A Design Lover's Guide to Charleston, South Carolina

Though perhaps better known for its beaches, stylish locals and beautiful homes, Charleston also has a strong design vibe thanks to locals who favor beautifully made, heirloom, top-of-the-line art, antiques, design objects and public and private spaces that share those qualities. Great design shows up in a number of ways: in Charleston's Design District where you can shop a range of high-calibre design for the home; in festivals and cultural venues that raise the aesthetic bar; and in an almost European sensibility in a city of parks, restaurants, bars and hotels where design and beauty are foregrounded because residents—and visitors—expect it. From unique shops with a unique sensibility to hotels where you may pick up an idea or two for your own home decor, we've rounded up some of the design stops in Charleston that give a fuller picture of this city's substantial style.

Over the years, Charleston has transformed into a food-centric and sophisticated Southern city. It is home to the Charleston Wine + Food festival and a wealth of memorable restaurants, both humble and haute. Known for its easygoing pace and refined lifestyle, the city has attracted a raft of wealthy New Yorkers and Hollywood types (Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert and Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker) who have scooped up homes at a ravenous pace. The homes, gardens and the people of Charleston are exceptionally gracious (especially so considering the 7 million tourists who flock to the city each year). Furnishings lean toward the traditional, but there is experimentation galore when it comes to the arts and food. There are endless options in high-end lodgings, from the organic, edgy style of boutique hotels including Live Oak and the refined Hotel Richemont (shown here) just steps from buzzy King Street.

Opened in 2024, the warm, inviting Dunlin, Auberge Collection sits on the Kiawah River on Johns Island, South Carolina about 11 miles from downtown Charleston. Interior designer Amanda Lindroth has brought shades of green from minty to grasshopper into the public spaces of this hotel designed with the area's unique coastal aesthetic in mind. She's said her design inspiration was a Lowcountry summer house from the 1920s. The most charming room may be the opulent-yet-relaxed bar at Linnette's where you'll find plenty of design ideas while enjoying a lavender spritz or tomato martini. With its curvy green bar, tiny rattan bar top lamps and rattan etageres displaying bottles of bourbon and gin, it's an utterly captivating tropical-meets-preppy vibe.

Located at the historic Navy Yard on Noisette Blvd, the Charleston Design District is a collection of 24 makers and showrooms. It is also the definitive design destination whether you are looking to pick up an object large or small, or simply feed your brain with beauty and inspiration. Textures, pictured here, is a shop featuring hardwood floors and wood products including custom millwork, wood ceiling beams, stair treads and more.

Founded in 2013 by Susan Hull Walker, this tiny storefront on King Street is home to products made by women around the world. Textiles, clothing and jewelry from 50 different countries are all featured at Ibu Movement, which honors both indigenous design sensibilities as well as women makers.

Weaving is a passion for Ibu Movement owner Susan Hull Walker who went back to school to learn to create textiles. In her globe-trotting she learned that women around the world use weaving as a form of expression and meaning-making. For that reason, handcrafted textiles are central to Ibu, a holistic design stop filled with antiques from Charleston dealer John Pope and where pillows, dresses, handmade lamps and accessories all add to the rich, global aesthetic.

The kind of stylish boîte (designed by Charleston interior designer Betsy Berry) where the food is as delectable as the design, the Vietnamese restaurant Two Bit Club in the Hotel Richemont offers dinner seven days a week in a glamorous setting that makes any evening feel special. Don't miss the yellowtail crudo, coconut mussels and green papaya salad.

The stylish lobby of the Live Oak, which opened in April 2026 in the funky Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood breaks from the ultra-traditional design of many Charleston hotels. A haint-blue ceiling in the lobby nods to the Southern belief rooted in the Lowcountry's Gullah Geechee culture, that a blue ceiling will keep away bad spirits. This design-forward boutique hotel leans into Charleston's coastal setting in the use of live-edge wood and woven elements throughout that reference the local basket-weaving craft. The 120-room boutique property favors a minimalist look that feels right when the temperature is tropical outside. Rooms are as chic as the public areas, which include the bespoke coffee shop Tracer (the only one in America) whose co-founder Gina Cordoba sources Colombian coffees that are roasted locally. The Bloo Pool & Provisions pool area features covered lounge beds for the sun averse and a close-by bar and restaurant for sustenance. A welcoming staff and attention to design detail at every level only add to Live Oak's appeal.

With its serene color palette and inviting biomorphic furniture, the Live Oak lobby sets a tone for any stay or just a meet-up before dinner. Wooden shutters nod to the consistent design element in Charleston architecture and art by artists riffing on local flora and fauna evoke a strong sense of place.

Home design lovers will marvel at the copious offerings in luxury tableware at Juliska's smartly designed 4,000 square foot King Street domestic Mecca, formerly located in tony Stamford, Connecticut but relocated to be closer to the port that brings in their glassware and tableware from Portugal and the Czech Republic. The second level is a workshop where classes are offered in flower arranging, mixology and jewelry making.

The Tiny Tassel's 46 Spring Street shop owners create their own colorful, joyful fashions and accessories in-house at the only Black and Asian-woman owned design shop in Charleston. Owner Mimi Striplin and her mom Keiko's mantra is "belonging," "joy" and "quality" all design philosophies we can get behind.

