When in Charleston…The Dewberry Hotel

While in Charleston a couple of weeks ago, I stayed at The Dewberry, an impeccably renovated former landmark known as the Mendel L. Rivers Federal Building. It’s both modern and timeless, and an homage to mid-century design. For a hotel that has 155 rooms, it feels more like a charming, boutique hotel largely due to the thoughtful decor, especially in the glass-walled lounge area in the lobby called the Living Room. The furnishings are an eclectic mix of mid-century Danish antiques collected at auction paired with bespoke pieces from Lawson Fenning and exceptional lighting from Urban Electric. Along with the beautiful renovation of the historic building in uptown Charleston is an attentive staff and concierge that display southern hospitality at its finest.

The floor in the Living Room was salvaged from a tobacco barn in Virginia. The columns are clad in antique mirror and the lighting designed by Urban Electric. The custom-made wooden bowls on the tables are from the knots of a 150-year-old white oak tree that was formerly located outside The Dewberry.

The bar is self-contained in brass with an integral canopy that mirrors the simplistic elegance throughout the hotel.

A series of cherry panels are modeled after the original paneling found in the Mendel Rivers Federal Office Building. They display a brass map, created by local designer Peyton Avrett, whose grandmother worked in the original office building for several decades. Below them are two original Poul Kjaerholm sofas from Denmark.

An antique table found at auction anchors a glass-walled corner in the Living Room.

Green, leather wing chairs make up one of several intimate seating areas for lounging, afternoon tea, or evening cocktails.

The rooms are a combination of tried and true materials of the south with a nod to mid-century design. Clean lined mahogany armoires, desks and bars pair nicely with brass accents and travertine tables. Sofas and side chairs are upholstered in luxe mohair and the bathrooms are outfitted in Danby marble.

The view from a room overlooking a church adjacent to The Dewberry with the Cooper Bridge and river in the distance.

The mahogany bar at the hotel restaurant, Henrietta’s, with stools designed by Lawson Fenning is modeled after a traditional brasserie.