Charleston, SC
September 2026
The Layered Homes
Interior styling from Charleston, SC

Layered, livable interiors — collected, not decorated.

The Layered Homes is a Charleston design journal: honest house plan reviews, before-and-after home transformations with disclosed budgets, and room-by-room decor cost guides — paint names, fabric sources, paid-invoice figures and the reasoning behind every decision.

196Articles
85Plans reviewed
75Before & afters
8Southern markets
Fresh from the styling desk

Latest

All articles
Interior · Before & After

Small Bathroom Ideas: One 5×8 Hall Bath, Nine Before-and-After Directions

Nine small bathroom ideas drawn from one 5×8 builder hall bath: Scandinavian spa, modern farmhouse, quiet luxury, marble, coastal, mid-century, jewel box, industrial and French country, each with a before-and-after, a color palette, styling notes and 2026 costs.

Elise Marchetti26 min read

Also this week

  1. 2,394 Sq Ft Tudor House Plan with a Main-Level Primary Suite

    House Plans · July 2, 2026 · 10 min read
Browse the site

Three desks, one standard

All categories
01

Signature Series

Floor plans read for real livability, and the long essays on why home matters.

02

Home Transformations

Before-and-after projects with the invoices attached — interiors, facades, outdoor space.

03

Decor Cost Guides

Room-by-room styling, gardens, celebrations and design solutions, priced from paid invoices.

Floor-plan reviews

House plans, read the way a stylist reads them

Traffic flow, sight-lines, where the sofa really lands, 2026 cost-to-build across Southern markets — and a clearly labeled link if you decide to buy.

All plan reviews
Before & after

Real rooms, disclosed budgets

All transformations
Interior Home Transformations

Mudroom Ideas: One Cluttered Back Hall, Nine Before-and-After Directions

Nine mudroom ideas drawn from one 5-by-9-foot back hall by the garage door: classic white lockers, a modern farmhouse drop zone, navy and brass built-ins, Scandinavian minimal, coastal cottage, rustic cabin, black and white graphic, a full navy storage wall and a colorful family mudroom — with before-and-after photos, palettes, bench and hook heights, and 2026 costs.

September 22, 2026 · 20 min read
Read the project
The Home Files

On the rooms we live in, and what they make of us

All essays
ESSAY 01

The Rooms We Build for Ourselves: How to Read a Home (Including Your Own)

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt a sense of calm, or conversely, a wave of inexplicable anxiety? Your home is far more than just a…

ESSAY 02

The Soul's Blueprint: What Your Home Actually Says About You

Our homes are far more than mere shelters or showcases for the latest trends; they are profound, tangible manifestations of our inner worlds. Every choice we…

ESSAY 03

The Silent Storyteller: Decoding the Subconscious Narratives Woven into Your Home's Fabric

Our homes are far more than mere shelters; they are living, breathing biographies that silently chronicle the story of our lives. From the moment we cross the…

The people behind the pages

Three editors, real rooms, invoices attached

Meet the editors
Johan Martez

Johan Martez

Founder & House Plans Editor

Seven years styling real homes across Charleston, Savannah, Nashville and Atlanta, and the founder of The Layered Homes. Johan reads floor plans the way a stylist reads…

Read Johan’s work →
Elise Marchetti

Elise Marchetti

Transformations Editor

Before-and-after projects with the invoices attached. Elise runs the Transformations desk — interiors, exterior facades and outdoor spaces across the Lowcountry and the…

Read Elise’s work →
Rowan Whitaker

Rowan Whitaker

Styling & Living Editor

Room-by-room decor cost guides, outdoor and garden styling, celebrations, design solutions and the Home Files essays. Rowan writes the pages where the house gets lived…

Read Rowan’s work →
Twice a month
The Layered Letter

One considered layer at a time.

New house plan reviews, before-and-after transformations and room styling notes — no noise, unsubscribe anytime.