Fresh & Friendly Beach House Makeover

Put It in Neutral

Designer and antiques dealer Jeannette Whitson always loved the look and feel of New England Shingle-style homes, but the Nashville native wasn't about to give up the warmth of her Southern roots. So she set out to build her family's retreat on the mystical island of Kiawah, just off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Plans were well underway when she discovered that her dream house—a gracious Cape Cod with weatherworn shingles and funky rooflines—already existed. She snapped it up and began giving the elegant matron a youthful face-lift.

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Designer: Jeannette Whitson, Garden Variety Design, Nashville;gardenvarietydesign.com. Bamboo side table, sofa table, rug, handkerchief planter on coffee table, and coffee table: Similar items available through Jeannette's shop, Garden Variety Design.

Living Room Before

A traditional color scheme in green and yellow left the living room feeling more fussy than friendly.

What She Did: Living Room

Went Au Naturel

All of the upholstery—the tufted sofa and swivel chair by Cisco Brothers and a pair of club chairs by BoBo Intriguing Objects—is outfitted in nubby linen of similar tones. Embroidered pillows by Chilean artist Pablo Mekis add a subtle hint of color and a bit of the human artistry Jeannette loves.

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Wall and trim: China White (PM-20); benjaminmoore.com. Armchair: Amalia Chair (AML-CHR-010) by Cisco Brothers; ciscobrothers.com for retailers. Club chairs: Belgian Club Chair by BoBo Intriguing Objects (bobointriguingobjects.com); available through projectdecor.com. Pillows: Octopus and Botanical Collections by Pablo Mekis; designerpillowshop.com.

What She Did: Living Room

Restained the Floors

Jeannette had the white oak floors stripped and sanded to take out the red and yellow undertones, then waterproofed and finished with a matte coffee brown stain by DuraSeal. The dark color helps ground all the tone-on-tone furnishings but still allows the wood's grain to show through.

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Flooring: White oak with DuraSeal Stain (3:1 mix of Ebony and Coffee Brown); duraseal.com.

What She Did: Living Room

Accessorized with One-Of-A-Kind Items

Bleached oak, sea glass, baskets, zinc sculptures, and found objects with serious history all add to the character of Jeannette's home. Her favorite pieces? A pair of petrified-wood side tables. "It takes thousands of years to turn the wood into stone, preserving the wood grain in a highly polished surface," says Jeannette. "We had to install supports below where they each sit, as they weigh upwards of 600 pounds each. Believe me, no one wants to move those again!"

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Petrified wood side tables: Similar items available through Jeannette's shop, Garden Variety Design; gardenvarietydesign.com

What She Did: Dining Room

Layered Textures

Throughout, Jeannette created serious depth with combinations of tactile materials. "When you're working in such a limited color range, patina and texture become very important design elements," she says. In the dining room, for example, she started with an antique French walnut trestle table then added rattan chairs and a sculptural cork chandelier. The white cowhide on the floor adds even more texture and gives a slightly less formal look than the Oriental rug it replaced.

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Dining Room French table and cowhide rug: vintage; similar items available through Garden Variety Design; gardenvarietydesign.com.

What She Did: Dining Room

Provided Easy Access

French doors connect the dining room with an ample screened porch for true indoor/outdoor living. Jeannette made sure the two spaces also worked together visually by continuing the same range of neutrals and mix of materials.

What She Did: Porch

Kept it Simple

Every day, dolphins and great blue herons frolic and forage through the nearby marsh, making the view the true accessory of this outdoor room. "We just sit on the back porch and watch for hours," says Jeannette, who outfitted the space with garage sale finds easily revamped with an awning-stripe indoor/outdoor Sunbrella fabric. Two movable ceramic garden stools do double duty as side tables or extra seating.

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Sofa, chairs, and side tables: Similar items available through Garden Variety Design; gardenvarietydesign.com. Cushion fabric: discontinued Sunbrella pattern; for a similar look, try I Love Stripes in Fawn by Perennials (perennialsfabrics.com), available through DCOTA; 954/921-7575. Ceramic garden stools: For a similar look, try onekingslane.com.

The Kitchen Before

A dated chandelier crowned a sleek but fairly lifeless white-and-silver space.

What She Did: Kitchen

Went with the Flow

No question: The kitchen, housed in the home's grand turret, already had great structure. "That circular counter made a believer out of me in white Corian," says Jeannette, who simply refreshed the room with a new coat of the same color she used in the living room, China White. Jeannette kept the kitchen looking clean and streamlined by sticking to a mostly white collection of china and flatware. To give the space a little patina, she sprinkled in new and old silver pieces.

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Countertops: white Corian; dupont.com for retailers. Island countertop: Imperial Green marble, polished; available through marble and stone distributors. Kitchen and island faucets: rohlhome.com. Dishwasher: bosch-home.com. Ice-maker: scotsmanhomeice.com.

What She Did: Kitchen

Played with Light

In just about every room, Jeannette switched out the traditional hanging fixtures for more eclectic choices, such as the vintage lantern over the kitchen island. But as much as she focuses on unique ceiling lights, ambient light is a must—even in the kitchen, hence a pair of striking table lamps on the counter.

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Window shade fabric: Rockwood Toile in Beige on Cream by Thibaut (thibautdesign.com), available through DCOTA; 954/921-7575. Lamps and antique marine lantern: Similar items available through Garden Variety Design; gardenvarietydesign.com.