The task of transformation, from the 1960s back to the medieval period, fell to Henley Brothers Construction Company and took two years to expand the square footage from 3,500 to over 6,000 square feet.
The payoff was a stunning architectural masterpiece filled with unusual and eye-catching architectural details, decorated with art created by Judith that, in some cases, has a sense of humor. Stained glass, tile and glass mosaics, beveled glass, pieces salvaged from churches, and antique treasures were combined to create an interior design style that mixes whimsy with decadence, and the ecclesiastical with the secular.
Different surfaces and textures were used for the floors, walls, and woodwork, which all work together to unify and add an elegant, if not weathered, quality to the house. The lower-level floors are travertine tile, while the upper-level floors are made from reclaimed maple. All the woodwork in the house is painted a black lacquer, which makes the rich metallic-scored walls pop with color. Bathrooms have multi-colored tiled floors and walls. In some areas, mosaic tiles were laid to look like rugs.
Nowhere is the artistic and medieval influence more evident than upon entering the front foyer from the massive beveled glass front doors. Resting in the entrance foyer is a wooden arched piece, entitled “The Reliquary,” which is Judith’s tribute to women’s work. The arch houses an angel and glass vase, which holds all kinds of sewing notions.
The entire main floor flows together, unobstructed by doors. To the right of the entrance foyer, a hallway leads to a bathroom with terra cotta walls, a multi-colored tile floor, pine vanity, and stained glass window. In the hallway, a glass-topped table sits on two mosaic-clad pedestals - another of Judith’s creations. The glass is etched with the saying, “Women Like the Strong, Silent Type Because They Think He’s Listening.” The hallway leads to the den, with a built-in entertainment cabinet and two loveseats grouped around a tufted leather ottoman. Just off the den, on the front of the house in the turret, is a small round room with a table, chairs and a semi-circular built-in oak cabinet with original hardware. Judith refers to this room as the “cribbage room,” as this is where she enjoys playing the game with her grandchildren.
From the left, the entrance foyer flows into the dining area. A large round green-and-gold painted pedestal dining table is paired with green-painted wooden chairs with rush seats. A pine hutch displays not china, but books wrapped in plain white paper and tied with black ribbons, which is another manifestation of Judith’s creativity. Carved black corbels resting on columns frame a recessed area on the front of the house, just off the dining area. There, two built-in pine corner cabinets rest on either side of a boldly painted black and lavender striped wall.
Mosaics and color flow into the kitchen with a color scheme of turquoise painted cabinets with granite tops and black, turquoise, and lavender tile backsplashes. The jewels of the kitchen are four multi-colored cone-shaped lights, made of Murano glass, which are suspended from the trussed ceiling over the island. Slightly lower, at the end of the island, is an attached round turquoise glass tabletop, where Paul and Judith enjoy having their meals.
At various places throughout the kitchen, Judith had toe-kick drawers installed. These shallow drawers can be opened by kicking the knob and are perfect for storage. Another hidden surprise are two cabinet doors which house 30 small wooden spice drawers, each with the name of the spice engraved on brass plates. Judith’s stemware collection is displayed in two separate cabinets, with beveled glass doors.
The kitchen wall, at the rear of the house, features a tall stacked-stone gas fireplace with a semicircular mosaic “rug” in front. On either side of the fireplace are two French doors, which open to a covered patio. A stained glass transom window is placed above each set of doors, designed with the lavender, turquoise, and black color accents used in the kitchen.
Between the kitchen and dining area is a built-in serving hutch and laundry/storage room. The door to the laundry/storage room is heart of pine that Judith found at a church rummage sale and on either side of the door are wine nooks. One wall in the laundry room has built-in glass-fronted cabinets, which are used to store china and serving pieces. There is also a wrapping center that has a deep drawer with holes to hold wrapping paper cylinders.
There are so many architectural and artistic details in the home that demand attention, but eventually the eye is drawn to the massive space of the living area. This beautiful space is dominated by a 40-foot trussed ceiling with iron chandeliers, a two-story stacked-stone fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling windows topped with a Gothic arch-shaped window that offers spectacular views of the city. The wood trim around the windows is painted in black lacquer and seems to disappear at night, offering an unobstructed view of the city lights beyond.
