We’re relaxing at the Otahuna Lodge, a historic, artfilled manor house near Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s situated on 30 rolling acres of woodlands, lawns and flamboyant gardens. In recent years this Victorian-era lodge has been restored to its former glory and is now one of New Zealand’s finest lodges.

Here we enjoy the services of a gracious staff, comfortable bedrooms full of Victorian details, and meals prepared with fresh local ingredients: salmon, lamb and herbs fresh from the gardens.

The next day, there’s plenty to do—from exploring the countryside by car, horseback or bicycle to hiring a helicopter for a fishing trip in the highlands.

In fact, a stay at the Otahuna exemplifies what’s best about New Zealand today: excellent hotels, fine restaurants, a vibrant cultural life and access to many outdoor adventures.

The country’s new sophistication contrasts with its traditional, rural image. As one New Zealander explained:“Two decades ago, the joke was that, when you arrived in New Zealand, you set your watch forward several hours…and back 25 years!” Not so anymore.

Jet boating near Queenstown.

From Five-Star to Farm Stay

The Otahuna Lodge was a first stop on a journey that took us around much of the South Island by car, then to Wellington, the country’s capital, located at the southern tip of the North Island.

Everywhere we traveled, we found accommodations to suit any taste or pocketbook.These ranged from outstanding five-star lodges, like the Otahuna, to cozy, family-owned B&Bs, both in towns and on farms.

The Alpine Vista was among our favorite bed and breakfast accommodations. Overlooking Lake Tekapo, one of a string of turquoise lakes in the Southern Alps, it features immaculate rooms with soft beds, crisp sheets, electric blankets and modern baths—and panoramic views. Owners Jill and Peter Maxwell were perfect examples of Kiwi hospitality. (Kiwi is the nickname for a New Zealander.) They were gracious, down-to-earth and had a wonderful sense of humor.

The Great Outdoors

As you’d expect, a country with such magnificent scenery offers plenty of outdoor activities: hiking (in local parlance, “tramping”), skiing, bicycling, boating, fly fishing and more.

New Zealand enjoys a reputation as a frontier for adventure travel, and Queenstown, on the South Island, is the country’s “extreme” sports center. Adrenaline addicts from around the world come here to race down whitewater rivers in jet boats, roll down hills in plastic balls (“zorbing”) and bungee jump off bridges and mountain peaks.

Bicycling is also popular. The New Zealand Cycle Trail, scheduled for completion in 2013, includes 18 Great Rides that cover over 1,200 miles of trails. Access to many trails is free. Commercially packaged itineraries range from daily bike hires to all-inclusive, guided tours.

New Zealand is also known for its Great Walks.

In Fiordland National Park, for example, you can hike on your own (park huts along the trails have bunk beds,cooking facilities and even flush toilets) or book a “luxury” trek with guides, comfortable lodges and food, wine and beer.

Here,we took a hike along the Kepler Track, a route with inspiring views of tranquil Lake Tekapo and the snow-capped Southern Alps.The trail, covered in layers of dried beech leaves,was soft and springy under foot. On either side, the forest was carpeted with moss and fern of the most vibrant green. Bird song—from the chirpy chaffinch to the melodious grey warbler—filled the air.

In Frodo’s Footsteps

The jaw-dropping landscapes in director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy have put New Zealand on travel itineraries like nothing else. With many filming locations around the country, it’s easy to find tours with cinema-savvy guides.

New Zealand, in fact, has become a top destination for film production, with Wellington (now called “Wellywood”) its epicenter. Many Hollywood directors seek the filmmaking services provided at Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, Peter Jackson’s post production facilities.

In addition to The Lord of the Rings, the films King Kong, Rise of Planet of the Apes, and Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin were created here. Weta Digital even won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in James Cameron’s Avatar. Currently, the film version of The Hobbit is in production and scheduled for release in late 2012.

Cultural Hub

Wellington, named by Lonely Planet as “the coolest little capital in the world,” was once considered an unexciting backwater.

Headquartered in the city today are the national symphony, ballet and opera companies.
There are excellent museums, thriving music venues and more bars, cafes and restaurants per capita than in New York City. One evening we migrated from Logan Brown, an elegant dining venue on artsy Cuba Street, to the Alice In Wonderland Retro Lounge.

The entrance to Alice was down a pitch-black corridor, a “rabbit hole” of sorts. At the end, we pulled back a velvet curtain to reveal a small room full of 1960s-era furniture. Young professionals were tipping teapots full of potent cocktails into teacups of every size and shape. We ordered the Cheshire Cat, a refreshing mix of vodka and fruit. It was “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Mad Men.”

