What services do you provide?

Antiques, Interior Architecture and Design

How would you describe your style?

"Eclectic, architecturally focused and richly layered."

Please describe a recently completed project or tell us about the bespoke service that you offer

"The I’On Club is a fun, vibrant, family-oriented swimming and tennis club located at I’On in Mount Pleasant, a renowned New Urban community famous for its narrow pedestrian-friendly streets, independent shops, offices and restaurants, churches, community dock and lake, wildlife preserve and thoughtfully planned, well-built traditional architecture. 

Within this context, Studio Killian-Dawson has, for nearly two years, been working closely with the owners and overall design team on developing a Masterplan, including new branding, for updating the existing facilities and fabric of the club and planning exciting new ways to utilize the fantastic grounds. This includes planning new walkways and rookery, plantings, walls and groundworks; new eating and relaxing areas for members and outside guests of all ages, cabanas and several new ancillary buildings. This project is energetically and thoughtfully led by its visionary owners, Vince Graham, founder of I’On, and Chad Besenfelder, longtime Project Manager at I’On, owner of the highly-rated wine bar The Shelmore and founder of a jazz club in downtown Charleston.

Based on the principle that good quality and classic style last, and lowcountry hospitality always inspires, we are creating a crisp, casual palette of colours reminiscent of the sea and sand, which encompass the spirit of fun and excellence the club embraces.  We are aiming to create a feeling of permanence and casual elegance, a backdrop for long tennis matches followed by even longer poolside drinks and lobster suppers.  We are looking to the glory days of 1920s club life where tennis was elegant and drinks were perfectly chilled; where the staff knew your name and greeted you with a genuine smile.  Where you can swim under clear blue skies, hear tennis balls thwack in the distance, shower with thick fluffy towels, have a massage to ease the day’s tension, and then put your feet up in the chicest cabana, chatting with friends while the sun sets and you find the day has melted into that most magical, ephemeral thing, contentment.

Plans to completely refresh the members-only outdoor bar, now called The Lido, have been completed and we are in the process of completely renovating the interiors of the original clubhouse."