Southern living

“A Porch should be an extension of the garden,” says builder Frank Craige. “It should flow into the landscape when you look out.” Homeowners Brian Lyman and Leigh Ledbetter called on both Frank and his wife Rachel (the duo behind Oxford & Company) when it came time to give their 1930s cottage in Homewood, Alabama, a face-lift. “We wanted the renovation to capture the original character and simplicity of our home,” says Brian. A narrow lot can be tricky to work with (think privacy from next-door neighbors), but the Craiges got creative and collaborated with Our Town Plans to design a breezy screened porch that blends all the best of indoors and out. (It’s also part of a Southern Living House Plan: Edgewood Court, SL-2008.) Then Bethany and Jeremy Miller of Endless Summer Landscapes turned the overgrown backyard into an inviting oasis ideal for entertaining. Read on to see how this tucked-away space took shape.

Southern Living Idea House

Between June and the end of the year, up to 110,000 visitors are expected to tour the Southern Living Idea House, which will showcase the latest in luxury home building and interior design. The house and its complementary structures are being built by Castle Homes at Fontanel, the 136-acre estate that was home to Country Music Hall of Fame member Barbara Mandrell.

Nashville’s selection as the location of the nation’s only 2013 Idea House is more evidence of the city’s influence on popular culture these days, from the ABC television show “Nashville” and the national attention being given to the city’s restaurants to the growing popularity of country music.

“Country is cool now,” said Frank Craige, who is managing the project for Southern Living, the Birmingham-based publisher of Southern Living Magazine. “You have a small-town feel (in Nashville) with the Hollywood, songwriting aspect.”

Styleblueprint

Project manager Frank Craige says that the large courtyard, multiple conversation areas and guest quarters, unbundled and separate from the main house, make it an ideal spot for small business meetings and weddings, and that the house and grounds were designed with this in mind. The Idea House team wanted the 2013 project to be off the beaten path, and this 136 acre property, just a short distance from Nashville in White’s Creek community, provided a picture-perfect backdrop.