Barefoot by the Beach

When Sharon and John Lee purchased their oceanfront Folly Beach vacation home, they weren’t quick to make changes. “We originally just wanted to fix the wobbly handrails on the upper deck,” says John Lee. The lone project quickly turned into a whole-house renovation. The couple knew just who they’d use to redesign the home—a designer who they had previously used in another home design project.

“When Sharon and I built a home in Augusta, Georgia, 11 years ago, we worked with designer Joni Burden and her team at J. Banks Design. We knew she could create the understated and comfortable home we wanted—something that was not fussy,” John said.

While their Augusta home is traditionally styled, they wanted a slightly more contemporary edge at the beach house.

“They told me they very much wanted a relaxed atmosphere for their friends and adult children to gather, connect and linger,” says designer Joni Burden. “Since I had worked with them on their primary home and on commercial hospitality design projects in the past, we already had a strong relationship and a high level of trust. I know how they live in a space and understood they wanted to feel like they could run in from the beach barefoot and bring the dogs inside their home without worry. I call it ‘luxury without pretense.’”

J. Banks Design Group, located on Hilton Head Island, provides both high-end residential and commercial hospitality designs for international clientele. The firm’s philosophy is twofold—creating “home as resort and resort as home.” Its focus on creating luxury retreats perfectly matched the homeowners’ needs in this redesign project. Burden and designer Nicole Edwards ultimately provided the Lee family with a laid-back, resort-style home from which to enjoy the coast. 

The house’s original layout was chopped up into small rooms and didn’t function well for the Lee’s lifestyle. The living room, kitchen and guest rooms received extra attention during the renovation, as these areas were where the owners and their guests spend the most time when they are inside and off the beach. They brought in Todd Christian Construction to help them open up the space, removing the wall between the living room and kitchen so the main living spaces could interact. The contractor also tore out an existing stairwell to the downstairs and opened the terrace level for an easier walkout to the beach.

“The home underwent dramatic changes to the floor plan,” Burden says. “The homeowners wanted to feel like the inside flowed with the outside, so Nicole and I reflected natural elements through texture, color and pattern on the furnishings.”

A color palette of blues, whites and a touch of green reflect the sky, ocean, sea oats and grasses steps outside the home. Given the view, it was important to embrace nature in the interiors and not allow color to compete with the ocean. The wood floor is stained to mimic the hue of the sandy beach. Blue coffered ceilings in the open kitchen and dining room continue the azure skies into the home’s interior and reflect the sea and sky views the homeowners experience while gathered around the dining table. 

“We created a focal point fireplace in the living room with embedded sea glass and oyster shell fragments,” Burden says. “It’s what the Lees might find during a walk on the beach.”

The vertically laid Ann Sacks-fluted tile that fronts the fireplace wall provides both textural and visual interest. The design team picked up the oyster shell motif on the nearby kitchen island countertop and continued it with artwork on the wall in the foyer.

“We pushed the homeowners out of their comfort zone on this fireplace feature. It’s a unique application and one they may not have thought of on their own,” she adds.

The designers dramatically transformed each of the other bathrooms and kitchen by replacing dated, blocky and brightly-colored tile counters and backsplashes with natural stone. Edwards leaned on Burden’s J. Banks Tile Collection designed for New Ravenna to create a statement mirror in the powder bathroom. Bringing in nature-inspired elements, she created a custom mosaic of palm fronds in 25 shades of green that speaks of resort living.

Burden says, “The New Ravenna tile line mixes motifs that have inspired us on our journeys traveling and working around the world. With this collection, we are bringing the outdoors in through a blend of contemporary and traditional styles. The patterns in the collection are reflective of elements found in nature and are visualized in mosaic form. The mosaics tell a story which begins with the essence of refined, relaxed southern-coastal style and travels through the rich colors and graphic patterns of African tribal design.”

The kitchen received a backsplash facelift with a J. Banks Collection’s New Ravenna tile mosaic that echoes the colors of sea and sand. Natural rattan pendants over the island continue the nod to nature.

The designers tapped the J. Banks Collection of upholstered furniture for Gabby to provide easy chairs in several bedrooms and a sectional in the newly-created upstairs media and game room. The room becomes a multi-functional space when additional guest quarters are needed, as built-in paneling and cabinetry conceal a drop-down Murphy bed.

“Like this home, designs should always be timeless,” Burden says. “It prevents having to update every five years. We made the most of neutrals with pops of colors. Changing other elements, like light fixtures, is an easy update over the years.”

Visitors to this home remember the ‘wow’ moments—the focal fireplace, the powder bath mirror wall, the kitchen island countertops and backsplash.

“These are the unique designs created specifically for our home by J. Banks,” says Lee. “While Sharon provided a lot of input and ideas, we ended up allowing the team to implement everything J. Banks Design planned for our home. It was a high level of trust in our working relationship with the entire team.”

Burden adds, “My joy is in imagining how the Lees would use the home—and then seeing how they actually do live there.”

Resources

Interior Design:

J. Banks Design Group

jbanksdesign.com

Construction:

Todd Christian Construction

toddchristianconstruction.com