Soft tones, rich textures, and intentional details shape a Lowcountry home designed for everyday comfort.
Written by Mary Cornetta
Photography by Kelli Boyd
This Bluffton home began not with a renovation but with a blank slate. When Kelly Caron Designs was brought on as the design firm, there was no walk-through, no rooms to reimagine — just drawings on paper and a plot of land ready to be built upon.
For Brianna Owens, an interior designer at the firm, that kind of beginning point is equal parts thrilling and challenging. “We started when the home was still an idea,” she explains. From groundbreaking to final installation, the process spanned 16 months and included every detail imaginable: appliances, plumbing, cabinetry, lighting, paint, tile, flooring, countertops, and ultimately furniture, bedding, and accessories. “This project was turnkey top to bottom,” Owens says.
From the beginning, the homeowners expressed interest in a clean, neutral palette. Rather than relying strictly on color to carry the design, Owens leaned into layering materials and textures to create depth. The result is a home that feels coordinated and calm yet anything but boring. “Collectively, it is beautiful, feels cohesive, and is very comfortable,” she says. “This is exactly what the homeowners wanted — something casual to live in and a place they’d be excited to come home to.”
A sense of welcome can be found in every corner of the house. Starting in the living room, Owens explains, “With an otherwise ‘bland’ color palette, the room proves how critical it is to thoughtfully use textures and layers.” Dozens of samples were gathered before a single fabric was approved. And performance was considered just as much as aesthetics, ensuring the pieces could withstand everyday wear.
For example, the cocktail ottoman from CR Laine, upholstered in latte-toned leather, was selected for its durability. She and her client sourced the rest of the furniture for this space from Restoration Hardware, Wesley Hall, Kravet, and Currey & Co., resulting in a mix that feels curated rather than matched. Linen, leather, wood, and metal play off one another, creating dimension while sticking to a uniform color palette.
The living room is part of an open-concept layout, offering clear views of the spectacular kitchen. The vision for it started, as many do, with an inspiration image saved from social media. But after thoughtful conversation, Owens identified what truly resonated with her client: the drama of a waterfall island and the warmth of two-toned cabinetry.
“With the current architecture, we were creative in adding in these two elements the clients wanted to see come to life in the home,” Owens says. The team chose select-grade white oak cabinetry from Rincon-based Coastal Millworks in a natural matte finish to balance the painted elements. A custom-designed range hood, also from Coastal Millworks, becomes a focal point, while durable quartz countertops extend seamlessly into a 16-foot waterfall island, a design statement that grounds the room.
Lighting from Hudson Valley Lighting casts a soft glow across the surfaces, and a Wolf range underscores the kitchen’s functionality. The result is both a showpiece and a workspace, a kitchen built for gathering as much as for cooking. Tucked behind is one of Owens’ favorite “moments”: the back kitchen. Equal parts practical and polished, it allows the main kitchen area to remain pristine while the real work happens just out of sight.
The laundry room is another space that carries the load — or, as Owens describes it, is the true workhorse of this home. The design here began with a playful black-and-white checkered tile floor from Savannah Surfaces, a slight departure from the otherwise restrained design palette. From there, cabinetry and fixtures were added, ensuring streamlined storage and a functional workspace.
Speaking of work, the office was positioned carefully on the lot, allowing natural light to illuminate it throughout the day. “The sun exposure and sun patterns really make this room special,” says Owens. She layered rugs, organic textures, and neutral colors to soften the white walls and create a home office that feels both energizing and serene.
If the homeowners want a change of scenery during the workday, they can head upstairs, where a “flex space” can be used as a media room or a place to gather. A sectional from Vanguard Furniture anchors the layout, paired with a cocktail ottoman by Chaddock and lighting from Visual Comfort & Co. Hassocks by Wesley Hall provide additional seating, and artwork by local photographer Ben Ham (known for his sepia-toned Lowcountry scenes) acts as a backdrop.
Also upstairs, the primary bedroom continues the home’s neutral aesthetic. Owens and her client selected the paint color and light fixture before space planning the room, ensuring the furniture was properly scaled. Pieces from Made Goods, Visual Comfort & Co., CR Laine, and Restoration Hardware create a calming retreat.
The primary bath is one of Owens’ personal favorites. Here, she designed the cabinetry layout and selected lighting, tile flooring, Moen plumbing fixtures, and stone countertops. Accessories from Pigeon and Poodle add a final layer of polish.
Another bathroom space that feels special to her is the powder room, which is wrapped in a vinyl champagne-colored wallcovering by Thibaut that “makes this a true jewel box,” per Owens.
As anyone residing in the Lowcountry knows, living spaces often stretch seamlessly to the outdoors. Owens designed the fireplace and chose all of the materials for the screened porch, sourcing furniture from Restoration Hardware to ensure durability without sacrificing style. As a result, the home’s porch functions as an extension of the interior and is yet another beautifully designed space made for conversation and comfort.
Detached from the main house, the carriage house offers privacy for visiting friends and family. Within its compact footprint, Owens incorporated a workspace, a small kitchenette, sleeping quarters, and a full bath. Essentially, it’s a self-contained suite that mirrors the main home’s aesthetic while still providing guests with independence.
Designing a home from the ground up requires a homeowner’s trust, and this particular client put theirs in the hands of the Kelly Caron Designs team with confidence. Although they experienced post-COVID supply chain challenges, with shifting lead times and the need for flexibility and patience, the finished product was well worth it. When asked about her favorite part of the project, Owens says, “I truly enjoy the home entirely, and I’m proud of fulfilling their vision from a functional standpoint and aesthetically.”
Details
- Neighborhood: Palmetto Bluff
- Year built: 2021–2022
- Year purchased: 2022
- Timeline of renovation/construction: 14 months
- Number of bedrooms: 4
- Number of bathrooms: 4.5
- Square footage: 3,164
- Architect: g2 Design
- Interior designer: Brianna Owens for Kelly Caron Designs, ASID
- Builder/contractor: Paparone & Rollins
- Landscape: Witmer Jones Keefer
- Kitchen design: Brianna Owens for Kelly Caron Designs, ASID
- Kitchen appliances: Wolf range and Thermador refrigerator from Livingood’s Appliances and Bedding
- Cabinetry: Coastal Millworks
- Bathroom design: Brianna Owens for Kelly Caron Designs, ASID
- Furniture: Vanguard Furniture, CR Laine, Restoration Hardware
- Paint: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
- Tile/flooring: Savannah Surfaces
- Lighting: Restoration Hardware, Hudson Valley Lighting, Currey & Co., Visual Comfort & Co.
- Accessories: Made Goods, Currey & Co., Uttermost
- Windows/doors: Marvin, Budget Blinds (window treatments)
- Art: Ben Ham
