For the avid golfer, there is no better place to call home than a golf course. The opportunity to combine the convenience of city living with the recreational benefits of living on a golf course is precisely what drew native Chattanoogans Alan and Rhonda Arnold and their 15-year-old son John to Council Fire.
Located off of East Brainerd Road, Council Fire was built around Council Fire Golf Club, an 18 hole, par 72 course that offers beautifully manicured grounds and impressive views of east Tennessee mountains. It is a golf lover’s paradise and the Arnolds like it so much that they have owned two homes in the neighborhood. Rhonda Arnold notes, “This is our second house in Council Fire. We’ve lived here for four years. We lived in the other house for six years and then moved away briefly to build this house.”
Building the second home in Council Fire proved to be, quite literally, a life-changing experience for the Arnolds. Alan explains, “I was not a contractor when we built this house. The process of building and designing the house is what led me to pursue being a contractor professionally.” The experience of creating the home of their dreams inspired the Arnolds to completely rethink their career ambitions. Alan and Rhonda started their own company, Arnold Homes and Design, LLC, a successful residential building company. Rhonda, a CPA by trade who has an exceptional eye for design, does all of the accounting and the interior design, while Alan manages the construction projects.
With the help of home designer Paul Holdridge, Alan and Rhonda created the ideal abode. Reflecting on their experience in designing the home, Rhonda shares, “We started with our wish list and refined the design through several plan iterations. It was like piecing together a puzzle and through this process we came up with this design.” Paying attention to the details at the design stage really paid off in the final product. The Arnolds were extremely pleased with Holdridge’s work and continue to work with him regularly.
Choosing the location for their current home was not a very difficult task. By the time they were ready to buy, there were only a few golf course lots available and they liked the fact that the lot they settled on was on the second hole of the golf course and perfectly located for outdoor living and entertainment. Rhonda explains, “The outdoor living area had to be protected from the evening sun. Our first Council Fire house had a back porch that was not covered and we got the evening sun. It basically rendered the patio useless during the summer months.” The Arnolds avoided this by choosing the lot in which the rear of the house would not face the setting sun. They also made sure to create a covered patio area on the back of the house, complete with climate control in the form of several ceiling fans and an outdoor fireplace.
The attention to detail and comfort on the back patio area has paid off. The Arnolds spend a great deal of time enjoying the view of the golf course and relaxing outdoors on their patio. Alan mentions, “Most of the time when the weather is nice, we’ll have dinner inside and go outside and relax in the evenings.” This relaxation time includes the family’s beloved West Highland Terrier, Chloe, and sometimes a glass(es) of wine and some soothing music. The patio offers many comfortable seating options, and it is easy to see why this area is one of the family’s favorites.
The inside of the home is equally inviting and Rhonda’s interior decorating talents are evident in every room. Describing the theme that she envisioned for their home, Rhonda says, “We wanted it to be casual and comfortable with a French country feel.” The front door opens up to a foyer and a large open living area that includes a formal dining room, living room, wine bar, kitchen, and casual eating area. An open floor plan was very important to the Arnolds, as was the lack of a formal living room. Rhonda explains, “It was very important to us to have an open floor plan and no formal living room. For us the formal living room was a waste of space. We would only use it for opening presents on Christmas morning. We chose instead to make the living area large and make it open and flowing.” The result is a very large welcoming room that fits well with Rhonda’s theme of casual comfort.
With the openness of the floor plan, the Arnold’s desire to distinguish each room from the next presented a bit of a challenge. With some creative thinking and a little help from home designer Paul Holdridge, the Arnolds came up with some innovative ideas to maintain the openness of the home but still separate the rooms. One area that they focused on to create a unique and separate feel for each room was the ceiling. The first level of the Arnolds’ home features 12-foot ceilings, and the differences in the design and craftsmanship of each ceiling for each room is eye-catching. The living room, for example, features coffered ceilings. The ceiling in the casual eating area features a round, double tray design flanked by a beautiful wrought iron chandelier. The ceiling in the dining room is ornate and different from the other rooms. Color and texture is also used to differentiate the ceilings. The end result is a subtle but extremely effective way to differentiate the rooms while still maintaining the openness of the floor plan.