A must-see in Wellington is the Te Papa Museum, which offers an overview of indigenous Maori culture. Here, among other art treasures, we admired a 125-foot Maori war canoe (called a waka). Designed to accommodate some 80 paddlers, the vessel was elaborately carved with abstract geometric patterns, ferocious-looking masks, animals and sea creatures.

The city is an excellent base from which to explore New Zealand’s wine country. Travelers with several days to spare can follow the Classic Wine Trail from Hawkes Bay on the North Island to Marlborough at the northern end of the South Island. In addition to visiting wineries, they can call on farmers’ markets and artists’ studios—and even hike, fish or horseback ride.

Epilogue

Just a couple of decades ago, New Zealand was a rural backwater.

A new friend from Queenstown confessed, “Twenty-five years ago, I’d never eaten an avocado, never heard of Louis Vuitton,wouldn’t have recognized a cappuccino if it spilt in my lap—and had never seen a supermarket. I was very surprised to see that the inside of a helicopter could be upholstered in expensive leather instead of canvas, stained with blood from deer hunting.”

It wasn’t long ago, in fact, that a trip to New Zealand was considered an “add-on” to a tour of Australia. Now travelers are starting to ask: Who needs Australia?

Sure, there are still more sheep than people in New Zealand, but one senses that the country has finally come of age.

Planning your trip:
Tourism New Zealand, www.newzealand.com
First Light Travel, www.firstlighttravel.com
Fiordland National Park, www.fiordland.org.nz
Air New Zealand, www.airnewzealand.com

Accommodations:
Otahuna Lodge, Christchurch, www.otahuna.co.nz
Alpine Vista, Lake Tekapo, alpinevista.co.nz
Brown’s Boutique Hotel, Queenstown, www.brownshotel.co.nz

A strong vision and stringent building guidelines are what make I’On Village one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the Charleston area. Designed around the concept of “New Urbanism,” the master plan called for a build-out of mixed-use and residential sections, churches and parks—a small city within a city.

Steve Kendrick, owner of Structures Building Company and a resident of I’On himself, is well-schooled in its complex codes and restrictions. His company ranks among the select few allowed to break ground in I’On.

“We’ve been building in I’On for twelve years,” says Kendrick. “The guidelines are very specific, and can vary from street to street.”

When a referral brought his company a pair of homeowners with equally specific requirements and a vision to match, plus a slice of land only 22 feet wide, he found himself in a unique balancing act. Kendrick immediately brought in a trusted colleague to help work through the design issues raised by the extreme proportions of the lot.

“Their children are grown,” recalls architect Neal Van Dalen, “so the house was primarily for them. But the program was so extensive, it was tough making it all fit.”

The primary feature of the property was its positioning on a canal the couple loved. The lot runs lengthwise from the street to the dike, with the shorter side of the façade (wide enough for just one room), overlooking the water. Naturally, they wanted the main rooms to have water views, so Van Dalen vertically stacked the family room and master bedroom,with all the remaining rooms flowing behind them.

“The house was so narrow and linear,” observes Van Dalen.“The main difficulty was working the circulation out, front to back, and vertically.

As the project unfolded, focal points shifted and spaces were redefined to accommodate the couple’s living space requirements and to put every inch of the home’s 3,100 square feet to the best use possible. A courtyard in the original architectural plans became the entryway to the home. A guest suite was situated above the garage on the street-side of the house.

The clients’ list of must-haves included transitional details as well. A plaster wall finish with Old World appeal and rounded corners in some of the rooms were incorporated into the design plan to create flow in the long hallway running from room to room through the length of the home.

“Neal did a great job delivering their vision for the look and feel of the rooms,” remarks Structures designer Deborah Way. “Your eye really gravitates around corners to the next room. ”

The homeowners brought in interior designer Ford Boyd Bailey, who had worked with them on projects in the past. “When they decided to relocate last year,” says Bailey, “their taste had evolved from a tendency toward Georgian to a combination of Charleston and New Orleans style.”

Whimsical wall sconces with asymmetrical lines crafted by a New Orleans-based artist play against the neutral color palate used throughout the home. Billowing folds of satin silk draperies enrich the formal dining room and appear throughout the home’s long length as transitional focal points.

The custom-made trestle table in the breakfast room was designed to fit the narrow proportion of the room. Bailey found chairs with tall backs at the High Point Market in North Carolina to enhance the drama of the tall ceilings. A 4.5-foot-long light fixture above the table balances the room with sleek, horizontal lines.

