Greek Revival Meets Low Country

John Folts and Cynthia Warrick had a formal, yet relaxed, home in mind when they purchased a lot on Spring Island, SC. In order to achieve this goal, they approached Historical Concepts, LLC, of Peachtree City, GA, for the design. A 25-person architectural firm, Historical Concepts has a reputation for crafting designs that combine vernacular styles with Classical proportions. Presented with a very specific design program that included interior materials, multi-purposed rooms and flexible space to accommodate guests, the design team’s creativity was put to the test.

Low Country is the predominant vernacular style in the immediate area. It is typically very casual with wide overhangs and raised pier foundations. The clients, however, wanted a departure from this style and, in consultation with the design team, settled on the Greek Revival style. This also fit in the context of the region, with many fine examples found in the area from Savannah to Beaufort.

The overall design was influenced by various Greek Revival examples found throughout the southeast, and particularly by the works of Edward Vason Jones of Albany, GA. Though the style is found both in the northeast and southeast, the design team researched the latter almost exclusively, as the team knew that the southern climate would affect the design. They found that the local climate dictated the use of covered porches, for example, as refuge from the heat of the sun. They also found that a rear porch was vital not just for aesthetics, but also to expand the living space, particularly for entertaining and large gatherings.

The first challenge presented by this project regarded the placement of the various buildings on the site. The design included a main house, garage and guest house, with abundant porches and breezeways. Where, typically for the region, the guest house and garage would be located at the front of the lot opposite each other, this couldn’t be done because of the lot’s narrow arrangement. The design team also didn’t want to destroy any of the trees on the site. As a solution, they moved the guest house closer to the front of the lot. “The single-car garage was sited just south of the guest house and about 25 feet closer to the main house,” explains Terry Pylant of Historical Concepts. “The two structures frame the main house even though they’re not directly opposite one another. It’s an illusion of symmetry.” With landscape architect Don Hooten, the design team curved the drive to skirt the guest house, directing visual attention to the main house.

The one-story residence is spacious at 3,269 sq.ft., with a vaulted ceiling measuring 20 ft. tall at the peak of the central room. “The ceilings vary in height throughout the house,” Pylant says. “We wanted to open up the interiors with tall ceilings, but it doesn’t work in every room. We typically lowered the ceilings in the smaller rooms to prevent a shaft-like feel.” In keeping with the local vernacular, oversized double-hung windows, French doors and dormers at both the front and rear of the building combine to allow abundant light.

A sunken living and dining space are at the heart of the main house, flanked by a keeping room and island kitchen to one side and a master bedroom suite to the other. A screened-in porch spans the rear of the home, extending from the living/dining area to the rear of the keeping room, an element that enlarges the appearance of the living space. The doors in the keeping room are double-hinged, which allows them to open to the full 12 ft. length of the porch.

The details incorporated into the home demonstrate the importance of the formal symmetry of the elevation and layout. The front façade is the main mass with flanking wings, and the front and rear façades are similar in their matching rooflines and dormers. Greek Doric columns were constructed on either side of the front entrance steps. Similarly, in the kitchen, custom-crafted panels disguise the refrigerator, mimicking the pantry door on the opposite side of the room. “This false cabinetry provides an additional element of symmetry and maintains a fluid appearance,” explains Pylant.

Custom cabinetry is featured in the many rooms throughout the home. “The design team chose built-ins for a couple of reasons,” Pylant says. “Not only did we want to screen the televisions and stereo equipment, but the cabinetry and shelving provide texture to the design, making the space more interesting. In so many rooms, the depth of the shelving brings cohesion to the design.” Fabricated by Claus Williams of Burton, SC, the custom cabinetry includes a hidden entertainment compartment in the keeping room and built-in display space in the living/dining room. Built-in bookshelves line the hall outside the master bedroom and adorn the walls of the office off the kitchen.

The interior also features lightly painted wood walls. Originally rejected by the clients as too informal, the wood boards “complement the traditional ambience of the home,” says Pylant. “The clients had thought the wood might detract from the Classical style, but the design team was able to convince them that the finish would be in keeping with the style of the home. The boards themselves actually aren’t that pronounced.”

The finishing touches in the living/dining room are provided by the extensive trim carpentry provided by master carpenters Heyward Pinckney Jr. and Elias Pinckney Jr. of Hilton Head, SC. Details such as transoms over the interior doorways, cornice moldings and pilasters are echoed in the master bedroom. Also in the master bedroom suite are a bathroom with a white marble floor, lightly washed wood paneling and a freestanding pedestal tub. His and hers closets are accessible from this room.

While there is a 766-sq.ft. guest house on the property, complete with two bedrooms, a sitting area, kitchen and screened-in porch, the clients wanted to be able to accommodate additional visitors in the main house when necessary. In order to accomplish this goal, the team designed an “office chamber,” a room in the master bedroom wing that was outfitted with a desk and a daybed. The bathroom, one of three in the home, is located just outside the office and was designed as a powder room with a sliding door at the rear that discreetly houses a shower.

Completed in October 2002, the Folts-Warrick residence wholly meets the client’s request for a traditional home. “The scale of the home, the relationships between many structures on the site and the proportions of the windows, doorways and detailing were scrutinized so that our work could be not only precise but something we and the clients could be proud of,” says Pylant. “The Greek Revival style is smoothly carried from the exterior to the interior.” He credits the successful execution of the client’s desires to the collaborative effort between his design team at Historical Concepts and general contractor Pinckney Brothers Construction. “This project was the ultimate example of the designers and craftspeople coming together,” Pylant proudly points out, “with the shared goal of providing the highest level of quality to the client.” – Hadiya Strasberg

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Last Updated February 15, 2008