Home Grown

H ome Grown

a magazine of The Oglethorpe Echo

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On the Cover

Linda Brown decorated part of her Lexington home early for Christmas in order to serve as our cover photo. Plaid always makes an appearance in her holiday decor of the renovated farmhouse, which uses the home’s original wood for the wall paneling.

Avery Householder/Home Grown

Maximizing your porch

How three porches reflect the architecture and allure for their homeowners.

Symmetrical Splendor

An artist’s formal garden serves as his personal sanctuary.

Farmhouse Renovation

A couple takes us inside their renovated 1920s home they bought for $1.

Drapes, Curtains and Shades, Oh My!

Considerations for picking the right window treatment, with help from designer Linda Parish.

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Hues of Nature

Details from the outdoors influence Rebecca Wood’s artistic refuge.

Preserved Plantation

Local leader Kathleen deMarrais is enthralled with her 19th century home.

Finding Family

Historical research uncovered an unexpected connection to an Oglethorpe County homestead.

DIY Arrangement

Honor the last few blooms of the season with this floral arrangement.

Download the full color e-edition from The Echo’s website (theoglethorpeecho. com), where extended versions of selected stories will be posted this month and in January.

This vibrant display by Jenny Derevere uses dahlias and other blooms from her floral farm in Stephens.

Lily Baldwin/ Home Grown

Home renovations, room makeovers, DIY projects, garden design and holiday decorating all require planning, time and money, and quite frankly, the love — and obsession, at times — of homeowners, designers, gardeners, artists and crafters. This spe cial publication about Oglethorpe County reflects all of that.

The planning began before the pandemic, when I was selected for the University of Georgia’s Spe cial Collections Libraries Fellows Program. Through that program — both before the pandemic and in meetings with archivists in 2021 and 2022 — I discovered how to bring archives-based learning into my special topics course on home and garden writing this fall. As I considered how to best use the funding from the program, our college’s effort to save this nearly 150-year-old weekly newspaper led me down the road to Oglethorpe County and the idea for a special print and digital publication.

As I drove this summer along Highway 78 and into the historic districts of Lexington, and now Maxeys, which received the National Historic Reg ister status this fall, I was intrigued by the opportu

nity to tell the stories of residents, artists, preserva tionists and gardeners in the county.

I'm thankful to Kathleen deMarrais for her insight about homes, gardens and historic properties, and for pointing us in the direction of many individuals and houses that are featured on these pages and in The Oglethorpe Echo this month. It was fortuitous to learn that archivists Jill Severn and Chuck Barber with the Special Collections Libraries are Lexing ton residents. The pair, along with Mazie Bowen, who helped identify documents, photos, maps and books from the Special Collections Libraries for our class to study, were a fount of knowledge, ideas and lively conversations.

I knew we had the team to do it after seeing the journalism students’ excitement and interest in this type of storytelling. Thanks to Dr. Janice Hume and Dr. Jon Peters for their support of this class and publication. Andy Johnston and Dr. Amanda Bright, who lead the team of students who produce each week’s issue of The Echo, and designer Amy Scott provided essential guidance and easy collaboration. Dr. Andrea Hudson lent her photojournalism knowl

edge as a guest speaker in class one day, which led to her advisory role in helping select the images and participate in the cover shoot at the home of Winston and Linda Brown. Winston responded in the summer to a callout in The Echo seeking homes and gardens to feature, and months later, we were delighted to be in their farmhouse shooting a din ing table decorated for the holidays.

As students learned about architectural and de sign styles, interviewing people about their homes, gardens and artistic passions, writing compelling stories and capturing strong visuals to accompany those stories, the magazine began to take shape. The students brainstormed names, and Home Grown seemed like a natural fit that represents our focus and the connection that longtime and new residents have to this county.

We hope that you will sit back and enjoy read ing the profiles, how-tos and other stories that reflect the lifestyles and ways in which people express themselves through their homes and gardens in Oglethorpe County. Thank you for opening your doors to our students.

