Gotcha Covered: Make sure your homeowners policy is right for you
Owning a home costs a lot of money. The mortgage itself eats up a big chunk of your housing budget, but property taxes, furnishings, and insurance bump up your monthly financial commitment even more. Homeowners insurance protects your home, which may very well be your largest investment, and gives you a sense of security. A standard homeowners policy will provide the following:
Sergio Raynal: A Life’s Second Act Forged Against the Grain
Open the door to Sergio Raynal’s understated, runway-adjacent Hunter Road office park woodworking studio, and you immediately realize you’re in for an inspiring encounter. The bass guitar-shaped piece of rare Hawaiian Koa wood hung on the greeting room wall and the nine-foot-long family table forged from a once-in-a-lifetime timber find with a human silhouette in the grain clue you in to his craft (the latter a 10-year-old creation Raynal reacquired after his client moved and commissioned a replacement).
Editor’s Note: October 2020
I remember listening to my Grandpa Ross sing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” at the Ross Madison House (a restaurant he owned with my grandma) in upstate New York when I was just a child. It’s strange that this particular memory is burned into my brain.
Beyond the Surface: How Rob Cavano and Charles Arriola took a leap of faith, building Coastal Countertops and Tile from the ground up.
If there is a single moment that defines the American spirit, it’s the moment in which someone decides to start their own business, fearlessly putting all their chips on the table and betting everything on themselves. It’s a moment of pure courage, and one whose stakes get even higher based on how much time one has already invested in climbing the corporate ladder.
Clearly the Best Dressed: Carolina Window Designs upgrades any view
Draperies or shades can transform any room, adding warmth and style to a once drab space and enhancing views out any window. The right window dressing will even create an illusion of more space in a room by exaggerating the appearance of ceiling height.
15 Days to the Kitchen and Bath Experience You Deserve
Contractor horror stories are so plentiful that they have become clichés. HGTV has launched shows all about cleaning up the mistakes of crooked handymen. Internet recommendation services meant to solve the problem have instead created another layer of glossy smooth talk that makes a disappointing end result all the more soul crushing.
The New Normal at Bannon Law Group
The husband-wife duo navigates the uncharted waters of COVID-19 to continue delivering exceptional legal representation.
7 Musicians, 7 Questions, 49 Answers
We asked seven popular Lowcountry musicians to come up with seven questions for their musically- inclined peers. They opened up about everything from the importance of original songwriting and what songs make them cry to what local musicians they like to listen to and their least favorite part of the job.
Kyle Wareham: Happy days, Magical sounds
In just a short time as part of the Lowcountry music scene, Kyle Wareham has become an icon among diehard fans and fellow musicians. He melts crowds with his piercing crooner vocals and lyrics as part of bands like Pretty Darn and Soundboy and has elevated the sounds of some of the island’s best singers as an increasingly trusted album producer—all in about six years on Hilton Head Island.
Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls: Call the Gutter Pro, Troy Dolin.
“Troy Dolin, Gutter Pro” is more than the name behind the owner-operated and locally invested business. The phrase represents a philosophy and promise to keep it simple and personal for a purpose: “From phone call to sign-off,” Dolin assures, “you’re going to get me directly.” It’s a commitment to the first-person handling of your project and an individualized attention to detail.
The Difference of Design: Kelly Caron Designs puts a premium on professionalism and experience.
There’s a certain look to Lowcountry homes and businesses, one that is often emulated beyond the confines of the 843 area code, but never truly duplicated. It lies at the intersection of comfort and sophistication—where nickel-gap shiplap accent walls and craftsman style millwork in crisp whites meet the rustic grain of reclaimed wood and the dull sheen of hammered copper.
Musicians in Bathrooms featuring Groove Town Assault
A Q&A featuring artists, Sammy Lee Passaloukas, Dallas Ackerman, Billy Martini, Derrick Ludaway, Brian Eason, and Frank Weber
The Evolution of an Artist: Pam White’s journey to a career that was meant to be
On a steamy August morning, artist Pam (PJ) White answers the door at her Sea Pines home, her sassy blond hair casually tousled to complement her “office” attire (shorts, T-shirt, sandals, and work apron). She disarms her security monitors (two suddenly vocal Bernese Mountain Dogs), whisking them to a back room and beckoning me to her garage/studio. The doors are rolled up, inviting in the day. This is where the magic happens.
Home Is Where the SMART Is: What’s your home’s intelligence level?
Our homes are our havens for security and comfort, so making our houses safer and more convenient is a high priority. Improving a home’s intelligence is a big market, and in a world where technology changes seemingly overnight, it can be hard to keep up. To help you navigate, we have compiled a short list of some top smart home technology that is available right now
Let Us Entertain You: Maggie and Jevon Doin’ Lowcountry Stuff
It’s the odd couple meets 2020. it works, but it’s weird. You’ll definitely laugh a lot and you’ll for sure be confused, but so are we. at the same time you’ll also kinda love it and be craving more. are you sure you’re ready?
