Home Discovery

Dated Palmetto Dunes home now an example for energy efficiency.

Forget for a moment that their abode is a multimillion dollar summer rental separated from the ocean by nothing more than rolling dunes and an elevated swimming pool. The Becker Family from Pennsylvania nonetheless confronted the same questions facing other Hilton Head property owners uncertain about the future of domiciles starting to show their age.

Was it time to consider alternative digs as a recession-battered housing market began to stabilize? Or how about some essential improvements geared at making the place more comfortable and cost-efficient for the long-term future?

AS THE WEATHER HEATS UP, PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE AND MORE TIME OUTDOORS. HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HOME’S EXISTING OUTDOOR AREAS.

Get Jammin’

Enjoy tunes outdoors by having an outdoor sound system installed. If you currently have an indoor sound system, the outdoor system can be added fairly asily. But again, the budget options for outdoor speakers cross a broad cost spectrum. If you don’t have the financial ability to have permanent speakers installed, consider using an mp3 player attached to a portable speaker. This option actually might be preferable if you would like to be able to move the music to different area’s of your patio or yard for different outdoor events. You can even take a portable outdoor speaker to the beach with you!

As you approach River Camp, the Spring Island home of Jim and Betsy Chaffin, the world recedes away from you in layers.

It begins on the main road onto Spring Island, a thin ribbon of pavement winding beside old pheasant fields and under the branches of Live Oaks. The next layer falls when the pavement runs out, and you find yourself on a hard-packed dirt lane, scarcely larger than a car and seemingly transplanted from some far-off rural plantation. And you keep going. Through forests that grow ever denser, you keep going.

The view has barely changed through the front windows of Bluffton’s Pine House from the time it was built in 1903 until today. Looking out over Heyward Cove and the May River, the occupants could watch the mist melt off the water or catch sight of fishing vessels passing by.

Nestled amongst the Spanish moss-draped trees near the end of Boundary Street, the Pine House was built by Savannahnian Dr. Freeman Valentine Walker. It later passed into the hands of Gaillard and Lucille Heyward, who bought the property in 1943.

The Heywards, whose early South Carolina ancestor Thomas Heyward Jr. signed the Declaration of Independence, enjoyed rare indoor plumbing and the only concrete basement in Bluffton. Following the death in 1992 of his mother Lucille, the late Thomas G. Heyward inherited his childhood home. He and his wife Joan researched the possibilities of salvaging the building and restoring it to its original condition.

Web extra: Scroll down to the bottom to enjoy a slideshow of photos from before and after the rebuilding of the Pine House.

“We felt like we were entrusted to save it for future generations,” said Joan. “Tommy felt like his parents would have wanted that.”

Comfort and relaxation are as much a part of this Palmetto Bluff home as fat oysters and barbecue are in the Lowcountry.

The award-winning residence on Wilson Row, just off the square, was the recipient of three 2012 Aurora Awards, a design competition of the Southeast Building Conference.

Architect Wayne Windham designed the three-story house as part of a six-unit development, offering buyers a couple of different plans to fit the small lots.

Spring Island homeowners blend old with new for casual comfort.

No detail was too small for the architect, builder, cabinet maker or homeowner to include in plans for a two-bedroom home on Spring Island.

With a sense of being both stewards of the land as well as of their home, the owners chose to use reclaimed materials and repurpose other items when planning.

Tucked in next to part of the community’s 3,000 acres of wildlife preserve, the 2,911-square-foot home greets visitors with a large and welcoming screened-in front porch. The beautiful mahogany doors can be hooked open for a more expansive feel – insects permitting.

Palmetto Bluff Style Home seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living with designs that inspire.

High ceilings, large windows and the muted colors that define the Lowcountry’s coastal landscape make Palmetto Bluff’s Style Home as much of an outdoor experience as it does a comfortable, casual home.

Haig Point home dazzles with views across the Calibogue Sound.

When Ken Crast moved to Hilton Head Island on his boat from New York State in 1978, he didn’t think he could have used the vessel to design and build custom homes on Daufuskie Island.

Crast lived for a while on his boat on Hilton Head, met his future wife Susan, and they began designing and building singular homes throughout the Lowcountry, and as far south as the Ford Plantation near Richmond Hill, Ga.

In March, the Crasts completed a home on Daufuskie Island’s Haig Point for Tammy and Kris Kelley, a couple that moved down from Connecticut. Naturally, the locale created a few logistical demands.

After living in 13 different communities during their married life, Gene and Denise Conahan of Colleyville, Texas, have finally settled on their haven they will soon call their permanent home.

The Conahans, originally from Philadelphia, often vacationed on Hilton Head while living in Greenville. When the couple joined forces with H2 Builders in 2008 they knew they had plans for the perfect home in the perfect location:

Bluffton’s Belfair.

“It is now our haven,” said Denise from their home about halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. “At first we fell in love with Hilton Head, then with Belfair, and then with Bluffton — we just love the way old town Bluffton is lovely and small. We hope to move there permanently by the end of next year. It’s a great house for having friends and family and entertaining. It’s a wonderful gathering place for our children.”

Initially, the Conahans were a bit concerned about building their new home “from scratch” and from a long distance, Denise said. “But, H2 Builders were wonderful and easy to work with. They have a great system, and there was no problem being here while the home was being built. We love every detail.”