Today, I’m excited to share a new home tour with you! This stunning house in Charleston was beautifully designed and built by my friend, Bria Hammel, and her design team. Her talented team specializes in traditional and classic design, ideal for updating historic properties or building new homes that have that timeless old world aesthetic. Click through to tour this gorgeous Georgian colonial home, packed full of interior inspiration! I’ve also included an extensive Q&A with Bria, where she chats about the process, inspiration, and challenges behind this particular project… it’s definitely my favorite part of the blog post. I hope you enjoy it!
Design & Styling: Bria Hammel | Photography: Spacecrafting Photography
Before we dive in, be sure to follow Bria on Instagram, as well as Space Crafting– who beautifully captured this project. They both have stunning portfolios that are worthy of a browse, bookmark, and follow!
Exterior
Living in a colonial home myself, I adore the symmetry and repeated shapes found within this classic Georgian. I’d love to swap our shutters for functioning ones like this someday… if you’re going to do shutters- this is the perfect example. I’m about ready to rip ours off while we budget for new ones. I digress… this home is located along the Ferry Tract in the charming city of Charleston.
The Ferry Tract … In 1779, Andrew Hibben bought land on the south side of Shem Creek from Jacob Motte, which became known as the Ferry Tract. Until the opening of the Grace Memorial Bridge in August 1929, ferries connected Mount Pleasant to Charleston. Hibben’s Ferry operated until 1847, followed by others on Hog Island, Ferry Street, and Hort’s Grove.
The Ferry Tract was bordered by Shem Creek and Hibben, Bennett, and Beach streets. From colonial days until the 1980s, small shipyards operated on Shem Creek. A bucket factory was also on the creek leading to the name Factory Street, now Live Oak Drive. Restaurants and shrimp boats line the creek, while private homes occupy the boatyard lands.
In addition to functioning shutters, I appreciate all of the exterior details… bricked stairs, the addition of an architrave above each window, gas burning lanterns, classic landscaping, and copper accents. The curb appeal on this home receives no notes from me. It’s beautiful!
Foyer
When you walk into the home, you’re immediately greeted by a traditional harlequin floor and a custom bench seat.
The brass pendant light perfectly drops or lowers into the space, making the entry vignette feel warm and inviting.
Dining Room
Moving from the foyer to the dining room, the detail I noted first was the use of cremone bolts on the built-in cabients. Check out this blog post on cremone bolts and how to use them, if you’ve never seen this gorgeous hardware application before. They certainly make a statement on these extra tall cabinet doors.
The wood table paired alongside the striped upholstered chairs is a classic combination that repeats the same stain finish found on the sliding pocket doors that lead into the space… proving repetition is your friend when it comes to thoughtful design.
This dining room also seems like the perfect space for hosting dinner parties, with built-in custom wine storage.
Kitchen
With cream cabinetry, classic marble, and textural touches, the open concept dining room bleeds into the kitchen, offering plenty of seating.
The use of millwork throughout the kitchen is really lovely… incorporating transoms, oversized base & crown, a paneled ceiling, and traditional inset cabinetry. Paired with brass hardware and polished nickel plumbing fixtures, it certainly has Bria’s signature designer touch.
Perhaps the focal point I’m most impressed with is the swooping curved range hood! This massive hood features a subtle curvature and luxe texture that is perfectly accented with a custom plaster finish.
The iconic French range perfectly marries the warm and cool metallic finishes throughout the space. Silver and gold are always a classic duo!
Butler’s Pantry and Bar
Moving into the butler’s pantry and bar off of the kitchen, the cabinetry style and color is repeated- but with updated hardware. The bin pulls are the perfect addition to a hardworking space, that add variety to the extension of the kitchen.
Bria and her team nailed the lighting throughout this home… this space included. I absolutely love the elegant pendant that is framed perfectly within the window, positioned in front of a relaxed roman shade with barely there ticking stripes.
I also have to give major props to her team on the styling. They do a phenomenal job layering, curating, and gathering objects that are both beautiful and functional.
