Historic Sullivan’s Island Cottage Transformed Into a Vibrant Family Retreat

The architectural team worked with the town to devise the best approach to preserve the living room, which was the main historic portion of the house, while making alterations and additions to the non-historic areas. “We love how they were able to honor the history of the house by creating elevations that still make it feel like a two-room sea cottage when you enter from the front driveway,” Ebenhoeh says. “We love to entertain and always have extra kids running around, so we wanted a house and design that was family friendly and that matched our vibrant coastal life and included a guesthouse for our frequent visitors.”

“The architects designed the whole house around the living room,” which is to the right of the entry door, says Molten. Without a proper foyer, Molten added a stacked stone console to delineate the living room from the new game room on the left. The game room serves as a family hangout with its blue-and-white striped walls and ceiling. Cased openings added by the architects allowed Molten to incorporate varying colors and wallpaper from space to space.

“By constructing larger openings to the original historic portion of the house, we were also able to create a view corridor through the center of the house, allowing light to traverse from front to back, which it had not previously done due to the non-historic additions,” says Clowney, who also added four mahogany doors along the back. “Those doors, coupled with Megan’s thoughtful selection of ceiling wallpaper that brings the outside in, are some of my favorite features of the house,” the owner adds.

The dining room, which is at the end of the foyer leading into the kitchen, features wallpaper along the built-in cabinetry that picks up the colors in the blue kitchen and adjoining black scullery. “We wanted to make sure the spaces worked well together,” says Molten. For instance, when it was discovered that the kitchen flooring needed to be replaced, Molten decided to go with a checkered pattern on the floor. “The cased openings helped with the transition with the flooring, too,” she says.

The former dining room next to the kitchen is now the sitting room, which is finished in performance fabrics and fun wallpaper. “I’m so grateful that Megan and her team pushed me out of my comfort zone to consider fabrics, wall coverings, and stone that embodied the vibrancy of our family,” adds Ebenhoeh.

“We created a new laundry and pantry area adjacent to the new stairs to the second floor, giving critical functional space that did not exist in the house previously,” says Campbell. These spaces, as well as the children’s bedrooms, are cheerful and bright. “I adore the kids’ rooms,” says Ebenhoeh. “Megan did a wonderful job of capturing their personalities in their spaces.”

“Brad and Meredith were committed to restoring the original structure and spaces as much as possible, while accommodating additional space for their growing family,” says Clowney. “They are true stewards of this structure and property.”

“This house brings me so much joy, and every room is a feast for your eyes,” Ebenhoeh says. “This home is everything I could have dreamed of and more, bringing happiness to all who spend time here.”