Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Updated 1830 Charleston House With Chic Vintage Style
See how this beauty blogger layers antique finds with fresh contemporary decor in her South Carolina home
Jessica Morse is pursuing a toxin-free lifestyle, which she writes about on her blog, Bare Beauty. But she doesn’t stop at hair and makeup products; Jessica’s 19th-century historic Charleston home is filled with eclectic, clean, sustainable and stylish finds.
Matching white sofas from CR Laine provide the majority of the seating in this room. Since the fabric isn’t treated with Scotchgard or other chemical-laden protectants, Jessica admits they aren’t in perfect condition, but she knew that white sofas were what she wanted and stains were a risk she was willing to take in exchange for the natural fibers.
The homeowner primarily stuck with a palette of whites, beiges and browns throughout the home.
The walls are painted in White Dove by Benjamin Moore.
The walls are painted in White Dove by Benjamin Moore.
The house has original hardwood floors and gorgeous antique doors, windows and wainscoting. They’re paired with modern updates such as the lights from Urban Electric Company, where Jessica used to work.
When it came to decorating, Jessica says she started with the lighting, then saved and did the rest of the house piece by piece. Her decorating style mixes clean, contemporary furnishings with antique British Virgin Islands-inspired style. Antique coral is displayed on top of an old campaign chest from David Skinner Antiques.
Antique coffee table: 1st Dibs; antique screen: David Skinner Antiques; white couch: Lee Industries; browse similar white sofas
Antique coffee table: 1st Dibs; antique screen: David Skinner Antiques; white couch: Lee Industries; browse similar white sofas
The walls are peppered with original art made by friends of the family, like this colorful abstract by Sally Benedict, one of Jessica’s best friends and her daughter’s godmother. Benedict painted the piece for the couple as a wedding present.
Jessica tries to decorate with antiques when possible. “They are expensive, but you can find really beautiful pieces if you’re willing to search rather than fill up the house with all new stuff,” she says.
When Jessica is unable to find secondhand decor or furniture, she tries to source from sustainable and eco-conscious companies. A pair of Ethan Allen armchairs are vintage, and a vintage table sits atop a sisal rug from GDC Home.
“I really wanted antique tortoiseshells on the wall, but there is no way to tell if a tortoiseshell is truly antique or if it was poached yesterday,” Jessica says. “I didn’t expect to buy them new, but I ended up finding some from Restoration Hardware.” These are replicas cast in resin.
Brass pendants from Urban Electric Company add a contemporary touch to the dining room.
Antique cane dining chairs and china make a grand statement with an island-inspired look.
The family tries to stick to their tradition of eating dinner together, usually at the table in their breakfast nook. “In 2017, it’s hard to do!” Jessica says.
Saarinen Round Dining Table, Design Within Reach; dining chairs: flea market; pendant: Gwenwood Hang, Urban Electric Company; browse similar white pendant lights
Saarinen Round Dining Table, Design Within Reach; dining chairs: flea market; pendant: Gwenwood Hang, Urban Electric Company; browse similar white pendant lights
At mealtimes, the couple set up their breakfast nook with 6-month-old Woody in a Bumbo seat and Annabel in the replica youth chair made by Jessica’s father when she was a girl. “I grew up in a historic house, and my dad would replicate the type of furniture that would be historically accurate for the house,” she says. “He made the youth chair for me, and my sister after me, and now Annabel uses it. So it’s a special piece.”
The kitchen was one of the few rooms in the house that needed updating when the family moved in. Jessica replaced the existing dark brown countertops with Carrara marble and swapped in new fixtures for a bright, modern look.
The master bath also received a face-lift. “There was no place to put your stuff,” Jessica says. “I told my husband, ‘I want this house, but I need a new bathroom.’”
When the couple bought their house, the large bathroom had two pedestal sinks and no cabinets for storage. They added double vanities with plenty of storage and Carrara marble countertops to replace the existing brown ones.
When the couple bought their house, the large bathroom had two pedestal sinks and no cabinets for storage. They added double vanities with plenty of storage and Carrara marble countertops to replace the existing brown ones.
