As you know, I love traveling across the country and learning more about the all-American design styles that span coast to coast. I don’t know if any other country has as much diversity in its style as American architecture. The stoop of a brownstone in NYC is a world apart from the porch of a beach bungalow in SoCal. And I absolutely love that! 

I just got back from a visit with a long-time friend who just moved to Charleston, South Carolina. A city known for its beauty and Southern charm, there are architectural gems around every corner. In addition to catching up as friends over some Southern cooking, we planned to visit a few design vendors based there and go on a plantation tour. It’s been years since I’ve been on a plantation tour. So, I was curious to see how the focus of such tours might have changed given our country’s new shared cultural awareness and reckoning with the continued effects of slavery.  

It turns out that Southern charm is rebranding itself, and it’s doing so by facing its past.    

Visiting Vendors in Charleston 

I started my trip with a personal tour of Urban Electric. All of their lighting is designed and hand-finished in their Charleston factory using a blend of traditional and modern techniques for heirloom-level quality. And the designs are stunning! Their fixtures are rooted in history and period architecture while taking inspiration from fashion and pop culture for a result that feels fresh yet timeless. I’m sure this is inspired by the city of Charleston itself, which stays true to its traditional beauty but feels alive with a new creative energy. After the tour, I had lunch with folks on the team. What they’re doing in our industry is so unique, and it was fantastic spending the morning with them.

Next, we visited Fritz Porter, a for-the-trade showroom in North Charleston. They focus on fabric and wallpapers and also carry lines of furniture, lighting, rugs, and drapery. It was so much fun discovering what they had inside. We intend to work with them as a vendor moving forward, and I can’t wait to see how one of their wallpapers looks in our next project. 

Spending the Day at Drayton Hall

The next day, we did some sightseeing and visited Drayton Hall, an 18th-century plantation house located on the Ashley River.

Plantation Tours are Changing 

It had been a long time since I’d been on a plantation tour, so I was curious to see how this would go. The ethics of plantation tours are complicated, as they can range from glossed-over celebrations of opulent homes to vital educational resources to confront painful parts of American history and combat racism. Especially as a designer, it can be easy to slip into an appreciation of the design and craftsmanship of these homes. However, it is crucial to acknowledge these spaces were constructed by people who were oppressed and enslaved for the economy of others.  

I am happy to report that Drayton Hall did a great job sharing the hard truth of what it might have been like to live on the plantation, giving the needed attention to the conditions that the enslaved people who lived there were subjected to. As a culture, it seems like we are beginning to face this challenging chapter of our country’s past, at the very least, starting a dialogue.  

I am noticing a trend on tours like these to better acknowledge slavery and confront the past. In recent years, I toured Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where 400 enslaved people lived and worked. There was also a difference in the care that addressed the subject of slavery on these tours as well. I hope this trend continues to move in a positive trajectory toward better education. 

Palladian Plantation Architecture 

Drayton Hall is one of the earliest and best-preserved examples of Palladian architecture in the United States. Monticello was also designed in the Palladian style. Touring the grounds took me back to my undergraduate art history classes, which I adored. The Palladian style is derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. It focuses on elements like symmetry and takes inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Palladian architecture was prevalent throughout the Northeast during the Colonial period and can also be seen on many other Southern plantations. 

Preservation Over Restoration 

Drayton Hall has a unique preservation philosophy. The home was not restored to a specific period but instead preserved and stabilized in the state it was acquired from the family in the 1970s. So, there is a rare opportunity to study materials and design from every period throughout the home’s history, all the way back to the original construction. Drayton Hall is a living historical document that reminds us of our past and provides context for the design work we do now.  

My favorite part of the tour was when our guide described the incredible skill that one enslaved worker had as a trim carpenter. Indeed, the home was impeccably designed and executed. It was fascinating to see a piece of craftsmanship untouched. Again, the trim work throughout this home is more than just a decorative detail to be appreciated. It tells a story—one that is hard to face. 

Architectural Beauty Requires a Critical Eye

The importance of understanding design history cannot be overstated. It gives credence to our choices and educates the eye to the whys and hows of architecture and interiors. However, it is important to look at our history with a critical eye, even while we celebrate the beauty of these historic structures. And this goes beyond plantations. Some of the world’s most beautiful and iconic buildings were built on the backs of enslaved people. 

Their work and their story should not go unrecognized.