From The Editor
MAGAZINE Fix Magazine is dedicated to providing local information about all things home and garden.
FIX EDITOR
Holli Weatherington holli.weatherington@ commercialappeal.com CONTRIBUTORS
Robin Gallaher Branch Erinn Figg Emily Adams Keplinger Lance Wiedower Stacey Wiedower PHOTOGRAPHERS
Greg Campbell Troy Glasgow DESIGN
Design Studio Nashville FIX Magazine
495 Union Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 PUBLISHER
George Cogswell
george.cogswell@commercial appeal.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR NICHE PUBLICATIONS
Whether you’re ready for it or not, the holidays are upon us. Happy Holidays FIX readers! It’s at this time of year that we gear up for celebrating and brace ourselves for the frenzied energy of hurried crowds and denser-than-usual traffic. As a respite from all of that, read up on things that make you smile like decorating, gift shopping and giving back to your community. Let us take you on a trip into beautiful homes and share with you some creative ideas and captivating art. In this issue, our cover story focuses on a gem of the South and a prize of Memphis, Annesdale Mansion. With her rich and romantic history, local significance and unparalleled beauty, this home and estate will capture your heart. In the same family for more than 140 years, it’s a testament to endurance. Take our private tour and learn how, and why, this home was restored to become a member of Memphis thriving society once again. While we like to have fun decorating our homes for the holidays, it can be a bummer when they’re over, so to help you with ideas on transitioning your decor from fall to Christmas to winter, we offer some tips in our Design FIX with three variations of decorated mantels. Need gift ideas? We have you covered. Our Holiday FIX covers some of the neatest gifts on the market for 2016, and complimentary to that is our Shopping FIX that details a few unique gift ideas you can explore at local shops. Art is also a great gift for any time of year, and we appreciate our local artists. In this issue, we focus on Martha Kelly, painter and print maker and the current Varnell Artist in Residence at Memphis Theological Seminary. Read about her process and how she has evolved her techniques to create varied arts from watercolor paintings to carved block prints. If you have ever wanted to be creative or work with your hands, and you have an interest in the skills of metalsmithing, the National Ornamental Metal Museum has workshops and classes for beginners. Read more about their offerings in our Creative FIX. We round out this issue with a look at some ways to help out more this holiday season, whether you want to volunteer or offer financial resources. Sit back in your favorite reading spot, curl up, and get your FIX. Happy reading!
David Boyd
david.boyd@commercialappeal.com facebook.com/fixmagazine fixmagazinememphis FIX Magazine is published once every two months by The Commercial Appeal. Opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors are not those of FIX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Copyright 2016.
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November • December 2016
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The holidays are here, so it’s time for celebrations and grand spaces Features
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Holiday Fix: 2016 Gift Guide 8 Why We Love Our Home 12 On the Cover: A Private Tour of the Annesdale Mansion 14 Departments Design FIX • Carrying the Mantel 6
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Shopping FIX • Want unique? Shop local 10 Creative FIX • Forge a creative path 11 Ask the Expert • Door Maintenance 22 Artist Spotlight • Martha Kelly 24 Community FIX • Giving Back 26
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DESIGN FIX
At left, oranges, neutral whites and fun plants make up this autumn vignette. To transition toward Christmas, designer Anna Lattimore changed out the Verbena from fall with magnolia and holly and added some red tulips to the vase of white mums.
Carrying the mantel Easy ways to transition seasonal decor through the winter holidays By Stacey Wiedower e’re all busy in November and December — it’s a given in modern life. And even though it’s fun to decorate for the seasons, in the quick run-up to Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year’s and beyond, it’s tough to find time to pull out and put away all those decorations. So what if you only had to do it once — one swipe at decorating that transitions easily from fall, to Thanksgiving, to Christmas and beyond, with just a few minor updates throughout? For this, we sought advice from a few design experts who are just as busy as the rest of us. The keys? Start with a neutral base, and consider the five senses. “Year-round, but especially in fall and winter, I like to bring in more texture and warm wood tones,” says designer Anna Lattimore, owner of Anna Lattimore Interior Design. “That might be in the form of a basket with
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Photos by Troy Glasgow pine cones, or I love to display cutting boards this time of year just propped up against a kitchen backsplash.” For another simple idea that covers both the pretty and the practical, designer Michelle Triplett builds a collection of containers that spans the seasons and serves multiples functions. “I love glass lanterns,” says Triplett, owner of Michelle Triplett Design. “You can find contemporary, modern, rustic — whatever style you like. Something else I’ve seen, you can find glass cake plates with glass tops and use these as a table centerpiece.” Triplett suggests buying multiple sizes and displaying containers in groups of three to five, anywhere from the mantel to a coffee table to a dining table centerpiece. Paired with a neutral runner or tablecloth, they form the basis for a holiday table that can easily transition through the seasons. “Personally, I like runners,” Triplett says. “White or
