House on Sullivan's Island

People take a great deal of pride in their homes. Even in a housing development with just three or four variations of house designs, the residents like to set their homes apart. They carefully select the color of the exterior, the trim or the front door. They add landscaping features, plants, water fountains, flags from their alma mater – all items that make their homes as unique as possible.

But by having a home that is custom designed, you can go beyond the extra garden gnomes and have a house that really is one of a kind. Aside from the zoning or building code restrictions, working with an architect allows you to create a home that is truly yours. If you want a lot of windows, you can have a lot of windows. If you want to add some personal touches, a window seat or a corner home office, those are possible when your home is designed from the ground up.

As firm owner Steve Herlong points out, “The benefit of custom design is your house really is your house. It embodies your personality, interests and day-to-day living needs.” 

Our firm enjoys working with clients from the ground up. We start from scratch and make the home fit the client, instead of trying to fit the homeowner into a standard design that may or may not mesh with their personal tastes and space needs.

Aside from having a floor plan and design that really fits your life, other benefits to working with a professional architect include:

• Architects understand the restrictions and special needs of your area. In Charleston, we have to understand how to build along the water or how to build or renovate in historic areas. A professional can walk you through that process.
• Making your house fit the size of your lot. If your property is an odd shape, such as wide and shallow or long and narrow, you can benefit from having a custom house plan that works within those constraints.
• Having a custom home design also benefits your landscaping. Your property may have several existing trees you’d like to save. Architects can help figure out the best way to keep those trees and use them to enhance the aesthetics of your home.