April 23, 2018

Text: Jesse Dorris

Cameron Stewart Brings the World to an Island Home in South Carolina

In the cabana, seating and a table by Gloster are accented by a rug by Dash & Albert and a vintage convex mirror. Photography by Mike Ledford.

Even the most jet-set of couples sometimes needs to get away from it all—or, even better, a place to call home. The owners of this 2,600-square-foot house near Charleston, South Carolina, had worked variously in Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico, Paris, and Hong Kong before meeting in Bangkok, quitting their jobs, and returning to the warm beaches of Sullivan’s Island, the husband’s favorite getaway while in college.

Their new life was simpler, but they were still so busy that Cameron Stewart principal Cameron Schwabenton, in collaboration with Simons Young Architects and Cook Bonner Construction, had mere months to complete the entire design process and delivery—without ever meeting them face-to-face. Schwabenton finished the three bedrooms and three and a half baths in an easy-breezy mix of reclaimed-beam ceilings and comfy custom seating. Then she made homes for a global collection of vintage pieces, including a bronze table from Thailand and a late 19th-century kayak found in a nearby antique shop. “It was the first piece I proposed to the clients,” Schwabenton says. “At that moment, I knew it was going to be an amazing project.” 

The living room’s rug and sofa are custom, while the sofa is a mid-century Adrian Pearsall Gondola, with upholstery by Créations Métaphores. Photography by Mike Ledford.
Saarinen chairs with Pierre Frey upholstery serve the custom walnut and blackened steel dining table in the kitchen. Photography by Mike Ledford.
Walls of the salon are covered in Holland & Sherry grasscloth, with a painting by local artist Martha Hampshire; the bronze cocktail table and smoked glass-and-brass chandelier are vintage. Photography by Mike Ledford.
The focal point of the master bedroom is a signed Ed Ruscha painting the owners purchased together. Photography by Mike Ledford.
The downstairs guest room offers twin beds, one with a trundle, along with a custom rug and drapes and a Christopher Farr wallcovering. Photography by Mike Ledford.

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