In March of 2023, Kirsten Schoettelkotte, architect and chair of Kiawah River’s architectural review board, showed a unique corner lot overlooking water and shaded by historical oaks to Southern Living magazine as a potential location for the 2024 idea house. Surrounded by wildlife and waterfowl, along with a gentle breeze swaying the tall marsh grasses and Spanish moss draped over the trees, the property checked all the boxes for Southern Living’s standards. Editor-in-chief Sid Evans said those standards required “relatable and inspiring concepts that reflect as much local flavor as possible for the 15,000-plus visitors who travel from all 50 states to experience the idea house.” Evans added that because Kiawah River was on the radar as a destination for the honor for the last five or six years, natural progression dictated that this site would be a go.
For the idea house to be photographed for the cover of Southern Living’s September issue, a looming deadline to complete the build was slated for May 2024. Late into the nights of April and May 2023, Schoettelkotte and her team worked ample overtime, and together, they achieved the impossible: drafting plans for the five bedroom, five-and-a-half bath, 4,400 square-foot sea island farmhouse and adjacent carriage house in a third to a quarter of the usual timeline for a project of that scope. “Twelve-hour days became the standard,” Schoettelkotte reflected.
After Schoettelkotte submitted plans to the ARB three times, and pulled permits from Charleston County, the luxury home building firm Dillard-Jones broke ground that June. Because of a challenge presented by two legacy oaks located on the front and back side of the lot, (which Schoettelkotte had to design the house around) the work began with geo-mapping tree root systems and creating a special foundation to protect them. According to senior vice president of Dillard-Jones and builder Jessica Smith, this required installing 96 helical pilings, or hollow tubes that bore into the ground until they hit buildable earth.
The next month, in July 2023, interior designer Allison Elebash came on board. “Working and collaborating with the architect and builders was so important because of the speed of the project. We all needed to be on the same page every day and that required a huge level of trust,” she said. “Plus, coordinating with local contractors and communicating while executing the whole vision was critical. I never wanted the house to feel like a showroom, rather a storied past with soul and intention with the old balanced with the new and the feminine juxtaposed with the masculine. It needed to feel like home — timeless — even a little quirky like a farmhouse, intentionally woven with unexpected details that highlight rather than distract.”
Inspired by this vision and a view of nature’s fan deck that spans the vast range of Lowcountry colors, Elebash amassed a group of local artisans including artist and textile designer Rebecca Atwood, who hand-painted a mural of Hampton Park in the Idea House’s downstairs hallway. The installation of sweetgrass baskets on the far wall of that space was created by weaver Andrea Cayetano-Jefferson. Fabrics designed by Emily Dawes, quilts made by Folk Textiles and Glassware by Estelle are also integral components of Elebash’s interpretation of Lowcountry elegance.
Selections for the outdoor furniture and planters that establish various seating scenarios overlooking the pool and river were selected from Elizabeth Stuart Design Studio, while much of the art comes from Charleston Artist Collective and Ann Long Fine Art. Hanging in the vast stairwell are hand-painted ceramic barnacles that create movement, lending light and energy to the space, an idea conceived by Southern Living’s senior home and features editor Betsy Cribb Watson (designed and installed by artist Christina Watka). The botanicals draping the walls throughout the home are hand-pressed by artist and plantswoman Anne Blackwell Thompson of Blackwell Botanicals. Elebash added that Fritz Porter’s Sarah Hamlin, who has an amazing eye for detail, was instrumental when it came to contributing accessories that came from her own home.
Having achieved her vision, Elebash pointed to the collaborative efforts these outstanding female artisans contributed. “The design is only as good as your team,” she said, “especially with the intensity it took to turn this project around in such a short period of time.” She also noted that the work could not have been completed successfully without senior designer Natalie Wicher, who Elebash said, was “an integral part of executing and keeping the project on track.” Additionally, “Nicole Hendrick, who manages the idea house for Southern Living was an invaluable resource and support system, especially when I started feeling overwhelmed. We’ve developed a wonderful friendship.”
For the content side of Southern Living’s idea houses, Evans spends months planning the photo shoots and laying out the story, while also ensuring the presentation is a good experience for readers, meeting their expectations when it comes time to announce the location. The highlight of the project, he said, is “walking in to see the finished product because the photos just don’t do it justice. Plus, I enjoy the problem-solving aspect and seeing how the amazing group of people on this talented team act under pressure.”
Throughout the earliest phases of conceptualizing the design for the Idea House, to building its foundation and walls, to strategically straightening the last throw pillow on a built-in window seat, these diamonds under pressure have supported each other by teaming up to create an absolute miracle out of vision, passion, commitment and hard work in a jaw-dropping 11 months’ time. “I’m so glad I took on this challenge,” Elebash said. “The breeze is so worth the hard work,” Schoettelkotte agreed.
The idea house, located at 3008 Eventide Drive on Johns Island, is open to the public through December 22, Thursday through Sunday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays are from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
To purchase tickets, visit tickettailor.com/events/dillardjonesbuilders/1231029.
By Sarah Rose
Photos by Laurey W. Glenn
