of Port City’s glass lets you feel more relaxed and not at all confined to a smaller area. You can even design these showers around your bathroom lighting… because naturally, your shower experience will be brighter and more refreshing.

Created by Paige Stover

One South Battery Street homeowner called upon Bennett Hofford Construction to breathe life back into her historic home.

Classic Charleston brick with white pillars lined by a graceful iron fence set the perfect scene for a quiet, sunny afternoon stroll along South Battery Street. But behind the brick is a beautiful home, filled with French-inspired antique furniture, equestrian artwork, and a soft white and floral palette, all masterfully blended with a modern kitchen.

And that’s just the first floor. “Elizabeth called us after she purchased the house,” says Jessica Hofford, of Bennett Hofford Construction. “It hadn’t been updated in a while and the color scheme was kind of dark.” Elizabeth, the homeowner, is an attorney and a full-time mom, so she wanted a cheerful home to return to after long hours in the office. Unfortunately, before the renovations took place, there was only a formal dining room and formal living room to offer space for family time. At Elizabeth’s request, the team at Bennett Hofford began plans for an addition to accompany the renovation.

It was important to Elizabeth that there be a less formal place for unwinding with family and friends. And because the house faces South, it was vital that large windows be added to the family room to maximize the natural light flowing through the space. She chose to have custom built-in shelves and storage added in order to assist the family in running a smooth, organized household. The brass horse statues, family photos, trophies, and stacks of academic books comingling among the shelves complement the traditional décor.

The newly refurbished staircase, with original wood steps and wrought iron spindles, leads to the second floor, where the master suite and guest rooms are located. “Much like the first floor, we renovated all of the rooms on the second story and restored all of the moulding, which is original to the house,” Jessica points out. The only exceptions are the two spectacular bathrooms. Each lavatory was entirely gutted to the studs, which allowed for the plumbing to be thoroughly updated. The guest bathroom features dark stained cabinetry with a white marble countertop contrast. In comparison, the master bathroom sparkles with white marble countertops that complement the original wood flooring. A stand-alone soaking tub creates a spa-like atmosphere.

Up on the third floor is where Elizabeth’s daughter’s room, a third bathroom, and a den are found. The den, which was formerly attic space, is enveloped with floor-to-ceiling original wood paneling. It has been stained to a rich, mahogany color to lighten and warm the room, due to its singular small, round window. Elizabeth’s daughter’s bathroom was also redesigned.

Now, there are endless possibilities to where Elizabeth and her family will land when they return to relax in their historic abode, and they can relish every moment together in a refreshingly spacious home.

For more information, call Bennett Hofford Construction at (843) 722-8169 or visit bennetthoffordconstruction.com.

When Laura Schonholz began designing her home with her daughter Johanna, they both wanted to find a way to use products and design elements that would blend in their aesthetics with the traditions of Charleston.

Bringing in the “new” can be tricky—especially when the “old” is as cherished as it is in a place like Charleston. Architect and homeowner Laura Schonholz, with the help of her daughter Johanna Sztokman and companies like Nichiha, brought in new looks to a stunning Lowcountry setting in a way that still honors and highlights the style traditions of this area.

“We fell in love with Charleston as soon as we saw it,” gushes Laura as she explains how her husband’s position at MUSC brought her family to the Lowcountry from Argentina 12 years ago. “When settling in here, we wanted to have a contemporary house that took advantage of our location and maximized our view of downtown Charleston.” Laura set out to design a home that met all of the Charleston Board of Architectural Review guidelines and still stayed true to her personal design style that she describes as a mixture of contemporary, minimalistic, and eclectic. To achieve this aesthetic, she worked diligently with her daughter to find all of the right contractors, vendors, and materials.

Nichiha fiber cement paneling was one such product that worked well for Laura and Johanna’s design style, both inside and outside of the home. Buck Lumber supplied Nichiha’s Empire Block product on the exterior of the house as well as on the floor-to-ceiling custom fireplace. “We make both residential and commercial products,” explains Brandon Tart, Territory Manager of Nichiha. “You can choose one of our products to have the look of lap siding or board and batten, or you can select our commercial panels that also can be used in modern single-family homes or commercial buildings.”

“I was trying to think of a non-conventional material, and after investigating Nichiha, I thought it was perfect,” Laura adds. “Also, we really wanted to interconnect the exterior and interior of the home and the look of this gray material was ideal.”

“Nichiha’s product was a way of incorporating the modern material into a more traditional form. It’s a very modern product, so we tried to create a house shape that would resemble a Charleston single,”
Johanna includes.

