When Ashley Teague’s husband, Kemble, told her that a Brookhaven home reminded him of the house in “Father of the Bride,” her favorite movie, it rose to the top of her list.
“That made us feel attached to it,” said Ashley, 30.
The home also had the layout the parents wanted and the ability to make changes before even moving in.
The priority
The couple lived in Carrollton and moved back to Atlanta after Kemble, 29, accepted a job in the healthcare software industry in Lawrenceville. The Teagues wanted all the bedrooms on the same level and the ability to watch Henry, who turns 1 in mid-July, play from the kitchen. The ultimate location would be in a cul-de-sac and near a park.
The search
Friends and family live in Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Smyrna and Marietta, which they considered, as well as Dunwoody, Suwanee and Johns Creek. Kemble preferred to be south of Lawrenceville to go against rush hour traffic. As the couple explored Brookhaven, they found Murphey Candler Park, a 135-acre DeKalb County park with a lake, picnic areas, playground, pool, tennis courts, trails, and youth baseball, softball and football leagues. The park sold them on Brookhaven.
Their agent, Collette McDonald of REMAX Around Atlanta, learned about a home right before it was listed. Ashley was out of town but Kemble viewed the house that evening. He called Ashley and said, “This is our house.”
“It was a house that I wanted to pull into every night after work. I wanted to actually like the exterior of the house,” Kemble said.
They put an offer that day, before it was officially listed for sale. The seller paid closing costs, which made it possible for the Teagues to repair crawl space and drainage issues, as well as to update other areas.
The house
The four-bedroom, three-bath home was built in 1969 on a cul-de-sac in a Brookhaven swim and tennis neighborhood (four-bedroom homes in the area are priced in the $400,000s). When they viewed the Cape Cod-style home in spring 2014, the azaleas were blooming.
Inside, walls had been removed between the kitchen and living room. The kitchen is smaller than in their previous house, but the island layout is more convenient when preparing breakfast and supper as well as making quick sandwiches for lunch, Ashley said. She customized a walk-in pantry by making shelving with her dad and changing the light from a bare bulb to a wall sconce.
Having the laundry room/mudroom off the garage also is more convenient for the couple, whose former home had the laundry room in the basement, Ashley said. Having every bedroom on the upper level makes it easier to check on Henry. The home had a formal living room for Kemble’s baby grand piano.
“Henry listens to him,” Ashley said. “We really wanted to have a house with a place for that.”
A favorite room is the finished attic space over the garage and living room. The bonus room can be accessed through a door in Henry’s bedroom, Kemble said. “Without a basement, a big play room like this is totally necessary and it provides more natural light than you typically find in a basement,” he said.
They bought the home in May and started on changes. The master bathroom was gutted and now has a double vanity and glass-enclosed marble steam shower, with white Carrara marble on the floor and marble subway tiles in the shower. They sanded and restained the hardwood floors, replaced the bonus room carpet and installed linoleum in the laundry room. They repainted the entire house and replaced most of the light fixtures.
The lifestyle
Kemble’s commute is about 20 minutes, and they are enjoying the access to Murphey Candler Park. “We just love the idea of not having to get in the car to do everything,” Kemble said. “The neighborhood is incredible.”
