Design Talk | Principles of LowCountry Interior Design

Photo by Jessica Furtney on Unsplash

The Low Country style of Architecture and Interior Design is one of this area’s Southern Charms.

When you visit Savannah, Georgia, or Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, and Charleston, South Carolina, and everywhere in-between, you’re sure to fall in love with the charming architecture and design style of the Low Country. But if you’re visiting for the first time, or hoping to make this area your home, it may be a mystery on what exactly Low Country style entails. And while these old cities suggest that LowCountry homes are mimicking the design of a past era, this isn’t quite true. LowCountry homes, whether historical or new builds, have details and design features that were born out of the unique landscape and traditions of the area that have evolved over time.

Today, I’m breaking down some of the Principles of LowCountry Interior Design and how it is applied today.

Practical Architectural Design Features

The LowCountry is full of beautiful, stately architecture, but much of it developed from practical needs of living in an area with long, hot summers and sunny days. For example, tall ceilings were essential before the days of air conditioning, as the warm air would rise and cooler air, stirred up by manual ceiling fans, would be pushed back to the living levels of the home. Tall, 11-foot or higher ceilings stayed a staple in many homes as both a symbol of affluence as well as a practical way to keep the ground level of the home cooler during those long summers.

Also, open floor plans were necessary to encourage air circulation. As a stark contrast to Victorian style homes, of which the popular style was to have many rooms for each separate function or stage of life, LowCountry homes made effort to make many rooms combined and open to one another. This not only increased the cool air circulation, but also helped to maximize stunning open landscape views.

Double-hung windows traditionally were created to open on both top and bottom, to allow hot air to escape at the top and cooler air to enter through the bottom.

These practical architectural design features became incorporated into LowCountry style design in a way that has naturally progressed.

Vernacular Materials mirror the natural beauty of the Lowcountry

While not all Lowcountry homes are waterfront or near the marshlands, it’s undeniable how beautiful the surrounding area is. While not exotic or overtly passionate, the Lowcountry’s natural environment is full of life and excitement.

Because of this, Lowcountry design aims to play itself up. It draws its use of materials from the area around it. For example, locally sourced brick is a staple in many lowcountry homes. Savannah Grey or Old Georgia reclaimed brick, or even Charleston reclaimed bricks are seen throughout the area.

Tabby, a material created with oyster shells from the local beaches mixed into concrete to make it beautiful and more strong, is a material that is used in many homes and commercial spaces alike.

Wood flooring and wood details tend to come from locally occurring pine, and is also of the reclaimed style.

A Blurred line between Interior and Exterior

The LowCountry is known for its indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Much of the year is warm and sunny with gentle breezes and the subtle smell of the air coming from the ocean, rivers, or local marshlands.

Because of this, many LowCountry interiors highlight that relationship to the outdoors using specific design elements. Tall ceilings highlight open windows, and curtains invite the viewer to look outside on the existing landscape. Outdoor rooms and porches that become an extension of the interior spaces, having spots for cooking, relaxing, and enjoying the outdoor air.

Outdoor Living is a staple motif of Lowcountry architecture and interior design.

Low Country Design is a timeless design style

Low Country homes are beautiful and timeless expressions of the local history and culture. Through practical and decorative architectural details with historical significance, call-backs to the vernacular materials that mirror the natural landscape, and by bringing that landscape in, LowCountry homes are able to keep a popularity and beauty that persists throughout the decades.