Throughout the home, the mixture of contemporary and traditional can be seen. Laura used hardwood flooring, but instead of ending the flooring at the baseboard, she continued the flooring all the way up the wall in some of the rooms of the home. AGM Imports helped to blend the contemporary with the traditional in the bathroom tiling also by adding unique flair to traditional bathroom shapes and silhouettes.

This Lowcountry residence has been designed and built to stand the test of time. With a mixture of durable materials and design choices, Laura and her family will be able to enjoy the Charleston views in style from their home for years to come.

For more information, call Nichiha at (866) 434-4421 or visit online at nichiha.com. For more information about Holz Design Group call (843) 478-4906. For more information about Buck Lumber call (843) 795-0150.

When a tornado destroyed part of their home in 2015, Chelsea and Ryan Meadows turned a tragedy into the perfect opportunity to redesign their Johns Island home.

Imagine you are awoken at midnight to hear a storm raging around your home. Now picture yourself racing into your one-year-old daughter’s room in order to pull her into your arms before rushing to find shelter. That is exactly what happened to Ryan Meadows when a tornado left a scar of destruction across Johns Island in September of 2015. “It was terrifying,” Ryan recounts. “My wife Chelsea was traveling for business, so I was on baby duty.” As Ryan was running down the back stairs, his daughter in his arms, almost the entire back side of the house was being wrenched away by the storm. He and his daughter, Madison, barely made it into the closet under the stairs before the sofa flew by, taking the bathroom door with it.

Fortunately, they stayed safe and Charleston County building department was especially eager to make the process of rebuilding as quick and painless as possible for those affected by the tornado. Even more fortunately,
the Meadows are good friends with several building professionals, including Travis Arnett of Arnett Construction as well as Chris Mevers of Mevers Kitchen and Bath. Once Ryan and Chelsea approached Travis about how to get started on the road to home recovery, he pointed them toward Jodi Crosby of Crosby Creations Home Designs to help draw the house plans to rebuild. Jodi walked through what was left of their home, and discussed with the Meadows the aspects of the home that they wanted to keep. “We loved our home before the tornado, but Jodi did a fantastic job of asking us the right questions and visualizing everything we talked about,” says Chelsea.Jodi worked tirelessly for four weeks (instead of the normal eight to 12 average) to redesign the missing parts of the house in order to integrate the panoramic marsh views for the new master suite upstairs and the living and dining rooms downstairs. “We did a little flip-flopping with the design,” adds Jodi. “The kitchen moved to the front of the home, we opened the floor plan, and incorporated larger windows.” From there, Travis took over the construction. He helped Chelsea and Ryan choose many of the finishes throughout. The floors in Travis’s own home turned out to be Chelsea’s inspiration for the rustic feel of the décor, and Ryan’s desire for an exposed brick fireplace played right into the charisma of the living room. “Once we were settled on a rustic theme, the Meadows and I had fun creating a space that they’ll love for years to come,” states Travis, who procured a lot of the reclaimed items in the living room, including the mantel over the fireplace.When it came time to design the kitchen, Chelsea and Ryan sought out another long-time friend, Chris Mevers. “They kept a lot of similar features from their old kitchen, with the spice racks and accessories on either side of the stove, but it’s the brick backsplash that ties the traditional cabinetry and the rustic feel of the living room together for a seamless look,” Chris mentions. Ryan adds, “I asked if the brick would even make a good backsplash and as soon as I brought it up, Chris said it would be perfect.”To pull Ryan’s traditional tastes and Chelsea’s rustic ideas together, Travis suggested barn doors here and there on the first floor, as well as marine rail fittings for the back porch so that the marsh view isn’t obstructed. Now, Chelsea and Ryan enjoy their lovely home and backyard scenery not only due to its beauty, but because it also reminds them of how their friends and community came together to help rebuild their dreams. v

For more information, call Crosby Creations Home Designs at (843) 514-7354 or visit crosby-creations.com. To learn more about the reconstruction, call Arnett Construction at (843) 271-8668 or visit arnettconstructionsc.com. For more information about the kitchen, call Mevers Kitchen and Bath at (843) 410-5656 or visit meverskitchens.com.

