Bill and Sue Collins have built one of the most sublime new homes I've seen in the Lowcountry.  Subtle, serene, and perfectly sited, facing South on a bluff on Distant Island, they get wonderful sunsets over the Port Royal Sound and Cat Island.   I arrive near sunset and the glass front door of the traditional inspired home allows me to see straight through the to the golden beams shimmering through the giant live oak trees at the marsh's edge.  Inside, the house incorporates the outside view, continuing the color palette and wild, woodsy feel of the location, but in a totally sophisticated way.

"I wanted the house to have a little contemporary along with some rustic features,” says Sue. “I call it Rustic/Contemporary/Lowcountry." The wide planked wood floors that seem so Lowcountry, were actually salvaged from a warehouse in Brooklyn, NY, by a company in Georgia, and never sanded down. You can still see the round swirls made by the original saw cuts, which adds a textural feel underfoot.   "I give real credit to Anne Balance, my interior designer, who is great working with paint colors and finishes like countertops. And Al McKnight, a painter and woodworker from St. Helena, was wonderful with all the samples he did for us and painting all the walls and staining the floors."

All walls throughout the house are cypress, and there are exposed ceiling beams and wood ceilings.  All are done in a very soft paint wash.  Al McKnight did the wash of wiped Sherwin Williams Universal Khaki (watered down) on all the cypress walls and finished with a clear matte sealer.  He also put an antique glaze on the ceiling beams (made of new wood) to make them look old.

Coupled with all the traditional notes are contemporary touches like stainless steel rails holding stainless steel cables inside for the stair holds, which contrast with the rustic shingle siding outside and the metal roof.   The main living area is a great room that soars two floors to the gabled exposed wood ceiling, and the marsh side wall is covered in wooden mullioned windows from floor to second floor ceiling.  The brick fireplaces are done with old Savannah Gray bricks.  There is a very high arched opening which also gives it a contemporary/industrial feel.

"The architect is Rob Montgomery and the builder is John Clements,” says Sue. “They are local, and we had worked with them both when we built on Fripp Island.  From that experience, I knew they would be who we would call again."

Sue says she really enjoyed working with interior designer Anne Balance (of the Balance Group in Beaufort). "In the beginning, I told her that I am a very hands-on person during these projects; and Anne rolled her eyes (and was probably thinking, another bored housewife with too much time on her hands)."

But as it turns out, Sue was not a total amateur, having worked for an interior designer in Virginia for 14 years, a job which included going on buying trips with her to NYC.

"Anne and I had a lot of fun together on buying trips to Atlanta, looking for furnishings; we found we were on the same page on almost everything.  We also found a lot of beautiful items, accessories and artwork at shops and galleries in Beaufort. I love old Ming plates and bowls.  I started collecting years ago and have found many here in Beaufort. I particularly love the ones with old shells encrusted on them – maybe from sunken ships."

The artwork in the home is a mix of botanicals, oils, watercolors and photography (some by Sue’s neighbor, Diane Stewart, who shows in local galleries).  "I like subtle colors and not a lot of clutter,” Sue says. “The one comment I hear most is ‘the house is so peaceful.’”

The 5,000 foot house is much longer than it is wide; the Collins’ wanted to keep it one room deep so every room would have a view.

"We enjoy watching the dolphins in the creek, and the birds in the trees and marsh,” Sue explains.  “We can see all the yachts, barges, and cruise ships going through Port Royal Sound. Since the television rises out of the floor, it doesn’t obstruct our view.  There are beautiful sunset colors over the marsh the year round and all the changes in the marsh are just unbelievable.

“The backyard with the big live oaks and the water was a wonderful setting for a recent wedding," continues Sue. "When the wind conditions are right, sometimes we can hear the cannon fire from Parris Island; and after dark, we can see the night flares – pretty neat."

Bill and Sue Collins' ethereal Distant Island home is proof that dreams really do come true.

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