Sophisticated homeowners in the Lowcountry have never been beholden to the latest kitchen and bathroom trends. We know what we like, pure and simple. If it happens to be trendy, so be it.

Interestingly, the Hilton Head area has either been a trend-setter ahead of the national curve or behind it by a few years…if ever. Our trends with sustained traction either originate in Hilton Head or trickle down from Atlanta or other cities up and down the seaboard to our inviting shores.

THE INTEGRATION OF MANMADE HARDSCAPES AND NATURE’S NATURAL LANDSCAPING HAS BEEN TRANSFORMING LOWCOUNTRY OUTDOOR LIVING FOR MANY YEARS.

We have been moving our indoor comforts and amenities outdoors in rising numbers while watching the value of our homes increase, thanks to outdoor upgrades.

CUSTOM-BUILT HOME TAKES ADVANTAGE OF IDEAL FRESHWATER LOCATION

When the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association hosts an event, it’s always a good one. The 30th annual Parade of Homes in late March showcased 25 exceptional residences on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton and the extended local area. The builders crafted unique houses, and the public toured the homes inside and out for ideas and inspiration.

Court Atkins Group’s 501 South Studio team creates an inviting backdrop for the Artist Cottage at Palmetto Bluff

The new Artist in Residence program is a collaboration between Palmetto Bluff and Garden & Gun magazine that celebrates the arts, fosters creativity and offers a hands-on education. As part of the program, notable artists are invited to stay in the Artist Cottage in Palmetto Bluff’s newly constructed Moreland Village. Court Atkins Group’s 501 South Studio team was chosen to steer the interior design for the Artist Cottage, a project they considered a privilege.

Kentucky woman turns tiny treehouse-style home into sophisticated space

So what does a woman who was a born and raised in Kentucky and who’s been modeling internationally since she was 16 do when she wants a getaway beach home on Hilton Head Island? She buys a one-bedroom, 520-square-foot octagonal-shaped treehouse-style home built in 1976 in Sea Pines, naturally.

And then she hires Sharon Cleland at J. Banks Design Group to turn an interior mess into a “little jewel that turned out like a dream,” said Kelly Movshina, who moved from France to Aiken, where she now lives with her pilot husband and young daughter.

Hampton Lake home offers elegant style without the formal feel

When interior designer Kelly Caron goes to work at her studio in the Calhoun Street Promenade in Old Town Bluffton, she is surrounded by her work — literally. Her office reflects her creative sensibilities, full of warm tones and Lowcountry charm. Picture 200-year-old reclaimed barn wood flooring, shiplap wood board on the walls, soft colors and lanterns.

Pennsylvania native at home in Oldfield Plantation

H2 Builders in Bluffton has built more than 300 distinctive custom homes in the Lowcountry since 1996. Along the storied way, it has amassed countless local, regional and national industry awards. The company’s home office showcases many of them, but display space has long been exhausted.

When Rich and Ann Rinaldi moved in across the street from longtime Hilton Head residents David and Sally Warren, neither couple could have guessed that they'd soon combine their talents to launch a line of custom artisan tables designed to capture the unique spirit of the Lowcountry.

Archie and Nina Sellew didn’t evacuate from the island when Hurricane Matthew blew through the Lowcountry with 105 miles per hour winds on Oct. 7/8. They didn’t want to and believed they didn’t have to. They felt safe.

After all, it was their island, they owned it, and they had built what they believed to be was a hurricane-proof home in 2000. Matthew was the first real test of its structural strength in the face of nature’s fury.

Interior designer, architect and builder all got on the same page to create this spectacular Sea Pines home

The homeowners from Greenville got what they wanted when they hired interior designer Dr. Debi Lynes, architect Rick Clanton and builder Rick Leach: Teamwork with a bold-faced capital T and a showpiece shingle-style home in Sea Pines.