Home renovation, Sullivan’s Island style, starts with respect for what is already there. We update cottages, officers’ homes and newer raised houses so they live beautifully today and still belong on the island.
Sullivan’s Island is small, close-knit and protective of its character. Several National Register districts cover the island, and the town’s historic overlay requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before any material change to the exterior of a historic property, new construction or demolition. That approval is separate from the building permit, so the schedule for an exterior project has to account for both.
Interiors are a different story. The Design Review Board reviews exterior changes, not interior ones, which is why so much of our island work happens inside: kitchens opened to the porch, bathrooms rebuilt from the studs, and showers like the one in the photos here, which come from a recent Sullivan’s Island remodel. Our renovation services cover one or two rooms up to whole-home updates.
When a project does touch the exterior, such as an addition, a new porch or a new house altogether, we join your architect early. The town asks for materials and designs in keeping with a building’s historic character and may want to see samples of substitute materials. We help gather what the submission needs. For new builds, our custom home process follows the same careful path, and we can repair older framing or siding through home repair along the way.
Projects range from a single bath to a new home on an island lot.
Tiled walk-in showers, updated vanities and better ventilation for the island’s humidity. Our own Sullivan’s Island bathroom and shower remodels show the level of finish and detail we aim for in small, hard-working rooms like these.
Learn moreOlder cottages often have compact, closed kitchens. We open up layouts where the structure allows, improve storage and natural light, and choose finishes that suit the home’s age and style instead of fighting against it.
Additions, porch rebuilds and screened rooms change the exterior, so they typically go through design review. We plan them with your architect to fit the house’s scale, proportions and materials, and to sit comfortably on the street.
On lots where a new house is planned, we work alongside your architect and designer from the earliest drawings, offering value-engineering insight and helping the design satisfy the island’s guidelines as well as your budget.
Learn moreFree estimates · Licensed & insured · Trusted across the Lowcountry since 2008
Older houses here were lifted off the sand on masonry or timber piers to keep floors dry in storms. Hurricane Hugo passed directly over the island in 1989, and many homes were rebuilt or repaired afterward. Behind the walls, you may find original framing, post-storm repairs and later additions side by side.
Exterior changes to historic properties need a Certificate of Appropriateness in addition to a building permit. We factor that step into every exterior schedule from day one.
Town guidelines ask that remodeling use materials and designs in keeping with a building’s historic character. We make selections with that standard in mind from the very start.
Island lots and streets leave limited room for deliveries and staging. Careful logistics keep neighbors comfortable and keep the project moving without unnecessary disruption to daily island life.
An unhurried on-site walk-through to understand the house, its history and your goals, followed by a preliminary budget and timeline.
Together with your architect, we study the drawings, flag structural or approval issues early, and help prepare materials for design review where needed.
A skilled crew with daily on-site supervision, always mindful of neighbors, narrow streets and the quiet pace of island life.
A final walkthrough together. We stand behind the work, and the finished house should reflect our standards as well as yours.
Founded in 2008 and still locally owned, Reflections of Charleston is based a few minutes away in Mount Pleasant. We are licensed and insured, have served more than 4,000 clients, and bring the same concierge approach to a single bathroom as to a custom home.
The bathroom and shower pictured on this page are from our own Sullivan’s Island work, not stock photography or a showroom.
We build time for design review and permits into the schedule from the start, so approvals do not become a surprise delay.
Colleagues who sell real estate with The Boulevard Company help you judge which improvements hold their value on the island.
According to the town’s historic design guidelines, the Design Review Board reviews exterior changes, not interior ones. A kitchen or bathroom remodel inside the house generally does not go before the board, though building permits still apply. Confirm with town staff if your project also touches the exterior.
For historic properties, the guidelines call for one before any material change to the exterior, new construction or demolition. Additions, footprint expansions and changes to facades, windows or doors are examples of major work. Routine maintenance typically does not need review. Town staff can confirm your specific case.
Yes. We prefer to join early, review drawings for cost and constructability, and flag issues before pricing is final. On Sullivan’s Island that also means helping assemble material samples and details the design review process may ask for. Early coordination saves time on both sides.
Duration depends on scope, on what turns up once old plaster or paneling comes down, and on lead times for tile and fixtures. Older homes can hold surprises once walls are opened. You get an honest timeline up front, and we report progress, and any discoveries, as they happen.
Scope, structural and moisture conditions, finish selections, approval requirements, access on narrow lots and the age of plumbing and electrical systems all play a part. The preliminary walk-through produces an early budget range that we refine with you during planning.
Show us the house and tell us what you have in mind. Call (843) 926-6554 to set up a preliminary visit.