The couple also replaced the existing brown tiles with marble for a clean, airy feel and to get rid of what Jessica calls the “dungeon look.”
When decorating Annabel’s room, Jessica chose a soothing, pale seafoam paint color, Emerald Vapor by Benjamin Moore. “It’s almost a neutral, and I figured we’d add more navy items if we had a boy or pops of pink if we had a girl,” Jessica says.
Louis XVI Bed, Restoration Hardware; nightstands: Restoration Hardware; bench and bolster pillows re-covered in Shantung Silhouette fabric from Schumacher; painting: Barbara Foley; rug: Serena & Lily; lamps: vintage; browse more blue glass table lamps
Louis XVI Bed, Restoration Hardware; nightstands: Restoration Hardware; bench and bolster pillows re-covered in Shantung Silhouette fabric from Schumacher; painting: Barbara Foley; rug: Serena & Lily; lamps: vintage; browse more blue glass table lamps
Jessica knows her daughter may one day request a room decorated in pink, but she says, “I wanted her to appreciate all colors from the very start — even though pink is her favorite color now! I also wanted to decorate her room so that she would not outgrow it by the time she was 3. She will be able to use that furniture, bedding, rug and more for years.”
Jessica tries to be mindful of the materials of the kids’ toys. “The less plastic, the better,” she says.
Jessica stuck with her neutral palette in the master suite but added pops of lavender. “My favorite color, for as long as I can remember, is purple,” Jessica says. “I don’t normally gravitate toward color when decorating, or even getting dressed, but I really wanted to incorporate a little lavender into such a personal space because seeing it just makes me happy.”
The art in the bedroom is by a close friend of the family, Kate Long Stevenson.
Bed: custom made; linens: Leontine Linens, New Orleans; Rug: Elson & Company; nightsides: Ikea; lamps: Visual Comfort
The art in the bedroom is by a close friend of the family, Kate Long Stevenson.
Bed: custom made; linens: Leontine Linens, New Orleans; Rug: Elson & Company; nightsides: Ikea; lamps: Visual Comfort
“I offset the touches of lavender with wheat-colored grasscloth walls and plenty of white to keep the space looking grown-up and not too girly,” Jessica says.
In the couple’s 6-month-old son’s nursery, navy blue and red pair up for a nautical theme.
Classic Crib: Oeuf; sailboat mobile: Etsy
Classic Crib: Oeuf; sailboat mobile: Etsy
“We are water, beach and boat people, and I never even considered another theme for Woody’s room,” Jessica says. “It was just an intuitive, gut feeling that a nautical space would suit my little Aquarian boy, and I knew he would not outgrow that theme or color scheme too quickly.”
Sailing Ship Kite, Haptic Lab
Sailing Ship Kite, Haptic Lab
The vintage sailor postcard was a gift from Jessica’s mother, and the Velveteen Rabbit painting was another gift from family friend Kate Long Stevenson.
Jessica knew she wanted antique twin beds for Woody’s room, and her designer friend Ruth Campbell, who helped with sourcing several items in the house, found the matching set.
On the third floor, Jessica converted a tiny, light-filled room into her office space where she blogs about beauty and wellness for her site Bare Beauty. “In the beginning I was blogging from the kitchen table,” Jessica says. “Having an office really minimizes distractions.” She installed an inspiration board where she can pin various pictures and mementos and shelving for samples and products. The walls are painted a pale pink.
Wall paint: Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Wall paint: Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Richard and Jessica Morse; their daughter, Annabel, 3, and 6-month-old son, Woody
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 3,500 square feet; four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Year built: 1830
Jessica and Richard Morse updated their family’s 1830 home in Charleston, South Carolina, by renovating their kitchen and master bath and adding their own style. A mostly neutral palette is punctuated by natural textures, a collection of houseplants and subtle color accents ranging from lavender in the master suite to blues and greens in the kids’ bedrooms.
The main living space is where the family spends most of their time. The couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Annabel, calls it the “kids’ room.” Original hardwood floors are protected with a durable sisal area rug.
Antique cane chairs: 1st Dibs; Waterfall Coffee Table: Plexi-Craft NYC; planters: West Elm; painting: Brian Coleman, The George Gallery