DESIGN FIX even off-white is really hot right now. If you go with a neutral, you can use the runner for fall and winter.” Graphic prints can work, too, adds Hope Wilkinson of Hope Wilkinson Design, especially two-tone palettes that can still read as neutral. She especially likes to punch up a table with black and white. “Sometimes I’ll do a black and white, or even green and white,” she says. “That’s not neutral, but it’s a graphic color palette that I can put Thanksgiving or Christmas colors with.” For fall, add gourds of varying colors and sizes to your tabletop display. White pumpkins, especially, are gracing stylish tables this autumn. With a grouping of sparkling glass Artichokes, votives, old containers and a few candles books and a change of scattered around, the effect is flowers help transform casual, festive and multifuncthis look to a warm and tional. relaxing winterscape. “In winter, you can fill the lanterns with ornaments,” Triplett says, adding that thin strands of LED lights, available at stores like T.J. Maxx and Stein Mart, add drama and sparkle. Another tip Lattimore offers is to pay attention to textiles. Soft, nubby textures amp up a room’s coziness and beckon us to curl up in a chair by the fire with a warm mug of cocoa. “In general, as the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter, I like to add elements that make the room feel more cozy,” Lattimore says. “And that can include swapping out throw blankets. I think mohair, cashmere or just a chunky knitted throw adds a lot of texture for fall and winter. Sometimes I’ll also swap out throw pillows. Velvet and mohair, even leather or faux leather, bring that nice fall and winter coziness.” Metallics add warmth, too, and bring the added perk of festive pizzazz. Mixed metals are still all the rage, but brass is definitely where it’s at this season. “From now through the winter, you can add warmth with warmer metals like copper and brass in the form of candlesticks or bookends or hurricanes trimmed with brass,” Lattimore adds. Of course, seasonal foliage is an excellent way to transition your neutral mantel or tabletop from fall to winter. Simple, neu-
tral containers filled with seasonal greens can mix with gourds and potted plants in fall or winter. Wilkinson recommends starting with height — dry topiaries or fresh greenery that stands tall in neutral containers — and building around it throughout the seasons. “I try to get my big heights on mantels and such, so I don’t have to change that; I just change the stuff around it,” Wilkinson says. “And I do try to bring in something natural. I always try to have fruits or vegetables at Thanksgiving, and I like to pull in live greenery at Christmas.” Croton and bittersweet are nice varieties for fall color, Lattimore says, and in winter, red berries and red pears mix beautifully with magnolia or white hydrangea. “What I find is — and I feel this way and all my clients feel this way — our mantels look a little bare after taking down the holiday décor,” Lattimore says. “It’s a challenge every year. So I love to bring in things like preserved boxwood because it’s green but it’s not necessarily holiday. And I think it’s nice to keep lighting those candles through the winter months when the days are short in lieu of having a string of lights across your mantel.” Adds Wilkinson, “I don’t typically have candles in the summer, so I always like to use candles for the holidays.”
HOLIDAY FIX
For Colorful Personalities: Check out the Philips Hue collection. These fabulous lighting systems sync with a Philips Hue App on your smartphone, allowing you to choose from 16 million colors to set the mood for any room in your home. Try the Philips Hue White and Ambiance Starter Kit for about $200 or the portable, tabletop Philips Hue Bloom model for about $60. (Available at meethue.com and most home improvement retailers.)
For Avid ‘Star Wars’ Fans: The officially licensed Han Solo in Carbonite Fridge holds 18 cans of beverages, or remove the shelves and pack it with bantha burgers or other snacks. The red LED lighting on the front makes it even more special (or switch it off, if you prefer), and the handle on top pretty much ensures that the Force will be with you when you show up at a party with this thing. You can also set the temperature to cool or heat its contents. ($159.99 at ThinkGeek.com)
2016 GIFT GUIDE Happy Holidays! Whether you’re making a list of “Stuff I Want to Give” or “Stuff I Want to Get” (or both!) here are a few fun ideas to make your gifts a little merrier this year.
For Highly Organized Groomers: Yes, there are a ton of ordinary shower caddies you could buy to help organize all those hair products, body washes, shaving creams and everything else you need to face the world in the mornings (or evenings). Design company Quirky, however, supports budding inventors by selling their distinctive inventions. So in that same spirit of championing entrepreneurs, we’d like to suggest this not-so-ordinary Shower Station, created by inventor Josh Wright. The adjustable shelves rotate and have many nifty places to accommodate all your pampering needs in one modular design. (About $70 at shop.quirky.com) 8
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For Morning Multitaskers: Nostalgia’s ‘50s-Style 3-in-1 Breakfast Station brews coffee, toasts bread and cooks meat and eggs – all at the same time! A 30-minute timer with automatic shut-off has your back if you’re in a rush and tend to forget little details like turning off hot appliances. Buy it on Amazon; price varies depending on color ($68 for retro red; $80 for retro blue). For more of Nostalgia’s cool gadgets, visit nostalgiaelectrics.com.
