When my husband and I moved (back) to Charleston from Brooklyn, we wanted a house. We’d lived in apartments, townhouses and condos for far too long and were ready to trade our bustling New York neighborhood for some lowcountry charm. So I made it my mission to find a house with just the right amount of said charm, and when I found our home I knew it was meant to be by one small detail: plantation shutters. The place was dripping in plantation shutters, is there anything more Charleston than that? Shutters, plantation or otherwise, can define the look of a house. Withers Industries offers the highest quality shutters – their attention to detail is second to none.

The family business was started by Buzz Withers in 1969, and was passed down to his sons Pat and Randy in 2000. They specialize in interior and exterior shutters and custom millwork. If you’ve driven by the newly opened Zero George Street boutique hotel, check out Withers‘ installation on the front – it’s gorgeous.

For even more charm, I recently painted my exterior shutters “Charleston Green.” This unique color is nearly black, and with good reason. Local lore states that the color came about after the Civil War. When faced with the order to rebuild the city using government-issued black paint, Charlestonians secretly tinted the paint with yellow and green in attempt to brighten up the once colorful cityscape. The color can now be found on shutters and doors all over town.

Tell ‘em Scout sent ya,

Everyone knows that the heart of a home is its kitchen. It all goes down in the kitchen: cooking, eating, talking, dancing (What? There is quite a bit of dancing in my kitchen). When you entertain, the kitchen is where everyone migrates, whether you want them to or not. It could be a hot plate in a studio apartment, but wherever the wine is poured and the cheese is cut, people will congregate.  The day officially begins and ends in the kitchen. And a new kitchen is the quickest way to give your entire house a facelift. Classic Remodeling and Construction is known around town for their gorgeous kitchens. They’ve been generous enough to shed some light on new trends in the kitchen world, along with some before and after shots of their work.

Trend # 1: The Everything Room

Many modern homes have a shared space for living and eating, and often kitchen renovations involve knocking down walls to open the space. Classic can remove load bearing and partition walls, creating an easy flow from kitchen to living room.

Trend #2: Let There be Light

Lighting is key to a kitchen, with a recent movement toward an equal distribution of light throughout the space to create an aesthetically pleasing design.

Trend #3: The Whitest White

While blue, grey and green are quite popular these days in kitchen decor, it’s white on white that will give your kitchen that cutting edge. The crisp color highlights state-of-the-art appliances and sleek design elements.

Trend #4: Raised in a Barn

You can’t get more now than a sliding barn door. I should know, I succumbed to a crazed Pinterest quest for the perfect barn door to hide a pocket-sized bathroom last year.

Whatever your style, Classic Remodeling and Construction can bring your dream kitchen to life. Tell ‘em Scout sent ya,

I love the hunt for the perfect….well, anything.  The perfect gift, the perfect pair of jeans, the perfect meal.  You get the picture.

But my most favorite hunt is for the perfect treasure and there’s no better place to do it than Terrace Oaks Antique Mall.  Filled to the brim with all sorts of wonderful antiques and vintage trinkets, I could spend an entire day exploring each and every nook and cranny.

My favorite things – the vintage handbags, fabulous antique prints, estate jewelry, vintage ribbons and estate silver.  All of it in perfect condition.

Owner Camille Wish works to curate the most lovely collection for her enormous shop on Maybank Highway.  She knows her stuff and can answer pretty much every question you throw at her.

Stop by for a treasure hunt of your own and be sure to tell them Scout sent ‘ya!