Annual Southern Woman Issue
Top Photo by Jimie Luangrath/Creative Revolver
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home, especially if there’s a special spot where you can unwind, celebrate, and connect. Here, five local women share their favorite spaces in their homes and what makes those spaces sing.
Photo by Jimie Luangrath/Creative Revolver
“The gentle breeze ruffles my hair, the cushions shift as my friends get more comfortable, and laughs echo between the trees. This is my happy place: the back porch.
Custom-designed and filled with personal touches, like iron woodland creatures and candles from my best friend’s shop, the porch reminds me of my favorite dinner spot. The area breathes comfort, familiarity, and style. It is a meeting place where the outside world recedes into the background – with a glass of Brunello and a cashmere Restoration Hardware throw, the day’s worries are forgotten.
This feeling can be possible anywhere if you create the right setup. A subtle flow is necessary – for example, the dining table goes together seamlessly with the open-layout living area consisting of a plush sofa and swivel chairs. Whether you’re manning the outdoor kitchen or stoking the hearth’s flames, you’re included in the conversation. And oh, what conversations we have.
My back porch is my favorite place. It’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s me. It holds uncountable memories of days spent relaxing and nights spent talking late with friends, memories that seem to float on the breeze and cause anyone to smile once they step foot out the French doors.”
Wendy Beaty
Photo by Daniel Neuhoff/Creative Revolver
“We love our screen porch. The view of the pond and the peaceful sound of the fountain and nature is the perfect way for us to unwind at the end of a busy day!
Grabbing a glass of wine, sitting outside, and recapping our day has become a welcoming habit. Whether it is sitting out and watching fall football, reading a great book, or visiting with friends, it is the place we love to be. Naps are frequently taken in the peaceful serenity. The all-white background gave us the perfect palette for our art and plants to shine as décor.”
Jamie Rehm
Photo by Jimie Luangrath/Creative Revolver
“The kitchen reflects the heart of our home on Chickamauga Lake. This is my favorite room where family and friends gather in a space that overlooks the lake and outdoors. Some of my favorite memories are when the family gathers for Sunday dinners or holiday celebrations when we make cookies or gingerbread houses.
Three children and their spouses along with seven grandchildren fill the home with activities, laughter, and of course delightful meals. I enjoy cooking and my kitchen allows me to be in the middle of the action while preparing our favorite selections to eat. The open layout and flow from indoors to outdoors makes this space the gathering place. The grandchildren can move about from the pool, lake, or VersaCourt while having the kitchen accessible for snacks or refreshments. The refrigerator and pantry are always full!”
Yvette Morgan
Photo by Bekah Berry/Creative Revolver
“The room in my house where all the family can gather is my favorite room, the family room. Whether I’m enjoying it by myself curled up with a good book or listening to the laughter of my grandchildren, it’s become a central part of our home.
Once our three children got married, the grandchildren followed quickly, and we now have nine grandchildren making a family of 17. In 2014, we decided to expand our relatively small family room. We took three quarters of the garage for the expansion. The space is now spacious with two sofas and comfortable lounge chairs. We have a music corner for our stereo and my husband’s guitar collection; he plays every day. The shelves have books for us and our grandchildren. In the closet, we have dress up clothes and an art easel, and the base cabinets are filled with magna tiles, play dough, paint and paper, and craft supplies to keep the grandchildren busy. We didn’t want a television in this space, but rather conversation or reading. It can be a rambunctious space with the whole family and that’s just how we like it.”
Kim Campbell
Photo by Bekah Berry/Creative Revolver
“When we bought our Old Towne home on Signal Mountain 27 years ago, a big decorating challenge was the dining room, which sits squarely in the center of the house. As basically a large pass-through space, I wanted to make it vibrant and chose a large floral wallpaper to tie the décor together.
Over the years I have stripped wallpaper in bathrooms and repainted every single room in the house, many of them several times over! Most of the furnishings are antiques that came from my parents’ house in Fort Lauderdale, and I copied the chandelier from my sister’s house in Raleigh. We created the nook in the bay window as a cozy place to curl up with friends and family. The afternoon sunlight pours through the windows and it feels like a beautiful, serene garden. Although the wallpaper no longer ties anything together, the dining room has been the one constant in our ever-evolving home.”
Mary Lauren Baird
