Tania Sinel: HIS FINAL BOW?

Miles Redd, Skirted Table – LOVE!

I read something the other day that surprised me. I always think of the great designer Miles Redd as a New Yorker; after all - his townhouse there is as well known to designers as the Statue of Liberty is to tourists.

Mile’s townhouse – a must stop in NYC for design aficionados.

And although his townhouse is pure New York, Miles hails from the south, Atlanta to be precise. Still, this quote from Miles in an interview in Flower Magazine was a surprise, albeit a very pleasant one:

Miles was asked:

What are some things you remember about your early impressions of those beautiful houses and gardens in Atlanta?

REDD: A childhood friend’s next-door neighbor was the designer Dan Carithers, and I’d walk over and knock on the door, and just ogle over his sense of style. I wasn’t always aware of everything I was seeing, but my mind was such a sponge at that time, and I look back now and understand the references.

Can you imagine a mini Miles lurking in Dan Carithers’ house, staring at all his creamware and French antiques? Not that I blame him at all. If Carithers had lived next door to me, I would have been needing to borrow sugar all the time!!

Aw…Dan Carithers.

The gentleman designer from Atlanta.

I think of Carithers as part of a triad – Mario Buatta, Charles Faudree and Dan Carithers. Each unique, but together these three are the greats of our generation. They each believe in traditional, classic design and they never ventured from their basic aesthetic.

I miss seeing new work from Carithers. He hasn’t been working for many years now and towards the end of his career, Carithers’ assistants helped out. So, it was much more than a small thrill to happen upon a house for sale that looked remarkable like Dan Carithers work.

A never before seen Dan Carithers house?

What a treat!

Let’s start at the beginning, since that is a very good place to start…

First. I do have to tell you – it is so strange to see a house without any knowledge of who the designer is and to feel like you’ve seen the house before.

But where? Until you figure it out – it can drive you crazy!

I happened upon it while perusing houses for sale on Kiawah Island. No, I’m not buying there, just looking for inspiration.

The interiors of one of the houses looked so familiar, I couldn’t let it go. It just had to be a Dan Carithers design. But how to prove that?

I finally went to my photo files and –aha- there was the proof – or so I thought.

But what was most confusing is that while the house for sale looked very similar to another Dan Carithers house published in Veranda back in 2005, they weren’t the same house.

After several days and much research, I finally worked it out. The house currently for sale on Kiawah Island was owned by a couple who had previously owned ANOTHER house on Kiawah Island that was published in Veranda in 2005.

There. That’s it.

It’s not that complicated, even though it sounds like it.

This new house on Kiawah Island – designed by Dan Carithers – has never been published before.

Is this possibly one of the last houses that Dan Carithers’ designed?

The house is very pretty. If you are looking for a house on Kiawah Island, this might be the one for you.

First, we will look at the new Carithers house and then after, we will revisit the other Carithers house seen in Veranda in 2005.

Located behind a stucco wall, the French chateau-styled house includes a rustic guest cottage. Together, they form an L shape around a large swimming pool. The house overlooks the 17th Fairway of the Osprey Point Golf Course and Canvasback Pond. It is stucco with a black slate roof, copper gutters with stone flooring and base moldings. There is a rear loggia and covered balconies.

I love the weathervane – do you see it?!

Custom built in 2009, the house is 7212 sq.ft. with 5 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms.

To see the actual listing, go HERE.

The house sits between the lake and golf course and bay - and the ocean.

The house sits one row behind the beach.

Here is an aerial shot – the main house and the guest house.

The Back:

The main house is straight ahead while the guest cottage is to the left. Up the steps ahead is a covered terrace that leads inside. Notice the stairs at the left that lead down to the lower level.

And here is the view of the smaller guest cottage, the main house is to the right.

Leading to the main house – this is the covered terrace, an outdoor living room, that overlooks the swimming pool. Beautiful French mantel and lanterns.

The view from the main house terrace.

The view of the guest house to the right. And the basement level can be seen here, to the far right. Inside the house, an elevator leads up from the basement level to the top floor – very convenient for moving luggage and boxes around.

The unusual brick clad columns. They are so attractive!!!

Custom made French wood shutters.

Ready to go inside? The house was designed by Dan Carithers and his team. Carithers retired in 2010 and this house was built in 2009, so logically it is one of his last projects.

The main terrace opens to the large dining room – which is the center of the house. Gorgeous marble floors. I LOVE this floor!!! Skirted table in checks. French antiques hold blue and white pieces. To the right is the living room.

To the left is a wonderful antique French screen with a console table underneath piled high with library books.

I absolutely love this room and think it’s a wonderful flex space. If you are having a large holiday meal – you could add several tables here for extra family.

