The objective of the trip was to pick colors for the shingle siding and for the roof as well as window coloring, plumbing selections and a first run at cabinetry. We did it all and are still married!
Bob Lee, our builder, took us to Kiawah Island, 20 miles south of Charleston, to look at shingle houses to form an opinion on shades and colors. Kiawah has a large number of new shingle homes and is the best place to see a variety of types that are new or which have weathered a few years. We took pictures and obtained the actual color names from the architectural review board (ARB) later. Donna and I narrowed it down to two choices which Bob presented to the Daniel Is
land ARB the next day. It was tough choosing between the two but we settled on Spanish moss which is in the green/brown range and which will hold its color without any of the tanins bleeding through and little fading. (The actual color is a little darker and has more green in it than this sample from their web site) As a trim, we decided on Elephant tusk which is - you guessed it - an ivory color. Windows will be very close to the shingle color and the metal roof will follow suit. At this time we also selected the type and color of brick.Next was plumbing. Bob's wife, Catherine, took us to the plumbing supply depot where
we discovered that toilets come in different sizes, colors, capacities and all sorts of unimportant stuff. All I remember is that we bought five of them. We also purchased sinks for the kitchen, the bar, the FROG (Family room over the Garage) the bathrooms, BBQ area etc. Donna got a little carried away on a sink for the powder room and wanted one worth $2000, but I was able to reel her in. (So as of now guests will have to wash their hands in the toilet) The bathtub we selected is cool and the fixtures are nice. Importantly, we stayed within the budget. 
With 90% of the decisions on plumbing now made, we headed to the kitchens & cabinets people. Donna and I had done some research beforehand and had a pretty good idea of what we wanted but were looking for advice on kitchen lay-out and design ideas. The kitchen designer turns out to be a former chef and he will be preparing the elevations for us in time for our next visit when we will see which of the custom manufacturers will be able to provide us with the right mix of style and features we are looking for. We will also be introducing our designer into the mix at this point so that we can ensure that the colors and decorating schemes hang together with the rest of the house. They will also make recommendations for bathroom cabinetry. Finally we met with Dennis, Bob's point man on our project and Rich who is Wayne's point man to discuss small details such as whether we wanted the hearth elevated or flush with the floor; where to locate the folding stairs to the attic and so on.
But wait, there is more. We were there for three dinners and followed our plan to try a different restaurant every chance we get. The first night was at Tristan's which offers modern american cuisine and is a nice and enjoyable place. The best part was watching the dessert chef prepare her concoctions (I want that job!). Night two was a recommendation from Bob called the Post House at the Old Village in Mount Pleasant (just across the bridge from downtown Charleston) and it turned out to be a quaint Inn with very good food and pleasant ambiance. Finally, we went to 39 Rue de Jean, a French Bistro, loud and busy in a very old building with that decayed look that gives it authenticity. All were good choices.
