Luxe Home Trends

In the heart of Charleston, where timeless charm meets modern elegance, a wave of luxury home design is redefining the way families live. The city's top designers and home professionals are crafting spaces that go beyond aesthetics—they're building sanctuaries tailored to the people who call them home.

True luxury, after all, isn't about following trends. It's about personalization and creating a home that reflects the unique rhythms, tastes and dreams of the people who live there. While styles may shift and new materials emerge, some things remain constant in the luxury equation—fine craftsmanship, expert detailing and a commitment to customization at every turn. Whether it’s custom millwork in a chef’s kitchen or handmade tile in a spa-like bathroom, these elevated features bring depth and character to every room.

Charleston’s design professionals understand that luxury isn’t about size—it’s about intention. It’s the quiet elegance of a well-curated living room, the thoughtful flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, and the sense of comfort woven into every corner. As homeowners seek spaces that support both relaxation and inspiration, Charleston designers stands at the forefront, offering design solutions that marry sophistication with soul. Here, luxury is not just seen—it’s felt.

Terra Designs On Infusing Joy

Blissful interiors are a necessary luxury

A joyful home feels like a bit of luxury every time you step into a room. Designer Jennifer

Patterson of Terra Designs explains how she achieves happy spaces.

How long have you been working in the Charleston area in the design industry, and how did you decide this was the right career for you?

I left my design firm in Washington, D.C., to return to Charleston in 2001 and opened my first design store in Mount Pleasant in 2004.  Many of my first projects were new custom homes in I’On and on Daniel Island. I have always loved design since I was a child, but it wasn’t my first career. I think it started with my grandmother who had a lovely historic home, and we started collecting antique reproduction dollhouse furniture from a local shop nearby. It took me several years in my first career in finance to realize I missed my childhood passion of design; it’s truly what I love.

The Lowcountry is a happy place with a relaxed vibe. How do you infuse that sense of happiness into your interiors?

The idea of designing purposefully with joy is a fairly new trend which emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic. It has blossomed with all the stressors we face today. I look for simple design elements that can re-create nostalgia or foster creativity to infuse joy for my clients. I completed an historic downtown renovation and painted the original wood floors in the kitchen a cheerful green, and added a playful custom checkered painted rug under the table. For a beach home, we designed a sitting room with hot-pink performance fabric chairs with a pair of stylized flamingo paintings; it has become a favorite getaway for the family.

How do you select color to influence the feeling in a home?

I always start with “What’s the purpose of this space?” The answer steers the color direction. If it’s a bedroom, I personally love soft blues, greens or pinks, which evoke a sense of lightness, breeziness and calmness. I don’t start with the wall color first; I select the big statement items, like the sofa, chairs, rug or art, which create layers of color to build the room. Only then do I select the wall color as the backdrop to give clients a space in which they want to linger.

Who or what influences your work?

Some of my favorite designers are Sister Parish, Dorothy Draper (and her best-known project, The Greenbriar Hotel), and Clodagh, an Irish designer who embraces sustainability, wellness and natural materials. These strong women defied conventional design of their time. Their designs inspire me to look at old items with a fresh perspective and appreciate simplicity in the details.

From where do you draw inspiration for your designs?

I love classic Southern style and try to infuse that sense of timelessness in my work. Places I’ve traveled inspire me, like old Bermuda houses, a quaint hotel in London, and Caribbean cottages by the sea. I carry a small sketchbook to jot down interesting architectural details about old buildings, flowers and gardens. My happy place is at the beach, which is an endless source of inspiration.

How are you currently changing your retail showroom to add more joy into the products you source and sell?

Homeowners today face an overwhelming amount of design choices. I’ve spent the last year focused on how I can change that and am in the process of completely overhauling the showroom to bring in only things that make me happy, while giving clients a place to envision their own spaces. I painted the front room a soothing shell pink, and we’ve added a travel/lifestyle area of colorful wood-block tunics and woven totes. We created a new Drapery Bar—a fun space for creating mix-and-match panels, hardware and trimmings. More to come!

What is something most people don’t know about you or Terra Designs?

My great grandmother’s home was Lowndes Grove, an historic plantation built in 1786, which is now an event venue. My teenage son knows it as the house in the Netflix series “Outer Banks.” I have a few pieces of furniture and some old linens that were passed down to me and lots of good stories. For more information, go to terradesignsinteriors.com.

Charleston Outdoor Designs’ Lay of the Land

A personalized landscaping design invigorates a home’s outdoor living environment

As a native Charlestonian, Marshall Kirkman has a deep-rooted understanding of indigenous plants and Lowcountry landscaping. As founder and president of Charleston Outdoor Design, he combines his passion for the outdoors with a strong horticultural background, landscape design certification, and 15 years of industry experience to inform the design and installation of luxury-level landscaping plans for residential clients in Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant and the surrounding sea islands.

Charleston Outdoor Design is a boutique landscaping design, build and maintenance company. Kirkman and his trusted employees handle all of their own design and installation work in-house. “Being a small company allows us to provide one-on-one attention to our clients and personalize our services,” says Kirkman. “Our customer service is on-point; we pride ourselves on our fast response times and on-time service calls. We handle the details, like cleaning up the job site at the end of every day, so that our team is as unobtrusive as possible to homeowners. It’s important to us that our clients feel special, so we typically work on one installation at a time until the job is complete.”

Charleston Outdoor Design specializes in softscaping—planting shrubs, trees and flowers—and hardscaping—designing and installing patios, driveways, walkways, water features, outdoor fireplaces, pergolas and fire pits—as well as supplying specialty services like outdoor lighting, irrigation and drainage. The company also provides regular landscaping maintenance services to clients who request it. With a team comprised of avid gardeners and landscape designers, employees are not the typical mow-and-blow landscaping guys. They bring creative solutions to their clients via à la carte services and whole-home landscape refreshes.

