61 Tradd Street Charleston, SC 29401

Originally dating to 1731, the Motte Harvey house underwent a multi-year comprehensive renovation, including structural, mechanical and electrical work, as well as thoughtful design interventions to bring the home up to current standards and lifestyles. The classic single house has an entry logia at grade with two piazzas above, which originally wrapped the back of the home. The logia and piazzas at the rear were previously enclosed, then adjoined to the dependency via a party wall in a later renovation. It is in this additional space where the kitchen and bathrooms are located. While the whole home was renovated, the new work was focused largely in this space, with the work in the original volume of the house mainly centered around removing more contemporary interventions.The footprint of the existing kitchen, which extended into the entry logia, was reworked to sit behind the historic primary volume of the home. A glazed steel entry door sits lightly where the logia once wrapped, and the original piazza ceiling, exposed during construction, now continues from the outdoors in. Existing stucco was similarly salvaged and extended in kind along the original exterior wall plane into the kitchen, where brick from the historic addition has been repointed and is now exposed. This reworked space features a mudroom and butlers pantry adjacent to a chef's kitchen, which includes GE Monogram appliances, Waterworks and deVol fixtures. These spaces now flow seamlessly into the living spaces via previously enclosed historic window openings, allowing for ease of use, while respecting the integrity of this pre-revolutionary home.

The primary bathroom sits above the kitchen on the second floor and was also reconfigured to allow for walk-in closets, as well as a free standing tub and private water closet. Once more, the space is accessed via previously enclosed historic fenestration, allowing for the existing panelling and casework to remain untouched.

On the third floor, contemporary renovations largely disregarded the historic organization, bifurcating rooms without reference for fireplaces or windows. This was remedied through thoughtful and responsible design, allowing for an updated bathroom and laundry room to remain in the space, while respecting the remaining historic fabric. The mechanical systems were reconfigured as part of this effort, eliminating ductwork and chases that interfered in the space. A second bathroom at the third floor was structurally shored, while being updated to offer closet space and new finishes. A midcentury attic stair was also removed at the third floor, uncovering piazza windows and allowing for the primary stair run to continue to the fourth floor. By extending the stair, the bedroom and new bathroom on the fourth floor are now incorporated into the home.