Modern Dogtrot Home

Patricia and Geordie Cole chose to reintroduce the dogtrot floor plan, originally developed centuries ago to accommodate the heat and humidity of the South, in their newly constructed South Carolina home.

Modest in scale and rooted in the history of the Lowcountry, it is an architectural style that reflects the quiet lifestyle the Coles envisioned for themselves in South Carolina. It’s a classic design, updated with all the provisions for modern-day living.

Source Guide
Paint: Oyster Shell (43YY78/053) by Glidden (glidden.com); homedepot.com.
Trim paint: Snowy Egret (PWN-50); behr.com.
Roof: Zinc Standing Seam in Natural VMZINC; vmzinc-us.com.

Large folding doors replace a traditional front entry to completely open the central hallway.

Source Guide
Decking and stairs: Regular E4E S4S; ipedecking.com.
Floor stain: Australian Timber Oil in Natural (3400); cabotstain.com.
Folding doors: Multi-panel Bi-folding Doors in Alaskan Yellow Cedar with Mahogany Stain; dynamicwindows.com.
Hanging lantern: Montgomery (FCD9139CI); troy-lighting.com.

The house was sited to keep most of the existing trees.

Design Team
Architects: Jane and Michael Frederick, Frederick + Frederick Architects, Beaufort, SC; f-farchitects.com.
Interior designer: Michele Wood, Fine Furniture Galleries, Bluffton, SC, and Palmetto Bluff, SC; finefurnituregalleries.com.
Builder: Bay 10 Ventures, Inc., Hilton Head Island, SC; bay10ventures.com.
Landscape architect: Verdant Enterprises LLC, Walterboro, SC; verdantenterprises.com.

Modeled on a traditional dogtrot, the house’s central hall opens to the front and back.

Source Guide
Wall paint (unless otherwise noted): White Dove (OC-17); benjaminmoore.com.
Flooring: heart pine from Knoxville, TN; volunteerlumber.com.
Millwork and windows: custom, Alaskan Yellow Cedar with Mahogany Stain; dynamicwindows.com.
Interior doors: custom; marshlandmillworks.com.
Table: CA-T602ZOLEW table in Antique Oak finish; englishmansfurniture.com.
Chairs: 90 Small Box Pleat Parsons Chair in Top Sider Fabric in Natural; shopfourseasonsfurniture.com.
Large painting on wall: by West Fraser; helenafoxfineart.com.
Painted chest: 4150 Chest; polidordesign.com.

Windows in the kitchen open to the central hallway and reflect original dogtrot architecture.

Source Guide
Cabinetry, island, and hutch: custom; marshlandmillworks.com.
Countertops: Calacata Gold marble; distinctivegraniteandmarble.com.
Island hardware: 1¼" Octagon Crystal knob (CAL-M994) by Cal Crystal (calcrystalusa.com); mightyknobs.com.
Range: CornuFé 110 in Black; lacornueusa.com.

Patricia had the refrigerator custom paneled in chalkboard—clever and hardworking! “The second I run out of Earl Grey tea, I write it down,” she says, “and there the grocery list is in my face.”

The cabinetry color (gray with a slight brown wash) reads differently as the light changes throughout the day, ranging from light gray to green to sky blue.

Source Guide
Light fixtures: Edison Collection Pendant Light No. 19 in Old Bronze finish; hudsonvalleylighting.com.
Refrigerator: 36" French Door Freestanding Bottom Freezer; dacor.com.
Cabinetry paint: custom blend of Fieldstone (1558) and Gray Owl (2137-60); benjaminmoore.com.
Cabinetry hardware: Oval Knob in Barcelona (A1560-BARC); alnoinc.com.
Sink: Shaws Original 1½ Bowl Fireclay Apron Kitchen Sink; rohlhome.com.
Faucet: Pillar with Ascot Handle; sigmafaucet.com.

With a wall of large windows, the kitchen’s breakfast nook is an ideal bird-watching spot.

The fireplace mantel in the central hallway is a piece of reclaimed cherry found by the builder. The painting on the mantel is by South Carolina artist Linda Rorer.

Source Guide
Sofas: custom Weston; hickorychair.com.
Pillows: Aubusson by ChinaWind USA; finefurnituregalleries.com.
Artwork: by Linda Rorer; lindarorer.com.

The long, narrow screened porch runs the width of the home and is accessible from the formal living room, the central hallway, and the master bedroom.

Source Guide
Wall paint: Oyster Shell (43YY78/053) by Glidden (glidden.com); homedepot.com.
Trim paint: Snowy Egret (PWN-50); behr.com.
Fans: The Windpointe Five Blade Series, antique finish wide oval woven bamboo blades; fanimation.com.
Planter by sofa: vintage kettle, similar items available from Sunshine Hardscape, Landscape & Nursery; 843/757-7256.