The Wingfield Home
When June and Jackson Wingfield found the perfect ranch-style home on Lookout Mountain, it was almost too good to be true. The house had plenty of space, boasted views that were second to none, and was located close to their family. The home was even convenient to their church, and the Wingfields could walk with their family to services as one big group.
By Christina Cannon / Photography by Creative Revolver
After another individual swooped in and purchased the property, the Wingfields went back to the drawing board. But as fate would have it, after a year of the homeowner never moving in, the property was once again listed on the market – and this time it was the Wingfields who were the first to the table.
“We had been in our old house for 40 years, and we really weren’t looking to leave. We felt we had genuinely found our forever home, but we were starting to run out of room,” explains June, who, with Jackson, has four children and 19 grandchildren.
After a 15-month-long renovation led by Stuart Bickley of Rain Dance Property Solutions, the Wingfields had finally moved into their dream home – one that is special not because of the finishes or the views, but because it allows them to spend time with their family of 29 and foster those relationships.
After entering the Wingfield home, guests get an immediate sense of the deep-seated family history that runs throughout the house. The foyer quickly gives way to a formal sitting area that was intentionally designed to seat all of the adults while the kids play in other areas of the home.
Two cream-colored sofas mirror one another, and an oval wooden coffee table rests in between. The seating arrangement is rounded out with a pair of blue barrel chairs to one end and two patterned armchairs on the other, which swivel around for prime mountaintop views.
A gallery wall commands the room and pays homage to generations that have come and gone. Everything from portraits and baptism papers to wedding gowns and the Wingfield crest dot the wall and date back to the late 1800s.
“My grandparents were immigrants from right outside of Istanbul, and I’ve got some of their Greek Bibles from the old country. Jackson’s grandparents were German, so we’ve got some German Bibles as well,” explains June. “We have a lot of old artifacts and pieces, and it’s important for our grandkids to see that. It’s important for them to know of the sacrifices that our families made decades ago.”
Open to the family’s formal sitting room is the formal dining room. The goal here was to seat as many people as possible in one place, and while the table can’t quite seat 29, it still pulls its weight with 16 place settings.
“Spending meals together is very important to us, and we try to eat together as often as time will allow,” says June. “Before the pandemic, we would get together at least once a week. We’re always doing a Sunday dinner or a brunch, or have a birthday or some milestone to celebrate.”
History hasn’t been forgotten in this room, and two china hutches that have been passed down from Jackson’s grandparents sit in the back two corners of the room.
A large casing at one end of the dining room provides easy access to the kitchen and another dining space, which can seat eight. The table for eight, once belonging to Jackson’s parents, serves as home base when a smaller core group comes over for mealtime.
The eat-in dining space is open to the kitchen, which seats another nine at its oversized island. This room trades the home’s traditional style for one much more contemporary with bright colors and clean lines. For June, the kitchen’s double ovens were a must, and the entire space prioritizes functionality over all else. Elements such as a galley sink workstation, stand mixer lift shelf, and pop-up outlets allow her to have more time to focus on conversation, not cleanup.
“Having a functional kitchen is important,” says June. “We have so many grandkids that we basically work in shifts. Occasionally, by the time the last group has had breakfast, the first group is ready for lunch, so we needed something that would work for us.”
The white shaker-style cabinetry spills from one wall onto another. This design allows the children to get what they need from the refrigerator and use the adjacent drink station without getting in the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.
June and Jackson Wingfield with their 19 grandchildren (Photo by Beth Wingfield Photography)
Back on the other side of the main level near the home’s entry is the master suite. Pale blues, creams, and grays work together to create a soothing and tranquil atmosphere. This room is where June and Jackson set their intention for the day, often by delighting in conversation and early-morning reading as the sun rises over the valley.
“It’s majestic in here in the mornings,” says June. “This view might be the best in the house, and we’ll have a cup of coffee and just visit.”
Family heirlooms and childhood relics can be found throughout this room as well, which doubles down on its spa-like aesthetic with the en suite. Heated, marble hexagon tile provides subtle visual interest, while oversized cabinet towers run from the polished marble countertops to the ceiling and work to keep clutter out of sight.
Traveling back down the main thoroughfare, guests can access a staircase across from the kitchen that leads to the lower level of the split-level home. A stately stacked-stone fireplace runs from the floor to the ceiling and features a large painting of the Wingfields’ three boys.
A blue quilted sectional seats eight, and other miscellaneous chairs dot the room. “The older kids mostly use this room,” explains June. “When we have everyone over, the adults will be visiting in the sitting room, while the teenagers are in this room playing video games and the younger kids are playing in another room. It’s almost like we have stations.”
Walking even further into the house takes visitors past another play area – one outfitted with a pool table, arcade games, and even more entertainment – and into the wrapping room.
“When you’ve got this big of a family, there’s always a birthday or a graduation or a holiday coming up. I like to have a good presentation when I give gifts, and I’m in the wrapping room at least once a week getting something ready,” says June. “It’s been very convenient to not have to drag all of my wrapping paper and ribbon out of a closet or the attic.”
Adjacent to June’s wrapping room is a bunk room where the younger kids can spend the night in a space all their own. Polka-dotted pillows and sheets cover the room, which has enough sleeping space for at least six children. “The younger kids love this room,” says June. “It’s a fun place for them to be, and it’s like a little hideaway for them.”
Regardless of where you are in the Wingfield home, one thing is for certain – family is not far away.
“I wanted the kids to see that there are generations that had struggles and that it’s not all easy and wonderful all the time,” says June. “Our grandparents came over from an old country. They got here, and it was tough, but you can persevere. If you work hard and be intentional, good things will come.”
And indeed they have. The storied past of the Wingfield family has led to a life rich with family connection, and if these walls could talk, there’s no doubt they would have a lot to say. CS