“They received a custom built house, truly unique to them,” notes Way. “Being out of town can be a challenge for a homeowner, but we’re really well set up to keep the process as seamless as possible.”

The clients say they are excited to be in their new Charleston home—all their wishes granted—thanks to the collaborative efforts of a tightly-knit team.

Structures Building Company
843-856-6901
www.structures.net

Neal Van Dalen Architecture
843-743-3670
cvandalen@bellsouth.net

Verve
Ford Boyd Interiors
803-254-5569
www.verveinteriors.com

Italian natives Giulio and Donatella della Porta have traveled the world over. A trip to the Old South in search of America’s roots landed them in Savannah, where they came upon a metaphor that would change the course of their lives: Savannah is a beautiful girl with a soiled face. Charleston is a beautiful girl with a string of pearls.

Though scheduled to end their American holiday in Savannah,the couple continued to Charleston and became captivated by the city’s history, architecture and beauty. A month later they returned to purchase an historic home in the French Quarter.

It’s their intention not only to live in Charleston but also to introduce the city’s people to an “extraordinary Italy” by way of The Hidden Countship, located at 21 Burns Lane, off King Street. The shop, a high-end interiors boutique, sells handcrafted treasures from Umbria and Tuscany, and parts of northern Italy.

Umbria is a region in central Italy,which encompasses Charleston’s sister city of Spoleto.For thsi reason, the della Portas feel a special connection to Charleston.

The unique selection of furniture offered at The Hidden Countship displays the character of great pieces made in Italy’s past.This is because authentic Italian artisans build the furnishings using two- to three-hundredyear- old antique wood. Each chest of drawers, display cabinet and armoire has been accurately restored, painted and lacquered using techniques that originated generations ago.

“When we choose our products,we stand in front of those who convey an emotion to us,products that can tell an old story,”says Giulio.“This is the thread that links everything you will find at The Hidden Countship.”

Giulio’s passion for structural renovation and interior decorating began in the mid-1980s when he designed the interiors for dozens of luxury homes in the heart of Rome. Donatella, a former journalist, has taken a personal interest in art history, home décor and architecture all her life—a result of the influence of her father, a maestro d’arte (master of art). In addition to fine furniture, the shop offers blown glass from the island of Murano Venice, Dolphi ceramics,wrought-iron pieces,woven linens, silk ties, original paintings, hand-forged knives and marble. Some of the items are new; many are old.

“Our focus is the past,”says Donatella.“Since we are by choice not purely a shop for antiques, the challenge is to find artisans that, in the present time, are able to realize high quality handworks from past centuries.”

Women’s fashions by Fabiana Filippi (one of the most sophisticated lines made in Italy) are coming soon. Located in Umbria, in a town very close to Spoleto, the company has maintained a commitment to traditions and inimitable craftsmanship. Fabiana Filippi transforms the most delicate and noblest of yarns into impalpable material.The line fits very well with The Hidden Countship’s philosophy and direction.

The della Porta Legacy

The name, The Hidden Countship, comes from the della Porta’s rich history.The countship is an estate that includes two castles, many acres of farm land and family estates in Italy’s Umbria. It has belonged to the della Porta family since before the 1700s.

Giulio’s family is one of nobility that spans five hundred years of history. His extensive family tree hangs upon the shop’s wall. Of special note, in the fourteenth century, is Giovanni Maria della Porta, a good friend to the Duke Francesco Maria I della Rovere and his wife, Eleonora. The Duke and his wife supported artists and craftspeople and their unique pursuits.Giovanni and the Duke were very close friends and Giovanni supported the Duke financially when hard times came. In return, the Duke sold della Porta the jurisdiction and castle of Frontone.

At that time, many properties were taken by force and violence. Giulio’s relatives and their friends did not believe in violence. Instead,they made an impact on the culture of their time by encouraging the decoration of the family residence and honoring the arts and handcrafted treasures of the local artisans.Today, Giulio honors the traditions and talents of the artisans from his native Umbria hundreds of years after his family began this trend. Items from the castle and other family treasures can be viewed in The Hidden Countship museum by appointment only.

The Hidden Countship
21 Burns Lane
Charleston, SC 29401
843-577-5570
www.thehiddencountship.com

Each spring, the mingling fragrances of blooming roses, hydrangeas and camellias fill the air in Erika Hayes’ fenced English garden. A consummate gardener, Erika admits her little piece of paradise would be an unexpected surprise to the many golfers playing Kiawah Island’s famed River Course located just a few yards from her back garden gate.