Living Room
As we make our way into the living room, you’ll notice a large seating area that includes matching mirrored sofas, paired alongside two lounge chairs, centered around a large tiered coffee table that balances the floor plan.
With minimal stacked art, a frame TV, and more of those gorgeous built-ins, this room really benefits from the custom pleated drapery that softens the space, creating a nice juxtaposition. If you’re trying to replicate the window treatments for less, check out this post with the best budget curtains that look custom, for a similar aesthetic.
Powder Room
The small and simple powder room features a dramatic marble sink that rests atop a polished nickel frame with a wall-mounted faucet. It proves you don’t need much space to achieve high design.
Primary Suite
The last space I wanted to highlight is the primary suite. It contains a large bedroom with vaulted ceilings and painted beams, as well as an en suite bathroom, walk-in closet, and seating area with closed storage.
While the finishes and materials might seem simple, everything works well together in a classic and traditional way. Just like in the kitchen, Bria expertly mixes two of my favorite finishes: antique brass and polished nickel.
Next to the bath, you’ll find a large walk-in closet and seating area with floor-to-ceiling cabinets and built-ins. This space also has a vanity counter that looks out the window for ample natural light.
I was thrilled to see the inclusion of an antique chair. The wood finish and floral upholstered seat instantly warm the space. These type of heirloom pieces instantly add character and personality. Check out this post on how to reupholster antique chairs (my step-by-step tutorial).
Q&A with Bria Hammel
Designing a new home that feels like it’s always been there is always a challenge — but one we truly love. Building in such a historically significant area of Charleston meant working closely with the city’s historical society, which had a major influence on what we could and couldn’t do. It was essential for us, and our clients, to create a home that honored the area’s rich past while seamlessly blending into the timeless charm of the neighborhood.
That’s actually a custom plaster hood! We love how it brings a subtle, organic texture to the kitchen while keeping the overall design fresh, clean, and serene.
Our client has incredible taste and a clear vision for mixing old and new. The lighting plan reflected that perfectly — some fixtures are sleek and modern, while others lean traditional and charming. It’s this thoughtful combination that creates a collected, lived-in feel throughout the home.
It might surprise you, but the foyer steals our hearts. Even though it’s one of the smaller spaces, it makes such a big impression. The custom bench we designed, inspired by the Ferragamo Villa in Italy, a place our clients fell in love with on a special trip, became the centerpiece. Paired with the checkerboard marble flooring and gorgeous natural light, it truly sets the tone for the rest of the home. It’s the epitome of a warm welcome.
For us, it’s all about thoughtful application. By repeating color palettes, patterns (like the checkerboard that appears in both the foyer and the hallway leading to the primary suite), and textures, we ensured everything felt cohesive rather than pieced together. That consistency is key to a timeless look.
Most of the furnishings in this home were custom made specifically for our clients — we spent years refining the vision to complement the intentional architectural details. That said, the mix of traditional and modern pieces you see here is very much what we highlight at Brooke & Lou. You’ll find plenty of similar styles and elements in our shop to help recreate this aesthetic!
Related
If you’re interested in browsing more home tours or posts covering interior design inspiration, I’ll link some of my favorites for you below… and I’ve got more in the works!
- Home Tour : Sycamore House by Josh Young
- Home Tour : Mill Road by W Design Collective
- Home Tour : Varick Apartment by Hayley Bridget Interiors
- The Best Interior Design Books for Timeless Home Inspiration
- Home Tour : Central London Townhouse
- Home Tour : Aldourie Castle
- The Best Interior Design Magazines
- What It’s Like to Work With An Interior Designer
- My Favorite Interior Design Books
I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into this incredible Charleston home! What were some of your favorite vignettes? Any standout design moments? I’d love to hear what features were most memorable for you. Will you apply any of these design ideas to your own home? Thank you to Bria for the fun interview and for allowing me to feature this one! I’m going to link some of my personal picks from Brooke & Lou for you below. Feel free to send me more inspiring designers or homes you’d like me to feature. I’d love to share more of these, more frequently!
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