Story by Lee Rennick
Photos by Erin Kosko and Lee Rennick
Additional photography by J. Totten Photo
When Mary White’s parents chose a plain Federal style of grey brick for their Georgetown home in the 1980s, Mary was not impressed. However, that opinion changed when it transformed, over time, to become the family home, which she and her husband, Tim, purchased from her parents in the 1990s. It is here that they brought up their kids, and it is here that they intend to enjoy their retirement. It is also where they hosted Charity Circle’s annual Tailgate Party in September.
The home has changed a lot since the 1980s, when it was only a couple of years old. Mary’s parents were the second owners. They bought it from the Wrights, who built it. Since purchasing the home, the Whites have taken down walls and given just about every room an update.
A Space for Relaxing with Family and Friends
To the right of the front door is a sitting room with a relaxed grouping of green velvet chairs. Perfect for an intimate chat with friends. This space was once the formal living room. The family room, off the kitchen, was always family room, but about 14 years ago they took out walls and opened it up. It is where everyone gathers. The next update will be the expansion of the kitchen and family living space into the backyard so there is more room for their growing family and the creation of more indoor/outdoor living.
“My family has gotten bigger, and it is hard when everything we do, we do here. Like Christmas and Thanksgiving, birthdays. We have just gotten so big now that it is even hard to sit at a table together. You know how everyone likes to gather in one spot. So, I am looking forward to making the space bigger and have a bigger table. You put six or eight adults around the breakfast room table, and it’s hard to move. That is why we need more space in this area.”
Now the family home is becoming a forever home. Mary is a retired teacher and counselor who worked for Rutherford County Schools. Tim is semi-retired from Purity Dairies, and currently with Rocket Products headquartered in Fenton, Missouri. To them, their home has become the perfect place to enjoy their family and the retired life.
“It’s kind of like being at a resort in a way, living on the edge of the Stones River Country Club,” said Mary. “We have the swimming pool, tennis courts and restaurant right there. And Tim is looking forward to playing golf on the newly redesigned Bill Bergin course, hopefully playable by October.”
With their large backyard, they have had two weddings there, those of daughter Lane and son Joe Will. The remodel of the kitchen, family room and the building of the brick patio was done with Lane’s wedding in mind. They put up a tent and rang a bell on the property that came from the family farm in Smyrna, where Mary grew up, when it was time for dinner.
Opening the Back Yard to Charity Circle Tailgate Party
It is in this backyard where Charity Circle sponsored their annual Tailgate Party. The fundraiser took place out on the lawn, under a tent. All the food was made by the ladies who are members of Charity Circle, except the barbecue. It is a tradition that the members share their homemade treats. The planning committee brings in golf carts and puts the hors d’oeuvres out on the back of them. Everyone dresses in casual or game clothes from their alma mater. Anyone can come to the event. It is very laid back.
“I’ve been one of the hostesses for 10 years,” explained Mary. “And I always make the same thing, corn and black bean salsa. The recipe is stained and tattered from using it so much. The broccoli slaw is another big hit at the party.”
Three Bean Baked Beans
1⁄2 Cup Chopped Onions
1⁄2 Cup Chopped Green Pepper
1 28oz. Can Bush’s Baked Beans
1 16oz. Can Lima Beans, drained
1 15oz. Can Kidney Beans, drained
1⁄2 Cup Chili Sauce
1⁄2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix all ingredients together into a heavy-duty aluminum roaster pan. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour and 30 minutes. Cover with foil.
Charity Circle Broccoli Slaw
Slaw
1 Package Broccoli Slaw, chopped slightly
1 Package Ramen Noodles, broken into small pieces
1 Cup Slivered Almonds
1⁄2 Cup White Raisins
Dressing
1⁄2 Cup White Vinegar
1⁄2 Cup Sugar
1⁄4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3⁄4 Cup Cooking Oil
2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
Mix all ingredients well just before serving.
“Everybody is assigned a table to decorate,” explains Mary. “All the SEC schools and MTSU, of course, are represented. It’s cool and fun.”
The Charity Circle of Murfreesboro is an organization of women dedicated to working with other 501(c)3 non-profit charitable agencies to serve those in need in the community.
Giving the Home a Cool Southern Vibe
Those who came to the Charity Circle party were able to enjoy a touch of the casually elegant style of Mary and Tim’s home. A style she has attained with the help of a few friends.
“When you have kids and grandkids and smaller spaces, it doesn’t take long before you need to re-do stuff,” said Mary. “It just gets dirty and worn. And having retired and being in my house, I realized I had to do something. It was about five years ago.”