HOLIDAY FIX
For Nature Lovers: Swing your cares away with this combination hammock and lounge chair by Leisure Season. The umbrella provides protective shading, while the weather-resistant coating keeps it safe from the elements. (Swing Lounge Chair with Umbrella, $329. Get it at Home Depot. More info: leisureseason.com.) For Sleep Perfectionists: The Beddit 3 is the first sleep tracker to monitor all aspects of sleep quality and quantity, along with heart rate, snoring, breathing and even room temperature and humidity. Even better, you don’t have to wear anything; just slip the thin, soft sensor under your sheet, and Beddit automatically begins tracking as soon as you lie down. A Smart Alarm wakes you at the right time for your body, and a complete sleep report – transmitted to an app via Bluetooth – is waiting for you each morning with suggestions for better sleep and progress reports over time. Developed with medical professionals, its two-week sleep summary can provide helpful comprehensive data for personal trainers, therapists and health care professionals. ($149 at Beddit.com)
For Man-Cavers: Heritage Handcrafted’s Whiskey Wood Bar Stools are made from reclaimed Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel wood, the original whiskey barrel hoops and artisan-forged wrought iron. Perfect for man-cave bars, these stools practically scream, “I’m so manly.” Available with a round swivel ($245) or standing square seat ($195), the seats can be carved with a monogram, company logo or event date for an additional $15. Get them at heritage-handcrafted.myshopify.com.
For Hipsters Who Are Way Too Cool For An Ordinary Fishbowl: The Umbra FishHotel Aquarium provides five-star accommodations for swank fish. With its mod design, a detachable white ABS plastic outer shell that can be painted, and a stackable option (just in case you want a high-rise with multiple tenants), the only thing the FishHotel is missing is room service. That’s on you. ($40 on umbra.com – and just about everything else on the website is fantastic.)
For Pet Parents With Separation Anxiety: If you get homesick for your pet when you take vacations or while you’re confined to a cubicle all week, Petzi is for you! This iOS/Android app-controlled, Wi-Fi-connected, remote pet treat dispenser and camera lets you see, snap, treat and speak to your pet from anywhere, at anytime. Just call your pet through the highquality audio system, watch for its adorable little face when it approaches the camera, hit the treat dispenser button and snap a photo if you feel so inclined. Supposedly it can be used for cats as well as dogs, but I’ll believe it when I see it. ($165.95 at petzi.com)
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SHOPPING FIX
Want unique? Shop local By Robin Gallaher Branch or an inventive Christmas gift this year, area vendors suggested a crafty toolbox, Memphis art and antique jewelery, a cheery door pocket, Santa Clause china and delicious chocolates. Let’s start with confections. Phillip Ashley Chocolates makes the perfect Christmas gift, said Gizelle K. Anderson, executive assistant, “because we create something everyone loves and present it in a new way.” An idea she suggested for Christmas, one that will spread the holidays into 2017, is a “subscription program with options to receive chocolates six times a year or attend any of our private tasting events throughout the year.” She praised Phillip Ashley clients as both food adventurers and discerning connoisseurs. Phillip Ashley Chocolate are “designer chocolates” and especially good for that person on your list who “seemingly has everything,” she said. Lisa Thomas of Terri Hannah Home & Garden in Germantown suggested a couple of items from “a whole shop decorated for Christmas.” A very popular Christmas gift is Hannah’s colorful door pockets. She makes them individually ($80-150). Nearby is Two Doors Down Bridal Registry, also owned by Terri Hannah. Thomas singled out Vietri Old Nick dinnerware. The handpainted dishes show a merry Santa in different poses. Both shops’ tell-tale signatures are easy to spot under a tree because of the present’s custom gift wrapping. “We have handmade bows. Many people say to us, ‘I don’t want to unwrap it! It’s so pretty!’” Thomas said. Well-known in the Cooper-Young area, Palladio Antiques and Art and nearby Palladio Interiors are go-to shops for people looking for antiques, specialty items and contemporary furnishings, said Becky Maury, general manager. Higher-end wares sell especially well at Christmas, she added. Art by Memphis artists is among them. “One of our biggest sellers is art,” Maury said. “A lot of people are updating their homes. Instead of buying a whole new set of furniture, a good way to update is with art,” she said. Palladio’s local artists include Sarah Robertson, Lois Arrechea and Paul Edelstein. Customers also like Palladio’s jewelry. The shop carries Olga King, Frances Cianciolo and Allie Rox. “Joann Hathcock
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The biggest draw to Palladio for locals besides the furniture is the art. Above, a painting by local artist Lois Arrechea. Below, Phillip Ashley Chocolates offers gourmet flavors that ring in the holidays: Blue sapphire truffle and pumpkin spice. At left, me & mrs. jones offers a painter's starter kit.
with her vintage jewelry does really well,” Maury said. Maury loves Christmas. “It’s always an exciting time for everyone. It’s fun to see people running around and buying things for people they love,” she said. me & mrs. jones is a paint store, a high class one, and probably an unusual place to go Christmas shopping. Nonetheless, its tool box will bring a big smile when found under the tree. “It’s our favorite gift item,” said Stephanie Jones, and yes, she is the Mrs. Jones in the store’s name. “It’s an Amish tool box, locally crafted. Inside is a starter kit of paints, enough for someone to complete a project,” Jones said. The tool box is made by a local artisan. With dimensions of roughly 9” x 9” x 4”, it comes with a handy handle. After finishing a project, some people put the tool box in a workshop as a holder for tools and odds and ends. Others set it on a dining room table laden with extra napkins and spoons. It’s versatile, pretty and fun. Prices vary because of products needed for a project but start at $100.
