Local design studio Basic Projects has combined antiques with pieces of modern furniture to make the South Carolina Post House boutique hotel “look like it’s always been there.”
With seven guest rooms and a restaurant, Post House is located just outside Charleston, in the suburban town of Mount Pleasant.
The building was originally built in 1896, but has since been reincarnated as several restaurants and guest accommodations.
When the building’s property fell into the hands of Kate and Ben Towill – the couple behind Basic Projects – they started designing Post House as an inviting inn that combined the charm of the new and the old world.
Finding eclectic pieces for the project came naturally to Kate Towhill, who used to work as a film set designer.
“This project brought me back to my days as a set designer; I really wanted the space to look like it always existed, but I never wanted it to look like a tired inn, ”she explained.
“I did this by mixing found antiques and modern pieces to keep things fresh, making sure not to forget the creature comforts, like soft, white sheets and designer plush robes.”
The upstairs walls of the Post House rooms were covered with wallpaper from William Morris, as Towhill felt his floral and colorful designs matched the building’s age.
Some of the suites have white or light blue surfaces, but were dressed in patterned Turkish and French rugs that Kate Towhill found at an antique fair in Massachusetts.
The studio, however, made sure that not all of the decorative elements were vintage, so the rooms “still looked fresh and durable”.
The rattan beds, for example, come from the American furniture brand Serena & Lily, while the bedside lamps with ornamental prints were ordered through the Etsy e-commerce website.
Wooden chairs and marble-topped dining tables were scattered throughout the restaurant on the ground floor.
Intimate booths were placed on the periphery of the room, lit overhead by porcelain sconces that the Towhills bought from Felix lighting specialists in England.
“Lighting is my favorite part of my job,” said Kate Towhill. “It is very important to create a glow when people are in or out – that glow and the warm sparkling lights say ‘come in and sit down!’”, She continued.
“Poor lighting can affect everything in my eyes, even the taste of the food!”
Paintings and illustrations by local artists have been mounted on the restaurant’s walls and behind the bar, in front of which is a row of tall blue-green velvet chairs.
During the warmer months, guests can relax in the outdoor dining area, which is shaded by a red and white striped awning. There is also the Rose Room, an event space complete with large Murano glass chandeliers.
Kate and Ben Towill lived in New York for several years before moving to Charleston in 2013, when they created basic designs. The studio has already renovated a home in South Carolina to feature details of tropical decor and transformed an old pharmacy into a restaurant in Savannah.
The photograph is by Kirk Robert.