Text: Tiffany Adams
Photos: Ryan Garvin
Travel makes an impression on every project Linda Burnside of LGB Interiors touches. “I’m continually inspired by the places I visit. I like to photograph my experiences and then bring these elements into my designs,” she says. Burnside employs this approach with all of her clients, weaving mementos from their travels and life experiences into their homes with a seemingly effortless finesse. So, when longtime clients Lou and Bill Kennedy called to say they were relocating from Florida to Lou’s native South Carolina, the designer was eager to incorporate pieces from their global travels into a new-construction lakeside home.
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
Capturing the World
“Lou grew up in this area, so it was important to her to come home and to be involved in the community,” Burnside says, noting the Kennedys relocated the headquarters of their business to nearby Lexington, South Carolina, in the move. With busy careers, the lake offers an idyllic setting that invites rest and relaxation. “This piece of property has lake views from almost every vantage point,” Burnside says. Moreover, the lot was large enough to accommodate everything they wanted in a new home, including a guesthouse, greenhouse, pool, and lakefront views.
Having designed the couple’s previous home in Orlando, Burnside saw firsthand how its floor plan was conducive to their lifestyle. Working with architect John Clayton, they started with this same plan and then opted to flip it on its axis to suit the site. Inspired by a horse farm the Kennedys once owned in Virginia, stone was chosen to cover the exterior and carries throughout a number of interior spaces for continuity.
To bring their plans to fruition, they called on area builder Brent Zagata. “Slowing down and paying attention to detail is my focus. This house has so many layers, and it was important to zero in on each one,” Zagata says, noting everything from the foundation to the European windows and doors as well as the masonry and millwork was an undertaking of craftsmanship.
For the interiors, Burnside was keenly aware of the couple’s passion for antiques and cosmopolitan furnishings. She searched the world, bringing in Italian flooring, French antiques, custom Mexican furnishings, Parisian linens, and—more locally—lighting from Southern-based Lowcountry Originals. Additionally, other nods to the Kennedys’ time spent in Virginia and passion for horses are apparent in the dark, masculine study and a shared office space for guests. Burnside notes she was not alone in her quest to find just the right pieces for each space; Kennedy operated her own antiques store as a hobby business at one time, giving her an artful eye. “This was definitely a partnership project,” Burnside says. “There’s a lot of Lou and her personal style in this home. I would go and find the pieces, but she has a vision.”
Outdoors, the universal influence continues with an English Hartley Botanic greenhouse. “Lou wanted to grow her own plants, then she realized how beautiful this structure was and decided it could be used for entertaining and events,” Burnside says. This structure, along with the aforementioned ones, are all intricately woven throughout the property. Landscape designer John Long was tasked with connecting these areas in a cohesive manner. “My strong suit is plant material—finding the right plant for the right situation,” Long says. “I tried to understand Lou’s tastes first and gave the design a very organic feel to fit the site.” Additionally, Long strived to create intimate spaces within the bigger picture. “The design invites you to be a part of nature, and the garden walks with you. When you’re outdoors, it’s like you are going from room to room throughout the property, just as you would inside the house.”