CREATIVE FIX
Forge a creative path with Metal Museum workshops By Holli Weatherington inding a creative outlet is a journey that can produce tremendous gifts. If you’ve ever wanted to create something with your hands but maybe aren’t quite sure where to begin, let us offer you the National Ornamental Metal Museum. Metalsmithing is an art form and a skill that requires patience and an imaginative spirit. Here, they offer an array of classes to help you explore that process. Throughout the year the Metal Museum offers workshops and classes for enameling, welding, casting and forging/blacksmithing (the archetypal metalsmithing of shaping metal with a hammer). In December, they offer the annual Enameled Copper Ornaments Workshop. This year it will be held on Dec. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. This one-day workshop will delve into enameling technique and whet your appetite for the art. Enameling is glass fused to metal; either copper, silver or gold. It’s an ideal medium for jewelry, ornaments and other decorative pieces due to the numerous creative options available with enameling. The color doesn’t fade and the enamel doesn’t wear off, which means those pieces could last a lifetime or much longer, if treated correctly. Kevin Burge, repair and restoration manager at Metal Museum, has taught the class for four years. All students are given a 3-inch copper disk to create their piece, and learn stenciling with a magic pen which adheres the enamel (glass in powdered form). “I encourage people to play with design,” says Burge. “Start with a base color, then fire the piece. We are working with a fine powder and if you want to use one color, then another color, but you put them on the disk at the same time – if you bump it, you have to start over again.” The firing of the piece means it is put it in a kiln at 1,450 degrees which essentially melts the powder, fusing it to the surface of the copper disk. “We do multiple layers with differAn Enamel Copper ent colors or surface treatments,” ornament created Burge says. “We have transparent in the annual and opaque enamels and, depending December class. on how you do your layers, you can make the surface do different things.” Feedback has been positive. Students do everything from traditional Christmas colors to their favorite sports teams. In addition to the holiday enameling workshop, the Metal Museum offers classes year-round, starting with their bi-annual “Tasters Choice” classes, a day-long event of workshops showcasing the four main arts of metalsmithing they do at Metal Museum.
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PROVIDED BY NATIONAL ORNAMENTAL METAL MUSEUM
Forging metal, the oldest and most revered skill in metalsmithing, can be learned at workshops available at the Metal Museum.
Upcoming events Holiday Store NOV. 20 – DEC. 30 (Open Mondays in December) The Museum Store is a great place to get one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts! The Museum Store Gallery will be transformed into a store to provide a unique holiday shopping experience with gifts by artists across the country. Holiday Open House SUNDAY, DEC. 4, Noon – 5 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the holidays! Take a class or do some shopping for unique, handmade gifts in our Museum Store. Enameled Copper Ornaments Workshop SUNDAY, DEC. 4, 1 – 5 p.m. Get ready for the Holiday Season by creating colorful ornaments of your own design! Using copper and powdered glass, make four custom enamel ornaments on copper. This is the perfect way to make a lasting memory during the holidays. $130 | BEGINNER | ALL AGES A Day of Tasters SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Full day of classes teaching four disciplines of metalsmithing – MIG welding, basic blacksmithing, casting and enameling. Four people per class. $50 per class | BEGINNER | 15+ For more class listings and exhibits, visit: metalmusuem.org
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why we love our home
Wintertime wooden, golds and neutrals give this Germantown dining room a rustic and country feel.
A Home That Flows By Stacey Wiedower
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uring the holidays, Emily and Blake Deaton’s dining room is a festive family hub. “The flow is really nice, so it lends itself well for entertaining,” says Emily, a first-grade teacher at Germantown’s Farmington Elementary. “We like to have Christmas parties and friends and family over, and everybody just kind of flows from the dining room into the keeping room and kitchen. If we have a large party, the food is in the dining room. There are lots of places to sit, and it’s a good gathering area.” An avid crafter and DIY-er, Emily loves nothing more than finding the perfect piece to create a homey, happy space – especially during the holidays. She’s blended pieces from her family’s past with new pieces she scores at places like antiques stores and Goodwill and gives new life. “I have a project going on at all times,” she says. In the dining room, she looked to others to help her not just find, but create the perfect pieces to turn the space into a welcoming room for family and friends. She had the dining table custom made by Southern Sap Woodworks, and she commissioned the buffet from a furniture maker in Bartlett. These pieces mix with a small, antique dresser-turned-sideboard with family history. “I find things I like and mesh them together,” Emily says. “That piece was my grandmother’s and was passed down to me. She had redone it. It was in her house when she was young.” As for the light fixture, Emily replaced a dated chandelier
Photos by Troy Glasgow
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Getting ready for a holiday party, the Deatons set the table.
