By Sadie Fowler | Photos by Alison Elefante

A decade ago, Roxanne and Mitch Stanlick began their search for a home in Murfreesboro and they found exactly what they were looking for in the Northwoods neighborhood. Built in 1995, they’ve now lived in their modern-style home for 10 years; recently, they completed a massive renovation project.

“The design of our home is quite unique compared to the other homes in our neighborhood,” said Roxanne Stanlick. “We knew it was the house for us the first time we laid eyes on it.”

While on the search for their perfect home, the Stanlicks were initially attracted to the neighborhood because of its established trees and landscaping. To this day, they still enjoy the quiet streets and friendly neighbors.

Originally from West Tennessee, Roxanne pursued a career in teaching after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University and found a job in Rutherford County. Mitch, who is originally from Ontario, Canada, had moved to Murfreesboro to start his practice as a chiropractor following his graduation from the National University of Health Sciences, which is located in Chicago.

“We were introduced through mutual friends and were married in 2008,” Roxanne said. “That same year we purchased our house on Oak Lane. We are now a family of five, which includes our three wonderful children and the best Golden Doodle ever, Stella.”

Baine, their oldest son, is 20 and a student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Nash is eight, and in third grade at Providence Christian Academy, and Covie is five and in kindergarten, also at Providence.

A busy family, most of their time together is spent in the kitchen.

“Our days begin there with breakfast and preparing for the school day and end there with dinner and homework,” said Roxanne, who is the family’s coordinator of chaos in addition to being a trunk show stylist for Emerson Kate Murfreesboro. “We also love our pool area and enjoy entertaining in this part of our home.”

Three years ago, the Stanlick family felt the time was right to begin a massive renovation project to update their home, with guidance from interior designer Andria Fromm of Murfreesboro. The project started with the master bedroom and bathroom phase and followed with four additional phases until everything was just right.

“Andria took our modern inspiration and added a twist to create a playful, modern esthetic,” Roxanne said. “She worked side-by-side with the contractor to carry our designs from inspiration to installation.”

Roxanne says bringing in a designer in the beginning of a project is key for a cohesive design, as is planning and preparation.

“There are some really unique and tricky angles in our house, but it does create interest,” Roxanne said. “The layout is not like most homes, especially since there is a drop down living room with a catwalk above that bridges the two sides of the house.”

Upon completion of the renovations, Roxanne describes the home as feeling new, yet familiar in many ways.

The Stanlick project was indeed massive, and Fromm described it as being a labor of love; one that required her entire heart and soul.

“But because the Stanlicks were so amazing, this has been one of the best projects I’ve worked on,” Fromm said. “They are like family now and I am so lucky our paths crossed. I am very proud of the fact that there is so much personality in this home.”

As she embarked on the project, Fromm says she wanted to capture both Roxanne’s and Mitch’s personalities, which are a bit different. Roxanne has a style that’s playful and Mitch likes a very modern look to things.

The end result of the project, is a home that’s playful and bold; masculine yet feminine, and also youthful. The Stanlick home has it all Most importantly, it is a home that is functional; it’s a home in which the family can truly “live in.”

As an expert in her field, Fromm says the first thing to keep in mind when building a house or renovating, is to start with an open mind and a neutral backdrop, then add color and interest to the home via art, lighting and accessories.

“Most first homeowners don’t have a large budget to furnish everything at once, so invest in the main pieces you use often and add (from there),” From said.

Speaking to the point of advice to those who may be buying their first home, Fromm says the number one most important advice she’d give someone is to focus on the basics. “Good ‘bones’ in a home are key,” she said. “Look past the current décor and just focus on the bones.” There are many things that can easily be done on any budget to update any home, as long as the foundation is solid and those “bones” are good.

“A fresh coat of paint goes a long way, as well as updated hardware, lighting and accessories,” From said. “Keep your key pieces such as your sofa, bed, drapery and chairs, on the neutral side and then update with accessories.”

As for the Stanlick home, there are a few small projects that still need to be completed, such as fresh paint on the exterior steps, painting the pool house and adding a rail cap to their main stairway.

“We are also brainstorming stages of an addition that would include more garages and the opening up of our pool area,” Roxanne said.

Other than that, the dream home the Stanlicks found 10 years ago, in a love-at-first-sight kind of way, is now even more of a perfect backdrop for the family to build and enjoy their good lives.