Lowcountry Revival

Taking cues from historic Lowcountry precedents as well as period Greek Revival pattern books, Jim Strickland and Clay Rokicki of Historical Concepts crafted a timeless residence that captures the spirit of the past.

Comfort and hospitality were paramount, accomplished in the living room with multiple seating areas. Three sets of French doors open onto the rear porch to allow circulation between indoors and out. Homeowner Susan Morrow selected furnishings that captured the essence of the Lowcountry.

In character of the Greek Revival movement, a sense of formality was applied to the leaded-glass front door and the finely detailed moldings in the entry hall. An antique fixture from Adairsville-based lighting specialist Eloise Pickard provides illumination during the evening. The wood floors are through Vintage Lumber Sales.

A French-style chandelier found years ago in New York hangs above an antique English dining table. The silk rug was sourced through a specialist the Morrows encountered on a trip through Turkey and the Greek islands.

A hand-painted chinoiserie wallcovering by de Gournay provides an anchor of elegance in the dining room.

Strickland drew inspiration for the jib doors beneath the front porch windows from a historic house in nearby Beaufort, South Carolina.

Details abound in the Morrows’ kitchen: high-relief ceramic backsplash tiles were sculpted by local artist Lark Smith to reflect the live oak trees found throughout the property. A collection of antique brass chandeliers was chosen from the collection of Eloise Pickard.

What began as a casual scullery between the kitchen and dining room grew to incorporate a large wine collection, concealed within the cabinetry.

An expansive office suite provides a tailored workplace, while simultaneously serving as a library and impromptu bar. The 19th-century English partners desk adds an element of formality.

An airy sunroom provides a spot for reading and relaxation, while a small dining table behind the sofa provides a casual setting for evening dinners.

A pair of bed swings off the master bedroom provide a breezy retreat for midafternoon naps, while a louvered door allows for both privacy and connection to the adjoining rear porch.

A draped wall canopy floats above the Morrows’ bed, while reading lights set into the pelmet eliminate the need for wall sconces. The room’s palette was inspired by the Aspen trees found in Utah, where the Morrows previously maintained a home.

The large rear porch, which adjoins the main living area, provides a constant setting for outdoor gatherings. In recent months, the Morrows have commissioned upholstered cushions for the rear steps to be used like stadium seats for casual outdoor events. The landscaping is by Don Hooten of Hooten Land Design, Inc.

Rigorous attention to detail extends to the compound’s many outbuildings, including the charming dovecote seen in the distance.

A quaint porch overlooks the rear lawn with views of the marsh.

“Somehow the light comes through the trees, and even on a gray day, you have this dappled light and it’s kind of like being in the enchanted forest.” —Susan Morrow

The primordial landscape of Spring Island remains much as it did when the famed naturalist John James Audubon made his tour of the South Carolina Lowcountry in the 1830s. Towering Live Oaks draped in Spanish moss form a canopy over low-lying palmettos and Spartina grasses, an ancient buffer against the tranquil salt marshes along the sea islands. Indeed, it is the painstaking commitment to ecological preservation and the naturally occurring beauty of this coastal refuge which has drawn residents like Ron and Susan Morrow to Spring Island for many years now. 

“It’s a very romantic spot all the time,” says Susan Morrow, who along with her husband commissioned Atlanta-based Historical Concepts to design a waterfront compound anchored by a Greek Revival-influenced residence with prominent views across the tidal marshes. “Somehow the light comes through the trees, and even on a gray day, you have this dappled light and it’s kind of like being in the enchanted forest.”  

Together with Historical Concepts’ founder Jim Strickland, whose firm has worked in the Lowcountry for nearly three decades, the Morrows set about devising a permanent residence that respected the area’s historical architectural precedents, while sensitively siting the raised structure to maximize views across the water. 

“The house is a very long, linear house, but all of the rooms are facing the marsh,” says Strickland. “Our major thrust was to ensure that everyone could enjoy that.” 

To recreate the spirit of the Greek Revival residence that might have been found in the Lowcountry generations ago, Strickland’s team drew from a deep well of historic resources, including architect Asher Benjamin’s The Architect, or Practical House Carpenter (1830), which provided a rich springboard for understanding the early 19th-century interpretation of Greek Revival in America. Richly layered millwork, moldings and carved mantelpieces—all true to period form—provide a cloak of chronological anonymity to the 21st-century home.

“Our challenge became how to tell a story with the architecture and break that down in a way that felt natural to the place,” says Clay Rokicki, a principal at Historical Concepts who, alongside Strickland, helmed the design of the Morrows’ home.  

The end result is a family home that balances Greek Revival formality with characteristic Lowcountry geniality. Perhaps most impressive is the harmonious relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, careful window placement to maximize views, and the arrangement of multiple porches—all with different purposes—to make the most of the coastal setting. 

“I had the best compliment,” says Morrow. “Someone from the architectural review board came over to walk me through a project and she said, ‘The thing I love about this house is that it looks as though it’s always been here.’ And that’s a credit to Jim Strickland—he knows how to do that.”  

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN Jim Strickland and Clay Rokicki, Historical Concepts, (678) 325-6665; historicalconcepts.com
BUILDER Mike Reynolds, MJR Construction, (843) 706-2288
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Don Hooten, Hooten Land Design, (404) 373-9816; hootenlanddesign.com