Stellar Engravings got its start when Lowcountry cabinet makers were inspired by the laser engraving and etching process used by parent company, Vencor in the manufacturing and industrial industry and recognized the potential to help make cabinets unique for their customers. Stellar Engravings is able to offer many unique products ranging from wood and furniture engravings, glass etchings, laser engravings on mugs and tumblers and kitchen utensil, signs for businesses, metal business cards, bar taps, wedding favors and more. You provide the kitchen and they can spice it up! Stellar Engraving can also engrave your furniture to turn it into an instant statement piece. Other examples of projects they are known for include custom cabinet door engravings for remodels, changing an ugly metal air return to a custom wood one to match your home, and specialty signs for a game room or bar! One of the most unique projects in the Lowcountry that Stellar Engravings has created is a detailed wall divider. Originally, it was designed for an indoor use, but many local homeowners have commented that they would like one to help block out some of their neighbors’ view in their “Old” Charleston style homes that are built close together.

If you have an idea already in mind, Stellar Engraving will help your design an images and create a rendering of what it would look like on a particular product. Once a customer modifies the design, Stellar Engraving will program their machine and cut or etch the product. If a customer is unsure of what they would like, but know they want something unique, Stellar Engraving can get creative and design ideas based on the customers taste and vision.

Stellar Engraving can also help around the upcoming holidays by creating Christmas cards, toys (planes, puzzles, jewelry box, etc.), personalized tumblers or coffee mugs with favorite sports team, Christmas tree ornaments that can hold a child or pet picture and so much more.

For more information call Stellar Engraving at 843-795-6680 or visit stellarengraving.com.

Former Georgia Tech quarterback and developer of Charleston’s only midcentury modern hotel, John Dewberry, reminisces about the early days of Dewberry Capital, the life lessons he learned from football, and renovating his historic downtown home.

As a graduate of the College of Charleston, I spent my formative years walking and biking every inch of downtown Charleston, from Battery Park to the streets around Wagener Terrace. In all that time, I rarely gave much thought to the old building that seemed to loom over my favorite warm-weather study spot in Marion Square. But John Dewberry’s creative mind and tenacious spirit had an entirely different view of the L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building, when, in 2008, he bought it from the federal government. He didn’t care that its sixties-era walls were filled with asbestos, or that people in the community claimed he paid too much for an ugly, dilapidated structure. Nor did he listen when they encouraged him to tear down the eyesore. To hear him tell the story as he relaxes in the Music Room of his home on Meeting Street, a cigar in his hand and his dog, Georgia, snoozing away on the antique Knoll sofa, it’s hard to see the business mogul. But his confidence and competitive nature are clear in the results of his business practices. “I’ll be the first to tell you what’s what,” he says with a sly smile. “It’s the quarterback in me. But it’s not about your ego or mine, it’s about what’s best for the project, playing your best, and being who you are.” That phrase, “Be who you are,” is one of John’s main mantras in life. And for a good reason. It was the solid advice his father gave him as an athletic leader and it has translated into success as he morphed into a leader in development and real estate across the southeast.

{For extra pictures of John’s beautiful home and new hotel not seen in the magazine, check out the gallery at the bottom of the blog!}

 

You began working in the financial industry, so to speak, at Marine Midland Bank after college. What made you decide to change lanes from banking to real estate and development?

I always intended to make the move. Before I was working at Marine Midland Bank, I met with a lot of Atlanta’s real estate leaders and asked each of them what was the most important thing to understand about their industry. Many said if you understand the finance, if you understand the numbers, then everything else falls into place. So I sought a banking job, landed at Marine Midland Bank (which is now Hong Kong Shanghai Bank), and learned everything I could about lending and borrowing money. About 36 months later, the recession of 1990 hit the market. For the real estate industry, it was a very similar recession to the one in 2008. Basically, I experienced a ten-year economic cycle in about three years. This has proved to be a very valuable learning experience.

When did you decide to break out on your own to start Dewberry Capital?

Just before the recession of 1990, in March of 1989, I realized that I could do on my own what I was doing for the developers who came into thebank. So I started Dewberry Capital and started arranging financing for guys who were in dire financial straits. For leaving a safe haven at the bank, people looked at me like I was nuts. But I had learned how to both borrow and lend money, which is more difficult, but brings more benefits in the end.

Clearly that set a great foundation for all that you’ve accomplished up to the present day. What did you study at Georgia Tech that led you into the real estate and development industry to begin?

Georgia Tech is a nerd school, through and through, and I am proud of that.Back then they called my degree Industrial Management, and the curriculum is still very similar now to what it was then. But a Georgia Tech business degree is more quantitative than most schools. I took a lot of calculus, physics, and economic classes for the major. Unfortunately, when I transferred from University of Georgia after my freshman year, the two calculus classes I had already taken didn’t count, so I’m probably the only guy around who had five calculus courses to his name and still can’t tell you much about calculus [laughs].

