Natural Selection - When your backyard hosts spartina and live oaks, roseate spoonbills and dolphins, it’s best to let nature take center stage. To complement—but not compete with— the view, architect Beau Clowney filled this dining nook with floor-to-ceiling windows, and interior designer Allison Elebash covered both walls and ceiling in pecky cypress planks.
Family Time: New England natives Jamie and James Pagliocco built this marshfront Kiawah River house as a coastal Southern outpost for the entire family to gather, as well as a home base for the soon-to-be retirees. Slate-blue shutters (painted in Benjamin Moore “Brewster Gray”) mirror the nearby water, while native grasses and trees add a verdant touch.
On the screened-in back porch, Restoration Hardware seating and a Burke Decor dining table offer cozy spots to eat, work, and relax. “We spend a lot of time out here,” confirms Jamie, noting, “we’re so thankful we added the screens.”
Organic Inspiration: “The Paglioccos wanted a calming, neutral color palette, and I was able to create interest by using different textures, including grasscloth wallpaper and various wood grains,” says interior designer Allison Elebash. “These materials give new homes warmth and character.” The waterfall pencil reed coffee table is from Chairish; the performance fabric-covered sectional, from GDC Home.
A Warm Welcome: Much to the couple’s surprise, the foyer design didn’t include a coat closet. “I thought, ‘Well, this is different,’” laughs Jamie, who, after two years of enjoying the Lowcountry’s mild winters, now gets it. Instead, an airy rattan console from GDC Home and a soothing abstract from Fritz Porter ground the space.
Sit a Spell: Four swivel “chat chairs,” as Elebash calls them, provide overflow seating for get-togethers. ”It became its own little seating area, but you can also easily talk to people in the dining area, kitchen, or living room—it works for all three locations,” she notes.
The design team and family went back and forth on whether to situate the dining space in what’s now the sitting area, but all are happy with where it landed. Pecky cypress makes the dining nook feel like an extension of the backyard, and the dining table and bench by Eric Brooks of Brooks Custom Woodworks and Hans Wegner-designed “Wishbone” chairs from Design Within Reach perfectly suit the narrow space.
EYE CANDY: Calculated pops of vibrant color—such as in this Sally King Benedict painting hanging above the Biedermeier chest—and gleaming brass add intrigue to the home’s mostly muted palette.
Sage Design: The nearby butler’s pantry, painted in Farrow & Ball “Calke Green,” serves up extra prep space, ample storage, and showstopping looks. “[It] might be my favorite pantry ever,” says Elebash.
The kitchen affords a serene spot for James, the cook in the family, to whip up seasonal dishes starring veggies grown about a mile down the road at Kiawah River Farm.
Rest & Relaxation: The primary suite was designed as a counterpoint to the couple’s active lifestyle—they stay busy with golf, fly-fishing, and other outdoor pursuits. Elebash sourced plush upholstery, including a custom headboard wrapped in Ann McGuire Studio fabric and a scalloped slipper chair by Oomph. A floor-to-ceiling window alcove brings the outdoors in.
The Paglioccos’ two daughters each picked a palette for their bedrooms, which Elebash brought to life. “My daughter walked in and said, ‘I love it, love it,’” says Jamie of this room’s reveal.
Classic Beauty: The primary bathroom—featuring Circa Lighting’s “Vivian” mini chandelier and double sconce, gold-embroidered Weezie towels, and acrylic hardware—exudes a quiet charm.
The covered dining area is situated near an alfresco partial kitchen. What’s on the menu? Pies fresh from the pizza oven are a crowd favorite, as is local seafood—though not fish reeled in by James (he releases everything he catches).
PARTY READY: When the family gathers, they spend time together not just in the house, but beneath it, too. The outdoor living room with a wood-burning fireplace and TV is an ideal spot for watching sports between dips in the pool. A wood-paneled outdoor shower and yard full of native flora complete the oasis.
For New England natives Jamie and James Pagliocco, the home is a coastal Southern outpost for the entire family to gather
![Sage Design: The nearby butler’s pantry, painted in Farrow & Ball “Calke Green,” serves up extra prep space, ample storage, and showstopping looks. “[It] might be my favorite pantry ever,” says Elebash.](https://charlestongivesback.com/sites/default/files/styles/800wide/public/2534Helmsman2021-58_0.jpg?itok=mjsTOOXE)
