sucker for a courtyard
This issue of Differentiated Design is sponsored by District Loom, home of incredible custom and vintage rugs for the people who want the best. They’ll even resize a vintage piece to fit your room!
We visited Charleston for the first time this week. It’s been on the list forever, but somehow we’d never gone.
Charleston is one of the most historically preserved cities in the world, and given the fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes it’s been through over its 350 years, it’s amazing how much of the city still stands.
Luckily, the weather, which can be brutally hot and humid, was perfect while we were there.
The downtown + South of Broad area where we stayed and explored is full of incredible food, old churches, old homes, and old courtyards, and I’m a total sucker for a courtyard.
I remember discovering the courtyard in New Orleans for the first time. This exotic, private, elegant way of living - I was hooked. And I still am.
These courtyard floors in Charleston are gravel, brick, or cobblestone. Texture is a non-negotiable.
Not much concrete; it doesn't fit the vibe. They’re surrounded by heavily patinated brick walls covered in creeping fig, broken only by handmade wrought iron gates.
You don’t see much ivy, which digs into masonry (unlike the creeping fig), and these walls already have enough structural issues without inviting another fight.
Charleston was also an early hub for Asian plants in North America. The French royal botanist André Michaux is credited with introducing many species like camellias, crape myrtles, tea olives, mimosas, and ginkgos.
These plants are everywhere and add so much to the place's look and feel.
Obviously, you can’t so easily replicate mature trees and centuries of hurricane-weathered patina in your own neighborhood. And these houses honestly seem like a nightmare to own: you can barely touch the exterior without the historic review board's approval.
There's layers to this game
But it’s a great lesson to walk through. So much of what makes an outdoor space feel elevated and intentional comes down to three things: a boundary, privacy, and a floor.
Check it out
It’s what we’re doing at Arrington Woods, which, by the way, will be finished in less than a month.
Why own a lambo when you could have an early 80s 380SL with its own personal courtyard?
Downtown Charleston is full of things built to last, and so is the Urban Electric Co. factory, just 15 minutes north. It's a 300-person, high-end handcrafted lighting company, and I've been a fan for a while.
Founded in Charleston about twenty years ago by Dave and Jen Dawson, who wanted better lighting for their own historic home, the couple built a full-scale design and manufacturing business. Dave passed away tragically this summer, but Jen is carrying on the torch.
The Kronam on the right is one of my favorite fixtures. It's huge, and the verdigris metal finish is so impressive in person.
Most of the work happens on their factory campus in the old Navy Yard in North Charleston: metalwork, assembly, and finishing all under one roof, with glasswork at a separate factory nearby.
It was incredible to watch the range of finishing techniques and quality checks every piece goes through: patinas, hand-applied details, metalwork, careful inspections, and cleanings between steps.
Finishing some seams
Now I know a whole lot goes into a quality pendant light.
This banner hangs over the metal-finish baths in the center of the factory floor. Perhaps the perfect creative mantra.
Nothing I love more than seeing someone realize their creative dream. It can’t have been easy, and I’m sure there were plenty of moments when the dream didn’t feel as dreamy as it did at the beginning.
But seeing somebody do something excellent, and do it at scale, will always inspire me.
