A two-year renovation of a traditional beach house on Sullivan’s Island reveals a modern stunner with retro resort vibes.
The sleepy beach town of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, is a hidden gem with small-town charm and pristine beaches. When Charlotte-based designer Tracey Chagnon was enlisted to renovate and redesign her longtime client’s beach home, the directive to bring a dose of Miami modernity to the house was a lesson in restraint for her. “This modern approach to the design required editing and restraint in the decor and accessories,” she explains. The result, though, is nothing short of stunning. Just one block from the beach, with an island lighthouse view, the home oozes small-town modernity, if there is such a thing.
“We wanted to incorporate sleek statement pieces, being careful to maintain a sense of warmth,” explains Chagnon. With that in mind, the designer still reveled in adding soft, colorful touches with fun fabrics and rugs in the client’s daughters’ rooms, and introducing the homeowner to new art such as unique textile pieces by Kenny Nguyen, commissioned especially for the home.
Over the course of two years, Chagnon worked with architect Alicia Reed, who drafted a home with a midcentury aesthetic and Art Deco echoes that pull the Miami feel in from the outside. “The idea from the start was a complete overhaul and reimagining of the home, with the goal of creating a true resort-style space perfect for entertaining,” says Chagnon. “The existing pool was relocated entirely, and a new pool house was added to the property, as well as extensive hardscaping, landscaping, and outdoor areas, creating the unique midcentury-mod Miami Art Deco coastal style.”
Inside, Chagnon looked to furnishings that reiterated the modern style with clean lines and statement pieces. Shopping with her client in Miami, they picked out a “wildly original modular sofa by Italian company Edra,” says Chagnon. “It’s now the conversation piece that anchors the living room. It’s like a piece of functional sculpture; guests can sit on both sides of it, depending on how it’s configured. We also added custom walnut storage cabinets that frame one corner, housing the client’s vast record collection.”
Alongside European pieces, the home features custom items made in the Carolinas, such as the coffee table by Casey Johnson Studio in Asheville and side tables by Kauffman & Co. in Charlotte. The extensive iron work throughout the interior and exterior of the property, including a spiral staircase outside that runs the height of the home, top floor to bottom floor, is also local, created by renowned Charleston artisan Robert Thomas Iron Design.
The additions, with the well-executed aesthetic from architecture to grounds, create an overall poolside vibe that echoes a 1950s vintage California summer. Resort-style accomplished. For Chagnon, the challenge was met with joy and confidence that if you abide by Bunny Williams’s rule of, “If you love something, it will work,” then you can never go wrong. “I think it’s important for people to have items in their homes that hold sentimental value and evoke a smile,” she adds. Of course, all the intricate details and thoughtful design may be eclipsed at first by the lighthouse view across the street and the sleepy beach town vibes emanating from Sullivan’s Island, but once that enchantment breaks, thanks to Chagnon, a whole new one begins.
