Kelly and Seth Palmer’s favorite room in their Chapin home is the bedroom suite. Their designer, Veronica Russell, added architectural features to renovate the space, replacing a classic white interior door with a walnut-stained one under a dramatic archway, making a statement to set the tone of the room.
When Kelly and Seth Palmer moved to Chapin in 2010 with their two children, they prioritized finding the right neighborhood for their growing family. They dreamed of a community near Lake Murray where their children had plenty of friends to play with long into the evening. So, when they discovered the Lakeside at Ballentine neighborhood, they knew they had found the perfect location to settle down. They purchased a beautiful four-bedroom, three-bath house with plenty of room in the backyard for their children and new neighborhood friends.
But something was not quite right. Kelly’s house did not feel like her own. For nine years, Kelly lived and worked day in and day out within walls that were not representative of her own beautiful spirit. Kelly is warm, engaging, and welcoming. She wanted her home to be the same — a place that embraces others and restores them from a distracting and busy world. After almost a decade, Kelly decided it was finally time to make her house a home.
Kelly had a vision for the aesthetic she wanted to create in her house but felt she needed to find someone with a gift for pulling all the elements together. Kelly started asking friends and family for recommendations for a local designer, and a friend encouraged her to contact Veronica Russell. Kelly fell in love with Veronica’s signature style after browsing her website. “It was very timeless and was exactly what I was looking for. I knew it was going to be a really good match.” But the prospect of renovating and redecorating a home they lived in felt daunting to the Palmers. “We just decided to start little by little, room by room,” says Kelly.
Veronica’s primary goal for the Palmer home was to update and personalize each space while picking timeless and classic aesthetics, elements, and textures. “I wanted their space to be current but classic,” says Veronica. In addition to a beautiful and timeless aesthetic, the Palmers needed their space to be functional. The home needed to endure all the wear and tear that comes with having two growing children and a pair of busy golden retrievers.
In 2019, with Veronica’s creativity and expertise, the Palmers began renovations in the kitchen. “The issue from the get-go was that the kitchen was divided with this peninsula,” says Veronica. The counter jutted out from the wall, creating a distinct barrier between the breakfast room and the kitchen — causing both spaces to feel claustrophobic. Veronica’s solution to expanding the space was counterintuitive. She recommended removing the peninsula and installing a long island down the middle of both rooms. Once installed, the island extended and united the kitchen and breakfast area and allowed for more seating and storage. Veronica also extended the backsplash tile and added built-in cabinets that climbed to the ceiling — another surprising strategy to make the space seem more expansive.
Veronica mixed textures and metal finishes to create her signature collected vibe. Brushed brass pendants, antique brass hardware, and stainless steel appliances were intentionally integrated throughout the Palmers’ kitchen. “You can mix metals and create a more collected feel without everything being so matchy-matchy,” says Veronica.
One of Kelly’s favorite corners of the kitchen is home to a giant chest of drawers from the 1800s that Veronica found at Meeting Street Interiors. Veronica believes a room that includes only new elements feels hastily put together. She prefers to design a room to feel like it evolved over time. Veronica loves visiting antique shops and finding pieces that have character, as well as age and history, to include in her clients’ homes. “It gives that very timeless feel,” Kelly says of Veronica’s strategy in mixing old and new elements in each space.
Kelly and Veronica’s next project was the powder room adjacent to the kitchen. Veronica lined the walls with classic dark gray Schumacher wallpaper and installed black marble countertops with a uniquely tall backsplash. “I love doing things off the standard 4-inch backsplash that everyone uses,” says Veronica. “I like to either make it taller or much shorter, and adding the details on the edges just brings so much more character.”
The following year, Kelly and Veronica decided to bring attention to an area of the home that had formerly felt like an afterthought to the Palmers — the screened porch. “I wanted the porch to feel just like another room, like an extension of the house,” says Kelly. Now, a tall mahogany door connects the living room to the outdoor space. The decking was replaced with teakwood and the brick exterior was painted white. Whitewashed tongue-and-groove wood lines the ceiling while iron lantern light fixtures adorn the walls.
Additionally, the chair rail around the porch was removed, and the screen was extended from floor to ceiling — opening a beautiful vista of the Palmers’ lush backyard. Now, the porch is one of Kelly’s favorite places to relax. “It’s just a lovely space to go spend time. It really extends our living space.” Framed pictures and cozy furniture make the outdoor space feel like an extension of the home’s interior.
Kelly’s favorite room is unquestionably the primary suite. “In every home we’ve lived in before, we’ve never given that space the care that we tend to give the rest of the house,” says Kelly. But she and Veronica discussed a plan to turn this overlooked room into a personal haven.
Veronica replaced a classic white interior door with a walnut-stained one under a dramatic archway, making a statement to set the tone of the room. Dark gray drapes extend across the entire headboard wall behind the Palmers’ iron canopy bed. “I wouldn’t have ever thought to do that, which is why I love Veronica’s creativity so much,” Kelly says of the expansive drapes. “It kind of feels hotel-like. It brings warmth and cozies up the whole space, I think.”
Dark wooden beams extend above the bed, recessed in the tray ceiling. Previously, decorative crown molding lined the tray, but Veronica decided to remove the molding and install warm wooden beams as an architectural detail. In some of their earlier projects together, Kelly expressed reservations about some of the dramatic changes but learned to trust Veronica’s instincts over the years. “I love the beams more than I even knew I would,” says Kelly. “It just feels like a kind of a retreat now for us, which I love.”
The primary bathroom was the most challenging renovation Kelly and Veronica faced together. “The bathroom was a little tighter than we thought,” says Veronica, “but we made it work!” Kelly had a long list of priorities for this space. “I wanted a tub, a makeup vanity, and, of course, double sinks for me and my husband,” she says. And it needed to be functional with plenty of storage as well.
Dark mahogany double doors connect the primary suite to the bath, opening to a soaking tub that perches beneath a tall abstract painting. Just around the corner, Veronica miraculously designed a configuration that included all of Kelly’s wishes.
The vanity mirror floats in front of a large window, inviting the best natural lighting. A durable quartzite was chosen for the countertops as it is less likely to etch and stain than actual marble. The backsplash rises behind each sink, representing Veronica’s signature style.
Every year, Kelly’s house feels more like an extension of herself and a reflection of her family. Although renovations are still ongoing, the Palmers now enjoy hosting friends and family in their inviting space. Teenagers pile around the long kitchen island to snack and swap stories while adults relax on the screened porch, watching the Palmers’ golden retrievers play in the backyard.
“It has been such a fun journey,” says Kelly of the five year renovation. “While there have been the expected bumps in the road and the process can be kind of painful at times, it’s just so worth it. The end result is always worth it.” She and Veronica are already envisioning their next project — lining the living room walls with board and batten. Once the downstairs is complete, Kelly will turn her attention to the upstairs bedrooms. “The one room at a time approach has been right for us,” says Kelly. “The process doesn’t have to feel big and daunting and overwhelming.”
Five years later, the Palmers’ home isn’t the only thing that has evolved and transformed into something beautiful. So has Kelly and Veronica’s friendship. “It’s so fun to work together when you have great chemistry,” says Veronica. “We’ve shared parenting stories and have a similar sense of humor. It’s been fun to work together.”
“And we’re not done yet,” says Kelly. “We’re still on a journey.”