What Georgia Tech really taught me though, was how to compete. Academics don’t get to take all the credit for that, but I had to study twice, maybe three times, as hard as I was accustomed to make the same level of grades. I woke up at five in the morning to practice throwing footballs, before going to class. But If I didn’t succeed, I was going home. College and football both taught me how to compete to be successful, and my dad taught me how to be just the right balance of confident and humble. Every time I would be too demanding as a leader, Dad would say, ‘Son, you gotta be who you are, but show ‘em your heart and they will follow.’ Dad was right.

While you were the starting quarterback for Georgia Tech, you led the Yellow Jackets to more victories than in the past decade, helped turn around the program, and paved the way for Georgia Tech to move beyond it’s spot among the ten worst football teams rankings. Did you ever think you might play professional football?

At one point, yes. It sounds crazy, but I was probably a better baseball player than I was football player. But I quit baseball when I was fifteen to follow football. When I was younger, I often thought I’d get married and have a family as a pro quarterback. As a baseball player, it’s a lot harder to play 160 games a year, be successful, and have a family. I remember thinking that was two different lifestyles. I just didn’t like the outlook of 160 pro baseball games a year. Plus I loved the position of quarterback. The elements of using the brain, the problem solving, the leadership, all coupled with the athleticism involved in the role of a quarterback were right up my alley. Baseball couldn’t really offer me an equivalent position.

When I got to Georgia Tech, though, it was one of those ‘what have I done’ moments because Georgia Tech was ranked as one of the top ten worst college football teams and I had just left UGA, which recently claimed a national championship. Plus the classwork was much more demanding. So through hard work, perseverance, and leadership, we turned things around; it was probably the first major example in my life of taking a risk, but I knew it was worth it.

After college, I was drafted by Calgary in the Canadian Football League. Quickly, I knew pro football wasn’t going to take me where I wanted to go. My dad knew it too, because he told me I probably wasn’t good enough to play in the NFL. And that sounds harsh to people who didn’t know him, or how he drove me when I wanted to be driven. He also said, ‘John, you’re going to be better at business than you ever dreamed of being at football.’ He and I both knew that he was right.

You started Dewberry Capital with your own capital, which sounds like a big risk. How did you know that was the career path for you?

The best way to put it is that I don’t know any other way. That’s who I am. As I mentioned earlier, it was my father who pushed me early on to use my brain, all of which eventually led me to take that jump. I’d done something similar before, by transferring from a school with a great football program to a school that could hardly win a game. But I knew it would pay off because I would make it so. Every time I think, ‘What have I gotten myself into,’ my next immediate thought is, ‘We’re going to turn this around.’

I evaluate risk differently than the majority of people, which is what it really boils down to. Combine that with having the confidence in my ability to overcome obstacles. It takes a unique skill set to have both vision and an eye for detail, herd all of the cats, keep a project (at least somewhat) on time, and somewhat on budget. I would say my training as a quarterback helped me be able to communicate my goals and problem solve in a way that has aided many other experiences in my life. Keeping the linemen and the running backs from each other’s throats, while calling and executing plays against 11 defenders bent on our destruction, is a lot like leading the architects, engineers, interior designers, and construction crews while trying to make sure the hotel moves toward completion. Five-star hotel development is more complicated than football, though, and I love most every second of it. [laughs]

Today Dewberry Capital spans from Virginia to Florida. When you first began the company, did you imagine it would be this widespread?

We could have grown a lot quicker, and be a lot more widespread than we are right now. But I’ve told other people who asked me that question, we’re developing quality not quantity. I’ve always been more interested in the beauty of a development than chasing money. As a result I’ve been very blessed in my financial endeavors, so that helps, too, but at the heart of the matter, we focus on giving back to the communities where we invest. It was something my father impressed on me from day one, and it’s something that I strive for every day. Plus it would be nearly impossible to focus on giving back when you’ve got developments in every state or multiple countries around the world. And I think that’s kind of what God cares about—using the gifts He gives you to the best of your ability.

2008 wasn’t exactly the best year for real estate, and the L. Mendel Rivers building wasn’t exactly pristine, so why did you decide to buy that building in that year?

It all goes back to who I am. I am a risk taker. I have a game plan and it involves taking chances. But the risks I take aren’t as crazy as they may seem to a lot of people. They make sense to me because I evaluate risk with a different skill set than most. If I can renovate a building, if I can save a landmark, then I would rather do that and turn it into a new landmark, so that’s what I’m going to do. I bought the empty federal building at a steep discount to replacement costs, because I knew I could to turn it into a five-star hotel. And the whole time my dad’s words, ‘You gotta be who you are,’ were in my head. So I went for it. And we’ve been supremely blessed in the process. It’s also the reason I named the hotel after my dad. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his love and advice.

