When you’re working on an historic, 1877-era Italianate home, the best spot to look for design inspiration is in the house itself, says Charleston-based interior designer Alaina Michelle Ralph. She’d been hired to restore this 2,700-square-foot Summerville, South Carolina, property by preserving its original character and adding modern amenities.
That translated to restoring all of the millwork and trim, along with a standout dome in the rotunda—complete with a rosette center skylight—that added “gravity and importance,” says Ralph.
To further amplify that feeling, Ralph added a scenic Iksel mural wallpaper in the space that was a “bit of a 3D puzzle,” she says. “We had many scenes within the mural, so we had to plan out which areas would be featured above the sofa nook and mantel and which would be lost in the doorways. It took us all standing in the room and laying out the panels to figure it out.”
More From House Beautiful
While the wallpaper was a splurge, the clients painted the walls and trim themselves to save money and even installed some of the lighting elements. Ralph reused existing dining room curtains, revamping the style by updating the pleating and hardware and adding trim. The clients built the wooden tables in the dining room themselves, and Ralph added custom skirting.
At the start of the project, the dining room and kitchen, additions to the home in the 1930s, “didn’t feel cohesive with the rest of the house,” says Ralph. She and the clients decided to renovate to “make those areas feel in character with the rest of the design.”
They splurged on Thermador appliances and an antique butcher block table that was originally from an old Winn-Dixie supermarket.
“It works great for the way the homeowners live,” says Ralph of the transformation.
Den
Shown above.
Wooden paneling in this room is from the 1950s when the former owner, author Paul Hyde Bonner, used this room as his study. “It makes the room so warm and inviting,” says Ralph. The portrait painting is from Seventeen South Antiques, the landscape painting is from Wynsum Antiques, the sofa throws are antique tapestries, and the sofa pillow fabric is by Rogers & Goffigon.
Kitchen
Ralph created a symmetrical layout in this kitchen renovation—by opening the space to the dining room and centering the range on the back window—that worked better with the Italianate architecture of the house. Cabinetry to the ceiling on the perimeter added extra storage and created room for the butcher block table. The etched bell lantern is Luxcis, the sconce is Circa, the rugs are from Fine Rugs of Charleston, the cabinet hardware is Classic Brass, and the appliances are Thermador.
Dining Room
The designer reimagined the existing window treatments and painted the walls to match. She kept the basket weave parquet floors and installed them through to the kitchen for cohesion, and she updated the trim around the windows to match the original architecture. The chandelier and sideboard are from David Skinner Antiques, the art is vintage from the 1930s, the urn lamps are Wynsum Antiques, and the skirted table fabric is Claremont.
Primary Bedroom
Ralph saved money in this space by using the homeowner’s existing furniture. The rug is from Fine Rugs of Charleston, the bedding is Anichini with custom shams, the bench is custom with Intex fabric, and the lamps are vintage Murano glass.
Entry
“This is my favorite room of the house,” says Ralph. The octagonal ceilings soar to 19 feet and highlight a plaster-lined dome. To play up the moody atmosphere—the only natural light the room receives is indirect from the entry, as the skylight is covered by a cupola at the top of the dome—Ralph added a scenic mural from Iksel and painted the dome light blue to match the sky color in the wallpaper. The upholstered chairs are Warehouse 61 and the pillow fabric is Fortuny.
Sitting Room
“Originally, this is where most of the activity of the home would happen,” explains Ralph. She played that up with sconces from Urban Archaeology, a custom sofa, Regency-era armchairs from David Skinner Antiques, and a vintage rug from Fine Rugs of Charleston.
Daughter's Bedroom
The homeowner’s daughter is an accomplished tennis player, so Ralph highlighted a tennis racket gallery the daughter installed. Ralph also added Sferra bedding, decorative dragonfly pillows from Antiques of South Windermere, and bedside tables from Seventeen South Antiques.
Front Entrance
A Diana statue sourced from Antiques of South Windermere sets the tone for the house. “I also love the texture on the walls,” says Ralph of ribbed paneling she suspects was added during the 1930s renovation. “It adds depth to the walls and contrasts beautifully with the prominent millwork in the room.” She brightened the paint color, pulling the tone from the wallpaper in the rotunda.
Exterior
The Summerville home has no shortage of southern charm mixed expertly with Italianate grandeur.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