When the interior designer decided to relocate from the New York City area to the Charleston area five years ago, there were many aspects of her Northern lifestyle she willingly left behind. But like the formal garden, a rarity on the coastal resort island, Erika decided to transplant and adapt those elements of her former life that were closest to her heart.

After moving to Kiawah, Erika began planning the design for her new home. Downsizing from a historic brick Georgian manor house that she had rescued and renovated in the 1990s would be a challenge, but she was up to the task.

Erika began her design career buying, renovating, redecorating and selling historic homes in the Northeast. “The sorrier the condition, the more I wanted it,” she says. “So my background in construction and renovation, combined with being married to a builder, enabled me to project-manage the construction of this home.”

Today, Erika’s shingle-style home overlooks the River Course and the Kiawah River beyond. Magnificent sunset views from her back porch and patio are a constant reminder of why she chose to move to the Lowcountry. “The interesting thing about this house is that it is plucked down between five live oak trees,” points out Erika.“We really had to make this house work with the environment.”

Often jokingly referred to as the “cable car house” or the “treehouse” by family members, the house weaves through the live oaks, forming a congenial covenant between mankind and nature. Erika notes that the unexpected result of the home’s unusual footprint is that an open floor plan, typical on the island,wasn’t possible on the this homesite.

“We’ve discovered that the resulting smaller rooms make for a much more intimate and cozier home,” states Erika. “Also, being from the Northeast where homes tend to be more formal, the smaller rooms really play to my background, taste and sense of style. I think this house is a perfect example of how classic style can have a Lowcountry take.”

Both Erika’s passion for gardening and her penchant for exquisite details are evident from the moment guests step into the home’s entry foyer. Intricately designed limestone floors, which help keep the house cool in summer, run throughout much of the house, providing a more casual foundation for the French, English and Swedish antiques, vintage furniture and lighting she loves. Although she has incorporated many of her classic heirloom antiques throughout the house, she has done so with a nod to traditional Lowcountry colors and materials.

She continues,“What makes this house so special are the finishes. As a designer, I believe using different finishes really brings texture and warmth to a home. Throughout my house I have incorporated not just a variety of painted finishes but also upholstered walls and custom paneling and cabinetry, using a range of local wood species. The elements that catch most people’s eye are the inclusion of antique architectural doors, lighting, panels and fireplaces…they take that “new sheetrock” look out of the house.”

For Erika, the balancing act of incorporating classic furniture and style into a quintessential Lowcountry environment was second only to adding functionality into the design.“My philosophy is that while homes should be beautiful, they should also be comfortable, livable and accommodate the owners’ lifestyles. It’s great if my guests think my house is pretty, but I would be insulted if they didn’t feel they could put their feet up on any chair or sofa in the home. Beautiful custom furnishings and warmth and comfort are not mutually exclusive!

“Whatever clients want to bring to their homes—in the way of style, hobbies, furnishings—I can make it work for them, just as I’ve made my house work for me,” says Erika, whose recent interior design projects include a Mediterranean Tuscan house, an Arts & Crafts house, a Georgian Palladian home, and a couple of classic American shingle-style homes on the marsh in Kiawah. “It is my job to take a structure and make it a home…it should reflect the owners’ passions, personalities and lifestyles, and, most of all, make them very happy.”

Stone Ridge Interiors
155 Kiawah Island Club Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
843-768-4049
erikahayes11@comcast.net

Mastriani Studios
843-816-5556
andrew@mastrianistudios.com
www.mastrianistudios.com

As the expression says,“Necessity is the mother of invention.” That was the case for Lowcountry contractor Chris Harper and the idea behind Sanctum Custom Interiors. The need to simplify the process of shopping for home-related products led Harper to open a design showroom that brings multiple products—from cabinets to hardware to granite—to one convenient Johns Island location.

Harper Construction works primarily on Kiawah and Seabrook islands, handling new construction as well as remodeling projects of all sizes. Many of Harper’s clients live elsewhere, making it tough for them when it comes time to select cabinets, countertops, doorknobs, flooring and plumbing fixtures. They can’t make a trip to Charleston for each selection, so consolidating the choices in one showroom saves everyone time and energy.

Sanctum Custom Interiors opened in October on Johns Island. And because it’s next door to Sherwin Williams Paint, homeowners have the added convenience of walking next door to select their paint choices, Harper noted.

Even though Harper has his own construction business, Sanctum is “contractor friendly,” he says. His businesses are separate, and he welcomes contractors as well as homeowners and interior designers to visit the showroom.