When I first saw this photo, the screen looked so familiar. But why? And then there was the skirted table. That is a Dan Carithers skirted table – no doubt.

Carithers layers his skirted tables with a second cloth. Here is the dining room in his own house:

Carithers uses two cloths in the same fabric.

The Kiawah Island living room is somewhat dressy – all in green with French antiques. It overlooks the dining room. Past the dining room is the family room. The main rooms are on an enfilade.

Gorgeous French armoire.

Another view of the living room – filled with French antiques, including the mantel. Beautiful mirror and chandeliers. I just noticed the two side chairs are different in the two photos.

Notice the figures that flank the fireplace, you will see those again. And the armoire. And notice the Ming dynasty vases in the corners. Those will be seen again, too.

And finally – notice the ceiling beams. Those are a Dan Carithers signature.

Leading from the living room and dining room, down the enfilade – you enter the family room. To the right is the wet bar with antique cabinetry. To the right of the family room, seen above, is the kitchen.

And through one of the doors in the bar is the powder room. Antique doors, upholstered walls, antique sink. Carithers said that he loves to upholster the walls of powder rooms. It made them soundproof. Hmmm.

The family room. Through the doors, at the left, is the guest house. To the right of the photo is a stone topped bar that leads to the kitchen. A large trumeau is decorated with blue and white platters.

Does any of this room look familiar? It did to me. The chaise is similar to Carithers’ design and is in his furniture line. And that toile fabric – I had seen it used before.

Ah…yes….now I remember:

Remember this Dan Carithers design from a Veranda story a long time ago? I pulled out the photo and realized it matched the furniture and fabric exactly. No wonder the Kiawah house seemed like a Dan Carithers to me! It is!!

But is this the same house that was in Veranda all those years ago? No. The owners previously built another house on Kiawah Island, also decorated by Carithers.

The kitchen has stone floors and rustic cabinets with reclaimed barn wood! The farm sink came from Paris. At the right is a circular stone stairway that leads from the basement garage to the upper floors and there is also an elevator that links the four floors.

There is an arched hall leading into the bedroom, which is located on the second floor.

Dark walls, light floors, French check upholstery, French antiques. Juliet balconies.

I really like this room – with the dark walls and light fabrics. Pretty side table between chairs on the left – with creamware. Bonnetiere.

Another view shows a trumeau mirror, wine tasting table. Just beautiful! This is like a beautiful hotel suite!!

Remember these bedroom fabrics and furniture – you will see it again, later!

And the master bedroom. Beautiful tea table and mirror. Notice the settee at the very right. Walls are upholstered on side of windows. Another beautiful bedroom.

The guest house! The guest house has two bedrooms and baths, an office, laundry room and kitchen. Called “Le Coup” – it is perfect for guests to be far away from the main house.

Also on the property, there is a garage and a dog run, dog washing station and access fenced dog run!!!

The guest house has a large family room also filled with French antiques and another wonderful antique French screen. Remember that screen.

Another view of the guest house – with galley kitchen along one wall.

It looks just like a guest house in Provence.

And the kitchen is laid out symmetrically between the windows and two antique doors (one is hidden behind the open door right now.)

Brick floors. Full galley kitchen.

One of the two bedrooms in the guest house. Love the canopy bed and armoire

Another view:

The guest room.

And..

Finally, the laundry room with the same type of cabinetry as in the kitchen.

This is the photo of the fabulous dining room that originally piqued my interest and made me immediately think – “Dan Carithers.”

Besides the skirted table, I kept thinking that screen is so familiar. When I first saw this house, for a few minutes I thought - might it be Gerrie Bremermann??? – and even looked at this photo to compare it:

A dining room by Bremermann.

No, it looked similar, but was too different.

I also considered Charles Faudree – and pulled this photo to look at. The feel of the room reminded me of the dining room, but again, it wasn’t the same.

At this point, I pulled out my Carithers files and found this photo:

And I said, Bingo. It all matched – the console and this dining table, the same chairs, and the same screen. But – it was a different house.

And then I saw the family room photo – and found the original one from Veranda:

This photo from a Veranda pictorial showed that the owner of the house on Kiawah Island, also owned another house that Dan Carithers had designed which was shown in Veranda.

An internet search turned up the fact that “Dan Carithers” and “Kiawah Island” was a story in Veranda, July 2005. This issue:

Remember this issue? The famous one with Toby West’s beach house that we all loved (even if we thought the previous Veranda Cover Story with an aqua beach house by Babs Watkins was still our favorite?)

So, I go on a hunt for this issue of Veranda that I know I have – somewhere.

