Making a Statement

Vintage pieces add charm to a monochromatic custom-build on Daniel Island

By Emily Shiffer

Photos by Jim Somerset

Joanna Madden’s custom-built home on Daniel Island is “keeping vintage alive and modern.” The tagline is close to her heart. The owner of Findings in Mount Pleasant within Oyster Park, a curated store filled with a mix of new, vintage, heirloom, and repurposed accessories, has brought her passion for antiques and her established store from New Jersey to South Carolina.

“The love of old has been with me since childhood. My mother and I have always been in the antique business to some degree,” says Madden. “I love mixing new and old–it tells a story.”

And her home on Daniel Island reflects her unique taste and style. Constructed by Lowcountry Premier Custom Homes, it was a three-year process to build the home that was completed in December 2023. Madden shares it with her husband Brett and two grown children, who frequently visit. 

“Our children are almost fully grown, and we were at a point in our life where we needed to make a decision for where to spend our ‘third quarter’,” says Joanna. “Our builder was great, and he was forewarned by my husband that I knew what I liked! When it came down to picking fixtures, tile and more, I went into the meeting with photos and inspiration with a clear vision of what the finished project would look like. It made the process go very smooth.”

They worked with Vinyet Architects to bring the vision to life.

“We gave them a ‘must’ list', and we went back and forth a few times,” Joanna says. Meeting building guidelines on Daniel Island required patience and collaboration, which was ultimately a success.

“They stayed true with what our vision was and worked through the obstacles,” she said.

Charleston was the perfect fit for their next chapter.

“Charleston just felt right. We have always lived by the ocean, so that was a must. And living near a city and everything that offers was also a must,” says Madden. “Our vision for the house was that we wanted a true home we would use. We wanted to repurpose and use things in a different light.” 

The home has an atypical open floor plan. “When you walk in the front door, you can see completely out to the backyard and pool. We wanted a big porch for inside and outside living.”

The home, which sits on a “very linear” property, was built around trees in the yard. Madden describes the interior as anything but coastal.

“It is very monochromatic, very warm and textural. I don't do a lot of color in my life in all aspects,” she says. “There are a lot of whites and beiges and dark brown. It’s curated and edited. We wanted all the bells and whistles of a new house, but with an old soul to it.”

The home is filled with antiques and furniture the couple has collected throughout their 27 years of marriage dotted among larger furniture pieces from local store Celadon and set off with statement dark wood and accent wallpaper by Holy City Wallpaper. 

“Buying everything from one place does not give the room depth it needs to be layered,” says Madden. “That only comes with time–and time creates stories and personality.”

A highlight of the home is the kitchen cabinets, which came from England’s deVOL Kitchens and lighting by Olde Brick Lighting. 

“I’m a big cook, it’s a pastime I enjoy. We wanted to have an island to sit all of us, and didn’t want a formal dining room or nook,” says Madden. “With the open floor plan, you’re still in ear shot of everybody when you’re cooking.”

With ample storage space, Madden chose to add a food pantry with matte black cabinetry by Haddox Custom Woodworks. It’s a color that also adorns the walls of her library–her favorite room in the home.

“I love how moody it is,” says Madden. “I love all the windows. It houses all my collections—books and white McCoy pottery. I call it my Paris apartment. It’s the place I go every morning to have coffee with our dog, a Frenchie named Hudson.”

Antiques Abound

Extra detail went into customizing every inch of the home.

“I had every piece measured before it went into storage, so we knew the dimensions (during the build),” says Madden. “The library is a great example of this. I had bought the black and rattan sofa a while ago and needed to be specific on measurements for the bookcases around it.” 

Although the home does not have a formal dining room, there is a large dining area with a special antique–an old pharmacy cabinet that came all the way from Franklin, Tennessee. A friend in the antique business, Scarlett Scales Antiques, held it for two years while the home was being built. 

“It took six people to move it into the house,” says Madden. “It has all the original detail on it. It makes the whole room.”

Another standout antique piece is in the master bathroom–a metal dental cabinet that the bathroom was designed around, including [precise spacing of the sinks and bathtub. 

Madden had the piece for 10 years, and it was previously used to showcase dishes in the family’s dining room in New Jersey. 

“I wanted to use it in a new way. We did not do cabinetry for our sinks. I knew I had this piece that had to be in play. The sinks would go on either side,” she said. “Once we got the piece in there, our builder turned to me and said, ‘I get it now!’ It’s totally functional–there are compartments inside where I keep all of our towels, hair products, blow dryers and more.”

The backyard is a place the family plans to use year-round.

“There is plenty of grass. We put in motorized screen doors, a large fireplace and a summer kitchen,” says Madden. “We wanted to use our entire footprint here. With the back porch screen, it’s like we’re gaining another room.”

While the home combines old and new, it represents the Maddens’ past and present. “Everything in the home was collected and curated over many years and came together beautifully for the vision we had designing this home,” Joanna said. “We love it.” 

Builder Resources

Construction - Lowcountry Premier Custom Homes

Architect - Vinyet Architects

Kitchen lighting - Olde Brick Lighting. 

Kitchen manufacturer-  deVOL Kitchens

Kitchen Cabinetry - Haddox Custom Woodworks