As synonymous with New England as lobster rolls and fall-foliage tours, Shingle-style architecture—with its strong roof lines, rambling forms, wide porches and asymmetrical facades—gained a foothold on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, almost two decades ago in a project by Robert A.M. Stern. “The Shingle style was chosen for the Ocean Course Club House on Kiawah,” notes Atlanta-based architect Stan Dixon. “Since that was completed, the island has embraced this style but has made it its own by mixing in Charleston brick and tabby stucco.”
Elegant seaside-cottage style weaves through this Kiawah home, with interior design by Tammy Connor, interior architecture by Stan Dixon and exterior plans by architect Wayne Windham. “The homeowners had toured one of our previous projects and were drawn to its thoughtful layout and serene atmosphere,” says Connor, founder and creative director of Tammy Connor Interior Design. “They envisioned a home with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and wanted to create a welcoming gathering place for family, rooted in a coastal aesthetic that felt casual yet refined.”
Connor and Dixon worked hand in hand to fulfill the wishes of the homeowners, who split their time between their primary residence and this island retreat. “Stan led the interior architecture—defining spatial flow, structural elements and architectural detailing—while our team focused on selecting the furnishings, finishes and lighting,” explains Connor.
Well-considered details like cozy nooks, window seats, bull’s-eye windows and even a Jeffersonian alcove bed recall the grandeur of historic summer beach cottages. “Collectively, we wanted this house to look as though it had been around for over a hundred years,” says Dixon. “We used classic, early 1900s shingle houses as inspiration.”
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Hand-forged iron lanterns from Gregorius Pineo provide lighting in the living room, which is anchored by a custom sisal rug from Eve and Staron Studio; the mantelpiece is an antique from Olde Good Things.
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