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After just one vacation to South Carolinas luxury residential community Palmetto Bluff, Anna Sosa knew she wanted to build a second home thereand that she wanted Nicole Cohen to design it. I had been following Nicole for a while on Instagram, says the former magazine editor. I had always said, If I ever build a house, I would love to work with her. She puts materials together in this really different, fresh way.Cohen, who became an interior designer after years of blogging and photographing spaces, started by bringing an innovative approach to the exterior. Theres a strict Lowcountry aesthetic that we had to adhere to, but we tried to make it our own, she explains. We have this checkerboard Techo-Bloc tile driveway that I thought was super cool and interesting.Cohen chose two rounded sofas to counteract the square shape of the space. You feel like youre being hugged when youre in the room, she describes. We thought it was a little risky to do two different couches, but I think because we did such different fabrics, it worked. The rust-colored seating is a Pierre Augustin Rose Saint Honor 280 sofa and the taupe number is a Studio Giancarlo Valle Julio sofa.The powder room started with the floor, those little two-inch marble tiles, notes Cohen. That wallpaper is Pierre Frey and it actually reminded me of the marsh there in Palmetto. We had the Rojo Breccia sink custom-made for us and we based it on a vintage shape.To determine a visual direction for the interiors, Sosa gathered images of couture clothing and vintage scenes that represent her style. I have a specific fashion sense that I wanted to bring to life in my home, she says. There definitely are feminine touches, but theres some edginess and some modern influences. That Nicole was able to take [those pictures] and create this whole story is her brilliance.Once the mood for the project was set, Cohen sourced a bevy of striking tiles. The foyer floor, for example, is covered in white and variegated orange terracotta bells from Cl that interlock to create a postmodern-esque squiggle pattern. Its paired with high ceilings, a sweeping staircase, and an elegant In Common With Vera Sconce for a groovy take on the classic grand entryway.The adjacent living room also strikes a balance between playfulness and stateliness. Cohen opted for two kidney-shaped sofas, a rust-colored Pierre Augustin Rose Saint Honor 280 and a taupe Studio Giancarlo Valle Julio, which provide a casual whimsy. But theyre arranged traditionally, facing each other and flanking a Georgian-style Nero Bilbao marble fireplace from Chesneys. A pair of custom, veiny stone coffee tables sit in the middle. I wanted two rectangles because both couches are very curvy, Cohen considers. We needed something with edges.Cohen specified a chunky, tiered edge for the fusion quartzite countertops on the custom oak island with burl insets. I love the details in that kitchen, how Nicole brought in the burl wood, Sosa effuses. I live in the details. I appreciate those details every day.The open kitchen is informed by an eye-catching backsplash of ivory-and-marigold hand-painted tiles from Tabarka Studio, which Cohen mixed with an oversized plaster hood, French silver saucer pendants by Roman Williams Guild, and dark fusion quartzite countertops. It is very durable and we love it, she says of the composite surface. We brought the tile to the stone yard to make sure it matched up. It has a slight little bit of yellow in it, as well.Its the coolest color, Cohen says of the prep kitchen cabinetry hue. Its sometimes green, its sometimes neon, its sometimes yellow. The whimsical Maude Made ceramic squares make up the backsplash.On the screened-in porch, Casa Gusto rattan wingback chairs are upholstered in a vibrant botanical fabric by Schumacher and a classic ticking stripe by Perennials.In the honeydew-hued prep kitchen, tiles steal the show once again. The backsplash comprises cheerful Maude Made ceramic squares with fruit, flower, and animal motifs, while the floor is a caramel-and-white honed cement checkerboard. You want to have fun in that room because you could shut the door and you dont have to see it, shares Sosa. It can get messy if youre entertaining. Thats probably where I spend the most time. Its really comforting and homey.The dining area, with its round oak Brooks Custom table and midcentury-style Artistic Frame Bjorn armchairs, overlooks the lake. So does the screened-in