What initially drew you to the L. Mendel Rivers building?

For one, I didn’t want to build from the ground up. It would have been too expensive. Some may say that I’m not about doing things the easy way, but the easy way isn’t always the best way. But think about it, what other building in Charleston has almost 200 windows just on the front of the building? It certainly makes for great natural light in the guest rooms.

Secondly, no matter which city Dewberry Capital invests in, it’s vital for us to have the best real estate, and that’s what the federal building is. That’s my business model, so that’s what we do. We always end up being on a corner and we’re usually next to a church, too [laughs], but my dad was a preacher so that’s what I am used to.

Thirdly, I wanted to preserve the midcentury modern building. The L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building is one of the best examples from that time period. And lastly, we’re right in the middle of the development craze that’s moving north from Calhoun Street, and situated on Charleston’s main event venue, Marion Square.

Did you have the same vision for The Dewberry as it has turned out, and if not what was that vision?

There were things that I changed or that were suggested to me, but primarily I envisioned a place where folks can come enjoy supper, have a cocktail, celebrate their anniversary, or stay for the weekend. It’s true that my ideas morphed a little over time, but I am very hands-on with our projects. I know what I want and work with my team to turn it into a reality. The Dewberry needed to be a meeting place, a relaxing place, and a tribute to all of the things that make midcentury modern great with a few modern amenities in the mix to bring people back. And I certainly hope that’s what we’ve accomplished.

You certainly have. And you’ve done the same with your personal home on Meeting Street, which was built in 1770 and was around to witness the British capture Charlestowne. What was your goal for your home?

Aesthetically, it needed a serious facelift and at times it’s hard to tell where the old ends and the new begins, which I love. But the most important thing to me was to feel comfortable and to make everyone else comfortable too. The other goal I had was to take the house back to 1770. We pulled up and restored the floors, renewed the structure, refurbished the cypress paneling in my office (which had been painted before I bought the house), and preserved as much of the original Charleston brick as we could.

We raised the second story and then had to raise the windows to match, and we rebuilt every fireplace. It was a true labor of love (most of the time). [laughs]

Once the floors had been lifted and the structural aspects restored, what was the next step in the renovation process?

The kitchen was the most complex part of the whole renovation. It used to be the stables next to the house. A really cool part of the room is some of the tabby on the walls and the brick behind it is 250 years old and some is just thirteen years old. It’s impossible to tell the difference. I love to ask expert renovation guests if they can tell which part is original and which isn’t.

You’ve filled your home with historic art as well. Which pieces are your favorites and why?

I have contemporary pieces like Douglass Balantine’s in the Music Room and the master bathroom, but I think the original Huttys and French artist, Alex Amyé are my favorites. They are so evocative of life and travel and adventure. Plus Alfred Hutty used to live right up Tradd Street. We have two Ridleys as well, which are hunting scenes, and I’m not huge into hunting art, but these paintings are special. The old colonial flag over the fireplace is perfect for the Cypress Room, too, because it harkens back to the time period when the house was new and its first inhabitants were living in pre-Revolutionary (and therefore) dangerous times. That kind of history fascinates me—it’s so remarkable to discover who the people were and how they lived in this very place where we’re sitting.

Clearly you’ve put a great deal of effort and care into this house, but you have one or two in other spectacular places, like Ireland, for instance. So would you say this is your primary home, orjust your home away from home?

It’s my home-home, for sure. My dad, before he passed, could see that I was different when we would come stay here together. He said that I felt more at home here, and he was right. I love every inch of this house, the history, the city, the community, all of it. Jaimie agrees with my dad, too. Whenever we come here she always tells me how great it is to see me relax.

Charleston is obviously more than just a wonderful place to retreat for you two, but it sounds like you’re not finished developing new properties into fabulous hotels. What’s on the horizon for you and Dewberry Capital?

We’re traveling a bit between Charleston and Charlottesville right now (John is originally from this area of Virginia), working on the finishing touches to The Dewberry Charleston and starting design work on our second hotel in Charlottesville, which has a similar background to The Dewberry. It’s been an abandoned building for a while, and like the federal building was, it is a bit of an eyesore. Construction hasn’t quite started yet, so it’s still a bit of an eyesore [laughs], but things are moving forward and it’s all very encouraging.

Story by Erin Forbes | Photography by Patrick Brickman & Colin Voigt