Palmetto Bluff Carriage House.

BTW – This post is just 1 in a series of Home Design and Build posts. You can find them all right here: Positively Jane's Home Design and Build.

Way back in 2006 or so I took my husband on a surprise weekend getaway to Palmetto Bluff. The Bluff is located in Bluffton, SC.

And we both fell in love. Like madly in love. We realized that this is the place that we wanted to retire…when we were ready to settle down.

I won't go into all that The Bluff has to offer…but a few things are the marsh, endless sunsets, 20,000+ acres, beautiful architecture, clubhouses, pools and so much more.

In anticipation of moving there someday, we took our youngest kids there for a week over spring break and they loved it to. And so we vacationed there all summer for years and years.

In 2009 we bought a lot. And we then dreamed of what we would build on that lot. The time finally came for us to build something…so we built a small carriage house. A carriage house is typically a space over a garage. Ours was a tad bigger than that – about 1500′.

I hired Wissmach Architects to do the design and Rick outdid himself. We packed so much into a tiny space.

There were 2 bedrooms upstairs, each with their own walk-in closet, bath and shower.

Downstairs had a full kitchen, dining area, large great room, screen porch and a 3 car garage. Behind the garage we had room for our small jon boat and an outdoor sink for my husband's fish cleaning.

The ‘front porch'. Garage is on the right. Main entrance is on the left

The Design.

The house was designed to look like it had exterior porches in the past that were now enclosed.

I actually got a job at Pottery Barn (which I loved by the way) in order to get the discount for furnishings. So 90% of what is in the house is from The Barn.

Guest bedroom.

I put beadboard on the back wall of the beds so it looked like a headboard. The beds are set up so they can be pushed together and make a king bed. I had an insert that went in between the beds to eliminate the gap.

Shop the Guest Bedroom:

• The chair was from Ballard Designs – I had it made with my own fabric (COM – Customer's Own Material). I have linked it HERE.
  
• The duvet covers are from Pottery Barn. They no longer make the exact duvet cover – I have linked to a similar one for you right HERE.
  
• The duvet inserts are from Pottery Barn. Mine were down – The Barn has other choices too. I linked those HERE.
  
• Insert to make the twin beds a king is HERE.

Master Bedroom:

The master bedroom was much bigger than I could have dreamed in such a small space. I had the large cabinet custom made for the space. I knew I wanted an iron bed because it sat in front of the window. Having a chair in that bedroom was great too. Perfect for a little private getaway.

Shop The Master Bedroom:

• The bed came from Pottery Barn. Unfortunately it is not longer available. I have linked some great choices from Amazon. Wayfair has some great choices too.
  
• The bedding is the same as the guest room. Duvet covers and inserts.
  
• The chair is from Pottery Barn. The one I had is no longer made. But this chair is even better because it reclines – so no ottoman. I would have loved that for sure!
  
• The Velveteen Rabbit picture is from Sugarboo. I had it custom made for the space.

The Living Room.

This space was perfect. The sofa was large enough, when the back cushions were removed, for someone to sleep on. I think it was close to a twin bed size. Everyone loved the glider chairs. And the coffee and end tables were almost indestructible. The rug is a wool rug which was a mistake – way too much maintenance.

We were able to fit a washer and dryer under a counter and I put curtains in front. The dryer was a ventless one…meaning no vent. And it took forever to dry the clothes. If I had to do it all again I would put the washer and dryer in the garage.

Shop The Living Room.

• The sofa is from Pottery Barn. It is called the PB Comfort…and it is comfortable!
  
• The coffee table and end tables are from Pottery Barn. I put 2 coats of flat finish sealer on them. Just in case. There is also a round coffee table (my sister has it and loves it) and a sofa table.
  
• The table lamps are no longer available. Here are lamps that I like even better.
  
• Pottery barn also has some of the best silk flowers in the industry. I bought stems and jammed them in clear vases. Added a few clear rocks and I was done!

The Kitchen and Dining Nook.

I really wanted a space to sit and eat. And banquette seating is a great solution in a small space because you don't need to leave room for chairs on one side.

And having a full kitchen in such a small space was a miracle. I loved the kitchen! I used the cabinet in the foyer as my pantry.

Shop The Dining Nook.

• I had the table custom made to fit the space.
  
• The chairs are from Wayfair and very inexpensive.
  
• The hanging mason jar light was from The Barn but it is no longer available. So sorry.

The Porch.

Every morning we would grab our coffee and head out to the porch. It was a magical place. And I felt so blessed to have such a large porch in such a small space.

Shop The Porch.

• The wicker sofa is the Torrey Square Arm Sectional from Pottery Barn. It is so comfy. And perfect for sleeping on. The one I had has a square corner and not a wedge. Both are great options.
• I bought the Sunbrella covers for the sofa. I love Sunbrella and think it lasts longer and is easier to clean.
• We also bought the all-weather covers…for when we weren't home. I wanted to keep it all fresh for when we came for the weekend, week, or summer.
• The side table is the Frog Drum Table from Pottery Barn.

And that's all I got for this beautiful and amazing carriage house. We spent 2 wonderful years here. Both of my younger kids got married there. It is a magical place.

But, unfortunately, the prices to build became cost prohibitive for us to add on a main house. So, we ended up selling this house and our main house and built our dream home on a lake. You can read about that HERE.

I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it. But, a house is just a house. My family comes first…and I currently live near them.