Charleston is a city celebrated for its low country style and laidback spirit, a quality McLean, Virginia-based P3 Design Collective honored in the renovation of the Renaissance Charleston Historic District. “We wanted to capture the warm, eclectic sense of spirit in our low country, high brow design by blending elegant furnishings, a unique color palette, and whimsical details in this Jewel of the South southern city,” explains P3 Design Collective partner Paula Benesch, who also partnered with Washington, DC-based firm //3877 on the project.
The inviting lobby is conceived as an extended front porch that naturally encourages guests to linger and lounge. In addition to oversized sofas and comfortable lounge chairs, the most popular seats in the house are the suspended swinging birdcages, “a whimsical interpretation of the traditional southern porch swing,” she adds.
“We wanted to create a space that could standalone,” Benesch explains, “a quiet and intimate setting that is an island of calm between these two bustling spaces.” Enter the secluded reading nook. Striking millwork bookcases with angled shelves flank a fireplace and display of locally crafted bow ties, which “acts as a literal reference to the city’s fashion staple,” she says. Teamed with a moody blue palette and an eclectic collection of furnishings, the design touchstone is also backlit with dimmable LEDs to highlight its deep charcoal staining and high gloss “haint blue” color, a historical Charleston tradition featured throughout the property, notably in corridor ceilings and in guestrooms.
Beyond the public spaces, the property adopts a darker palette of understated azure inspired by the ambiance of the city after sunset. “The color palette was intentionally dark, moody, and dramatic,” Benesch explains, “just like the moonlit streets of Charleston as you wander them at night.”
While textured corridor walls illuminated by schoolhouse-style filament bulbs in iron lantern sconces continue the moody vibe, the property’s 166 guestrooms boast a lighter design scheme. Vinyl wood-like flooring and dynamic furniture pieces were chosen to ensure a sense of uniformity and balance across the 36 different layouts. And for an enchanting touch, bunny wallcovering by artist Hunt Slonem adorns each bathroom to reflect the fauna found among Charleston’s many gardens.
Working with local galleries, artists, and consultants, the onsite art collection and a handful of bespoke pieces are truly charming additions to the property. For instance, photos of Jimmy Stewart and a dapper French bulldog “dress down the formal flair, while the rustic frames link with the low-country theme,” she says, adding that these pieces “create a uniquely intimate guest experience, reminiscent of a brief stay in someone’s beautiful southern Charleston home.”
