This house is full of surprises. It has the air of an English country residence but is actually situated in Americas Deep South. Despite the many flourishes of a stately home, its rooms are less than 13 feet square, and its interior, designed to feel cool in the steamy heat of an American summer, can be changed into a cosy setting for Christmas just by lighting the fires and adding swags of greenery.
The conjurer who makes all this possible is owner and interior designer Jackye Lanham. With numerous clients in South Carolina, Jackye and her husband Bill bought this property in Charleston six years ago as a pied a terre. It dates from 1778, when it was home to a cooper who supplied the nearby docks with oak barrels/It is one room wide and two rooms deep, so it really is quite tiny." says Jackye. "But we were enchanted because there is so much history in the house, and in Charleston itself. At Christmas, especially, the town has a magical atmosphere that reminds me a little of London. The churches, the decorations and all the traditions make you feel incredibly spiritual."
When it came to redecorating, the age of the house was Jackyes main inspiration. "I brought together a mixture of pieces that date from the 18th century and later," she says. They are combined in a way that would reflect the natural evolution of the house over time." To make it feel even more authentic, she selected a mixture of American and English antiques, although it is the latter that come to the fore.