Design Gallery

Mary and Jeff's Charleston Garden

A Charleston-style house with a view of the lake was pretty and very nearly complete when Mary and Jeff purchased their new home. What was missing was an attractive Charleston-style courtyard garden and a pool.

Early in the planning stage, Mary and Jeff came to Casual Living for ideas. As they were still in the thinking stages, they were ripe for the ideas that our interior designer, Dottie Reynolds, had for their project. Plans were drawn up for an outdoor living area that included a courtyard, gardens, pool, and pool house. Then Dottie assembled a team to build the outdoor living area.

The pool house serves as a guest house and includes a full kitchen. It also has a pergola-like extension that’s an open, covered area with an outdoor living room, dining room, and an outdoor grilling area. A must-have fireplace is the focal point of this area.

A brick patio surrounds the pool and serves as a courtyard with stucco walls punctuated by brick columns on two sides. Lots of potted plants supplement the ground plantings, provide softness, color, and help fill the space.

The furniture selected was chosen for comfort and the classic styling that lends itself to a traditional Charleston garden. Summer Classics Villano smooth action spring chairs with thick cushions covered in Sunbrella fabric sit around a copper-topped conversation height table. An oval cast aluminum dining table and Summer Classics Sheridan dining chairs look like indoor furniture but are made to stand up to the weather and provide comfortable dining for eight.

Occasionally, the seating and dining are swapped. Mary and Jeff love the flexibility of the space and how they can move things around without compromising the design.

Today, the pool house, with its masonry fireplace, adjacent pool, and beautiful brick patio surrounded by Charleston gardens has become almost like a second home to this couple, their family, and friends. Elegant, yet casual and comfortable, this outdoor living area looks like it has always been a part of this home. An area that was once unused and unattractive has become a little slice of Charleston in this Columbia backyard.