Marrcrest, probably the most well-known estate home on Signal Mountain, was built in 1927 and claims a district listing on the National Register of Historic Places. With more than 6,000 square feet, this Italian Renaissance style home was built almost entirely of Tennessee marble, stone, cement and plaster. For 80 years it has had only four owners, the first being Walter Marr, an engineer and innovator of the original Buick motor car in the early 1900s. Now, this historic house is hearth and home to the Rehm family – Jason, Jamie, Austin and Charlie.
Originally from Texas, the Rehms first came to Chattanooga in 2003. After Jason completed a plastic surgery residency and hand surgery fellowship and joined the Plastic Surgery Group, the family settled in to the rhythms of life on the mountain.
“We fell in love with the area and felt at home on Signal Mountain with the friendly people, cooler weather and quiet neighborhoods,” Jason says. “Now we enjoy a number of holiday traditions including an annual Christmas party and the mischief of the Signal Mountain elves.”
Jamie is a stay-at-home mom, busy with volunteering at school, kids’ sports activities, and a home-based business that prepares fresh flower arrangements. She is a member of the Signal Mountain Garden Club and works with the Thrasher Elementary Junior Garden Club.
During the Christmas holidays, Jamie’s floral talents are evident throughout the house as she and Jason do all of their own decorating with the help of Joe Jumper. While Jason is wrapping the trees with sparkling lights and stringing bulbs from gutter to post, Jamie is arranging fresh garland and flowers around glass vases filled with silk and bejeweled ornaments.
Fourteen-year old Austin declares – to the surprise of his mother – that one of his favorite things at Christmas is the snowman his mom builds out of winter white flowers showcased on the table in the main hall. Younger brother Charlie, nine years old, looks forward to the family tradition that rewards an extra present to the one who first finds the unique pickle ornament on the Christmas tree.
“Our holiday decorating starts with the tree in the living room and flows out from there,” Jamie explains. “I use Christopher Radko blown glass ornaments that have been given to me by our children, family and friends. Each one was chosen for its special significance, like the Texas boot ornament in honor of our Southwestern roots.”
Living in Grandeur
Passing through triple entrance archways supported by Corinthian-style columns and through the front door into the eight-foot wide main hall, gorgeous marble baseboards are eye-catching.
“The terrazzo floors were one of the biggest ‘wow factors’ for us because they had not been refinished since originally laid in 1927,” Jamie says. “Even the brass inlays were polished and now look like new. It was an amazing transformation.”
Fourteen-foot ceilings are trimmed in crown molding and flanked by Ionic-style columns. Each room has the original, very unique Italian crown molding, all custom made to perfectly fit the dimensions of that room.
The surrounding marble and stone are softened by flickering holiday candles warming the terracotta and white-gold striped walls, while aromatic greenery is nestled among Jamie’s elegant collection of silvered mercury glass.
A few steps down to the living room reveals antique hanging light fixtures with matching wall sconces and steel casement windows, offering a colorful reflection of the giant Christmas tree during the holidays. The hand-carved marble fireplace is adorned with traditional pine boughs and modern art snowmen. Antique tables and cabinets are positioned among a comfortable assortment of fabric and leather furniture with a baby grand piano in the corner.
“This is the Harley Davidson player piano,” Jason jokes. “I traded my motorcycle in on this, which has been the centerpiece for some robust Christmas sing-alongs.”
In the living room are antique curtain panels that were purchased by Will Hendricks, a noted interior designer with a long history at Marrcrest. The panels were hand woven in China, embroidered with a “Tree of Life” pattern.
“They spoke to me of age and soul, with their distinctive designs,” she recalls. “After we bought this house Will showed us photographs in a book showing these panels on the windows of this house and we restored them to their original place.”
Something Old, Something New
Jamie and Jason have preserved many of the historical features of the house with the help of their architectural designer, while making their museum-quality house into a family home. “We live in every room of the house, and some of the rooms have been changed to serve our family’s lifestyle,” Jamie explains.
The Rehms softened the interior décor with splashes of contemporary style and color while maximizing the available space. The sunroom, which was formerly the dining room, has a wall of windows and is the sunniest room in the house. Mirrored walls add unexpected depth and extend the sunny atmosphere. A painted ceiling mural represents an abstract design inspired by autumn leaves gathered from their own backyard.
Across the hall is the dining room that was originally a sitting room where the Marr family gathered to listen to the radio in the days before television. Built-in bookshelves now function as china and display cabinets. A round polished wood dining table seats 10 in gold and vanilla fabric-covered antique chairs and crystal jewel wall sconces provide intimate lighting.
In the breakfast nook, the removal of part of one wall provides an open atmosphere to the kitchen over a stainless steel counter, with additional storage space provided by old-fashioned glass fronted built-in cabinets.
“This area is an example of the smallest changes that made the biggest difference,” Jason recalls. “The opening between these two rooms, moving the large refrigerator-freezer to the back porch and adding kitchen cork floors, gave this area a whole new look.”
Across from the kitchen is the “morning room,” now a “project room” complete with bulletin board, aquarium and bookshelves. In the center of the room is an island table ideal for arts, crafts and science projects.
Private Family Spaces
Upstairs, the footprint matches the downstairs as the walls for the home are solid brick and concrete and run from basement to attic. An extra wide hall leads to four bedrooms, each with their own antique bathroom.
The master bedroom is a successful blending of old and new with eclectic fabrics and antique furniture. The walk-through master closet features a four-poster island dresser with canopy lighting. Wall-to-wall glass-fronted shelves with space for clothes and accessories make functional use of the master walk-through closet. With room for hanging racks, cedar closets are tucked into alcoves. The closet room leads to the final room on the second floor, the workout room with its own bathroom.
On the third floor is a room for the boys to have their own parties with a wide-screen television, ping pong table, bean bag chairs, sports memorabilia,and extra beds for friends. With cement floors on all three levels, the noise between floors is minimal.
Home for the Holidays
“We searched for our ‘Forever Home’ that had a warm and comfortable atmosphere for family and friends, which is especially important for the holidays” Jamie says. “We looked for a house with character and soul. It was important to have a few acres of land, but also with a neighborhood for our boys, and this combination was not easy to find.”
Now they have blended a rich past with a warm present and a hopeful future, and they are truly home for the holidays.