A Perfect Fit An extensive home renovation project gave new life to an old house and raised money for a local organization. written by Melanie Crownover photographed by Joe Worthem
It’s hard to believe Suzanne Russell has lived in her
West Jackson Street home for only a few months. Each piece of furniture, accessory and picture on the wall looks as if it were made for the space. The interior is modernly appointed but has a casual comfort that creates the feel of a lived-in home. Although Russell outbid other buyers for the house in Parkgate Pregnancy Clinic’s Mess to Masterpiece house-flip fundraiser earlier this year, her connection to the place started well before. “I’d actually looked at this house to fix up myself a while before it went off the market,” Russell said. “I had a couple of guys come out to look at it for me, and they said no way should I do it because of the
BEFORE
dilapidated condition it was in. When I found out who had bought it and what they were doing with it, I kept my eye on it every time I drove by because I knew I was still going to buy it.” It turned out she had the chance to buy it for a good cause. Parkgate acquired the house in November 2016 to renovate and sell as a fundraiser. Organizers planned to use the proceeds for clinic services, including parenting classes, ultrasounds for women facing unplanned pregnancies and the abstinence program they teach in Tupelo and Lee County Schools. Ten local churches and 50 community businesses donated materials for the makeover, and Tupelo charitable building organization Eight October 2017 | INVITATION TUPELO
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