That is, until they (literally) stumbled upon another three-bedroom home. “I saw this adorable shotgun for sale by owner with some folks doing yard work, so we asked if we could have a look,” Ann explains. 

At the time, Ann was pregnant and wasn’t sure it would be spacious enough for their growing family. She and Ed considered renovating, but that never came to fruition. Luckily, an extra building on the property is used for Ed’s architectural materials and Ann’s studio. 

“I loved all of the natural light, the original beadboard, and the wrap-around porch; Ed loved the yard, the potential for growth, and the bargeboard floors in the kitchen,” Ann shares. “The house was built in the 1890s and had no insulation. It had 18 inches of water in it during the storm, but the lack of insulation meant that mold didn’t grow, so it was in really good shape. We basically painted — well, Ed did — and moved in.” 

Fast-forward 17 years. Ann and Ed now have two children, Ava and Gigi, and are still enjoying their space as much as when they first moved in. Ann used to co-own an art gallery, called Smith & Lens, and their home is reminiscent of that with art adorning basically every wall. 

“Every wall in our house is basically a gallery wall,” Ann says. “I feel so damn lucky every time I look around. There is a crazy amount of talent in this area and also such a nurturing spirit. I had instant art mentors when I got settled. Multiple! It’s such abundance, and I am so incredibly grateful to all of the folks who have taken big swings on Ed and me.”

Even though Bay St. Louis is a beachy area, Ann didn’t necessarily incorporate those elements into her home decor.

“Pretty much all local art and no beach house decor,” Ann says of how her locale impacted her home’s design. “We live in a beach town, and I love it, but I don’t need any signs pointing to the beach. I know where it is.”

• All Rooms — Sherwin-Williams “Picket Fence White” (walls) and “Gulf Coast Blue” (this means it’s a combo of all of the leftover blues from different jobs)
• Front Door Brass Duck Knocker — Estate sale in Montgomery, AL
• Brass Number — Lowes

• Sofa — The London Shop, New Orleans 
• Blanket slip cover — Kantha
• Crochet blanket — My great-grandmother’s
• Pillows — Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Anthropologie (hand-painted)
• Wing chairs — Local antique shop
• Nina Simone pillow — Designed by me and sewn by Kristy Clark
• Coffee table — Lane Furniture
• Side tables — From a friend
• Glass tabletops — Pier One
• Lamps — TJ Maxx
• Moravian mirrored star — Target
• Rug — Target by way of Dirt Cheap
• Four encaustic birds — Kat Fitzpatrick
• Four portraits — Carmen Lugo
• Family portrait of us as rabbits in a paper moon — Paulette Dove
• Balinese collar — Gift from Adi Bukman
• Painting of the Bay of St. Louis — Tim Trapolin
• Art next to entry — Deb Schwedhelm, Kim Turner-Smith, and Nonney Oddlokken

• Table — From my parents
• Chairs — Vintage in IKEA slipcovers
• Runner — Sayulita, Mexico
• Clay tree sculptures — Made at the Ohr O’Keefe Museum Kids’ Workshop
• Mirror over mantel — Wedding gift
• Mantel — Salvaged from a home in Pass Christian, MS
• Profile wall vase — Shop that went out of business
• Large piece of art — Tim Trapolin
• 2 smaller art pieces — JJ Foley
• Mardi Gras arrows — Gift from Sandra Russell Clark 
• Frida art piece; mother and daughter art piece; blossom art piece, and Bessie Smith art piece — Kat Fitzpatrick
• RV in the tree art piece — Paulette Dove
• Painting of artist Clementine Hunter — Church Goin Mule (@churchgoinmule)
• “Hip Cat” art piece — Butch Anthony
• For the love of art — Ann Adele Blackledge
• Praise band tambourine — Junk shop in Arkansas
• Gigi mixed media portrait; “Butterfly Girls”; Love photo; “Mimi & Pops”; “In Bloom”; and girls art — Ann Dinwiddie Madden (@annmaddenphotography)
• Small collage — Nonney Oddlokken
• Mixed media face — Jan Auleta
• Paw paw flower art piece— Danielle Inabinet (@danielleinabinet)
• Mirrored star — K Mart
• Doll — Ginger Williams Cook
• Abstract art — Ava Madden
• Hare art piece — Charlie Mabry
• Ava art piece — John Berry Yuill
• Wild dog art piece — Carmen Lugo
• Spiny self art piece — Stacie Smith
• Roach art piece — Kerr Grabowski
• Zion art piece — Adrienne Brown-David

• “Ladies No Fighting in the Bathroom” letterpress — Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr
• Bomb Pop art piece — Carmen Lugo
• “All Are Welcome Here!” plate — Bill Myers
• Blues angel art piece — Church Goin Mule (@churchgoinmule)

• Headboard — Edward Madden Woodworks
• Shams — Anthropologie
• Blanket — Kantha
• Linen sheets — Target via Dirt Cheap
• Winged heart — Sayulita, Mexico
• Dresser — Antique
• Swimmer photo — Deb Schwedhelm
• Portrait of reclining woman — JJ Foley
• Embroidered profile with flower — My daughter, Ava
• Roach collage — Kerr Grabowski
• Small encaustic — Kat Fitzpatrick
• Angel figure — Lisa Schumaier
• Woodcut over dresser — Walter Anderson

• All linens and pillows — Target via Dirt Cheap
• Gigi — Ginger Williams Cook
• Portrait of Gigi — Ava
• Rat art piece — Carmen Lugo
• “No” art piece — Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr
• Think with your dipstick art piece — Andrew Blanchard (@andrewblanchardart)
• Rosa Parks quote art piece — Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr
• 3 Polaroid emulsion lifts — Ann Dinwiddie Madden (@annmaddenphotography)
• Cat person box — MK Spencer
• Award — Dolly Look Alike Contest, kid division
• Portrait of Gigi with skateboard — Collab with Ann and Gigi
• Hanging swing — Wayfair
• Pillow — Dirt Cheap
• Stained glass — Shade Brigade

• All linens and pillows — Target via Dirt Cheap
• Self portrait — Jaime Johnson Aelavanthara
• Abstract — Carmen Lugo
• Mixed-media portrait of Ava — Ann Dinwiddie Madden (@annmaddenphotography)
• Tiny abstract piece — Tina Johnson
• Cat mask fear art piece — Carmen Lugo
• Bone dress art piece — Jaime Johnson Aelavanthara
• Small mixed media piece — Julia Reyes
• Feet — Ann Dinwiddie Madden (@annmaddenphotography)
• Anne Frank art piece — Carmen Lugo
• Side table dressers — Target

• Dolly Parton art piece — David Harrison
• Shower curtain — Target via Dirt Cheap
• Rug — Anthropologie
• Towels — Dwell Home

• Adjustable height work table — Home Depot
• Office chair — Herman Miller
• Work table and Lucite chairs — Smith & Lens Gallery 
• Antique sleigh bed — Passed down from paternal grandmother
• Gigantic gold disco ball — Amazon 
• Built-in shelves — Custom by Ed Madden
• French doors/office door/floor — Salvaged from a demolished historic home 

Thanks, Ann!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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