Elements of a Charleston Piazza

Use our 6 design details to bring the look of these iconic side porches to your home.

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn, Article: Jennifer Kopf

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The Welcoming Piazza

Walk throughout the Charleston peninsula, and you’re sure to see that iconic side piazza. This open-air porch often runs the length of a home and has multiple doorways leading indoors. Originally designed to beat the South Carolina heat by capturing the cool cross breezes from the water, piazzas are now integral parts of the city’s lifestyle. Charleston interior designer Muffie Faith, of Elizabeth Stuart Design, invited us to join her on the inviting piazza of John and Meredith Dunnan’s circa-1810 home just off the Battery, giving us a peek at the essential elements that make a porch undeniably Charleston.”