A Serene, Coastal-Style Home in Charleston

Name: Morgan, Sean, Cici the beagle mix and Bear the cat
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,890 square feet

Morgan and her husband put in an offer on their house with lightning speed, and once they got it, set out updating the ’90s kitchen and pulling in the peaceful outdoor feeling into their space.

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Sean and I bought our home one year ago. It is a really competitive market in our price range in Charleston, South Carolina, and we actually had an offer in on this house within one hour of it hitting the market! It was a bit of a ’90s wonderland — very brown and tons of palm tree wallpaper!

We have spent the past year bringing the space into the present time and updating it to reflect our coastal style. Our favorite part of the house from the start was the lake view and the nice-sized yard. We really love hanging on our hammock under the old oak tree staring out at the water. We tried to decorate the inside of the home to reflect that peaceful, waterfront feeling.

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is our kitchen, which is funny because it was definitely the worst room in the house when we moved in! Opening up the walls and refreshing the space with light and bright colors made a huge difference. I am also glad that we lived with the space for 6 months as-is so we were really able to see where we needed to add functionality. The recycled glass and oyster shell counter tops were our main splurge, and really are a dream come true.

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? Our downstairs is amazing but our upstairs is a little small. It’s great for just the two of us, but I’d love a little more space to make this more of a forever home.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I am a sucker for the discount plant rack at Lowes and am constantly bringing home half dead plants. Our screened in porch is overflowing with them. I just can’t resist the good deal and I know that 90% of the time I can bring them back to the land of the living!

Any advice for creating a home you love? Do what you love and don’t worry too much about what others think. You will always get people telling you that choices might be bad for resale or not everyone’s taste, but unless you are planning on selling in the immediate future, do what makes you happy.

Thanks, Morgan!

• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour & House Call Submission Form.