The Dewberry Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina is an ode to southern modernism combining local materials with the sensibility of the iconic modern building. Brooklyn based design studio Workstead were given the monumental task of fitting out the 9,000 square meter shell with a mixture of lush public and private spaces – and boy did they nail it! The Dewberry operated in the Mendel Rivers Federal Building, a government office for 35 years, until Hurricane Floyd rendered it uninhabitable in 1999. The building remained unused for over 9 years until real estate developer John Dewberry decided to restore it into the now incredible 155-room hotel.

The Dewberry interiors are well considered and evoke as a sense of modern opulence. Stefanie Brechbuehler, one of the founders of Workstead explains that they “explored a balance of traditional southern materials with more modern forms that were appropriate to the era of the building.” And if you peruse Workstead’s projects, it’s clear they have a distinctive style when it comes to brass, woodwork, textiles and lighting. Clearly an optimal alliance, Dewberry explains that the “collaboration proved to be winning, resulting in a notable reflection of [their] concept.”

The design team managed all aspects of the interior, both big and small, from major architecture features to minute and intricate details. As well as sourcing furniture from auctions or Lawson Fenning, they designed many pieces and created custom lighting fixtures throughout. Working tirelessly over 8 years, Workstead even went to the lengths of specifying the fill of pillows, the pleats of curtains and 100% of the furnishing. This was a huge undertaking, but the result is just about flawless!

Lighting proved to be a major focus for Workstead who created custom-designed pieces especially for the hotel. Drawing inspiration from the art deco vibes of Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, a series of light scoops were created. These comprised of a prefabricated bowl containing a socket for a bulb, which were then integrated seamlessly into the ceiling. The ballroom chandelier composed of brass and crystal, was made by Woka in Vienna, from Josef Hoffman’s original design in 1914. The chandelier had never been fabricated in that larger size before and was especially created for the hotel.

The Dewberry Hotel has the makings of an icon with its monolithic exterior and refined, sumptuous interiors. The design combines a number of distinctive styles and materials, but everything comes together with a domestic sense of scale. Workstead’s approach to texture, colour and proportion manages to balance the monolithic nature of the building and makes it an inviting, homely place for people to enjoy. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

[Images courtesy of The Dewberry Hotel & Workstead. Photography by Matthew Millman.]