Women Who Rock: The Lowcountry’s greatest hits
The past few years have seen a surge of women worldwide making strides and breaking records in just about every industry imaginable. Although trending hashtags are #girlpower and #bosslady, sadly, a Google search for famous women musicians from South Carolina offers scarce results. However, three lovely Lowcountry ladies are on a mission to change that statistic by making waves on both sides of the river.
What’s Cookin’? Trends in kitchen design
While following most trends may feel like trivial pursuits, kitchen trends typically outlast their time in the spotlight, and the return they offer will make the investment worth both any time and money spent. From cabinetry to the kitchen sink, from backsplashes to countertops, from flooring to lighting, if you are planning a kitchen makeover, here is everything you need to know about what is hot right now.
Mike Kavanaugh: From ‘No Cover’ to Unlike Any Other
That is the magic of Mike Kavanaugh, the architect of the island’s most beloved band, JoJo Squirrell and the Home Pickles. He has played more than 6,000 shows in the Lowcountry and booked another 40,000 performances in the 25 years of his second stint on the island—our numbers, not Mike’s; his Buffalo-bred work ethic leaves little time for reflecting or self-promoting.
Comfort Food Crosses the Bridge: Hilton Head Island’s famed Plantation Café brings its unique charms to Bluffton
To call Plantation Café and Deli an island institution would be an understatement. Since 1974, it has existed as one of those places that simply is so vital to the fabric of the community that it’s hard to picture Hilton Head Island without it.
Craving Connection? Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island dishing up friendship, fun, and opportunities to serve
We were not meant to be alone in this world. Neuroscience suggests that we are hardwired to interact and connect with one another. While COVID-19 may have caused a temporary power disruption, the Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island (WAHHI) is busy restoring the circuits, creating new pathways for connection in socially responsible ways.
So Sandra The Latest Fashions: A Little Gossip. A Whole Lot of Fun
Special thanks to Barbara, Betsey, Terry and Mary Ann for their super-duper modeling skills.
A Note from Lisa Sulka
Greetings from Bluffton! The business of Bluffton continues unabated despite the pandemic. Here’s a look at Bluffton’s trajectory into the remainder of 2020. Despite this year’s economic fluctuations, new building construction remains robust. Bluffton’s economic...
A Note from Mayor McCann
Your Taxes Already Pay for Law Enforcement, So Why the Extra Fee? As mayor, I want to bring you up to date about an ongoing situation between Beaufort County and the Town of Hilton Head Island regarding law enforcement services that you, our citizens, pay for as part...
Musings from a Woman in the Music Biz
The middle-aged man with the dri-fit polo and five o’clock shadow looks me up and down. “You sound great, if only you would just smile for us more.” I grimace and reluctantly glance in his direction. “Thanks for the tip,” I tell him, trying not to roll my eyes. He nods and sips his beer, not catching my sarcasm. It isn’t the first time I’ve gotten this comment, and nine out of 10 times, it’s come from a man.
News from ‘The Sound’
Despite the limitations of Covid-19, and with necessity birthing some much-needed online software tools (thank you Zoom, Audio Movers and ListenTo!), the summer and fall of 2020 ushers in the release of some brand new music projects, all produced at my studio, The Sound, located right here on Hilton Head Island.
An Eye for Music: Known for their imaginatively dazzling commercial videos, Harden Creative cuts its teeth on music videos, and the beat goes on
It’s around 9 a.m. on a Monday, and musician Jevon Daly is submerged up to his shoulders in the briny waters of the May River. He’s attempting to go completely under the waves, but the floppy hood of his shark costume refuses to cooperate, jeopardizing the entire video shoot for his song, “Sharks are our Homies.”
Zen and the Art of Knarly Gav
His tattoos adorn the likes of world-famous celebrities and local-famous islanders alike. But don’t let the smiling cat with the watermelon mouth fool you. The art of Knarly Gav is far more than skin deep.
Outside In: For Don and Becky Kimble, it all started with a marsh view. It ended with a Sea Pines home that exults in the extraordinary.
If there is a single defining element to the elegant Sea Pines Resort home of Don and Becky Kimble, it’s the marsh. That nearly uninterrupted view across spartina grass and winding tidal creeks was what drew the couple to the lot in the first place. And when Hurricane Matthew claimed their first home, that view ultimately became the driving force behind their new home.
Where Hair Meets Art: Local stylist with a flair for hair enters the industry’s most prestigious competition
Who would imagine that a dog cone wrapped in hair could be a work of art? Local hairstylist Erica Horton would! She also found chicken wire and Styrofoam to be helpful props when creating her first collection of competition hair, designed to look like hats.
How to Make Your Money Work Harder in 2020
It’s the beginning of a new year, and you want to be smarter about your personal finances for the next 12 months and beyond. A popular New Year’s resolution is to start a budget. But success in personal finance is not just about spending less; it’s about making your...