Decorator Paige Braswell helped Mary re-decorate the home to the current blue and green décor. Her interior design business is Paige Braswell Interiors, and she also has a retail store, Paige & Co., in Chattanooga. Mary’s daughter Lane had worked with Paige at First Methodist Church Pre-School. Interior design had been Paige’s hobby, what she enjoyed doing, and she decided to turn her hobby into her career.
“We just hit it off,” explained Mary. “We had the same taste, and she was easy to work with. “
Mary chose the blue and green color scheme because it was about the time when green and blue started being popular, also it brought the outside inside and worked with the esthetics of the golf course. This color scheme also pairs well with the large collection of blue and white dishes and pottery Mary has collected.
“Paige’s mother, Sue Brammer, was precious and came in after Paige had everything done and helped her put together the final staging,” added Mary.
Another design helper was her best friend, Kit Ramsay. Mary respects Kits decorating ideas and they make a great team.
“She has a knack for putting things together,” said Mary. “One time she found a table on the side of the road and repurposed it. I always wonder how she does that? She’s amazing.”
Home with a Long Family History
“We have a lot of family history here,” said Mary. “My kids have grown up here. I hardly saw them in the summer because they were over at the golf course. We hosted DBS parties here, we had ‘spend the night parties’ here. Joe Will and Willis McKee would spend the night upstairs, then slip out and go over to Stones River and go swimming, unbeknownst to me. Back in the master suite you can’t hear anyone on the stairs. They had a good life. They had fun.”
Before it was Mary and Tim’s residence, it was the place where Mary’s parents lived after selling the family farm in Smyrna.
“The master bedroom was where my parents took care of my grandmother,” explained Mary. “She had her own little suite.”
After her grandmother’s death, her parents decided it was time to find a one-story home that would work better for their needs. The Whites were then living in a one-story house in Riverview. The couples ended up swapping houses.
“We lived on Riverview Drive,” said Mary. “Mom and Dad moved into that one-story home, and we bought this one from them.”
Then the remodeling began. The first thing the Whites did was the master bathroom and also turned her grandmother’s suite into the primary bedroom. The original primary bedroom was upstairs, where Tim’s office is now located. About 14 years ago, when they redid the kitchen, they also took out a wall upstairs, opening that space to the light.
“I had a wedding going on, a remodel going on and I was teaching school,” she added. “I was going crazy. It was a wild time, but it all turned out great.”
The sunroom is Mary’s favorite spot. If she didn’t have family and things to do, that is where she would spend all her time sitting and enjoying the view and the sunlight. This is where she and Tim go in the mornings. They come to the sunroom, turn on the television to find out what is going on in the world and watch the sun rise over the golf course.
“It’s just heavenly,” she noted. “It is all I need. I get to see God’s creation every day.”
Blending Old and New Pieces for Casual Southern Living
Mary’s design style is influenced by Southern Living magazine, but not a specific designer. She likes what she likes, having collected many of the furniture pieces in their home over time, blending family antiques with more modern pieces.
She loves to explore The Fabric House in Nashville; the one near 100 Oaks Interior Design District. She enjoys going there to just look. She has bought some pieces from there, including the green velvet chairs in the sitting room which she had recovered.
The primary bed came from J. Ashley in Franklin, as did several other pieces. She has artwork from The Peddler, and décor from M &J Home off the Square in Murfreesboro. Denny Lane is a good friend. A rug from in the dining room came from Scotts Market in Atlanta. The hutch in the breakfast room was purchased from an antique shop that used to be on the Square but is gone now. It was the perfect width for the space.
Other pieces have come from family. The dining room table was her mother’s. The china hutch in the sitting room containing her blue and white plate collection was her grandmothers. She had it painted navy. The cherry bedroom suite in one of the guest bedrooms was Mary’s mother’s first bedroom set.
“My grandmother made the needle-point chair covers that are framed in the dining room,” noted Mary. “I remember watching her do those. There were eight of them.”
In the sunroom sits a white wicker rocking chair where Mary’s mother rocked Lane and Joe Will when they were babies.
“I saved up my money and bought the floral painting in the family room from The Peddler years and years ago. It was originally in the formal living room with a Duncan Phyfe sofa. It had lots of red in it, and it was dark and framed in dark wood veneer, which was coming off. Carol Berning, who is a friend, transformed the piece with blues and greens. She changed the frame. It looks nothing like it did. It looks way better.”
Filled with memories and collections of family mementoes, this house is Mary and Tim’s place to rewind and refresh. “Home is where the heart is,” Mary declares.
So, now they prepare for more changes to the home to accommodate the changes in their lives, and the lives of their family as it continues to collect family history within its walls.