TA M M Y CO N N O R
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ust across the Ashley River, in The Crescent, Tammy Connor set about gutting and reimagining a patinaed Georgian house that would bring her joy and stand up to the pressure of a full-throttle family. “We moved to Charleston from Birmingham around four and a half years ago,” she explains, “spent two years finding this place and 16 months toppling it down and then building it back up.” The guiding vision behind the renovation was driven by her personal tastes, no doubt, but something deeper and more elemental also factored into the project: her children. “I knew one thing from the beginning,” she says, “and it has informed every decision I’ve made since we moved: This house had to be a place for all of us, not just for me. It had to be home.” In addition to structural work, such as adding a chimney, reworking the electrical and plumbing systems and resizing or replacing each of the original 54 windows and doors, Tammy focused on creating interior spaces that optimized functionality without sacrificing beauty. The dining room doubles as a library to house her collection of design books, plus a few built-in quirks such as a candle shelf for dinner party illumination. (The floor plan of the entire back half of the house was shifted to create an expansive space for gathering, entertaining friends and enjoying the view of the pool and terrace beyond.) The effect is less one of concessions and more a thoughtful nod to edited traditionalism with multigenerational appeal. “It’s about the texture of everyday life,” Tammy says, “and creating a place for everything and everyone in it.”
TA M M Y CO N N O R TA M M Y CO N N O R I N T E R I O R D E S I G N
DESIGN