A Sunny Tennessee Home Is Full of Plants and Metal Art

Apartment Therapy Submissions

published Dec 2, 2018

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Name: Stephanie Edward, husband, Charlie, and daughter, Eve
Location: Leoma, Tennessee
Size: 1,800 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned

After renting a few places with “character,” my husband, Charlie, and I finally bought our own home three years ago intent on having a place where everything functioned properly for a change and we could paint! It’s been fun making this house a home, and adding a baby into the mix.

Growing up (Image credit: South of Indigo)

We moved for Charlie to be closer to his job and I planned to freelance graphic design from home. We thought we had plenty of space, but my design business turned into a metal art business, and I’ve had to find creative storage solutions to house all of my inventory. Add a baby into the mix, and things are feeling smaller every day!

I have always wanted a huge bookcase (Image credit: South of Indigo)

What sold us on this house was A) 21st century amenities and aesthetic B) the backyard. Since we were moving to a rural area, we wanted the perk of being in the woods with no neighbors, but couldn’t find the right place in our budget. Here, we’re on one acre in a cul-de-sac on a slow road with a park-like goldfish pond and deck situated within a “tree fortress” of about 75 Leyland Cypress trees that make us feel off and alone, even near a highway.

My plant obsession began after taking home a potted arrangement from our wedding… and six years later (Image credit: South of Indigo)

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: If in doubt, add plants.

What is your favorite room and why? Our “great room,” I guess you would call it. The living, kitchen, and dining area are all together, which has pros and cons. The cons are that there’s little privacy within the house and kitchen noises interfere with TV watching, but the pros are that the house feels bigger with no walls and that we’re all always together. The adage “love grows best in tiny houses” is so, so true. We don’t have too tiny of a house, but with few rooms, we’re always close and I love that.

This large wall in our main room was the biggest challenge (Image credit: South of Indigo)

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? I wish we had a full basement. We don’t have any basement, and sheesh, if we just had one, all of my storage woes would be gone! I’d love a big studio space to spread out my work and not have to worry about messing up the carpet.

I had just started making metal art with my dad when we moved in (Image credit: South of Indigo)

Any advice for creating a home you love? DO NOT RUSH. I know that’s what everyone says, but it can’t be said enough. Don’t try to outfit a home from scratch within the first year you’re there. Simmer on it for a bit, especially before buying anything large or expensive. If you only buy things that you love, everything will come together just fine and you won’t be stuck with things you regret.

Thanks, Stephanie!

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