When the Beck family secured a property in an ideal location—Greenville, South Carolina—they were happy to place it. However, the drug itself was not very promising. It had suffered water damage from flooding and the Pecs decided the best way forward was to tear it down and start over, building a new home that took into account all of their practical and aesthetic requirements.
This new home combines elegance, playful touches, and bold contemporary design with more traditional references. All these elements combine to make this one of the best homes in the world.
The family called on architect Bill Huey and designer Caroline Brackett who worked with them to get the look they wanted and showed them how to successfully balance classic period features with contemporary interior design.
1. Traditional style windows and reclaimed beams
(Photo credit: Brie Williams)
Architect Bill Huey incorporated period style details that his clients admired in another home he built in Charleston. So the house’s tall multi-pane windows and paneled interior doors give this new building a firm foundation in traditional design, which is exactly the look the clients had been hoping for. Living room ideas include reclaimed beams that provide a smart counterpoint to a low-back chandelier from Currey and Company. The plaid pillows on Highland House sofas tip the balance toward classic cottage style.
2. Arched openings
(Photo credit: Brie Williams)
Using the arch to frame a scene in this way gives the space a sense of old-fashioned grandeur, although the interior design here has a contemporary flavor. The classic arch of the slim console table, cube stools, and colorful modern artwork add a serene edge. The family was keen to incorporate classic architectural details into the hallway ideas, but was also bold and playful in colour. This space shows exactly how the two styles can be combined.
3. Vaulted ceiling
(Photo credit: Brie Williams)
Designer Caroline Brackett, when coloring clients’ kitchen ideas, says that the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen presents an interesting challenge. Applying the tongue and groove to the additional ceiling wasn’t easy, but it was one detail the client was particularly keen to include. Both the family and the designer are pleased with the room’s finished look. “The craftsmanship is amazing and the island can fit the whole family, which is important,” says Caroline. The stools are by Lee Industries and the pendant lamp is by Currey and Company.
4. Paneled stairs and landings
(Photo credit: Brie Williams)
The staircase is one of designer Caroline Brackett’s favorite parts. “His design was a feat,” she says. Wall panels may have been around for centuries, but this latest interpretation with its monochromatic scheme and leopard print counter gets the idea right.
5. Bathroom Drama
(Image credit: Emily Bolt)
The bathroom display stand is a beautifully placed freestanding bathtub with a nod to Art Deco that can be on-trend at the same time. The bathroom shares period dramas with the floor-to-ceiling window. Luxurious finishing touches combine classic elegant marble with a contemporary entryless shower door. Designer Carolyn Brackett says this “adds design interest, as the floor can be continuous and unbroken,” and it’s one of the many bathroom ideas in this space worth copying.
6. Sunroom design
(Photo credit: Brie Williams)
The sunroom, off the master bedroom, was a must-have for clients, and its implementation brings the 19th century greenhouse concept up-to-date. A new bold floral-print painting, coral accent chairs by Chaddock and Fairfield, and a striped rug by Stark give the space a modern twist.
7. Traditional fireplace
(Image credit: Emily Bolt)
Among the many ready-made living room ideas here, this space can be family-friendly or formal, depending on the occasion. The traditional style stone fireplace also works in either scenario. With the living room sofas grouped around the fireplace for cozy evenings together, they feel comfortable, layered, and huddled together. Note the playful, subtle introduction of color in the pillows and artwork that elevates and speaks to the scheme. The Bernhardt smart black console.
8. Four posters with a contemporary twist
(Image credit: Emily Bolt)
Sweet dreams guaranteed in this elegant master bedroom. The room picks up refreshing coral shades from the adjoining sunroom and the furniture choices hint at tradition, keeping a foothold in the decade—a good compromise for anyone looking for bedroom ideas. The clean, modern design is on a four-poster poster by Hickory Chair and the bedside tables by Fairfield, topped with lamps by The Rock House Antiques.
9. Hideout Hunting Inn
(Image credit: Emily Bolt)
The children of the family worked with the designer to come up with ideas for their bedrooms. The teenage son’s room mixes traditional references—hunting style in this case—with a calming, relaxing palette of contemporary weather-washed gray and blue for a very relevant look.
The design choices made for this room epitomize the approach to rebuilding the entirety of South Carolina. The new home is a successful blend of the traditional and the modern, but with an emphasis on comfort for everyday modern family life, and is proof that starting from scratch shouldn’t discount period hallmarks.