Bringing Bermuda To John’s Island

When Bob Lyles saw the house set back from a quiet, oak-shaded street in John’s Island his first thought was what a beautiful setting. With long views of the waterway, golf course and adjacent tree-filled area the property was perfect. The problem was that the house, built decades ago, didn’t take full advantage of the beauty Mother Nature had bestowed.

Realizing the home’s renovation potential, Lyles, president of RCL Development, called on architect Peter Moor and interior designer Lisa DeFrances, ASID, to lend their expertise as he set about transforming the dated house into the stunning residence it is today.

“The original residence was Georgian in design,” he says. “It had good bones and we wanted to respect the original elements. I chose to work with Peter because of his creativity; he can go beyond what you envision and take it a notch up. My assignment to him was to go with a Bermuda look.”

Moor smiles when he hears comments like that. “The magic of architecture really boils down to taking practical things like brick, mortar and block and turning them into feelings,” he says. “The beauty and uniqueness of the site were the views and the maturity of the landscaping. All of the oaks had been there for years and you could feel a sense of calmness, of peace. The question was how could we translate that into a house?”

Read the entire article in the February 2011 issue