Sanctum displays some of the most popular options for countertops (whether tile, quartz or granite). Harper also offers cabinets, window treatments, plus bathroom and kitchen fixtures. And if it’s not on display, he can order just about anything.

“We go out of our way to give the customers what they want, even if that means putting something in our car and driving out to the island or making an overnight delivery on an order,” Harper says.

If needed, Harper is also able to install every product that’s available at Sanctum Custom Interiors. Through Harper Construction, he’s well versed in all nonmechanical projects, including framing, siding, roofing and tiling.

After years of working mainly commercial construction projects in Atlanta, Harper returned to his hometown of Charleston to be closer to his family. He launched Harper Construction in 2007, barely getting the business off the ground before the recession hit, and the construction industry as a whole met rough times.

For Harper, it meant spending the first couple of years in business doing repair work and small jobs on the island. But this gave him the opportunity to develop relationships and make contacts with people who now are calling Harper for major home renovations and bigger repair jobs.

Because of his workmanship and focus on building relationships, Harper’s business exploded last year. And with the business growing came the need to couple design with construction.

Harper’s wife had the idea to name the business “Sanctum” because he began focusing on bathrooms, kitchens and closets— areas that people consider personal retreats or “sanctums.” To create that “retreat” feeling at home, Sanctum Custom Interiors carries several exclusive and hard-to-find lines of products, that give homeowners a truly custom product they won’t be able to find in every other house in the neighborhood.

For example: James Island-based K&K Custom Cabinets, which Harper calls “the best cabinet company in Charleston” has cabinets on display at Sanctum.”

Sanctum is also the only place on the islands you will find Hunter Douglas window treatments. These plantation blinds and shades are high quality, made in America and come with a lifetime warranty.

Rubbermaid Custom Closet Systems is also available through Sanctum, as are a variety of custom hardwood floor options, from Brazilian walnut and cherry to red and white oak.

In keeping with the focus on customized products, Sanctum features the work of Kevin Johnson, an artist and blacksmith out of Knoxville,Tenn., who has worked with Harper on local projects, including staircase handrails and a custom oven hood made of copper. Harper said he liked Johnson’s work so much he wanted to include some sample pieces in the Sanctum studio.

As he put Sanctum Custom Interiors together, Harper began to expand his merchandise beyond his original categories of kitchens, bathrooms and closets.Now, he’s even offering home décor items for sale, such as handmade frames and prints from Georgiabased Sugarboo Designs.

It’s simply another way to give customers everything they need in one space. It saves them the hassle of carrying floor samples to the paint store and tile samples to the shop that carries bathroom fixtures. At Sanctum, customers can compare their selections and make better decisions.

“By having all the items in one place, customers can see how things are going to fit together and what everything will look like when it’s finished,” says Harper.

He gives an example of one customer who accepted a proposal from Harper, met him at Sanctum and then selected everything they wanted for the project in just one afternoon. Harper concludes, “This showroom makes the process of putting your home together easy and fun.”

Sanctum Custom Interiors
1776-A Main Road
Johns Island, SC 29455
843-718-2861
www.sanctuminteriorscharleston.com

Walk in the doors of Khoury Oriental Rugs and it feels as if you’ve stepped inside someone’s home. A desk with comfortable chairs sits in the corner of the store with a view of shoppers passing by the windows. Under your feet is a gorgeous china blue rug. And welcoming you with her warm smile is shop owner and manager, Dolly Awkar.

Awkar developed a love of Persian rugs at a young age. In Lebanon, where she grew up, Persian rugs were considered an investment, like a Lexus or a beach property in America.

She explains: “It’s an important part of the culture. When I lived in Egypt I learned from rug experts about the importance of the touch, smell and look of each rug.” Educating clients is essential to the buying process, because each of the more than 3,000 rugs in the store on Wentworth Street has a story. There are city rugs and tribal rugs, floral and geometric, traditional and contemporary—all handwoven of 100 percent wool or silk. The process of making a rug requires a lot of skill and is passed on through generations. “Our customers will always know the name, make, origin and age of their rug because that’s what make it valuable,” she adds.

This family-owned business was built on the principals of offering customers a genuine product, fair price, direct imports and exceptional customer service. General Manager Elie Herro, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years,was asked to join the business in 2001. He brought his excellent expertise to the Columbia, South Carolina, store.

Awkar, who moved to America in 2003 to open a second store in Charleston, is the epitome of a working woman. With two sons in college and a job as a part-time professor at the College of Charleston, Awkar spends every other minute of her days at the store, where rugs are stacked in piles, hung on walls, spread across the floors and rolled in corners. “We have the biggest inventory in the Southeast,”Awkar says. Maintaining direct buyers in Turkey, India and China eliminates the middleman, and allows this family business to keep prices affordable.

