Carolina Dreaming

Summer 2025

June 4, 2025

Words by Veronica Toney | Photos by SherpaMedia

With a facade dedicated to coastal grace, the foundation of this Loch Lloyd home is built for a long-term lifestyle.

ne tried-and-true design tip for a home you’ll love is to determine how you want to feel in the space—now and in the future. These Loch Lloyd homeowners knew they wanted a relaxing space surrounded by nature. For them, the Lowcountry Coastal style—reminiscent of the Carolinas and Outer Banks—brings home the feel of a beach vacation.

“[The homeowners] have an effortlessly chic style that’s both warm and welcoming,” says lead interior designer Leann Lynn of McCroskey Interiors. “[The home] embraces a more relaxed, organic aesthetic compared to many of our other projects.”

Traditional Lowcountry architecture includes rectangular and square floor plans, high ceilings, covered outdoor areas, large windows and seating areas dedicated to enjoying natural views.

Clint Evans of NSPJ Architects worked these architectural elements into the 5,000-square-foot home on an expansive sloped lot. Also tasked with showing off the views of Loch Lloyd’s second tee box, he made sure the exterior didn’t look out of place next to the established houses throughout the neighborhood. One example of this is the aged stone for the retaining walls that help guide the water runoff throughout the property.

The homeowners also wanted the home’s design to allow them to age in place. To do this, Evans created a layout for the homeowners to do the majority of their living on the main level, including an open-concept kitchen, dining and living room anchored on one side by a marble kitchen backsplash and on the other by the limestone fireplace surround.

Because they are avid cooks, the homeowners wanted the kitchen to be both functional and eye-catching.

“They spotted the sliding spice rack panels featured in another home on our website and instantly knew they had to have them—it became a non-negotiable,” Lynn says.

These homeowners knew they wanted a relaxing space surrounded by nature. They chose a Lowcountry design style, which includes rectangular and square floor plans, high ceilings, covered outdoor areas, large windows, and seating areas dedicated to enjoying natural views. Chippendale railings on the front and back porches add an upscale architectural moment that is as inviting as iced tea.

“One of our favorite things about the front porch is that depending on which swing we choose, we can see the sunrise or the sunset,” the homeowners say.

Leann Lynn, the lead designer for McCroskey Interiors, used furniture to divide the open-concept living areas. “The [interior] design focus was on neutrals and layering different textures and natural materials,” she says. “It’s always a challenge to make it feel cozy and not too stark.” The marble coffee table and limestone fireplace surround are the showstoppers in this living area.

The homeowners are avid cooks; the kitchen is where they spend the most time, so it must be functional and eye-catching. The marble backsplash is a stunning focal point that hides spice storage behind the sliding panels. The countertop is granite with a limestone ledge. The oversized island features a quartz countertop and a 5-foot-long sink with dual faucets.

The prep kitchen behind the main kitchen allows them to cook and prepare food when entertaining. This leads to a butler’s pantry that runs the length of the front of the home. “They have a clear understanding of what they own, opting out of excessive storage in favor of a thoughtfully edited and intentionally curated kitchen,” Lynn says.

The marble backsplash includes sliding panels that hide the storage behind the range. Thanks to its unique veining, the large slabs of marble add movement and glamour to the kitchen. This statement piece is balanced by the stacked stones that connect the kitchen to the fireplace in the living room.

“This project also marked our first time using stacked stone on the exterior of a fireplace. We loved the texture so much, we carried it through to the range wall for a cohesive, organic feel,” Lynn says.

“We love to entertain and cook for people. It’s absolutely a working kitchen. We cook in it every night,” the homeowners explain. “People can sit at the bar or table, and they can talk with us, and we’re connected to the activity. If our sons are hanging out and visiting, we still feel like we’re all together even when we’re in the kitchen preparing a meal.”

The sloped lot dictated the orientation of the rooms on each level. The prep kitchen and butler’s pantry are off the kitchen. Other lifestyle spaces, such as the laundry and craft room, fitness studio and home office are all on the main level. The primary suite and guest bedroom sit at opposite ends of the floor for privacy and take advantage of the views outside. The lower level has two guest bedroom suites for the couple’s adult sons and their future families. The slope of the land allows both lower bedrooms to have full-size windows so guests can enjoy the landscape.

The laundry room features an island modeled after an antique table with a white oak tabletop and granite inserts in each section. “The laundry room is my favorite room by a long way,” the homeowner says. “I love holiday wrapping and crafting and all things creative. I have this amazing island in our laundry room and a beautiful view.”

The primary bathroom features Calacatta Bluette marble tiles for the shower and flooring. The tiles are turned on the diamond for a traditional, elegant look. The freestanding bathtub is the only bathtub in the home; its stainless steel exterior adds a modern material that also gives the home a lived-in look.

The dressing area and primary bathroom are both much larger than the bedroom. A modern design style emphasizes less square footage in the primary bedroom and instead uses that space in the adjoining bathroom and dressing rooms. Grasscloth wallpaper adds texture and warmth to the space and doesn’t distract from the true focal point of the room—the fireplace.

Because the homeowners work from home and go into an office, Lynn designed the home office with a partner’s desk rather than a traditional office setup. As technology changes, there’s less need for bulky filing and storage spaces in a home.

Moments to relax are scattered throughout the home. In the guest bedroom, the window seat is a tete-a-tete-style daybed designed to encourage stopping to appreciate the view outside.

The fitness studio is a functional space where they could have fun with elements, like the wallpaper that mimics the tree branches just outside the windows.

The guest bathroom has a textural limestone tile backsplash topped by an organic-shaped mirror that reflects the natural environment.

A wall mural behind a headboard elegantly infuses color and movement to a bedroom for one of the family’s grown sons.

“We discussed with them that it would be important to plan now [to be ADA compliant],” Evans says. “The trend is to be thinking about how people are living longer and to have less of a reason why they can’t live at home as long as they can.”

The closets at the end of the house are designed and framed to hold an elevator that would stop on the main floor, at the garage, and on the lower level. They also added zero-entry showers in the home’s four bathrooms, wider hallways and oversized doorways.

While the home has many modern custom touches, an essential element of the Lowcountry style is a covered porch. This home’s porch maintains this welcoming tradition with oversized entry stairs, two swings and a set of large French doors. Whether the homeowners are enjoying the warm weather or entertaining, this outdoor area offers an easy flow from inside to outside.

“One of our favorite things about the front porch is that, depending on which swing we choose, we can see the sunrise or the sunset,” the homeowners say.

Architect: NSPJ Architects, @nspjarchitects

Builder: Evan-Talan Homes, @evantalanhomes

Interior Designer: McCroskey Interiors, @mccroskeyinteriors

Engineer: Apex Engineers, @apexengineers