The most obvious design features of the living room are the huge windows. They provide an incredible view of the golf course and the back patio. The living room is very comfortable with warm colors, ample seating, a television, and fireplace. A beautifully designed wine bar faces the living room. The bar gets quite a bit of use, especially when the Arnolds entertain. The attention to detail in this small area is undeniable. There is a hammered copper sink and, above it, crushed glass tiles that provide a beautiful accent to the wine bar.
Just past the wine bar is the breakfast area which features perhaps the most spectacular view in the home. The vast windows fill the room with light and there are no shades or window treatments to obstruct the view. This is by choice, Rhonda explains, “We really enjoy the openness and light in this room.” The walls are textured with Venetian plaster and a glaze which adds a subtle depth to the room.
The kitchen adjoins the breakfast area and is one of the Arnolds’ favorite rooms. It is every cook’s dream and includes all of the conveniences of a modern kitchen but many are cleverly disguised. The refrigerator, for example, features double doors that match the kitchen cabinets. Rhonda’s ideas for the kitchen design were beautifully implemented by Classic Cabinetry. The kitchen cabinets are elegant and tastefully designed to accentuate the warm, French country feel of the home. A center island with a warming drawer and beautiful warm, walnut wood top rests comfortably within the kitchen.
Space in the kitchen was important to the Arnolds. Alan notes, “When we entertain, everyone tends to congregate in the kitchen so we wanted to make sure we had enough room to move around in here.” They accomplished this by leaving ample space between the kitchen island and the cabinets and sink. The result is a large, highly functional kitchen that is perfect for entertaining.
The floors throughout the main level of the Arnold home are a rich warm color. Rhonda notes, “The floors are Brazilian Cherry. There is no stain on them. As they age, they darken instead of lighten.” The darkening of the floors in the home is a unique feature that had an impact in the dining room that the Arnolds did not expect. Alan explains, “One of the ways we tried to help delineate the dining room was not only with the ceiling but we also did a walnut inlay in the floors. When the wood first went down, there was a great deal of contrast but one lightened with age and the other one darkened so the contrast is not quite so dramatic now.” The use of different woods is another design feature that gives a certain character to each room.
Just past the front door of the home is the study. This is one of the few walled rooms on the main level. The study includes a sitting area as well as large built-in cabinets with a television. Unlike the long row of huge windows at the back of the house, the sizable window in the study is shaded to block a bright afternoon sun. The ceiling of the study is tongue and groove pine. The room is often enjoyed by Alan and John. He says, “We come here when Rhonda wants to watch something in the living room or if there is a football game on. I can catch the game in here while she watches her show.”
The master bedroom is also on the first floor. From their bedroom and an outdoor access to the back patio the Arnolds enjoy a fantastic view of the golf course. The bedroom features a small coffee bar with a sink, as well as a sitting area. One of the chairs in the sitting area has a tell tale imprint that lets guests know that Chloe has claimed that chair for her naps.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the house is the master bathroom. It is the type of bath that dreams are made of. The centerpiece of the bathroom is a huge tub, the base of which is constructed of the same travertine with a chiseled edge as the floor. On either side of the tub are his and her vanities and storage cabinets, also designed by Classic Cabinetry, that offer ample storage space. Inside one of these cabinets is a television that is in perfect sight if you have your head rested on one end of the bathtub. The attention to special detail is reflected in the master bath with a barrel vaulted ceiling that runs the length of the room. The far side of the bathtub is against a freestanding wall. The wall is one side of a walk through shower. The shower can be entered from either side of the room. The Arnolds claim that this is the room that visitors are most impressed with. It’s the kind of room you have to see to believe.
Following a new career together, Alan and Rhonda Arnold have created a home that is spacious and open. Its French country feel makes friends and guests feel comfortable and welcome. The beauty of the interior design and overall craftsmanship is stunning and spectacular to observe. With their son John and dog Chloe, Alan and Rhonda plan to enjoy their home and the view of the second hole for many years to come.