When we visited Charleston a few weekends ago, I made it a priority to scope out the town for unique sources for art and design. In a city teeming with creativity and style, there is no shortage of great galleries and boutiques! We were fortunate to stay in the old town historic area, in a hotel with popular roof top bar. Didn’t we feel like VIPs getting past the velvet rope (hotel guests get to bypass the line!) Well, ok, we would have bypassed the line if we’d shown up a little bit later. Tragically unhip, WE were there at the early bird special hour, but the benefit of that was we got to see the sunset from the rooftop. Spectacular. But I digress.
Let me first orient you to the shopping scene. Beginning with the French Quarter just west of Waterfront Park, this is home to many of the city’s art galleries, located in a walkable four square block area beginning on Broad Street and wrapping around the southern end of King Street. Heading north on King Street, there’s a cache of fairly high end antiques stores – I popped into a few where the prices were “look don’t touch”. Continuing on King, the neighborhood becomes more commercial, yet still quaint despite the presence of national retailers like J Crew and Kate Spade. Just one block east of King on Market Street is the Charleston City Market, a historic but kind of touristy pavilion with stalls selling tchotchkes, souvenirs and some hand-made crafts. It was a good place to pick up a little present for our son – we bought a nifty hand-painted spinning top that spins for approximately the duration of a Dora the Explorer episode. OK maybe not quite that long. But really, wondrously long. At the intersection of King and Calhoun is Marion Square, where the local farmers’ market is held every Saturday. Past that point on the northern side of King St there is a smattering of independent shops which quickly taper off as the streetscape becomes slightly sketchy (well, sketchy for Charleston anyhow).
Here’s a link to a helpful map of downtown Charleston, courtesy of travelerofcharleston.com.
Now that we’ve finished orientation, I have five fabulous design finds to share. Granted, I didn’t make it to every design source and gallery in the city, but these were my favorites of the ones I did visit:
1. Robert Lange Studios (RLS) Gallery, 2 Queen St.
This wonderful contemporary gallery was voted Best in Charleston the past three years running. With a focus on paintings and art photography, this warm and inviting gallery with exposed brick walls shows off some major talent in contemporary art. There is a highly varnished wood swing in the middle of one of the rooms, inviting visitors to relax, enjoy, and stay awhile.
Don’t you love it?! Come on in and stay awhile, beckons the swing at RLS Gallery.
2. Reclaimed Designworks, 132 East Bay St.
It seems like everybody is talking about reclaimed wood these days, so I was excited to visit the Reclaimed Designworks showroom in downtown Charleston. They specialize in old growth (fallen timber) and reclaimed building materials such as old barnwood, for use on floors, furniture, mantels and other feature elements of the home. They offer all different species, sizes, and types of wood products – a great way to add character to any new construction or remodel project.
This wonderfully textured dining table was created using wood from old railway boxcars.
3. Atelier Gallery, 153 King St.
A fresh and varied selection of paintings, sculpture and jewelry by established and emerging regional artists is on display at Atelier Gallery. It took all of my willpower to resist purchasing one of the pretty pairs of faceted semi-precious gemstone earrings. This very approachable gallery truly has something for everyone. There is a second location in Asheville too.
Atelier Gallery in Charleston is open, airy and filled with sunlight and gorgeous art.
4. South of Market, 173 King St.
This chic home furnishings store is a study in carefully curated, inspiring vignettes. The store owner scours Belgium and France to bring back special objets d’art, including heavy ceramic planters, rustic wood tables, iron lanterns and blown glass vases. Crisp slipcovered upholstery adds to the mix, combining to create a “French country on the beach” vibe.
French beachy chic at South of Market
5. Felice Designs, 424 King St.
Artist and store owner Felice Killian creates one-of-a-kind jewelry out of hand-formed glass beads. Her store is almost like a candy shop, filled with her sparkling and brightly colored creations. Felice herself is just the nicest person you could hope to meet, and we spent awhile chatting with her about her store, and she was incredibly helpful in directing me to some nearby antiques malls. From earrings to bracelets to necklaces, Felice offers something for almost every pricepoint.
This mulit-colored beauty is a real statement piece by Felice Designs.
I couldn’t pick just one picture of Felice’s work! Loved this artful display of necklaces.
I always forget just how close Charleston is to Charlotte – a mere three hour drive. Yet upon arrival it’s like stepping into another world: a place steeped in history, refinement, and pure southern style. It was fun to discover Charleston’s unique art and design scene, and I’m glad to have the chance to share it here!