LOW COUNTRY MEETS COASTAL
At an equestrian estate in South Carolina, vernacular architecture blends with Hamptons-influenced décor.
Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, is known for its Low Country architecture. The equestrian estate you see here fits right in, but with a Northern twist. There’s a Hamptons vibe that comes from the homeowners’ previous experience living in Amagansett, New York. “I call it Low Country meets Coastal,” says Jimeale Hede, who with her husband created this property on the May River from scratch.
Two-and-a-half years in the making, it’s now their primary home. Jimeale is a dressage rider, as are the couple’s two young daughters, and the farm is home to eight horses. As is often the case with family farms, the resident species—some captive, some wild—have multiplied; the horses have been joined by dogs, cats, goldfish, a gecko, an 11-foot alligator that comes and goes from the pond, and a flock of boisterous crows.
The house reflects Jimeale’s vision, start to finish. An open plan unites living room, dining area and kitchen—the nerve center of family life—in a single large space. Adjacent to this is an enormous screened porch, “where we eat almost all our meals,” says Jimeale, “as soon as the weather warms up.” The porch is a bridge between the indoors and the swimming pool and patio. Together, these spaces form a complete setting for relaxed family living and entertaining.
Foresight informed the architecture: “We had the idea that we would live entirely on the ground floor after the kids move out,” she says, although that shift remains more than a decade in the future. “We have a primary bedroom suite, an office—the works—on the first floor.”
When it came to furnishing the home, Jimeale had a brief trial with a local decorator. “She wanted to spec wrought iron light fixtures, and I knew right away that we did not see eye to eye!” So Jimeale became her own head designer and began working closely with Safavieh. “Virtually all of our furnishings came from Safavieh. There’s nothing more convenient,” she explains.
She used soft blues extensively—on the walls, the rugs and upholstered pieces—along with beachy whites. Reflecting the abundant natural light, these shades proved key to achieving the Coastal look. It’s a comfortable décor that suits the whole family.