Planning and designing your Myrtle Beach home is an exciting creative challenge. But it can also be overwhelming. It’s best to begin with some self-analysis and preliminary research. This asks you to think about your space needs and lifestyle, and then look toward design types for structural inspiration that a design-builder can draw from. With the help of an experienced design-builder at Odom Design, LLC, you can craft a custom home that blends personal function and style within any budget. In this blog post we’ll look at 5 popular South Carolina home styles and how you can get started building your style.
Building Your Style
We recommend you begin brainstorming around function. What this means is that to help design a house, consider how the home will be used and how you’d like it to feel. When you think of the type of living and lifestyle that you want in your new home, what rooms do you imagine? Where are people congregating? Are there structural elements that are important to you like vaulted ceilings or large porches?
Beginning with a brainstorming list is a good way to find keywords that you can use when doing preliminary research. Coming to an architect or design-builder with key features, terms, or even better, Pinterest or Houzz boards are a great way start the process.
Using Styles as Starting Points
If you are looking for your perfect South Carolina home, you may find inspiration in some of the most popular designs in the coastal South. If you find yourself drawn to a variety of South Carolina home styles, professional design-builder Malcolm Odom can help you pinpoint the attraction behind a certain style and find exciting ways to blend different elements.
Below are five popular South Carolina home styles that allow for deep customization. One element that permeates all: a big front porch for relaxing, socializing, and entertaining. If you see something you like, consider visiting the Odom Design Houzz page to search each style for more inspiration for your custom home.
5 Popular South Carolina Home Styles
Plantation Style
Drawing from French colonial and neoclassical architectural styles, the Plantation home harkens back to a Pre-Civil War South. Key features include classical Greek columns and an expansive front porch and balcony. If you like symmetry, tradition, and a classic Southern look, the Plantation-style is a great starting place to explore as you build a style.
Charleston Single House
The Charleston “Single Style” is an iconic look perfect for narrow lots. While these homes traditionally feature narrow rooms that span the length of the house, a custom design-build can keep the exterior features you like while opening up some of the traditional galley-style rooms. Like many Southern styles, the Charleston styles boast impressive covered front porches (or piazzas), phenomenal rooms unto themselves.
Lowcountry Cottage Style
The Lowcountry Cottage style is a diverse coastal architectural style. Typically, these homes are raised for the tidal region, and feature a simple rectangular structure with plenty of shaded, outdoor living on wrap-around porches. Key design elements include an open floor plan with a large entryway and parlor, a side-gabled or hip roof, and French doors.
Craftsman-inspired Beach Cottage
The Craftsman-style adds the So-Cal Bungalow flair to southern living. Like the more traditionally Southern home styles, a large, shady front porch with tapered columns is essential to the style. These homes also have a low-pitched, gabled roof. This cottage-style can be a wonderful beach design, smaller home, or foundation of something larger.
Coastal Style Beach House
The contemporary coastal South Carolina beach house is not a traditional style itself; however, they frequently borrow elements from some of those listed above. Always raised, they often feature porches like those on Charleston-style or plantation style homes. While rectangular structures are common, there are unlimited architectural choices for those looking to add something unique and original.
Enjoy the Process
In the end, discovering and building your style should be fun. Explore Houzz and Pinterest to scan through photos, pinning and saving those that inspire you. Share your finds with Odom Design. Together we’ll design a home that speaks to your life, family and style.