A 1937 Charleston home gets new life without losing its soul, proving that respecting the past and designed for joy can happen in the same space.
Caroline Lunne had lived down the street, and every time she walked past the house with the scalloped awnings and bird cutout on the front, she thought the same thing: if that ever goes on the market, I’m buying it.
Four years ago, it did.
The 1937 Southern stucco home in Riverland Terrace had the bones she needed—original cabinets, blue tile countertops, and wood floors that told stories. It belonged to the original family, and Lunne wanted to honor that history while making it everything she’d dreamed about as a little girl.
Her father helped from afar—calling from Ohio multiple times a day with advice, vision, and HGTV-level enthusiasm for the project. Her mother talked her through paint color crises and decor decisions, bringing her aesthetic eye to every choice. A gang of guys, including handyman Juan, showed up to help navigate the four-month sprint of interior renovation. Lunne had very little experience. She learned on the fly.
The result is a home that blends old and new without apology. Collections she’d been saving since childhood found their places. Vintage pieces from Facebook Marketplace mixed with bright paint colors and wallpaper. Everything has a story. The whole house functions as a living vision board.
From Porch to Dining Room
The dining room wasn’t originally a dining room at all—it was a porch. New electric went in. Windows went up.
Lunne’s favorite room is the living room that opens into the new dining room—spaces designed to make small square footage feel large and welcoming. She loves to entertain, throwing four big themed parties a year where she connects people over good food and conversation. The backyard, where she’s grown an English garden full of flowers, is her other entertaining sweet spot.
Living in Full Color
The living room is where Lunne’s design philosophy shines brightest. Brimming with color and outlined in pink, her favorite detail is the pink-painted window interiors and fireplace. And the yellow couch, of course.
She kept what mattered—original architectural details and the home’s character, while adding bold choices that brought her joy. A yellow Anthropologie couch anchors the space. A teal chair adds another pop of color. The pink trim around the windows and fireplace feels playful without overwhelming the room.
“I wanted to blend the old and new,” Lunne said. “Keep it as original as possible, but make it work for how I actually live.”
The craziest parts of the renovation? Navigating Lowes. Picking paint colors. Learning to trust her own taste when everything felt like a guess.
But Lunne documented the entire journey on Instagram and her website, sharing the experiments and mistakes in real time with photos and links to products she used throughout the house. The transparency turned the renovation into a resource for other homeowners tackling their own projects—proof that you can figure it out as you go.
Building a Business, Building a Home
Lunne runs a marketing agency focused on lifestyle businesses, e-commerce, and influencers. Her small team of four handles branding, web design, growth strategy, social media and PR for clients like Woodhouse Spa locations across the country, Hubs Peanuts and other Charleston businesses.
She also writes a Substack about noticing the good in everyday life—a practice that shaped how she approached the house itself.
The neighborhood is friendly and eclectic, the kind of place where people know each other and show up. Lunne’s house fits right in with its pink door, colorful interiors, and welcoming front porch under two old magnolia trees.
The Lesson
You don’t need a 1937 house or a handyman to make a home that reflects who you are. But Lunne’s living room proves something important: keeping what’s original and adding what brings you joy aren’t opposing goals.
The living room that flows into the dining room isn’t just her favorite space because it’s pretty—it’s her favorite because it holds people. Friends gather. Meals happen. Laughter echoes. The house does what she always wanted it to do: bring people together in a space that feels both timeless and entirely her own.
Lunne’s house isn’t a museum. It’s lived in, loved, and full of stories still being written. Every piece of furniture came from somewhere. Every paint color wasa debate. Every decision was hers.
You don’t need perfection to get started. But if you’re going to make a home, why not make it a room, or a whole house, that makes you smile when you walk through the door? Caroline Lunne did, and built something that proves the best design isn’t about trends. It’s about creating a space where you want to live fully, host freely and trust that your vision is exactly right.
For anyone inspired to tackle their own renovation, Lunne’s entire journey is documented on her website with photos and links to products she used throughout the house, making it easy for new homeowners to bring her vision into their own spaces.
By Angel Holmes