porch, where Cohen went all-in on a coastal vibe with The Wicker Works wicker daybeds, Casa Gusto rattan wingback chairs, and a Patterson Flynn geometric abaca rug. I had never seen a natural fiber rug with such an intricate, amazing, stunning pattern, Sosa raves. You would expect to see that material, but not so sophisticated. Thats what I love about it.We try to really walk the line between traditional and modern, Cohen considers. We have elements of both in every room. For example, the moldings are a little more traditional and a lot of the furniture is edgier and cleaner.My grandma has that rope detail on all the doors in her house, Cohen says of the vanity embellishment. I just pick up these ideas from my childhood. My grandmas incredibly chic and lives in the most amazing home, so I guess it was floating in the back of my mind.Sosas primary bedroom, which is located on the ground level per Palmetto Bluff tradition, also boasts views of the water and surrounding flora. Cohen emphasized this connection to nature with a dijon-toned woodland wallpaper from Osborne & Little, then developed a golden monochromatic look from there. She added a custom mustard wool bed, a senape velvet DISC Interiors x Lawson-Fenning Lorca chair, and a straw Multiforme Murano glass chandelier. Anna told me a few days ago that yellow is now her favorite color, Cohen says.We took the [Pierre Frey] wallpaper onto the vaulted ceiling, which gives it a very enveloped look, says Cohen. The wallpaper people wanted to kill us, but we love it.Upstairs, the three bedrooms follow a special formula. They each include a Pierre Frey wallpaper, a custom linen bed, long curtains, and a solid wool rug with a cream border. But the personalities and palettes of the spaces differ. Sosas daughters room feels sweet yet refined, thanks to a delicate floral print and a rosewood fabric. One guest room embodies a treehouse with leaves climbing up the ceiling, while the other embraces graphic ikat.We looked at hundreds of wallpapers, Cohen admits. We found the ones that spoke to us the most and were our dream wallpapers. Theyre all very classic patterns. Some of them have been around for a long time. And then we built a whole color panel for each wallpaper. The delicate floral print and rosewood fabric add a sweet touch to Sosas daughters room.Sosas daughters bathroom combines Calacatta Rosa marble tile floors from Artistic Tile, Cinder Rose by Farrow & Ball wall paint, and custom millwork by Superior Woodcraft with Peter Fasano coral-and-cream striped linen panels.In the citron guest room covered in a graphic ikat from Pierre Frey, a custom nightstand by Superior Woodcraft is topped with a mushroom-like Ceramicah Glazed Tera Lamp.Cohen painted one sunny en suite in Dorset Cream by Farrow & Ball, then installed a Semplice sconce from the Urban Electric with a tonal yellow shade.Each of the bedrooms has a corresponding en suite that features beadboard walls, an oak vanity with rope detailing, and a stone countertop that extends upwards to wrap around the mirrors. I like to repeat things because I think it gives a sense of calm when theres continuity throughout the house, explains Cohen. Then you can have more fun with the other things that you want to do.The moody, slightly retro media room is a departure from the rest of the home, with deep brown wood paneled walls and an L-shaped Artistic Frame sectional in whiskey-hued velvet. Its the perfect antidote to all the elaborate patterns and light colors, a place to escape and screen a movie. But it also highlights the joy Cohen conjured everywhere else, which is exactly what Sosa was seeking for her Lowcountry oasis.The checkerboard driveway was something that we needed to get board approval on, Cohen shares, adding that she collaborated with architecture firm Court Atkins Group. I think its the only house that has anything like that down there. Its Techo-Bloc, so its not an uncommon paver, but its just the way we used it. The interior designer also worked with Jackson & Small Associates on the landscape design.The dark, dramatic media room is ideal for watching movies. The L-shaped Artistic Frame sectional sofa provides ample seating for viewers.In Sosas mauve-toned study, a custom Artistic Frame sofa is upholstered in chocolate velvet.We definitely made a point of using both brass and nickel fixtures in almost every room, says Cohen. It gives a very layered feeling. The nickel is so clean and fun to look at. The brass adds warmth.