Now, understand this. Whenever I look for a book in my library that I know I have – it’s missing. But – much to my surprise, I found this Veranda! I was shocked!

I actually found something in my library that I was looking for!!!

So, I get out the scanner and flip to the Dan Carithers story and lo and behold….

it had been neatly torn out of the magazine years and years ago. Most likely because I loved the house and I tended to clip all the Carithers stories.

So, now I have the 2005 Veranda, but without the Carithers story. So typical!!

In desperation I called a friend that I knew keeps all the old Verandas and asked to borrow her issue. Her remarks?

“I LOVE that issue! It’s one of my favorites!”

The house in the 2005 Veranda was built in 2002 and sold in 2009, the same year the couple built their new house on Kiawah.

I assume they used the same team, the same builder, but I have no way of knowing that.

Veranda: The older house seems a little smaller than the current one. Both are located on Kiawah Island. The Veranda article states that this house is the third one they have worked on together with Carithers! So, with the Kiawah Island house for sale, that makes four, at least.

And as luck would have it – I found the real estate photos from the sale in 2009. Here is the back of the house with a covered terrace and pool, columns and arches. The back overlooks the pond. The house is one row off the beach, just as the house for sale is.

Veranda: Of course these photos are much prettier than the real estate ones!

Veranda: These obelisks are from the 1930s. I’m not sure where they are today. I don’t see them in the newer house, but the other furniture on the terrace is still being used today.

Veranda: The main, two page photograph spread shows the combination living room/dining room. The fabulous screen is shown here – with blue tassels that have now been removed (I wonder why – I like the tassels.) The dining chairs are the same used in the new house and this table is being used as the console against the way. At the left is a French antique settee that the owners bought and Carithers remarked about in a humorous way.

A view of the living room with the same large armoire used today. The canape or settee was bought by the owners and Carithers noted that he would have never bought it himself. I wonder why? I love it!! Today, it is in the master bedroom.

Such a pretty room.

Veranda: In this photo, the living room looks a bit different. Rose Tarlow fabric on chairs and Rogers & Goffigon on the canape. Ming dynasty vase – one of two – that are in the living room today. In the new house, the living room today has been totally changed. There are two sofas and the color is green, not blue. These two stone consoles are now used in the master bedroom as bedside tables.

The Ming vase? Another designer has the same ones.

Celebrated Houstonian designer J. Randall Powers also has a pair of Ming dynasty vases. Love them!!

Veranda: Another photo from the dining room.

Real Estate: Of course the real estate photos don’t look nearly as good as the Veranda ones. But here you can see the living and dining room and notice the gracefully curved ceiling that comes down in arches on the side walls, where it is met with a bracket. This chandelier is now in the master bedroom.

Real Estate: And the other side of the living room/dining room – with the beautiful screen that is now located in the foyer/dining room.

This dining room table is used as the console table in the dining room – under the screen.

And below is the same view seen in Traditional Houses magazine. Apparently several rooms were also shown in this magazine, too.

Traditional Home: The stucco walls look pink here, but there are ivory. And the dresser around the corner is seen here:

Traditional Home: Around the corner is this dresser.

Real Estate: The kitchen/family room has the furniture that is now in the current Kiawah Island family room.

Veranda: The family room – Pierre Frey toile in blue and white.

Veranda: The family room next to the kitchen. The stone stairs are behind the kitchen.

The same view as seen in Traditional Home. The coloring is off here – but it still looks so lovely.

Veranda: The powder room is upholstered in Rose Tarlow fabric. These two statues are now in the living room in the new house, flanking the fireplace. The trumeau is gorgeous. Just gorgeous! It is now in the master bedroom.

Veranda: The arched hallway to the master suite. I love that painting. Another pretty screen which is now in the guest house. I’m not sure where the painting is today?

And notice the stone floor with the stone base molding without any other moldings. The new house was designed exactly the same – stone floors with stone base moldings. Carithers mentioned this in Veranda.

“I didn’t want trim sticking out all over the place. The best 1920s and 1930s houses were just walls and floors. Then they always had something really pretty, like the fireplace or some special feature. But it was the way the house was arranged that provided its charms.”

The guest room – this decor remains today, including the armoire and the antique accessories.

The bathroom with stone walls.

And the bath tub with the French doors and Juliet balcony.

Veranda: The master bedroom, then. Today the same furniture is all used, but with different fabrics which updated the room a bit, although I still love this original Carithers decor.

This mirror is now in the dining room.

Here you can see - in the new house – the fabrics are different, but the furniture is the same. Though this room is very classic – it does seem more updated than the previous version in the older house.

At the right is the famous settee that was once in the former house’s living room.

From 2005: