Nate Berkus: Southern House Proud: Susan Ford

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House Proud

Southern House Proud: Susan Ford

Find out why Susan Ford is proud of her beautiful southern home in the Prospect Hill Plantation on Edisto Island.

Susan Ford's Plantation Home
The Prospect Hill Plantation on Edisto Island, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina is home to couple Susan Ford and Hank Hofford, who spent seven years in legal wrangling to try to buy the property. "The property had been slated for major development and there was an out-of-state development company looking to build a golf resort there," recalls Ford. "But it ended up in the hands of the Nature Conservancy, and so the part of that we bought was under conservation easement."
Southern Charm
The home sits on 409 acres where the Baynard family established a cotton plantation in 1792. "We believe the home was built in the 1790s, and we’ve tried to preserve much of the charm from that area," says Susan. "It’s first owners grew cotton and it was quite a large plantation at one time, but in the last hundred years prior to us purchasing the home, it was only occupied for about two years, so you can imagine what kind of state it was in when we bought it!"
Home Renovations
Upgrades and repairs to the home included installing plumbing, electricity, and adding a modern kitchen, as well as dismantling and repairing piazza stairs and columns, removing water tanks in the yard and adding a pond, and sanding interior walls to uncover original colors, which were then coated with a preservation wash.
White House Legacy
The historical property is believed to have been designed by White House architect, James Hoban.
Haunted House?
The property is known to be haunted, and Susan can recount several strange occurrences during her time living on the plantation. However she believes that if there are ghosts roaming over the 409 acres, they're friendly ghosts!
Fundraisers and Family Gatherings
- The site now hosts large family dinners, occasional fundraisers and was even the site of Susan and Hank's daughters’ weddings.
Porch with a View
The front porch of the home overlooks the property's fields, dikes, and tupelo bogs, as well as a mile-long dirt drive that ends atop a waterfront knoll. To restore the property landscape, Susan and Hank enlisted the help of renown landscaper, Sheila Wertimer, to map out a master landscape plan and to revitalize old trees.
Bedroom Armoire
Susan and Hank learned to adjust to the home's lacking closet space. "One of my favorite features of the bedroom is the old armoire. I thought about building closets ourselves on a blank wall to hold everything we have, but instead we learned to live more efficiently!"
Restored Fireplaces
In addition to the doctored interior plaster walls and ceilings, Susan and Hank also restored the fireplace mantles.
Mirror, Mirror
"One of the things that is very important in an old house like this is that you have a good many mirrors," explains Susan. "Mirrors will help reflect the natural light that occurs in the space."
Structurally-Sound Space
Upon purchasing the home, Susan and Hank were relieved to discover that while the interior was a mess, the home itself was structurally sound. "It was built so well," recalls Susan. "When I first came into the home, it was abandoned. All sorts of things were in disarray. But the structure of the house was very good, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with it."
Relaxing Basement
"Chances are the basement was really not used by the past residents, but for us, this is where we live," says Susan. "We do most of our relaxing in this room!"
Lighting the Home
"We have a minimum of electricity in this house, but there are no overhead electrical fixtures in the house and very few plugs," explains Susan. "I didn’t want the walls to have a lot of light switches, so I found a way to incorporate it into the existing molding of the house." Susan used the base trim of windows as a hiding places for recessed outlets.
Dining Room
Susan is particularly fond of the home's expansive dining room. "When the chandelier is lit in the evening, the light reflects beautifully."
Southern House Proud
VIDEO: Click HERE to take a guided tour of Susan's home!