Johnston Editor

Meet the staff

Home Grown

Lori Johnston, editor

Amy Scott, designer

Andrea Hudson, photo adviser

Staff

Lily Baldwin, Ashley Balsavias, Emma Bennett, Christa Bugg, Sarah Donehoo, Caitlin Farmer, Megan Fitzgerald, Avery Householder, Sydney Hood, Shelby Israel, Peyton Jenkins, Erin Kenney, Clara Kiker, Celia Lovell, Alden Lisse, Isabelle Manders, Allie Peagler, Josh Talevski

The Oglethorpe Echo

Andy Johnston, editor

Amanda Bright, instructor/assistant editor

Amy Scott, designer

Lori

Sarah Freeman/UGA

Porch

perfect

Inspired looks from three porches across the county

By Ashley Balsavias and Sydney Hood

Simple and serene

Joanne Maki’s wraparound porch is her favorite part of her Smithonia home. “When the sun’s out and it’s not windy, it’s very pleasant.”

Traditional and historic Chuck Brooks finds himself on historic ground each time he steps on the Lexington porch, which has been in his family for over 100 years. His PlattBrooks Estate is one of the county’s oldest homes. Built circa 1813, the porch is 53 feet long and features six hand-carved columns.

Embrace traditional Brooks said the decorations complement the Greek Revival architecture. “How would you decorate this house back in the 1800s?” he asks himself. Rocking chairs and macho ferns are staples, and the low-maintenance plants add a pop of green.

Embrace family ties

Maki’s porch features rocking chairs made of bent willow. The chairs originally belonged to her mother, and Maki said she’s had them for around 15 years.

Colorful and calming

Annie Mae Baughens enjoys the views from her front porch in Crawford. “I like to sit on the porch and see the cars when they pass by,” she said.

Embrace variety

Baughens’ porch features miscellaneous items at every corner. Some items show her school spirit, like a bulldog mailbox purchased at an Athens yard sale.

Tour his garden in a video by Josh Talevski on The Echo’s YouTube channel (@theoglethorpeecho7663).

Morning glory

From the break of light to around 10 a.m. most days, Terry Rowlett works in the backyard of his Lexington home, manicuring his formal garden. With his morning mug of coffee and some extra for guests, Rowlett pauses to admire his “million-dollar view,” a sculpture of an Asian goddess placed strategically along the land’s treeline to serve as the focal point of his one acre off of East Church Street.

He is the quintessential gardener, maintaining the health and beauty of his plants, trees and outdoor grounds, with evidence of his work packed under his nails. The backyard began as a vegetable garden, and he was inspired by past neighbors and gardeners Ryan

Gainey and Rick Berry, who are now both deceased.

“There's a look that I'm going after, and it goes back to the Renaissance. It really kicked off this spring when I got my final design for the flower beds and built up the pillars with the little urns on them. It took a while to get the exact flow of it. I have these avenues that you can look down and have some nice views. I just keep adding more English boxwoods, shrubbery and azaleas to strengthen the shape of it. Make sure you have enough area to build your rectangle plots or circular plots, get out there with a tape measure and some stakes, stake it out and grow it.”

By Allie Peagler

Terry Rowlett nestles in for a photo on an October morning in front of his formal garden in Oglethorpe County.

Allie Peagler/Home Grown

A new season

By Alden Lisse and Avery Householder

Winston Brown envisioned a hunting cabin when he offered to buy an unused house from friend Bill Cunningham for $1. The 1920s house had been uninhabited for years on Cunningham’s property across the street from Brown’s farm in Lexington. The siding of the 1,640-square-foot house was falling apart, and there was no kitchen or bathroom. Brown, a former

construction worker, was determined to renovate the home, despite its condition. He gave his friend $1, loaded the house onto the back of a truck and moved it a mile down the road to his property.

“I saw the house, and it was an old house, but it was well built,” Brown said. His wife, Linda Brown, initially resisted moving from Lawrenceville to their 650-acre farmland in Oglethorpe County. When Winston bought the house, Linda

See how these homeowners transformed a 1920s cabin into a rustic farmhouse

promised to move to Oglethorpe County and try living there for a year. She had one condition: She could decorate the house exactly like she wanted it. That was 3½ years ago. After selling their former home in Lawrenceville, the couple permanently moved to the Lexington property.

From the antler chandelier to the hand-painted landscapes and portraits, the rustic farmhouse is a unique blend of the couple’s interests. Winston’s original idea of the house being a hunting cabin remains evident in the rich wood paneling and animals displayed throughout the home. They’re complemented by Linda’s artwork and seasonal decorations.

She used neutral colors as a base to allow for easy incorporation of pops of color. “I didn’t want this to be a formal house since we’re in the country, so, you know, (it’s) country living, but comfortable,” Linda said. “I want people to come in and feel warm and cozy. You

can sit down on anything and put your feet up and just enjoy it.”

