Huiet Paul was returning to Presbyterian College in Clinton when he decided to drop in at a Furman University freshman mixer. He was immediately captivated by a beautiful young woman standing in the middle of the dance floor dressed in white, Miss Helen Miller of Greenwood. Several years passed before Huiet and Helen met again, and Helen, Miss South Carolina-Camden 1937, didn’t remember their initial meeting. But Huiet’s charm and persistence obviously paid off as the Pauls recently celebrated their sixty-first year of marriage.

The proud parents of five children and seventeen grandchildren, the Pauls  were living on Sullivan’s Island in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo struck. “The last nail hadn’t even been pounded on the major remodeling project we were doing when Hugo came through and we lost everything,” Huiet says. Determined to rebuild, the Pauls enlisted help from their son, George. Taking his cue from shells found along the nearby beach, George sold his parents on the idea of a concrete monolithic dome in place of their previous traditional home. “I like to say the idea transpired after lots of coffee and late night drives,” George laughs.  Construction started in 1991 and took a year and a half to complete. “We originally designed a round house but eventually because of the lot and the view we increased the linear footage and ended up with more of an elliptical shape,” says George. The Paul home is called Eye of the Storm and was designed to be indigenous to the seashore by reflecting the curve of the beach, the dunes, and the seashells.

Eighty feet wide and fifty seven and one half feet in length, the Paul home has three separate interior levels and a total of 3800 “round” feet. The three levels weigh in at 250 tons and hang from the dome’s main shell, basically holding the roof in place. The lack of a “traditional” roof, with no gutters, eaves, or overhangs lessens yearly maintenance. Because of design and construction materials Eye of the Storm is very energy efficient and interior temperatures are easily maintained with minimum cost. Ground heat is drawn up into the shell through the concrete slab and helps to keep the home at a comfortable temperature; while continuous ocean breezes flow through the seaside wall of windows.

Above left: Bedroom furniture handcrafted by the Paul’s grandson, Ryan Kursac, was built proportionally for each unique guestroom. Above right: Keeping with “Eye of the Storm’s round shape, the kitchen’s center island and back of the bar stool are gently curved.

The Paul’s grandson, Ryan Krusac, owner of Ryan Krusac Studios, handcrafted furniture in two of the guestrooms. “While my grandparent’s home is very contemporary, we have a tradition of passing down family heirlooms so I took a long-term approach in my designs. I wanted a balance of modern and traditional,” Ryan says.

Mrs. Paul’s love of music is showcased in the piano nestled under the curved staircase leading to the third level.

An interior free-floating stairway leads to the third level and duplicates the exterior staircase. Helen and Huiet’s primary living quarters, complete with full kitchen and den are located on this level; affording them absolute privacy during family get-togethers. Branching off and surrounding the master bedroom is a separate double vanity area. A deep soaker tub is surrounded by windows and provides a spectacular view of the Atlantic. “Baths are my passion, and from here I have one of the best views of the ocean,” Helen says. Hidden in one of the rounded walls in an oversized shower room with tile benches. No shower door or curtain is required due to the location and design.

Accessed from the kitchen/den area is yet another curving flight of steps leading to the fourth and final level. Now decorated as a guestroom, at one time it was Huiet’s office. “My oval office,” Huiet laughs. A large skylight is positioned directly over this fourth level. When the house was originally constructed the skylight could be raised and lowered for ventilation, but is now sealed glass. ‘During a storm with 93 mile per hour winds, the original skylight got sucked out,” Huiet says.

While Eye of the Storm was conceived due to a horrific natural disaster, it has over the years become a source of harmony, tranquility, and peace of mind for Helen and Huiet. Not to mention they always have a sure-fire conversation starter.