Frederic | B. Berry Interiors
Betsy Berry Infuses a Historic Charleston Gem with Modern Energy
Not long after a New York attorney with Charleston roots decided to purchase a circa-1820 home in the Holy City as a warm-weather getaway, he had the good fortune to meet designer Betsy Berry through mutual friends. It was an instant meeting of the minds: “My taste truly aligned with his,” says the founder of B. Berry Interiors. “I’m not overly feminine and lean more masculine in my design, but I really love the tension between the two.”
Since her client entertains frequently, Berry wanted the home to be a welcoming retreat, eschewing any notion of a sterile bachelor pad. In the dining room, she introduced a Gracie Studio chinoiserie wallcovering with a sophisticated tobacco ground, then tempered that flourish by stripping the existing fireplace surround to reveal its striking original wood finish. “I like to show age in that way and thought it was a nice, masculine touch against the elegant wallpaper instead of a perfect, glossy finish,” she says. The furnishings keep fustiness at bay, with a clean-lined cerused oak table, leather-upholstered Gustavian dining chairs, and modern lighting.