In 2010, an embargo was established and rugs could no longer be imported from Iran. Khoury, however, is not affected by the embargo due to its large inventory and newer weaving sources. Herro recently returned from a trip to Germany for the

International Rug & Carpet Trade Fair with updates on the latest trends. Apparently, even in rugs, fashion is fickle, and this year the must-have colors are deep blues, mustard yellows, bright fuchsias and forest greens.

The shop’s wide selection can be overwhelming. That’s why the staff brings rugs into customers’ homes for approval. Awkar tells the story of a woman who fell in love with a $14,000 rug. But when they brought it to the woman’s house, it was just so-so according to Awkar. With an excellent memory of all the rugs in her inventory, she immediately thought of a better choice that happened to be a third the price.“When we showed the customer this new rug, she was so happy that she became a lifelong client. This is what we do for our customers. If we think a rug doesn’t work,we’ll say so.” Awkar believes this customer service is what has kept her in business through the tough economy.

Long-time client A. Suzanne Meszner- Eltrich agrees. She says,“Khoury Rug has an impressive inventory of oriental rugs, many off-site, of all sizes, colors, patterns, vintages and prices. Dolly Awkar’s love of rugs and people made her an ideal partner when I was searching for the ever-elusive ‘perfect rug.’ She has an encyclopedic knowledge and a keen sense of design.”

This same client was delighted with Khoury’s “old world” service. The company, she says, takes the stress out of shopping for a rug by bringing a large selection of choices to the home. There, Khoury will put on a “trunk show” of sorts, laying down different rugs so that the client can see how each piece works in a particular room. Awkar, she says, understands the importance of viewing a carpet in situ, in the context of a room’s furnishings, colors, lighting (both natural and incandescent) and traffic patterns.

Having a variety of price points for all budgets is another key to Khoury’s success. Awkar explains, “Even if someone is buying the smallest rug, they still get the same service. Sometimes people will just come in to look and years later, when they are ready, they’ll come back and say ‘We were here and were impressed with your service and that’s why we’ve returned.’” Surviving the economic crisis is proof that Khoury Oriental Rugs is here to stay. “We have managed to ride the wave because of our customer’s loyalty,”Awkar says. “Our customers become our friends.They’ll walk down the street and stop in to say hello.”

A couple recently came into the store carrying a rug that had a red wine stain. Unrolling the rug, Herro, who was in town for the day, quickly reassured the couple that the stain could be removed and their beloved rug could be restored to its original condition. The clients left beaming.

Khoury believes in offering customers a wide range of services: free shipping, cleaning and repairs.These services help set the business apart.“We work one-on-one with our customers,” Awkar says. They are given a lifelong guarantee and may exchange their rug if they change their color palette or move to another home—a promise you won’t find elsewhere.

A passion for rugs is evident in Awkar’s eyes and in the enthusiasm in her voice.“How you sell the rugs, how you stand behind them, that’s what makes the difference,” she says.

Carpets from the East
The oriental rug has a long history, bridging centuries and spanning cultures. Artisans from
Iran, India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Nepal, Afghanistan, Rumania, Russia and Armenia have
been designing and crafting oriental rugs for generations. The complex process takes
months if not years to complete, and the final result is an investment that lasts a lifetime.
A Glossary of Rug Terms
Abrash: A change in the color of a rug due to differences in the wool or dye batch.
The color change runs across the rug and is most likely to occur at the top.
Dhurrie: A flatwoven rug from India, usually made of cotton or wool.
Field: The part of a rug’s design surrounded by the border. The field may be blank or
contain medallions or an over-all pattern.
Kilim: A tapestry-like woven rug.
Soumak: A flatweave rug made from a technique that produces a herringbone effect.
Warp: Parallel warp yarns run the length of the rug and are interlaced with wefts (the yarns
woven horizontally through the warps).

Khoury Oriental Rugs
In Charleston
71 Wentworth Street, Suite 102
843-720-7370
In Columbia
2230 Commerce Drive
803-779-4010
www.khouryorientalrugs.com

Not only does Biggs Powell have a name that sounds as if it’s come straight out of a romantic English novel, he is also a dashing, dapper character, sporting disheveled dark locks and duds worthy of an aristocrat. He sits in his Charleston design shop, a fantastically decorated setting that seems to have come together just as effortlessly as he seems to have put himself together. Add to the scene his pretty blonde wife and four-year-old daughter, along with three rescue dogs, and you’ve got the stuff of which fiction is made.

