TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL HELP KEEP YOUR PROPERTY SECURE

BY DEAN ROWLAND

There’s no place like home, especially when watching the nightly news. Local TV coverage peeks around the neighborhood corner to show shootings, lootings, robberies, law enforcement/civilian showdowns and home invasions.

NEW BUILD ON GREEN HERON ROAD PART OF FAMILY TRADITION

BY DEAN ROWLAND | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

In a way, what Paul Bailey Builders on Hilton Head has done is replicate the Boardwalk and Park Place spaces in the Monopoly board game.

They have built or remodeled seven homes on Green Heron Road in Sea Pines during the past 33 years, a prime stretch of land from North Sea Pines Drive to the ocean. It’s real estate gold.

ANNUAL LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS RECOGNIZES LOWCOUNTRY’S FINEST BUILDERS AND DESIGNERS

The top builders and designers of the Lowcountry were recognized recently at the 22nd Annual LightHouse Awards gala, presented by the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association with the support of Title Sponsor Truist Financial.

The gala, which was held in December at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, honored the area’s elite industry professionals.

DESIGNING HOMES THAT EMBODY THE LOWCOUNTRY STYLE

Lowcountry style means different things to different people, from the traditional origins in the late 18th century (think Savannah) to the modern day that has incorporated traditional elements into 21st century splendor. 

Homes were built for comfort, practicality and for keeping the interior cool to provide an escape from the hot, humid southern weather. This included double-hung windows, porches to capture the afternoon breezes, transoms, pilings to raise the first floor to allow cooler air to circulate beneath the home and protect against high water tides, wraparound porches with awnings, and shutters for bringing the outside light and ventilation in. 

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN HOME-TECH TRENDS

If you can dream it, we can build it. 

It sounds like a marketing slogan. But when it comes to smart home technology, what once felt more like fictional thinking out of a movie is becoming both doable and affordable.

HOME-BASED LIFESTYLES INFLUENCING KITCHEN & BATH TRENDS 

Designs that accommodate the COVID-induced lifestyle of working and learning from home are the latest trends in kitchens and baths.

“Most of our customers are working from home or helping their families with remote learning,” said Andy Johnson, CEO of StoneWorks, in written responses to questions about kitchen and bath trends. “We’re seeing more kitchen designs with open layouts and plenty of countertop space. Customers also want a kitchen that’s easy to keep clean and take care of.”

HILTON HEAD HOME DAZZLES WITH ITS SWEEPING BEAUTY

It’s a majestic home with grand, sweeping views of Port Royal Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the golf course at Dolphin Head in Hilton Head Plantation.

“We’re tucked away in a corner with a horseshoe driveway,” said Brandon Schaffner, son of homeowners Walter and Linda.

CALLAWASSIE ISLAND HOME WITH A FRENCH TOUCH

Nancy Rapp is an enthusiastic home chef. She has French cuisine by her culinary side and an abundance of cookbooks for reference in her back “messy” space where she has a working kitchen for prepping and a desk. 

Julia Childs was her cooking mentor in the early 1970s – cookbooks and TV. Beef bourguignon is her favorite dish to cook on Callawassie Island, where she and her husband, Rob, live. She mixes her braised beef with gravy beef stock, red wine and cognac, carrots and onions. 

NEW TECHNOLOGIES OFFER MORE FOR THOSE LIVING THE LUXURIOUS LIFE

The only thing more relentless than the pace at which technology evolves is the pace at which it becomes commonplace. Take home automation, for example. The ability to control everything from your home’s security system to the temperature of your oven with your voice was once the stuff of science fiction.

Today, you can do all of that with a Google home mini. And they are literally giving those away with Spotify subscriptions, like a toy in a cereal box.

CLOSETS PLAY CRITICAL ROLE IN ORGANIZATION

Some might think that closets are an afterthought in a home’s interior design. It really shouldn’t be, and it really isn’t.

The function of closets at all price points in the market focuses on organization, accessibility and complimentary décor. Whether it’s a walk-in or a reach-in, closets perform a critical function that makes everyday life for Lowcountry residents easier.