Kirkman explains how the right design adds a luxe touch to the landscape. “We create sanctuaries for families and their friends, places where they can relax today and also have something for future generations,” he says. “With the ability to place mature plants, homeowners’ spaces are elevated and appear as if they have been in place for many years.”

Kirkman ensures luxe landscapes are within reach for all types of homeowners. “When necessary, we work with clients to phase their installations over multiple seasons,” Kirkman adds. “This allows homeowners to have one cohesive upscale design for their yard that is implemented over a period of time. A single design theme provides an intentional, well-thought-out look for a home, regardless of when it is installed.”

Landscape designers lead clients through a discovery process to choose the right plants, natural stone and manmade materials that give the sought-after look. They specify materials that can weather the maritime environment; all finishes and fixtures are of the highest quality to ensure years of good looks and usefulness.

The company structures its process to gather extensive information about the client’s vision so the team can create a bespoke plan. An initial questionnaire is followed by an on-site meeting to assess the property. “We spend a lot of time listening,” Kirkman says. “We want the most input possible before we begin the design process.” After creating a preliminary design, the team once again accepts client input and revises the plan as necessary. The foreman assigned to the project is a degreed professional and is happy to walk through execution plans and answer follow-up questions.  If any issues arise, he works closely with the homeowner and the landscape designer to quickly find the best solution. In addition, the company proudly guarantees its work with a warranty.

The company’s experts spend each day helping homeowners create welcoming curb appeal and family-friendly outdoor entertainment areas. Kirkman says, “We help our clients find the perfect Lowcountry look to complement their home’s architectural style and their specific lifestyle.” For more information, visit charlestonoutdoordesign.com.

Above the Cityscape with Southern Land Company

Historic charm meets refined luxury at apartment community Society at Laurens in Downtown Charleston

Charleston Living had the chance to explore

a new upscale apartment community, Society at Laurens, located in the heart of Downtown and created by Southern Land Company (SLC). Vice President of Public Relations Jenna Lefever, explains how SLC incorporates luxurious features and amenities into its properties, particularly in Society at Laurens.

Overall, what characterizes SLC projects as luxury?

SLC communities embody luxury through architectural artistry and originality, thoughtful interior design, carefully curated amenity collections, intentional horticulture programs and a focus on hospitality. We achieve this through a vertically integrated structure—with all disciplines in-house, from development and design to horticulture and property management—and combine them with a stringent set of high standards.

Our communities are designed to be completely unique and independent from one another. Our in-house architecture and design team does not replicate communities; each is designed to both reflect and complement its surrounding locale, from the buildings’ facades down to the smallest interior details.

Just as luxury resorts are known for meticulous attention to their outdoor landscapes, so are SLC communities. We believe landscaping is an extension of the architecture and design of each community we build. Our in-house horticulture team collaborates with local experts to create spaces that are beautiful, sustainable and harmonious with the location’s natural environment.

A luxury community must include a strong focus on hospitality and an exceptional resident experience. Our community management professionals are thoroughly trained to provide world-class, personalized resident services and to curate creative, engaging events and programming intended to foster community among residents. Greeting each resident by name, having treats ready for daily dog visits, providing concierge services, and planning weekly social events —along with surprise-and-delight moments—are just a few of the ways we strive to extend our own brand of Southern hospitality to our residents.

What makes Society at Laurens a luxury apartment community?

Society at Laurens’ luxury status begins with its highly desirable location in the heart of historic Charleston. Surrounded by beauty and boasting picturesque water views, Society at Laurens is a refined haven, yet highly walkable to some of Charleston’s most renowned restaurants, shopping, museums and parks.

Every detail is carefully chosen to reflect the city’s rich character, including masonry and cast stone exteriors, graceful columns echoing classical Southern design, warmly glowing gas lanterns and private balconies.

Society at Laurens’ 148 residences feature open-concept living spaces, chef-inspired kitchens with GE appliances, abundant windows for ample natural light, and custom walk-in closets. Designer features and finishes include pendant lighting, quartz countertops, matte bath flooring and under-cabinet lighting.

The interiors throughout the three residential buildings evoke the timeless charm of Charleston while being designed for modern living. They have a sense of gracious Southern hospitality apparent from the first step inside the apartment. Residents can expect light-filled spaces, refined finishes, coastal-inspired palettes and serene colors. Carefully-curated artwork adorns the corridors of the three residential buildings, creating unexpected spaces of interest and elevating the everyday experience by reinforcing a strong sense of place. Each level features pieces that reflect the textures and tones of Charleston, including original paintings by local artists.

What amenities ensure residents at Society at Laurens experience an elevated lifestyle?

The community’s white-glove amenities and services help make this location a sanctuary of rest and relaxation, much like a luxury resort. Our amenity collection features: a heated saltwater pool, complete with spa and views of Charleston Harbor, situated on a second-level deck; outdoor social gathering space with a fireplace; a state-of-the-art fitness center; The Blue Palm—a meeting place for residents perfect for gathering with friends or working from home, which is equipped with a full kitchen and bar; a Wi-Fi-enabled boardroom; and a private dog run and pet spa.

Residents can reserve any of Society at Laurens’ communal lounges for personal occasions, while also enjoying opportunities to connect with neighbors through a variety of social and wellness programs organized by the community’s property management and hospitality experts. Recent programming has included a summer jazz concert series, a bourbon tasting event and a pasta-making class.

Society at Laurens is located at 31 Laurens Street in Charleston. Learn more at societyatlaurens.com and @societycharleston.