No Place Like Home: Dream House Wishes Come True
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Story & Photography by Lindsay Merh Allison.
Homeowners Chris and Judy Doyle spent nearly ten years planning their recently completed house in Vann Gardens, an intimate and private gated neighborhood in North Jackson that includes a community garden. When the couple was looking for a lot on which to build, they were struck by the quietness of Vann Gardens and they liked the location, which is two minutes from Jackson’s restaurants and shops.
While driving around they spotted a home whose exterior appealed to their aesthetic taste. After contacting Plans by PH, a drafting service in Union City, plans were drawn and interior changes were made to the house that resembled a more contemporary style. They also wanted to make space for Judy’s dream closet and Chris’s dream wine cellar, two features they weren’t willing to remove from their wish list.
The floors of the home include African hickory hardwood, marble and slate. The outside walkways are maintenance-free, colored, stamped concrete. The kitchen has an oversized granite island with freestanding barstools on a swivel that were special ordered from Salt Lake City, Utah. In the master bath sits a 100-year-old claw foot tub from a Southern mansion in Atlanta, Georgia. It is surrounded by a large wet room shower with two rain shower heads. The master bath connects Judy’s dream closet that houses a custom-built dresser with dressing room lights.
The downstairs boasts 10-foot ceilings with glossy black wooden cross beams. Chris, a wine connoisseur, had always dreamed of having a personal wine cellar. The couple found the perfect spot under the staircase to enclose a 600-bottle wine cellar with climate control. Outside of the cellar is a wet bar with a black marble-stained, tumbled stone backsplash and a sitting area to enjoy conversation and refreshments.
Chris works from his home office and had special lighting and extreme high speed internet built in for broadcasting international webinars. “Jackson Energy Authority has been amazing with our internet service, and they prewired everything for us,” stated Chris when asked about the efficiency of working from home.
Outside, the covered patio has custom-built retractable curtains made of yachting canvas that provide shade or weather protection while enjoying the prominent wood burning fireplace. This area also features a full entertainment center. One can also move out to the connected wood deck for grilling and relaxation al fresco.
