With an immediate family the size of two football teams (22, not including spouses!), the Keanes of Boston knew their Isle of Palms vacation home had to accommodate and withstand a very large clan. Their challenge was to fnd sturdy, weatherproof furniture that ft stylistically within the backyard oasis they envisioned.
“We wanted furniture that would last because we didn’t want to have to replace things when we visited. And, we wanted the spaces to be comfortable,” explained matriarch Karen Keane. For this logical set of requirements, Karen approached Sharon Campbell of Backyard Retreats for her vast knowledge about outdoor furniture. “Sharon has a phenomenal service where she ofers to come to the home to see the spot being furnished,” Karen gushed. “When she visited, we clicked right away because she really listened to what I wanted, and she wasn’t trying to change everything.”
Backyard Retreats, a quaint showroom on Johnnie Dodds Blvd., ofers not only well-made outdoor furniture, but also weather-resistant artwork, decorative accents, lamps, and rugs—all of which Karen admired. Sharon shared, “We created diferent areas. We provided a large dining table
with chairs so that they could cook out and have all their family around them. Then, we created a bar area just for leisure around the pool. And fnally, we picked out chaise lounges and comfortable love seats.”
And those selections were just for the backyard! Karen and Sharon also decorated four deck areas, including a lookout for wine sipping, a front-porch nook for tea tasting, and his-and-hers screened-in porches, which were the piece de resistance.
For the more feminine of the two porches, the ladies chose a beautiful, cut-glass mosaic table (no two are exactly alike) so the family could have breakfast just outside the kitchen. “We chose soft, pastel colors for the cushions to blend with the driftwood-colored wicker. The palette ofers a soft, beachy feeling,” Sharon described.
Naturally, in stark contrast, the “his porch” was appointed with dark, mas-culine-colored Sunbrella fabric (so they don’t need to worry about spills) and strong, reinforced-aluminum frames.
“My husband and our boys are very much into sports—basketball, baseball, football, and golf. Because of that, I wanted their porch to be near the family room so they could watch a game on TV,” Karen said. “The chairs are big, and they swivel all the way around, so when the boys are on the porch playing cards, they can turn around and still see the game that’s inside.”
It’s versatility like this that sets Sharon’s designs apart from the rest. And after successfully fulflling the needs of the large, diverse Keane family, it seems no Lowcountry