with a piece she found in an antiques store in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. “It was just a metal drum, so I bought a light fixture kit and did some rigging and turned it into a chandelier,” she says. “I replaced a six-light chandelier, and although it doesn’t put off a ton of light, I love the way it looks.” Recently, Emily turned an extra bedroom into the craft room she’s always wanted – and that room is another reason she loves her 1980-built Germantown home. When she and Blake bought the house in early 2015, she turned the space into a workhorse-style traditional craft room. After living in it for a while, though, she decided to imbue the space with the same homey, comfortable feel she’s worked to achieve in the rest of the house. “I decided I wanted it to be a more formal room,” she says. “The changes in the craft room began with the removal of a lot of furniture and getting the desk made from a friend, Michael Pennington. The bookshelves are functional storage and a way to help me organize different machines. I sew, do monogramming, vinyl work and just anything I feel like I can recreate myself.” She hung the large Christmas canvas, which she painted for her mom based on a magazine photo, to give the room festive flair for the holidays. During the season, her crafting desk does double-duty as a wrapping station. Depending on the season, it’s now a true multipurpose space – the desk works for grading papers as well as it works for wrapping presents. “The desk is large enough for me to spread out all my different materials and not feel crammed but is also a functional study/office without screaming ‘craft room,’” Emily says. “I needed space to put everything, space to spread out. I just try to express myself in any way I can.”
Emily Deaton wraps gifts in her craft room, her happy place.
cover story
A P R I VAT E T O U R O F
Annesdale Mansion A detailed look at this 166-year-old Memphis treasure By Holli Weatherington
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Welcome to Annesdale Mansion. The door is open. Come around to the back and walk up the steps under the illuminated string lights overhead and step through the antique wooden screen door. First on your left is the only part of the home that’s been completely renovated – the gourmet kitchen. Marvel at its beautiful marble counter tops, white molding and arched windows.
Cabinets for days, a chef’s stove and full cooking capacity with all steel appliances. That’s the last time you’ll see anything new and shiny, for we are on to the classic beauty that is this Italian-villa style estate. Through the next corridor you walk upon black and white checkered marble to behold the winding grand staircase with red stairs and crystal knob. In the elaborate front parlors you'll experience original woodwork and intricate moldings. Handpainted frescoes and detailed stucco and stonework give this home more allure than modern appliances ever could. This property has many stories to tell and a rich history to share. Romanticized and opined about in print, this residence has taken on a persona of its own. It could even be Memphis’ best kept secret, except that once a person experiences Annesdale, they tell others about it. Constructed in 1850 by Dr. Samuel Mansfield, this villa estate was a luxurious respite complete with the finest materials and native plants one would find in an Italian mansion. It was purchased in 1868 by Colonel Robert C. Brinkley as a wedding present for his daughter, Annie Overton Brinkley, who married Colonel Robert Bogardus Snowden, thus combining two highly prominent families in the South. The home remained in the same family for more than 140 years. You get an undeniable feeling of romance and mystery driving through the iron gates and up the winding, gravel driveway as it gives view of the home, then again walking into the grand parlor and navigating through the various rooms with their 141⁄2 foot ceilings, custom art, numerous carved and marble fireplaces and classic decor. For this tour we are going to walk you through the restoration process of bringing this structure of yesteryear up to today’s standards, an impressive story indeed. What began as an intriguing look at an estate sale, culminated in the whirlwind process of purchasing the home to keep it in tact, with grand visions of restoration.
Come up the back steps, above, and feel Annesdale Mansion whisk you into its romantic past. The only renovated room in the house is the kitchen, below. Extensive termite damage necessitated this room’s rebuild. On the previous page, the front entryway is welcoming and exudes classical charm upon walking in the door.
“I was so taken by this place, I ended up coming back four times,” said Ken Robison, principal of Robison-Finch Estates and Appraisals and current owner of Annesdale Mansion. “I shared with the (Snowden) family that I wanted to live here. It was out of curiosity, because I didn’t know the history. “While it was on the market, the majority who wanted to buy it wanted to develop it into multi-home units. I just wanted to live here. I fell in love. “The family was very generous with me. It was more imporNOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016
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At top left and above, an ornate Italian stucco medallion in the grand parlor has withstood the test of time. At top center, the crystal knob was a status symbol that communicated to anyone walking in the front door that this home was paid for in full at the time of purchase. This iron grate, at top right, is used for a return register. Below, at left, carved mahogany moldings, painted trim and a fresco add layers of intricate detail in this corner. Below, at right, a carved limestone fireplace tells a story.
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Details and Amenities 7.5 fenced acres 2-story Italian villa design and architecture 17,000 total square feet 9,000 heated square feet (each floor from basement to attic is about 4,000 square feet) 14 1⁄2 foot ceilings 11 fireplaces Fully landscaped gardens with water feature Full privacy with lush vegetation New energy efficient HVAC system Fully renovated chef’s kitchen Antique art, décor and hand crafted elements throughout home
The mansion’s pocket doors, arched doorways and elaborate moldings put the “grand” in grand parlor, above. Original oil paintings, original marble fireplaces and extensive woodwork define the classic luxury of each room, including the sunroom, below.
