Vivacious Victorian Beauty

A Detailed Display

Upon approaching the home, visitors can immediately get a sense of the ornate craftsmanship that went into creating this period masterpiece. A quaint brick porch features detailed brackets and spindles that can also be found among the steeply pitched roofline and its numerous gables. Horizontal wooden planks are broken up with a bay window on both the first and second stories. Picture-framed details can be found just below the windows, and the home’s most prominent gable dons scalloped shingles, adding even more visual interest. 

To learn more about Southern Traditions Builders, LLC, contact  southerntraditionbuilders@gmail.com or 423.718.2829. 

“The homeowner was very involved, and she knew exactly what she was looking for. She did a lot of our research for us, and we just really had to focus on building the home to her idea.” – Jeff Leatherwood, Southern Traditions Builders, LLC

Making their way indoors and traversing to the opposite side of the home, visitors arrive in the dining room. An oriental rug floods the room with warm colors, some of which are repeated in a red three-drawer console table and artwork hanging above. “Another great and somewhat unique aspect of this build was the attention to detail from the very beginning,” says Leatherwood. “We already knew a lot of minute details, such as the placement of a picture, when it came to important artwork.” This room, which is grounded through such art pieces, features a wooden table placed front and center. Surrounded by a wooden bench and three mismatched slat-back chairs, this table – and the remainder of the room – effortlessly mix colors, patterns, materials, and styles for a refreshed aesthetic. 

Interior doors and trim: Interior Trim & Supply, Inc.

Open to the dining room is the home’s living room, which trades reds and pinks for yellows and oranges. Four armchairs, two of which sport energetic tiger print, are rounded out with a leather sofa atop a large striped area rug. “This was a pretty straightforward build. The main challenge was capturing the specificity in the details the homeowner wanted,” says Leatherwood. “We received a picture of the mantel and had to slow down and make sure that was exactly how it was imagined to be. We had to do that with a lot of aspects of this project – work at a slower pace and make sure we had the details and that they were high-quality details.” A picture-frame television and elegant crown molding up the opulence of this space and build on the fireplace for a cozy and refined feel. 

The adjacent space is a functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen. Blue Roma quartzite countertops run along the perimeter, and an island that looks more like wood than a stone slab is an eye-catching detail. “The homeowner has a keen eye for design, so we were more of a support team to listen, follow the details, and create finishes in order to deliver her dream kitchen,” says Levi Clemons of Scarlett’s Cabinetry. “We made sure we established proper work triangles, but we also had to understand the vision of each cabinet piece and its details through drawings. The cabinetry-style refrigerator and freezer piece truly challenged me, but it turned out perfectly. The room also utilizes three different finishes of cabinetry, and it was fun watching those and the homeowner’s vision come to life.”

Cabinetry: Scarlett’s Cabinetry

Cabinetry design: Jackie Howard
and Levi Clemons, Scarlett’s Cabinetry

Countertops and tile: Stone Source, Inc.

Heading back toward the foyer and up a staircase embellished with wainscoting takes guests to the top floor of the home, where the master suite is tucked away in its own tranquil corner. Pops of warmth can be found in accents, as well as in the maple hardwood floors, while two gray matching pedestal nightstands and millwork offer up a soothing feel. A soft-open pocket door provides access to the spacious en-suite, which balances a relaxing softness with an industrial component. Quartzite countertops cloak the vanities, and a show-stopping shower is the heart and soul of this room. Two walls covered in concrete-appearing tile and a bench are juxtaposed against glass, and the entire ensemble is outfitted with bronze hardware. Edison bulb-style pendant lights carry the industrial feel throughout the room, which comes together in an eclectic and stunning approach.

Pops of warmth can be found in accents, as well as in the maple hardwood floors, while two gray matching pedestal nightstands and millwork offer up a soothing feel. 

Another favorite feature of the home can be found on the back porch. Here, the same attention to detail and craftsmanship in millwork is obvious, and a concrete bar top sits just below a workable transom window that provides easy access to the kitchen. “This home is full of unique elements that make it feel like a true Victorian home. Long before there was air conditioning, people would utilize operable transom windows to get airflow from one room to another,” explains Leatherwood. “It’s little things like that that make this home extra special, and any time someone asks me if this home is a complete remodel, that’s the biggest compliment there is.”

Other Suppliers:

Appliances: Ferguson 

Brick: Acme Block & Brick, Inc. 

Brick mason: Tim Green Masonry

Concrete bar counter and hearth: Set in Stone 

Custom painting: Keith Maynard, Maynard Painting

Decorative lighting and plumbing fixtures: Wholesale Supply Group                   

Fireplace: Chris Napier

Fireplace mantel and trim carpentry: Jim Locke

Flooring: Chattanooga Hardwood Center, Inc. 

Flooring installation: Five Star Hardwood

Irrigation system: Southern Rain Irrigation Systems

Landscape design: Craig Design Group, Inc.

Landscape installation: Stacy Cox

Shrubs and trees: Black Fox Farms

Tile installation: Dakota Tile & Decorating, Inc. 

Windows: Evans Lumber Company