From haute couture to the latest from Tory Burch, Ulla Johnson and Veronica Beard, modern and luxury consignment shop Ensemble is loaded with treasures for shoppers who want both great design and a deal. The vibe of the shop is happy, cozy and feminine with lots of places for friends and husbands-in-tow to sit and wait.

The Charleston Museum is the oldest museum in America though it's housed in a contemporary building completed in 1980 and is devoted to the natural and cultural history and design culture of Charleston's Lowcountry. There are ladies fans, sterling silver tea services, ceramic storage jars made by a slave potter and other elements of the region's material culture that offer insight and a deep sense of place.

Charleston is undeniably devoted to garden design, whether in its public parks or private spaces. There is a garden for every taste in Charleston: traditional, quirky, European. Beyond the Garden Gates self-guided walking tours held every spring offer a chance to take in some of the city's most memorable, meticulously-designed gardens.

Francophiles and anyone who wants to wake up to beauty should amble over to the evocatively designed coffee shop in the style of a Parisian patisserie on King Street attached to Hotel Bennett. La Patisserie offers an array of beautiful croissants, croque madames, tarts and a famous pink Camellias cake as beautiful as the surroundings, all created by French pastry chef and 2024 James Beard Award nominee, Rémy Fünfrock. A window into the unique aesthetic sensibility of the city which combines a Southern sensibility with a sense of European opulence, a recent visit included fellow customers like an exquisitely dressed little boy carrying a straw basket of strawberries, European tourists and some of the most interesting people watching in this very stylish city.

Visiting Charleston during the Spoleto Festival — an international, destination festival of the best in theater, art, music and performance — is a great time to see the city. Spoleto USA was originally inspired by an annual festival in Spoleto, Umbria, in Italy. The Charleston iteration happens May-June with world premieres, opera, music, theater and enough cultural offerings to convince you you are in New York or London.

Located in charming Mount Pleasant village, Heart of Gold Gallery offers an opportunity to pick up a photo souvenir of your visit. The gallery focus is on contemporary color and black-and-white photography from the 1950s to the present to lend a contemporary-cool design sensibility to your home. Owner Aaron Zych has a special love of music photography featuring Radiohead's Thom Yorke or Outkast's Andre 3000 as well as iconic images of vintage boom boxes by NYC photographer Lyle Owerko or Slim Aarons' stunning color-saturated vintage images of the good life.

The Gibbes Museum of Art in the heart of downtown Charleston brings big-city contemporary art (like the Barkley Hendricks portrait shown here) and inventive programming like a Films in Focus screening series. But the Gibbes' historical treasures are noteworthy too, including a collection of 600 miniature portraits from Colonial times to the 20th century that present a fascinating window into the form rendered in the most intimate dimensions. The well-curated gift shop is a unique source for local and national design talent, and includes small works and crafts for sale.

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, at the College of Charleston, is a non-profit gallery space on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston that hosts contemporary art exhibitions by emerging and mid-career artists. Entrance is free.

The Spanish tapas restaurant Malagon is tucked into a discreet section of Spring Street in downtown Charleston. Spanish groceries, including saffron, rice and olive oil, line the wall and are available for purchase in this atmospheric railroad flat space. A welcoming snack of corn nuts eases diners into a menu filled with Spanish wines and divided into meat, seafood and vegetable options. Gazpacho is served in a wine glass, and tiny nibbles of seasoned lamb make for surprisingly hearty fare despite the tapas-sized portions. Chef Juan Cassalett is thankfully heavy with spice and flavor, so even the slightest dish is a savory wallop.

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge spans the Cooper River and connects downtown Charleston to the town of Mount Pleasant. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere, designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and cost a hefty $531 million to build. Its signature are its two visually striking diamond-shaped concrete towers that stand on large rock islands. The bridge was designed by New York City engineering and design firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, the same guys who gave us New Jersey's Garden State Parkway, New York's 1939 World's Fair and the subway systems of San Francisco, Atlanta Singapore, Taipei and Caracas.

Located in a former 1950s Western Union office, chef Mike Lata's FIG is a must-visit classic Charleston restaurant founded on Lowcountry seafood. Lata takes locally sourced and farm-to-table to a whole new level, using local ingredients at their peak and preparing them minimally to capture the flavor of the season. This laid-back bistro’s simple approach is felt in the ambiance, with its unpretentious neighborhood café vibe. If you’re looking for something a little more elevated, you can’t go wrong with Lata's The Ordinary located inside an old bank and specializing in seafood, especially oysters.

Like a classic New York Italian joint with a sassy, hipster edge, Melfi's comes courtesy of the team (Brooks Reitz and Tim Mink) that brought beloved local favorites Leon's Oyster Shop and Little Jack's Tavern to the city. The creative interior design (old school banquettes and white tablecloths with a post-industrial flourish) gives this spot an extra dose of locavore charm. The crowd runs the gamut from date-night to party-hearty post-college friends to well turned-out Boomers enjoying a quiet night with friends. With seafood pasta and standards like Cacio e Pepe, a punchy Caesar with a little heat, stellar thin-crust pizza (house-made red sauce and well-sourced ingredients set these pies apart) and local spins on Italian fare like prosciutto and burrata with South Carolina peaches, Melfi's takes advantage of its prime Charleston location in the city's top-notch food scene to distinguish its menu. A sharp team of servers can speak with authority on everything including an array of Italian-inflected bellinis, spritzes and aperol sips.