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tant to the family to find a good steward of the home (rather) than a price tag.” And that is exactly what Robison intended to become when he completed the purchase of the home in 2010. He lived there for a couple of years. In 2013, the estate was reintroduced to the community officially as Annesdale Mansion, a premier wedding and event space. What is seen on the surface was mostly intact upon purchase and did not have to be restored, including all the original wood, stone and stucco work. It was the parts that couldn’t be seen that needed the most work, along with the overgrown grounds. On top of that, the home never had a termite contract in its lifetime, so there was joist and structural damage all throughout the house and the kitchen was completely destroyed. “I’ve always tried to restore instead of renovate,” says Robison, who went to painstaking efforts to track down and buy back much of the home’s original artwork and antique furniture. “I had to start over and I wanted to do the best I could.” Robison was able to buy back five out of eight custom oil paintings seen throughout the first floor. He bought back all of the crystal chandeliers, some furniture pieces and the most prized piece, the original oil painting of Annie Overton Brinkley herself. “I was able to bring her home,” he says with pride. Robison worked with renowned local architect, John Griffin, and local contractor Garland Sullivan, to determine the direction of least disruption to the original elements. There was no choice with the kitchen as it had to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Elsewhere, some walls were repainted with colors of the home’s time period. They pulled off all the vinyl wallpaper in
the entryways, along stairwells and on the second floor, and that’s when the magnificent cracks were revealed. Currently, Robison is working with a restoration person to blend the plaster with the white paint in areas of the entryway. “Either you love the rustic look or you don’t,” says Valerie Bledsoe, property facilitator and event coordinator. A longtime friend of Robison, she is highly conscientious of his desire to keep the home as authentic as possible. “I have brides come in and are completely in love with the cracks in the walls and every detail and then I have brides walk in and ask us when we are going to fix the walls,” Bledsoe says, who explains the cracks are vital to the charm, and will never be fixed. Much of the plasterwork outside had to be replaced and the entire exterior was repainted, including the bell tower. The original limestone on the front porch and garden beds had to be replaced and the columns and archways were all cleaned and restored. A completely renovated HVAC system was required, so Robison hired Roy May Heating and Air to design a highly energy efficient heating and cooling system for the more than 9,000 square feet on the first and second floors. When the house was built, there was no room for duct work, explains Robison. It had radiator heat and "nine ugly window units," as Robison describes them, before he upgraded the system. Plaster and brick are great insulators, but they needed to get air through the entire house. “After a lot of research we put in 20 tons of high efficiency HVAC,” says Robison. “It’s a first class job. We added foam (insulation) in the attic that meets with the plaster and brick. Our first electric bill was a mere $311.” To preserve the antique look, Robison chose a series of decorative metal grates for the return registers. He insisted on grates, not vents, Bledsoe says. The framework of the garden was recreated. Robison says all the crepe myrtles were original to the property along with mature boxwoods and the larger trees. The ivy on the garden wall was planted and guided up the wall, which has flourished on the brick garden accent wall. For the landscape design, he hired Barbara Keathley Associates, Inc.
Natural cracks in the plaster wall peek out from where vinyl wallpaper was removed on the second floor, above. Like something out of "The Secret Garden," lush greenery, an ivy-covered brick accent wall and winding walkways give the gardens, below, a magical feel.
In keeping with making the space ideal for weddings, all white hydrangeas and azaleas were planted. They see their fair share of wild visitors as well, from owls, rabbits and hawks to a flock of blue herons. Next up for the estate, replacing the old chain link fencing with 2,700 feet of hand forged iron fence. Since 2013, the mansion has seen countless events and weddings, and national magazines have sought it out for photo shoots. Every room has a distinct personality with its own unique history. We hope you have enjoyed this tour of Annesdale and that you appreciate the love and care with which this estate has been preserved. Annesdale Mansion is alive and well at 166 years old, and she has reclaimed her ranking on the social event stage of Memphis. To learn more, visit annesdalemansion.com NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016
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ASK The Expert
Door Materials and Maintenance Compiled by Holli Weatherington When the temperatures change, the doors are one of the first areas to notice changes or damage. If your door is wood, you will notice swelling in the summer and contracting in the winter, same with wood door frames. Over time this can lead to degradation of the wood, but it can be treated to last longer. Beyond wood, fiberglass and iron doors offer alternatives that are still beautiful and very durable, plus, they won’t have the issues with expanding and contracting that happens with wood. We talked with Beau Maison Door and Windows owner, Allen Cheek, on the key points for choosing a door, and how to inspect and address weaknesses. Cheek says he tells all his customers that there are four key points to choosing the type of door you want, for any part of the house: beauty, durability, energy efficiency and security. “Some folks care most about one more than the other,” says Cheek. “But the front door is heavier on the beauty part.” When it comes to curb appeal, the front door is the focal point. It really sets the tone for the house. “The general thought is if you have a crummy front door, you have a crummy house,” says Cheek.
Materials When choosing a front door, durability is vital. Cheap or soft wood absorbs water, warps, cracks and splits. Hard woods like mahogany, alder, oak and cherry stand the test of time, with proper finishing and annual treatments. Other door types include fiberglass, steel and the nearly impenetrable iron doors. Fiberglass doors have been on the market more than 30 years. The grain of the panels and edges are made to look like individual pieces of wood, but they hold up a lot longer than wooden doors. “It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference,” Cheek says. “They are close in price to wooden doors of the comparable size and shape. The materials are a bit more expensive and the finishing is a little more.” Iron doors are an alternative for those who are not interested in the maintenance of wooden doors, and who want a statement piece. Down the road, a wooden door is going to be the highest maintenance, but if you have a good covering over it (porch or awning) and it’s harder wood, you’ll have them a long time. “Wood is a natural product and it is going to expand and contract, but it’s hard to beat the beauty of wood,” added Cheek. For all other house doors not on the front, Beau Maison recommends steel. With steel you can’t stain them or change the colors, but Cheeks sells them in 15 different colors. “It’s the most economical and it fits all the other key points together,” Cheek said. “It costs about half as much as the wood door.”
