THE PERFECT HOME FOR US
Before diving into the details of my personal design project, #CliffwoodComestoLife, I wanted to share the story of finding our forever home and how we knew we wanted to take on such a big reno project.
We have always kept our eye on the Charleston real estate market but last fall we started seriously talking about moving, knowing we wanted to start a family and would soon need more space. We looked for months - various neighborhoods, new construction, historic homes, homes that only needed a few cosmetic updates - we saw it all and considered all options. We were involved in the building of our current home and selecting all finishes so it was hard for us to entirely give up the modern conveniences and touches we were used to. And this next home was going to be it for us - we wanted to settle in and raise our family there. Jeff and I are on the same page when it comes to overall design aesthetic and had clear ideas of how we wanted our home to function. Our laundry list of non-negotiables started feeling impossible to find. I love old historic charm, he loves new construction and the ease and efficiency that come with it. After a few months, we finally agreed we needed to find something that we could customize and put our stamp on.
In late January, we caught wind that a home we were familiar with was about to hit the market. We set up a showing for the day it went live and as soon as we walked in we were both smiling about the potential. Something about it felt like home and felt like us. The corner lot is large, with lots of natural light and a grand old magnolia tree out front. The 1950s colonial was well cared for and loved. We left the house and an hour later called our agent to write up an offer. This renovation project would give us exactly what we had been looking for - that old southern charm with modern conveniences. We were under contract within a couple days and set up meetings with Lloyd Custom Builders and American Vernacular to walk the house that week. They had both come highly recommended and had worked together on the home next door and thankfully they felt like the right team for us from our first meeting.
Going into architectural design meetings we came with our list of must haves and nice to haves. We were open on some things and firm on others and this helped for a smooth process. It was important that we work swiftly to finalize construction plans before our May closing date.
When starting with a new build or reno project it’s important to be specific and know what you want. What’s your idea of the perfect home? What are your non-negotiables? I’ll be sharing ours in the next post!
xx, Molly
A few more before photos of the interior…