Above the fireplace hang two large pictures, stacked one on top of the other, from a series of pieces that Judith entitled “Handwriting on the Wall.” The series features antique postcards, which belong to family members that have been enlarged and incorporated into the canvas. This piece is Judith’s tribute to and lament for what she believes to be the soon-lost art of handwritten communication.
One of the home’s most unusual and whimsical art pieces sits in the corner in front of the windows: a large diver frozen in mid-dive. It is actually a large plaster mannequin of the Jantzen swimsuit model that was used as the company’s logo for many years. Judith had the mannequin mounted on a steel base; she painted the form a bronze patina and used copper mesh for a bathing cap and trim around the hips.
To the right of the fireplace, underneath the stairway leading to the second story, is an oak paneled storage and decorative space, with drawers, a stained glass arch, and an altar-niche.
Steps to the left of the fireplace lead to a sitting area. It is situated in front of a transomed bay window and is furnished with two small matching French loveseats which are trimmed in walnut and upholstered in a seafoam-colored crinkled silk fabric. Two Bordello chairs, upholstered in a floral print with curved backs and tasseled hems also rest elegantly in the room. Between the chairs is an old cast iron coal burning stove, retrofitted with electric logs. Decorative pieces created by Judith adorn the room and include two mosaic pedestals with Ionic capitals and a mosaic “Empty Nest” chair, with two birdhouses on the top chair rail.
At the top of the stairs that lead from the living room is a large library with floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves. There is both a library ladder, used for accessing books on upper shelves, and a curved oak staircase attached to some lower shelves. The quatrefoil carved staircase was originally a church piece. Next to the staircase is another stained glass window, which casts a warm glow in the room in the late afternoon.
Another one of Judith’s pieces, “On the Sacrificial Altar of Love,” can be found in the library. This altar piece is painted in copper leaf, decorated with mosaic “cake” sections, and topped with a miniature bride and groom. The altar, which came from Pennsylvania, was originally built by the father of a young girl afflicted with polio so she could be served communion at home.
A hallway off the library leads to three guest rooms, each decorated with whimsical and unusual pieces of furniture and art. Hanging on the wall leading to one bedroom is a gold leaf painted door with oval-shaped etched glass. A carved oak headboard, from a church pulpit, is featured in one bedroom; the pulpit base is used in the multi-colored tiled bathroom for the vanity. In another bedroom, a mantel with an upholstered center is used for the headboard.
A Jack and Jill bathroom connects two of the guest bedrooms. The tub, framed by a carved oak surround, sits in a tiled alcove with mosaic niche. An oak vanity with a marble top showcases a hand-painted sink.
The master suite at the other end of the hallway is entered through a small Gothic pointed arch door. A large four poster bed faces a sitting area which features floor-to-ceiling windows and a dramatic archway.
The master bath has heated travertine tile floors, tiled walls, green marble countertops, and green glass vessel sinks with matching knobs. The green marble tub has a stained glass window at one end and is set in front of a beveled glass transom window. The tub alcove is framed by corbels on either side. The double vanity and sink area is located in the rounded turret and is capped off with a conical-shaped tile ceiling.
As visually stunning and eye-catching as the interior of the home is, the outdoor living spaces and the view from the rear of the house are every bit as breathtaking. The outdoor areas consist of a covered patio and lounging area, gas grill and wood burning fireplace, swimming pool surrounded by slate decking, and a shaded wooden arbor just off the pool. The arbor connects the main house to a smaller space, which houses Judith’s studio, a bathroom, and upstairs sleeping lofts accessible by two spiral staircases. The view from the rear of the house takes in a 180-degree vantage point of Corridor J and the Hixson area.
By incorporating artistic details into every nook and cranny – from Judith’s impressive artwork to the medieval elements incorporated throughout the house - the Pauls have created a masterpiece on Signal Mountain that reflects their lifestyle and tastes.