Maintenance For wooden doors, the basic laws of physics apply. The softer 22
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the wood, the less durable it is. Pine or fir has a very short lifespan. Mahogany, oak and alder are extremely durable. Sun is the biggest killer of wood and moisture is a close second. Sunlight dries out the wood and shrinks it over time. The way a door is sealed, explains Cheek, has greatly improved over the years due to compression and sealing techniques. Nowadays doors can close up as tight as car doors. Ideally, a front door should be facing north or northeast to get the least amount of sun damage, and being under a covering or awning will further protect the door. South and southwest facing wooden doors will take more damage in a shorter time, says Cheek. “A lot of that has to do with the finish and the way the finish is applied,” Cheek says. To prolong your wooden doors, keep up the finish. Whether it’s painted or stained, it needs to be redone at least annually. Fortunately, on ninety-nine percent of jobs, explains Cheek, the doors and trim are all factory pretreated in controlled environmental conditions. By the time your wooden door is installed, it should be pretreated, painted or stained and ready to do its job. When it comes to iron doors, none of those concerns exist. A simple hose spray will clean most iron doors. Iron doors are custom fabricated to design specifications, so your door is created after you choose your design. They hold up to all the elements, but they can get really hot in direct sunlight.
Signs it is time for a new door First, keep up with your frame. Having the actual wood part of the frame resting on the brick or concrete on the outside can be an issue if it’s not sealed properly. Water can get in and rot the wood from the bottom up. “A lot of times the paint film on the outside will hide it,” says Cheek. “It may pucker the paint skin.” Tap the frame with your fingers. If it sounds hollow or if it’s soft when you tap or push on it, it’s spent. No part of the frame should give at all. If it’s swelling or bulging out, it has some form of water absorption. Look at your door closely and check to see if light is coming through the door frame. Other signs it’s time to replace a door: Colors are faded, glass is fogged or handles are falling off. “Typically, we replace a lot of wooden doors,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll go back with wood but more often than not (unless they are in love with wooden doors), people are sick of the problems from the wooden doors like cracks, seals, air coming through, warped and not sealing, ill-fitting with frame.” With the right materials, ideal placement and proper maintenance, you can make your door a beautiful focal piece that stands the test of time. Beau Maison has worked with everything from 100-year-old homes to brand new ones. The company's primary job is for custom door replacements. They offer a lifetime warranty on doors and hardware, with a 10-year warranty on the finish. All doors are installed with factory-trained specialists.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Carving a niche Martha Kelly paints, illustrates and prints the world around her By Emily Adams Keplinger
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Photos by Greg Campbell
idtowner Martha Kelly is an artist of many talents — a painter, an illustrator and an urban sketcher. About eight years ago, she broadened her artistic focus to include a traditional art form that is rarely seen anymore — print making. For her images, Kelly incorporates scenes from her own life. Using a process that involves carving a reverse image into a block of linoleum or wood, then rolling ink onto the block, Kelly uses a printing press to transfer the image onto a sheet of paper. She has a 1909 press that is treadle operated that she uses for smaller pieces and a larger, manually operated table-top proof press that she uses for medium-sized prints. Kelly says she loves walking the city with her dog, Mr. Darcy, looking for cool things to sketch. She is also the Varnell Artist in Residence at Memphis Theological Seminary for 2016-17.
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Name: Martha Kelly Company Name: Martha Kelly Art Age: 46 Hometown: Memphis Education/Training: BA degree in fine arts Medium: block prints, watercolors, oils Website: marthakellyart.com Instagram: @marthakellyart Facebook: facebook.com/marthakellyart When did you begin to develop your art: I knew as an early teen that I wanted to be an artist, but my school had a terrible art program. So, each summer during high school I began to proactively develop my art by auditing undergraduate drawing classes at Memphis College of Art (MCA) to learn the fundamentals. I didn’t want the college credit — I wanted to take those core classes with my art major as well, but I needed to develop the basic skills to be ready for an art major. In more recent years, I’ve audited a couple of classes in printmaking at MCA as my work has moved more in that direction, just for my own development. What was your AHA moment: It was in one of those teen classes at MCA, when I was 14. We were painting in water media, and I was doing an outdoor sketch of the baby in the birdbath sculpture that still sits right outside of the school. The tempera paint mixed and melded on the page in a way that was so much richer and more interesting than what I had imagined, and I remember thinking right then, “Wow! This is what I want to do!” Making art isn’t often that magic moment. Maybe once a year something comes out better than I planned it. The rest of 24
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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
