Pared to Perfection

With her most cherished antiques in tow, Charleston designer Amelia Handegan trades the trappings of a big historic house for a fresh start in a new jewel box of a space.

- Ingrid Abramovitch

WHEN ONE OF CHARLESTON’S remarkable trove of historic houses is up for renovation, Amelia Handegan invariably gets a call. The South Carolina native is the city’s go-to decorator for period homes, combining a sensitive approach to restoration with a fresh and sophisticated design eye. “I try to find a balance between respecting the past and creating an environment that works for today,” says Handegan, whose book, Amelia Handegan: Rooms (Rizzoli), comes out this fall.