Magic on the Marsh

A Palmetto Bluff build embodies Lowcountry aesthetic with a twist

Photography by RICHARD LEO JOHNSON

WHEN AN OHIO-BASED COUPLE approached Tom and Leighann Markalunas to build a new home in Palmetto Bluff, the clients had a specific reference in mind: Another home the architect and interior design duo, who together comprise Markalunas Architecture Group and Leighann Markalunas Design, had worked on in the neighborhood — one of more than 50 they have collaborated on in the Bluffton residential community over the last decade.

“Our clients loved the house of ours they had seen, but their particular lot — with amazing views of the marsh water — was unique, so they asked us to build something that suited it,” says Tom Markalunas.

The result? A stunning, two-story home that marries the Lowcountry aesthetic of the house their clients had seen (light-filled, airy and bright rooms) with modern finishes and rich accents of color throughout. Or, as Leighann Markalunas says, “Lowcountry with a twist.”

Nowhere is this duality represented more vividly than the living room, which welcomes guests as they enter the home. Located in a corner of the house, instead of the middle, the living area is anchored by a limestone fireplace finished with bespoke leather wall paneling. The corner location of the living space allowed for the fireplace to have glass on both sides, bringing the outdoor marsh views inside.   

“Normally, when you think Lowcountry, you think brick fireplace, wood mantle and bookcases — and those are certainly design cues we’ve used before — but here, we’ve brought in wood beams on the ceiling and wood cabinetry for something a little more elevated,” Tom says.

An oil painting of an owl in front of a gold leaf oak tree by the artist Starr Marchand (one of four original pieces Leighann commissioned for the home) also adds a personalized touch: The artwork pays homage to the birds sometimes seen in the neighborhood and the live oak on the property.

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“It’s not what you would expect to see in a Palmetto Bluff home, but it still has that feel of coastal, easy living.” — Leighann Markalunas, interior designer

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As guests move through the living area, they enter an expansive kitchen, designed with entertaining in mind. Leighann chose darker colors for the cabinets to balance the lighter island and finishes. A separate wet bar area with black tile, floating brass shelves and an abstract, mixed-media piece — another commission by artist Josh Jensen — adds a layer of visual impact. “It’s not what you would expect to see in a Palmetto Bluff home, but it still has that feel of coastal, easy living.”

Elsewhere on the lower level, a screened porch with daybed swings offers the ideal space for the homeowners’ family and their friends to lean into Lowcountry life. “We designed it as a little retreat — the perfect place
to relax with a cup of coffee or a cocktail,” Leighann says. Because the home is a vacation property for their clients, the Markalunases added a bedroom suite on the lower level for friends and guests, complete with a bunk space for kids. 

Upstairs, the design duo focused on creating a comfortable but elegant master suite for their clients. To complement the vaulted ceiling of the bedroom and the adjoining, semi-private outdoor space, Leighann chose a canopy bed and commissioned an artwork that reflected the marsh view outside the window.

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“[The homeowners’] collaboration was so helpful. It spurred us to think outside the box.” — Tom Markalunas, architect

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In the bathroom, a black marble shower and floating cabinets bring a modern touch, while a commissioned painting of water skiers adds a custom and colorful finish. “With a lot of coastal design, you’ll see white cabinets, but our clients wanted to go a little more dramatic,” Leighann says. That hint of drama is also reflected in the metal-grid shower door in another bathroom.

While their clients encouraged Tom and Leighann to take artistic license with the project, they became unexpected, and terrific, collaborators. “Both husband and wife are very well-versed in design, and the husband’s father is actually an architect,” Tom says. “There can be a proprietary feeling among designers — you hear a client’s father is an architect, and you think, ‘Oh, here we go,’ but their collaboration was so helpful. It spurred us to think outside the box.”

He points to his favorite space, the living room, as proof. Early on, they played around with several ideas on where to position the fireplace. “Getting that fireplace left of the front door, with glass on both sides, that’s emblematic of our collaboration,” Tom says. “It’s a credit to our clients and his dad, who kept pushing us to not be satisfied with 80 percent, but to go for 100.” 

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DETAILS

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All resources supplied by the architect.