the time, the work I do doesn’t ever match the vision I have in my head when I start. But those rare moments keep me going, and I have learned to enjoy and appreciate the rest of the work that happens, even if it’s not quite what I had hoped for. How did you find your style: I never tried to develop a specific style as such. I’ve always just painted, and now carve, the subject matter I’m interested in. Trees have always been central in my work, as have skies, and the style has grown out of my attention to those subjects. It’s been interesting that after years of painting, which is mostly about color and light, I have developed such a love of block prints, which tend to be about pattern and line. I love that I can go out and do a watercolor on site and afterward turn it into something with a completely different feel through carving the same image into a print. Flowing back and forth between those two styles keeps my work and my eyes fresh. How do you describe your work: I am primarily a landscape artist, though my sketching habit, developed with the Memphis Urban Sketchers, now has me making prints of subjects I wouldn’t have considered in the past. Proudest moment: My solo exhibition of prints and paintings at The Dixon Gallery and Gardens last fall. They were having a traveling show of Southern Impressionism and asked me to do a show of current Southern landscape paintings to complement it. It was a huge honor. Where can your work be seen: I’ll have a show of my prints and on-site watercolors from Paris (I was there to paint this summer) at Playhouse on the Square through Jan. 1, with the opening reception Nov. 18, from 5-6:30 p.m. I’ve been working
on prints from the watercolors since I got home, so the show will be a mix. I’ll also have an Open Studio Sale with potter Melissa Bridgman on Dec. 10-11. And, people can contact me to make an appointment to come to my studio. What else do you want people to know: This is exactly the right moment to order My Memphis or Paris calendars for 2017 from my online store at https://squareup.com/ market/martha-kelly-art. NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016
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COMMUNITY FIX
Giving Back s the holidays approach, it’s a time when many Memphians think about ways to give back to the community. The Bluff City has countless nonprofit organizations, many of which have a natural connection to the giving season, from homeless shelters to canned food and coat drives. And as Memphians look for ways to give back during the holidays, the city’s nonprofit organizations heavily depend on that generosity when the bulk of donations and requests for volunteer assistance occur. It’s that generous spirit that makes the work of many of the city’s nonprofits possible, said Volunteer Memphis Director Dr. La Sonya Harris Hall. “Not only is Memphis a giving community but when you take into account the high level of poverty in our community, the numbers of giving we have is astounding,” she says. “It far exceeds national numbers. Memphis as a collective community – from our civic and social clubs and faith-based organizations to leadership of the city – Memphians believe in this city.” Organizations such as Volunteer Memphis and Volunteer Odyssey list a wealth of volunteer opportunities across the city. These are just a few of the many worthy organizations that rely on money and volunteer hours. Calvary Rescue Mission started in 1967 as a men’s gospel rescue mission. Since that time, the overnight shelter has provided more than 581,000 overnight lodgings and served 1.39 million meals. The mission is raising funds to construct a new building that will allow it to house 108 men, up from the current 50. Calvary Rescue Mission regularly depends on groups and individuals to serve food to the men. calvaryrescuemission.org Mid-South Food Bankworks as a food distribution center for partner organizations throughout its 31-county service area. The Food Bank distributes food to community agencies that then meet people where they are. Money donations are most needed; the Food Bank can buy many items in bulk at a lower cost. Individual volunteers and groups are needed year-round to help sort donations. midsouthfoodbank.org Porter-Leath’s Toy Truckcelebrates its 15th year in 2016. It’s a good opportunity for businesses to collect toy donations that go to Porter Leath, which served nearly 6,000 children across Shelby County last year. The Toy Truck ensures all of those children have a gift to open during the holidays.
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porterleath.org Volunteer Memphis has connected volunteers to organizations for more than 20 years. Whether during the holiday season or any other time of the year, volunteers can start by going to Volunteer Memphis’ website to do a self-assessment to determine the best organizations that fit a person’s interests. Its database includes more than 20,000 volunteers, and regular calls to action signal current needs to that list. volunteermemphis.org Volunteer Odyssey has four points of entry for volunteers during the holidays. The first is a calendar of opportunities, with more than 250 events listed in any given month. A second is a virtual volunteer fair on the website that gives a tour of the city’s nonprofits. Volunteers can contact Volunteer Odyssey to get connected to an opportunity that works for them. And a fourth way, which was launched during the holidays last year, is to pledge to volunteer at a different time of the year. volunteerodyssey.com The idea for signing up to volunteer at a different time than the holidays was simple for Volunteer Odyssey. Founder Sarah Petschonek says it’s important to remember those organizations operate year round and need assistance well beyond December. “There is definitely a spike in volunteering around the holidays,” she says. “People’s hearts are in the right place when they reach out, but it can be overwhelming for nonprofits.” Petschonek says many people seek to volunteer on Thanksgiving serving food at shelters or right around Christmas. When they discover those opportunities nonprofits already have the volunteers they need, and those people often don’t look for other places to help. And while people usually seek out opportunities to serve food to people in need or buy gifts for children, there are many organizations that are left out during the holiday giving period. “We need people to also look for the lesser-known organizations that can have really incredible missions and volunteer opportunities,” Petschonek says. “They’re often overlooked. We need people to look for those little diamonds in the rough.” Hall and Petschonek both said it’s important that volunteers pick an organization with a mission they find passion in that will be more likely to keep them coming back throughout the year. “It would serve our larger community if we can think about serving beyond the holidays,” Hall says.
DESIGN STUDIO NASHVILLE ILLUSTRATION
By Lance Wiedower