Design Lines Communications

Design Lines Field Trip: Columbia, South Carolina


The designers of DLL traded a hot, humid day in North Carolina for a sultry summer day in South Carolina (their State Flower is the Yellow Jessamine at top) . Passing the iconic South of the Border on Interstate 95 we crept closer to the heart of confederate country, Columbia, South Carolina.
We spent the entirety of a day learning about the process of custom cabinetry & millwork, viewing the remarkable furniture at M. Craig & Company, and receiving an extensive history lesson from our new friends, Rosie Craig & Richard Miller.
Judy first made the connection to M. Craig while shopping in Charleston, when the Walnut Collection peaked her interest & she thought the collection too beautiful not to purchase a piece for her own home. My favorite piece is their graceful & conversational Deer Foot chair.


Rich & Rosie chauffeured us around beautiful Columbia as we toured a myriad of locales. In the morning we were treated to see M. Craig’s latest cabinetry installation at a lake house. From there, we went to the South Carolina’s Legislative Building as M. Craig & Co created the new desks and workstations for the South Carolina Senate & House of Representatives.


Molly, Judy, Lauren, Ashley, Stephanie, & I on the steps of the South Carolina State House

We also visited the lovely Dupree building downtown and Ellen Taylor was gracious enough to show us around her interior design studio. The most interesting part of the day was touring M. Craig & Company’s expansive millwork shop. Seeing the multiple processes that each cabinet goes through including the impressive & precise CNC machines. The finished product is truly beautiful.

We topped off our day with lunch at the delightful Southern Palmetto Club. I recommend their cranberry orange bread.

A fitting summary of the trip comes from Rosie in a 2004 article from the South Carolina Business Journal: “I believe, by seeing in practice, the whole world wants a piece of the South,” Rosie said. “They want to be part of that romantic element and that romantic dream. The fact that our products are made here satiates that yearning to have a piece of the South.”

As an Illinois expatriate, I’d second Rosie’s insightful statement. Who wouldn’t want an M. Craig & Company piece in their home? A true piece of the South. Our Columbia tour was another lesson in beautiful workmanship, an opportunity to learn about a new product resource, and a field trip we at Design Lines won’t forget.