Denise Bailey wanted a deep front porch, but didn’t realize how much she would need it until she broke her ankle.
Bailey’s family moved into their new Decatur home a few months before her ankle injury in fall 2015. She couldn’t walk on it for six weeks, so Denise and her dog, Grace, hung out on the front porch, which has a swing bed, a dining area and outdoor speakers, every day.
“We’re in a really social area,” Denise said. “People walk down the street all the time. I just wanted an old Southern house that people would feel comfortable.”
The active family, who entertain frequently, decided to downsize a bit as the first of their three children headed to college. With a 10-foot-deep front porch, screened-in back porch and pool, guests are often surprised to discover the family’s new home is smaller than their previous 6,000-square-foot renovated bungalow, also in Decatur.
“With our outdoor living space, it makes the house live a lot larger,” said Denise, whose home is a regular gathering spot for friends, colleagues, and her children’s friends and teammates. “It feels so much bigger.”
Snapshot
Residents: Scott and Denise Bailey, children Jackson (college freshman), Caroline (high school senior) and Kieran (middle schooler), and their golden retriever, Grace. Scott, an attorney, is a partner at Huff, Powell & Bailey, and Denise, a stay-at-home mom, has worked as a professional fundraiser.
Size: About 4,000 square feet, five bedrooms, five baths
Year built: 2015
Architect: Michael DeCarlo
Builder: Patrick Lockman, Lockman Homebuilding Co.
Architectural style: Southern traditional
Favorite architectural elements: The wide center hall. It's known as the "dog trot" design in Southern homes, with the center hall bisecting the home.
Design consultants: Interior designer Perry Walter from Walter Studio, Plumbing Distributors, Kitchen Gallery (cabinetry), Electronic Architects (TV, stereo, security system), Bob Bailey's Appliance, Construction Resources (countertops and fireplace surrounds), Hillman Flooring & Design, Specialty Tile Products, Doors By Mike (mirrors), Artisan Pools, In Bloom (landscaping)
Interior design style: Modern traditional
Favorite interior design elements: The mountains have influenced some of the furniture and design. They purchased a number of items, from lighting to furniture, from Highlands, North Carolina, a favorite getaway spot.
Favorite outdoor features: The front porch, rectangular pool and hot tub, and screened back porch with a fireplace and TV. The front porch runs the full length of the house. "We would just all pile out on the porch and have dinner together (in the summer). A lot of times, the teenagers move to the bed swing with laptops and watch movies out there at night," she said.
Favorite artwork: Paintings by Keith Spencer, Robert Charon, Barbara Brenner, Pami Ciliax, and folk artists Bebo and the late Howard Finster.
Resources: Furniture from Nottingham Antiques, Kudzu Antiques, Bungalow Classic, RH, The Global Craftsman (Cashiers, N.C.), Duralee, Stanley Furniture, Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, Reclamations (Highlands, N.C.) and Savannah Swing Beds. Masterpiece Lighting, Progressive Lighting, Ballard Designs and Dutchmans Casual Living in Highlands, North Carolina, for lighting.
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