What an Honor: Coastal Signature Homes Featured on America ByDESIGN™
Every once in a while, a project comes along that reminds us exactly why we love what we do.
For Coastal Signature Homes, Davis Pond was one of those projects.
We were honored to be part of this remarkable Lowcountry renovation, featured on America ByDESIGN™, streaming on CBS News. And while seeing the finished home shared on a national platform was certainly exciting, the real blessing was being chosen to help carry an already meaningful home into its next chapter.
Because this was not a new build.
Davis Pond was an existing 1990s Lowcountry home with history, character, and a beautiful setting. Coastal Signature Homes was brought into the project for the renovation, and that was our first introduction to the home. From the beginning, the work was never about erasing what was there. It was about studying the home carefully, understanding what it wanted to become, and helping reveal the beauty that was already waiting beneath the surface.
A Lowcountry Renovation with a Story to Tell
Some remodels are about starting over, some are about listening first.Davis Pond had excellent bones, a powerful sense of place, and an underlying aesthetic that deserved to be preserved, refined, and reimagined. The home needed refreshing, but it did not need to lose its soul.Working alongside Frederick + Frederick Architects in Collaboration with The American Institute of Architects, the structural engineering team, and a talented group of craftsmen and trade partners, our role as the renovation builder was to help bring that vision to life with care, patience, and respect for the home’s original character.The result is what Steve Tilton described as “a modern Lowcountry home. Contemporary, fresh, and a little edgy, but still warm, grounded, and deeply connected to its surroundings.”That balance is not always easy to achieve.A remodeled home can feel overworked. It can feel like the new ideas are fighting the old structure. It can become impressive, but no longer personal.Davis Pond avoided all of that… It feels renewed, but not disconnected from its past. Updated, but not stripped of its charm. Modern, but still unmistakably Lowcountry.
Preserving What Matters, Uncovering What Was There
One of the most rewarding parts of a thoughtful custom home renovation is discovering what should stay.With Davis Pond, the goal was never to cover up the home’s history. It was to uncover the parts worth celebrating and let the new work grow from there.A favorite example is the use of original Tidewater cypress. Early in the project, porch ceiling boards from the existing home were removed and saved. Rather than discard them, they were repurposed into a gallery wall inside the renovated home.That detail says a lot about the spirit of the project.It honors the home’s past while giving it a new purpose. It adds warmth, texture, and memory to the finished space. It reminds us that a great remodel is not always defined by what gets replaced. Sometimes, the most meaningful moments come from what gets preserved.That is especially true in the Lowcountry, where homes are often shaped by land, light, water, weather, and family history. A successful renovation has to respect all of that.
“This Home Feels Like a Home”
During filming, one of the members of the production crew said something that stuck with us:“This really FEELS like a home.” That may sound simple, but to us, it is one of the highest compliments a builder can receive.Because at the end of the day, our goal is never just to create something grand. It is never just about square footage, finishes, or architectural drama. Those things matter, but they are not the heart of the work.The heart of the work is creating a place where people can gather, rest, celebrate, and make memories.It is contemporary, but comfortable. Elevated, but inviting. Sophisticated, but still kid-friendly. It has spaces designed for entertaining, relaxing, and welcoming extended family. It includes playful, imaginative areas created with grandchildren in mind, the kind of details that make a home feel alive now while also looking years down the road.That is what we mean when we talk about building more than just custom homes.Whether we are building from the ground up or renovating an existing Lowcountry home, the goal is the same: to create a place that becomes part of a family’s story.
Collaboration Made This Renovation Shine
One of the most rewarding parts of Davis Pond was the collaboration.
A renovation of this scale does not happen because of one person, one company, or one idea. It happens when architects, engineers, builders, craftsmen, clients, and trade partners all pull in the same direction.
Frederick + Frederick Architects brought a thoughtful design vision rooted in contemporary Southern vernacular, Lowcountry character, and respect for the site. The structural team helped make sure the renovated home was strengthened for safety, code, storms, and long-term resilience. Our team helped coordinate the work in the field, solve challenges as they appeared, and execute the details that make the finished home feel seamless.
That kind of teamwork is one of the parts of custom remodeling we love most.
Renovations are rarely simple. Existing homes have their own stories, surprises, and constraints. On this project, that included water management, grading concerns, dewatering the site, and installing systems beneath the home to help protect it moving forward. It also included the careful integration of structural components, impact-rated windows, storm considerations, lightning protection, framing details, and the unseen work required to help a coastal home perform in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
In the Lowcountry, beauty and resilience have to work together.
A Home Reconnected to Place
The setting of Davis Pond, the views, the water, the breezes, the wildlife, and the surrounding landscape all shaped the way the renovated home lives. That is one of the defining characteristics of great Lowcountry remodeling. A home should not feel like it was remodeled in isolation. It should feel more connected to its site when the work is complete.
This project does.
From the home’s orientation to the way it connects with the pond, from the outdoor spaces to the interior gathering areas, Davis Pond reflects the beauty of renovating in coastal South Carolina.
It is modern, but not disconnected.
Refined, but not cold.
Custom, but not overdone.
It feels like Lowcountry living renewed for the next generation.
Grateful to Have Been Chosen
We are truly grateful to have been chosen to take part in this project. Getting to see this fantastic project featured on America ByDESIGN™ was an honor, but the real reward was watching the home come back to life. Seeing the clients’ vision take shape. Seeing the design team’s ideas become real. Seeing craftsmanship, engineering, architecture, and construction all meet in one finished home. For us, this project was fun in the best possible way. It challenged us. It inspired us. It reminded us why renovation work can be so rewarding when the right team, the right home, and the right vision all come together. It is a home with history, renewed purpose, and a future full of family life. And we are blessed to have played a part in that story.
Watch the Feature
Davis Pond was featured on America ByDESIGN™ Season 6, Episode 4, streaming on CBS News.We invite you to watch the full episode and see how thoughtful architecture, careful renovation, structural expertise, and Lowcountry craftsmanship came together to preserve, uncover, and reimagine a truly special home.
