“I have a very vivid childhood memory of my dad drawing the plans for our house on paper—the old-school way architects did back then, with a pencil and ruler—before literally building that house,” reflects Gash Clayton, who designed his dream home together with wife Jessica in the Augusta road area. Influenced by his dad’s career as a residential home builder, Clayton initially studied architecture at Clemson before transitioning to law, but stayed active in the arts by painting and learning design software. “I’ve always had a creative side, despite being a lawyer,” he says with a laugh.
When the chance arose to build something unique in their beloved neighborhood, the Clayton family rolled up their sleeves to carve out a five-bedroom, five-bath home inspired by the Lowcountry coast, with a welcoming front porch fireplace and plenty of fun for their three children on the custom pickleball court.
“I’d call the house modern Tudor style, with the curved roofline,” adds Gash, who tapped his friend Thomas Croft of Croft Architecture to help finalize his plans. Additionally, all of the home’s interior decorating was the brainchild of Jessica Clayton, with a little advice from another longtime friend: Julie Nobles Design.
“We really wanted this home to be more functional for our whole family,” says Gash, who intentionally laid out the flow to solve common problems—like not waking up a sleeping partner while you shower or start laundry—and to simplify big gatherings, with a bar and scullery tucked away from the main kitchen. “There’s a reason every space is the size it is; or for the playroom to be downstairs, where the neighborhood kids can play ping-pong and we won’t hear it.”
Alongside Gash’s own stunning paintings of blue herons and a hand-illustrated laundry room mural, the walls of the Clayton home feature a treasure trove of original pieces collected from local artists such as Diane Kilgore Condon, Kent Ambler, and Joseph Bradley. From the family’s deeply personal blueprints to the colorful, sophisticated, and playful end result, artistry shines from every corner and curve of this delightful Augusta road gem.
Augusta Road home tour
Kitchen
“With three kids and a dog, I never wanted to feel like we were constantly protecting the furniture or worried about every spill and scratch. I wanted our home to be beautiful, but also comfortable enough to actually enjoy,” says Jessica Clayton, whose favorite space in the bright kitchen is the curved banquet. The stools from Four Hands add warmth, and light fixtures from Visual Comfort radiate whimsical elegance.
The color scheme of the mural-like wallpaper in the scullery (Thibaut Katsura Mist Wallpaper) became Jessica Clayton’s inspiration for the entire home’s interior design.
Laundry Room
To make the laundry room fun and vibrant, the Claytons started with the cabinet color (BM French Lilac 1403) and then commissioned the talented artist Marian Pouch to paint the walls by hand. “It makes me happy to do laundry [here], which was the goal,” says Jessica.
Den
Relaxed, elegant spaces to gather can be found everywhere, including the den. “We love puzzles and Mahjong, and we knew we had to have a game table. We spend a lot of time [with family] and neighbors there.”
Entryway
“My biggest priority was creating a space that felt warm, inviting, and truly livable,” says Jessica, and guests can feel that sensibility from the moment they step inside the airy, sun-painted foyer. The Agave Large Muti-tier light fixture by Hinkley Lighting adds a touch of awe and drama to the welcoming entrance that can be seen from the street.
Bedroom
An original painting by Diane Kilgore Condon above the bed served as the inspiration for the colors that infuse the peaceful master bedroom with bright pops of joy, complemented by sophisticated, natural textures.
Dining Room
Dream-like and inspired by the hues of the Lowcountry coast, the dining room is a beautiful example of color drenching, further softened by velvet curtains from West Elm. The heron artwork adds a loving personal touch: It was painted by Gash for Jessica for their 5-year anniversary.
Bathroom
“We wanted our bedroom and bathroom to be a retreat that we enjoyed spending time in,” says Jessica, who created a serene tub vignette in the master bathroom, framed by glimmers of warm rose-gold among cool, flowing marble.
