“This is the first super modern thing to be available on that street, and so from a style standpoint I think that’s a big draw,” Owens-Meadows said. “People said, hey, this isn’t a cabin on a lake or anything like that. This looks like something you’d see in California or something you’d see in Florida. So it definitely had a different appeal.”

The house was originally intended as a speculative venture for Stillwater until it was purchased by its newest owners, who commissioned Charlotte Lawler Design Studio to fine-tune the interior. The results are evident in touches like the domed great room ceiling, high-end finishes throughout the kitchen and dining room, a glass-covered wall of wine bottles, and the bar illuminated in colors like pink and blue.

“They had a unique vision for this property and put together a truly beautiful outcome,” Owens-Meadows said.

Supply and demand

The rise in prices has been a sight to behold in Lake Keowee since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which sent cash-rich buyers from more urban areas with relatively higher home values ​​flocking to the Upstate’s open spaces. It was eclipsed by $5 million in 2021 and $6 million a year later. Then came October; 132 Mountain Shore Trail in Keowee Springs closed Oct. 8 for $10 million, marking the largest residential sale in the Upstate, followed by 387 Peninsula Ridge on Oct. 21 for $8 million.

“There isn’t much left around lake property, especially Lake Keowee,” Owens-Meadows said. “And in terms of the framework of The Cliffs or The Reserve, for example, it’s a lot harder to get (properties) in those two communities. So yes, I think there will be more of these homes with modern elements like this. But there are only so many of them, right? So it’s a supply-demand function.”

Owens-Meadows added that buyers do not change as prices increase; There is still interest from traditional Lake Keowee feeder markets such as Texas, California and the East Coast, which produces buyers for 387 Peninsula Ridge. But tastes may change as more buyers look for something modern and contemporary, as opposed to the more rustic-looking lake homes that dominate the area.