A Household of Heritage

by Katie Faulkner
Photography by Beacon Imagery

This family home is a treasure that has endured for generations and is filled with inherited pieces and many memories. “My dad designed this house and had an architect help him get it ready to build. They had the lot for years when I was a kid and finally built it right before I went off to college,” David Everett shares. “I proposed to my wife, Vicki, at this house, and we had our rehearsal dinner here while my parents still owned it.” Since then, David and Vicki have raised their three children in this home as well. This special family home contains many of the Everetts’ favorite memories and most cherished belongings.

Entering the large solid wood front door, the foyer greets guests with a warm ambiance. A rustic brick floor is offset with soft gray damasked wall paper, antique furniture, and a chiaroscuro-style painting done by David’s great uncle. “We did a large amount of remodeling after we moved in, but something David’s parents chose that was really unique was this brick floor in the foyer. So we left it. We really liked it,” Vicki says.

To the left of the foyer is an elegant library which David also uses as an office. “I love to read on a regular basis and read close to 100 books a year,” David says of the overflowing bookcases on every wall. David also enjoys the ability to work from home here. The sumptuous leather chair and black and gold armchairs make it easy to entertain clients if needed.

Walking back across the foyer to the right is the Everetts’ formal dining room. A chocolate brown wallpaper punctuated with pink peonies was a dramatic statement choice for Vicki. “I wasn’t sure it would work in here. I was afraid it was just too dark. But the windows really let in a lot of natural light,” she explains. Sage green silk draperies tie in to the peonies greenery, and cherry dining room furniture anchors the room in traditional style. The table and chairs are a Stanley suite, and the buffet against the nearby wall is a special piece that Vicki had at her sorority house at UTC before they relocated off campus. “I thought if the sorority ever moved back to campus I could put it back in their house,” Vicki says. On either side of the buffet are two antique dining chairs sporting needlepoint cushions, which David’s grandmother stitched.

Directly off of the dining room is the kitchen. A spacious island with carved details and scalloped feet makes for a functional focal point. Granite countertops and extensive custom cabinetry provide plenty of work surfaces and storage. Hardwood floors run throughout the main level of the home, including in the kitchen. An Oriental rug, stainless steel appliances, and the molding on the cabinetry reinforce the home’s traditional styling, while the colors represent the family’s updated take on the style. The light-colored cabinetry and contemporary hardware lend a refreshing new face to the space.

Vicki says she loves to cook in this room, especially with all the granite work surfaces available. The kitchen also boasts double ovens, a wine refrigerator, gas cooktop, warming drawer, custom tile backsplash, and a wet bar. In the nearby breakfast nook, a small table provides enough seating for two to four people. This is where David and Vicki tend to share meals together when it’s just the two of them.

Open to the kitchen is the formal living room. During the remodel, these two rooms were opened to each other, and an eating bar was added to provide more seating. Incorporated into the living room, another eating area features one of David and Vicki’s most treasured pieces of furniture. “That table and chairs behind the couch are probably over 100 years old. It was David’s grandparents’ table, and they had their wedding breakfast on it,” Vicki says. Often, this space is where the family enjoys their meals.

In the adjacent, more intimate seating area, an Aubusson-style rug grounds the living room in traditional colors. The style is reinforced by the oversized plaid armchair, rattan-back French armchair, and slipcovered sofas with fringed throw pillows. 

Four enormous picture windows line the adjacent wall, letting in scads of sunlight from the backyard. Silk drapes trimmed in plaid balance the masculine and feminine accents of this space while adding an elevated aesthetic to the traditional décor.


 

spacious elegant family home in chattanooga; master bedroom with large four poster bed and ornate rug


 


spacious elegant family home in chattanooga; master bathroom with ornate soaking tub and travertine tile

 


The master bed and bathroom are also on the main level. A lovely four-poster wheat bed is trimmed in custom green and gold silk bedding, matching the drapes and throw pillows in the seating area. The Victorian armchairs were David’s grandmother’s, and she adorned their arms with doilies she made. Crystal lamps atop the end tables provide a softer glow.

Just off the master bedroom is the master bath. This room is wrapped in travertine tile and boasts a spacious, walk-in glass door shower as well as a jetted soaking tub.

David and Vicki Everett with their dogs, Ziva and Isabella

Downstairs is a favorite place for the Everett family to spend time. “Especially when all three children still lived at home, the basement was the best place to be. They would have their friends over, or we could get a large group together down here to play games and be in and out from the backyard,” Vicki recalls. In the back of the room is a full wet bar with stone counters and extra seating. Just in front of the wet bar is another dining area. “This is actually the table that our kids grew up eating on. It was our family table that a friend built for us. When the kids were young we made a point of sitting down together for dinner every night. And they would always have to pay one compliment to a family member before they were allowed to leave the table. Sometimes they hated it,” David laughs, “but we spent a lot of time at this table.”

Further into the basement is a family room complete with a plush sectional that provides plenty of seating for friends and family. A brick fireplace and built-in bookshelf mirror the upstairs living room. Large windows and a patio door let sunlight and views of the beautifully landscaped backyard in.

Outside of the main level of the home is another area that David and Vicki enjoy. “This is probably where we spend the most time out of the whole house,” David says of a gorgeous lanai. The entire area was added by David and Vicki after moving in. The stone floor, wood-planked ceiling, fireplace, and columned archways create a luxurious outdoor refuge. “We love to hang out here, and especially love to have friends over to spend time out here. We’ve had dinners and game nights and plenty of get togethers out here,” Vicki shares.

The fireplace and space heaters make this an enjoyable recreation area well into the cooler months of the year. Meanwhile, in the warmer months, the lanai is surrounded by stunning hydrangeas, Japanese maples, ferns, orchids, and other elements of the Everetts’ garden. The lanai is organized into two distinct areas: one for eating and the other as an outdoor living room for conversation and relaxation. “This is definitely our favorite place to be,” David says.

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