Only it’s more reality TV than dramatic page-turner, says the interior designer, admitting his busy family struggles like many other young families to find the balance at home between style and comfort. “You have to live there, to be comfortable,” he says when describing a stylish home. “A good floor plan with correct furniture scale and layout goes a long way. Keeping life organized in the home is important, too. A home can’t look like a photo in a magazine 99 percent of the time. Comfort comes first.”

Bouncing between his design shop in Charleston on lower King Street and Memphis, where he started his business in
2001, Powell travels back and forth between projects to hold down the home front here with wife, Neely. Her Charleston-based business, Charleston Shoe Co., is also booming, barely keeping up with demand for its stylish yet comfortable shoe designs. Sensing a theme in this young couple’s life?

While Powell’s projects range from spacious family homes to empty-nester urban lofts, he and Neely’s own young, busy family life together has given him an edge in helping other young families enjoy homes that blend good looks with livability.

His top tips? “If you want to splurge on fabrics, choose ones that perform well, or use them in areas that are off-limits to kids and pets,” he says. “Outdoor fabrics such as Sunbrella are great for family rooms, and are surprisingly soft to the touch these days. Choose elements that you don’t have to worry about or tiptoe around.”

Limit the use of expensive rugs, or use rugs that are easy to clean and have good hiding power. Keep it sparse: “If you don’t love or need it, don’t use it. Get the space down to square one and then rebuild it with things you love. Another design element that’s often overlooked is lighting: overhead, natural, lamp. All homes need a good mix of light sources.”

It’s about a sense of ease and sophistication.“ The trick is to make a space look smart and interesting, while balancing factors like comfort and practicality,” says Powell. “You might splurge on one painting instead of buying a number of prints or pieces you may tire of. Buy things you’ll enjoy for the long haul, instead of trends you’ll want to replace in a few years.”

He advises living in a space and getting to know it before making costly decisions that can’t be reversed or changed. “Take your time, settle in and don’t try to buy everything at once, even if budget is not an issue,” he suggests.

“My goal is to not have a ‘look’. I want someone to walk in a room and see it as a reflection of the client—not me. Every job, every client is different, and my work reflects that.”

His shop on King Street carries an edited selection of antiques, reproductions (including Beeline Home by Bunny Williams) and his own designs, as well a small collection of gift items.

“I constantly gather,” he says. “I like shapes, compositions, unexpected color combinations, textures.” Recent items he’s added to the full-to-the-brim shop include a Beeline Home carved tropical white panel reminiscent of the ’70s, a pair of large open spheres made of barbed wire, his own reproduction iron Klismos chairs with a waxed and mottled finish, and a 19th-century Biedermeier settee. Of course, Powell intends to add a little ease to the Austrian beauty with an unexpected Rose Cummings’ green leopard print. A serious antique made fun and comfortable? Now that’s a romantic tale with a happy ending.

Biggs Powell Interior Design & Antiques
159 King Street
Charleston SC 29401
843-718-2428
www.biggspowell.com

It was blackened with age and broken down, the client explained, but it had been in his family since it was made and was near and dear to his heart.

Gary Leon recognized the fine craftsmanship of the armoire. It was Late Empire, made specifically for his client’s family by a German cabinetmaker. A treasured heirloom, it had a long and storied provenance.

Over the next several weeks, the piece was restored in Gary’s workshop. Where repairs were needed, antique wood was precisely matched to the original. Shellac, handmade in the shop, was French polished in, to bring out the beauty of the wood.

“It’s a lost art form,” Gary says quietly. “A lot of guys will use synthetic sprays.We don’t.”A single glance speaks volumes of why he does not. The long hours spent carefully preparing the shellac from scratch and working it in is essential to the quality of the result he achieves.

He divides his time between buying and selling antiques for clients—keeping his finger on the pulse of the major auctions at all times—and restoration.

Gary’s appreciation for antiques goes as far back as he can remember. One of his earliest purchases, as a little boy,was an aged barrel and a stack of history books that he chanced upon while riding his bicycle on Long Island. As a young adult, he took the next logical step and began to learn the art of restoration.

He worked in a handful of smaller shops before securing a position in the crème de la crème of the New York antique world: Hyde Park. It was the perfect opportunity for him to perfect his skills, working on some of the finest antiques in the world. These included a period Queen Anne Chinoiserie secretary, valued at over half a million dollars, that served as the centerpiece for Hyde Park’s booth at the Winter Antiques Show.

