The Traditional Southern Porch
Charleston is a wonderfully historic city and although we are a new home builder, a lot of our clients want to capture some of those historic elements in their design. We use gas lanterns on our homes - sometimes one at the main entry, but recently we’ve used as many as 8 scattered throughout a property. Although they aren’t the most functional of fixtures (they don’t provide a lot of light), they are so charming.
Another Charleston tradition we use a lot is blue porch ceilings. Charleston has a rich Gullah culture and it is said that the Gullah people would paint their ceilings blue to ward off restless spirits (haints), so the blue porch ceiling came to be called haint blue. Our clients use all kinds of blue shades from a soft baby blue to a more vibrant teal, but they all love having at least one blue porch ceiling! A few of my favorites are by Sherwin Williams and include: Blue Horizon #6497, Atmospheric #6505, and Piazza Blue #DCR075.
Nothing seems more Southern than sitting in a rocking chair on a porch with an iced tea, but Charleston can get a bit “buggy” at times. Most of the homes we build typically have a combination of three outdoor sitting spaces: open air covered porches, screened porches, and fully exposed patios. Having the versatility to enjoy the beautiful lowcountry no matter what the season or time of day is very important. For our porch surfaces, we rely on durable materials like Azek, IPE, or brick, that will hold up to the heat and humidity.
