Restoring the structure to its original role as a single family home took three years and painstaking attention to detail.
Skilled craftsman brought its tarnished ironwork, crumbling stucco, and plaster molding back to life. Inspired by its Italianate architectural features, homeowner Anne Liebergall added elements such as this custom table inspired by a French monastery and French marble tile floor to the piazza.
Captivated by the tarnished beauty of this circa-1840 South of Broad house, homeowner Anne Liebergall was able to see past the crumbling plaster and small, dark rooms.
The formal drawing room, enveloped in the whimsical French Market Collection floral wallpaper, “De Soto Forrest,” balances classic and modern. Simple white sofas contrast with the dark heart of pine floors and antiques, and the Louis Philippe mirror above the carved limestone fireplace surround, antique brass coffee table, and elaborate Visual Comfort chandelier add subtle grandeur.
The aesthetic continues into the dining room, where a matching limestone fireplace provides a stunning centerpiece against the restored plaster walls. Hand-chiseled by craftsman Simeon Warren, the limestone surround holds a reproduction brass-and-iron coal box crafted in England.
The butler’s pantry/bar leads to the kitchen and the newer part of the home.
Brick Works: The main fireplace was converted into a walk-in china cabinet when the structure collapsed during the renovation.
The large kitchen shines brightly courtesy of white cabinets, French limestone floors, and white marble countertops, with a matching backsplash above the cast iron-and-brass Italian Ilve range.
Large powder-coated, steel-framed windows allow in plenty of light while creating a cozy breakfast nook with a view of the courtyard.
At the front of the house, this stately, second-floor room has been restored to its original purpose: a spacious ballroom for entertaining and dancing. The grand piano, gold-leaf chandelier and mirror, and antique wicker chaise lounge evoke thoughts of 19th-century soirees within the pale plaster walls.
The elegant yet cozy primary suite occupies most of the second floor.
A long dressing room connects to the bath, where a luxurious cast-iron tub invites relaxation.
The comfortable den, just beyond the boldly patterned laundry room is where Anne and Jon spend most of their time. Once a garage, the space converts into a self-contained guest suite, its white oak walls hiding a Murphy bed.
A large guest house at the end of the fully restored brick courtyard is another place to house the many visitors the couple welcome. “Charleston is definitely a big draw,” says Anne. “We have at least two a month!”
The laundry room.
Before the home renovation
Italianate details were revived in a fusion of past and present