Even so, he credits the big break that helped him launch his own business with being at the right place at the right time. One day, a driver needed a helping hand making a delivery to a penthouse in The Carlyle. Gary said he’d be happy to help. After they set the piece in place, Gary waited in the vestibule while the driver slipped back inside.

“I could hear him chatting and having a beer with someone. Finally, he came out and asked me if I was interested in some side work. I said sure, and so he invited me in to meet the guy. It was Paul Newman.”

“He had a beautiful Regency cellarette that needed to be restored and a fabulous small side table that was given to him by Gore Vidal as a wedding gift. That’s when my career really started.”

He went into business for himself and established a reputation for exquisite quality. He worked on pieces destined for museum collections and the White House while building a client base that included several prominent names in the movie industry and financial world. He did extensive work with Bill Cosby’s famous collection of Shaker furniture, including rescuing a set of Shaker chairs that were found floating in the comedian’s flooded basement.

The stories and the years piled up, as both tend to do, and today he has over 35 years of experience in the buying, selling and restoration of antiques.

While he is conversant across the board when it comes to periods and styles,
American Empire and Federal hold a special place in his heart.

“I love the boldness, the richness of the woods,” he says.“It was the peak of American craftsmanship. It was a time when craftsmen were breaking away from the traditions of Europe and creating their own style, a style that was truly American.”

He’s right at home walking through the selection of high-end 18th- and 19th-century American and European furniture in his showroom. Every piece is a part of history and there are stories upon stories that can be told while examining their inlays, joinery and finishes. Watch him work, slowly, step by step, in his shop and you’ll understand how happy he feels to be a part of those stories.

Leon Vanderbilt Antiques
1437 King St.
843-577-0520
www.leonvanderbiltantiques.com

Leigh studied millinery at F. I.T. in New York City before opening her business,Magar Hatworks, in Charleston over 15 years ago. Today, her showroom is an 1825 single house near upper King Street. Leigh professes to be very shy, but all that fades away when it comes to fashion.“I’ve always loved to dress to the nines,” she says. “Magar Hatworks was born out of my love for hats. I design them to be sculptural, unique, creative.”

Leigh sculpts her hats the traditional way, using blocks (she owns over 400) and stitching by hand. Like most creatives, she takes her inspiration from a variety of sources— objects found on her daily walks to work, certain periods of design (the Bauhaus) or a recent trip to Paris.

Her spring collection for women features simple fedoras with eye-flattering brims. Made of Panama straw, the hats come with rakish accents: a tangle of colorful sisal becomes a hatband; a flower uncurls into a large, bristling-edged spiral. (“Simple, yet complicated” Leigh calls it.)

For men, there’s the Johnny Hat, (named for Leigh’s architect husband). This is the oatmeal raisin cookie of straw hats. Its variegated colors and casually tied contrasting bands conjure up a British Colonial scene from a Kipling novel.

Leigh’s big news is that she’s designed her first-ever handbag collection, under the label Madame Magar. True to her style, the handbags will be full of “everyday whimsy,” incorporating materials and patterns, like burlap, canvas, ticking and polka dots.

Visit Magar Hatwork’s showroom to see her current selection. Better yet, make an appointment to commission a hat. From cocktail hats to bridal caps to derby hats, Leigh does it all.

Magar Hatworks
57 Cannon Street
843-345-4483
www.magarhatworks.com

Take note that this is not just another Southern-flavored restaurant. Johnson’s cuisine is inspired by techniques and flavors both from the South and the Mediterranean. Odd? Not according to Johnson, who notes that the cuisine of both areas revolves around local seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables.

We think it’s a marriage made in heaven. This winter, we enjoyed a traditional Southern dish (pork shank with a ragout of Sea Island red peas and cornbread), as well as one with a North African flavor (lamb shoulder served with roasted chick peas, greens and a Harissa-yogurt sauce).

These days, Johnson is on his springtime high.“What excites me about spring is that the products seem so clean and fresh.We keep things as simple as possible by adding a little citrus or acid as an accent…or serving asparagus with some shaved pecorino or pickled beats.”

The décor is just as fresh, a combination of “farmhouse”and “urban chic.” Board and batten walls, shelves lined with pickle jars, and a bar and tables made from reclaimed wood are focal points in a high-ceiled space that was once an old furniture store.

“Our goal,” Johnson said,“was to take the pretension out of the fine dining experience… to take a few layers off.” We think he’s succeeded. This a place to kick back, relax—and look forward to a great meal.

The Grocery
4 Cannon Street
843-302-8825
www.thegrocerycharleston.com