Her holiday decor comes from a variety of stores, including Belk, T.J. Maxx and Williams Sonoma. She said plaid adds texture to a room, while classic and vibrant red hues make the space feel inviting.

“Being an artist, decorating my house is just another form of painting,” Linda said. “It’s just how I use my creativity.”

During the two-year renovation, the couple wanted to make sure they preserved some of the character, such as the wood paneling and the hardwood floors. They kept the original doors, which even with their wear and tear maintain the old home’s charm.

The couple renovated the kitchen and bathrooms, and added a 650-squarefoot upper level and a detached garage for more bedrooms and an art studio.

“We love Oglethorpe County,” Linda said.

“It’s a great county full of wonderful people and people that care about each other. And I love the peace and quiet.”

Winston and Linda Brown sit on their back porch with their 16-year-old cockapoo, Maggi B.

Avery Householder/Home Grown

The antler chandelier weighs over 280 pounds and was transported from their previous home in Lawrenceville, Georgia. In order to get the chandelier into the Lexington home, the living room window was removed.

Alden Lisse/Home Grown

The star

TREATMENT

A guide to dressing up your home’s windows

Anyone who has shopped for window treatments knows the options are endless. Roman shades or pleated drapes? Minimalist blinds or chunky shutters? What about swags, valances and cornices? Even if you’ve narrowed down the style you want, you still have to select materials and hardware, not to mention have them installed. Here are a few things to keep in mind when on the market for window treatments.

By Erin Kenney

Form versus function

Window treatments can create a showstopping focal point in a sitting room, or they can block out the hot afternoon sun in your home office. What matters most is that your window treatments serve the purpose you want. In Linda Parish’s historic Lexington home, she uses bold drapery in her front rooms to lean into her colorful, yet traditional, interior design.

To create a statement, opt for fabrics with strong colors or patterns, and consider including a valance

or cornice for extra drama. If you just need to block out light or add a little extra insulation, prioritize a window treatment’s utility, rather than its appearance. Attention to detail will help you get the most out of any treatment you choose. Parish said to make sure all drapes have a “return” on the valance that wraps around the side to block a window’s light from slipping through the gap. Taking time to implement details like this will help you maximize both form and function.

Expert tips: How to get a pro look

Parish owned a window treatment business in Atlanta for over 50 years and still occasionally takes on projects. Custom window treatments are an investment just like fine furniture, rugs and accessories.

• Find an interior designer or window treatment specialist with the experience and expertise to guide you in the right direction for your home.

• For quality, make sure your treatments are custom made in a local workroom and not being ordered from a made-to-measure company that calls itself a custom house because they generally lack options and detail. Parish also said to be sure that hardware is commercial quality.

• Choose an installer who has been professionally trained or has years of experience installing custom treatments. The installer can make or break the final look and performance of the product.

Trendy versus timeless

Before you order those trendy curtains on Amazon, consider whether the design will stand the test of time. Opt for classic colors or prints that are true to your style. “If you make it work for the room, and everything coordinates, you don’t have to change (your window treatments) all the time,” Parish said.

TIP:

Just because you’re looking for a timeless design doesn’t mean you have to shy away from bold patterns. Parish has had her parrot-patterned drapes for over 20 years.

Save versus splurge

While full custom window treatments are often much higher quality than curtains you find at big-box retailers, where curtain prices hover around $20 to $30 per panel, they can also get expensive. According to HomeAdvisor, homeowners spend an average of $800 outfitting windows with custom treatments.

If you’re in a rental, it might be best to opt for a cheaper DIY window treatment, like purchasing curtains and rods from a bigbox store and installing them yourself. If you envision staying in your home for the foreseeable future, however, custom treatments may be worth the splurge. Their high quality means they can stay in shape for decades.

Shades, drapes and more

A window treatment glossary

Blinds — Unlike shades, blinds are made of individual slats that can also let in varying degrees of light. Blinds are typically opened with a cord or handle, but there are also cordless varieties.

Cornices — Cornices only cover the top part of a window. However, cornices are often made of wood and then stained, painted or covered with fabric for an architectural look.

Curtains — Curtains and drapes are similar; both are panels of fabric covering a window in its entirety. Curtains are typically more informal, and can vary by length and hardware used for installation.

Drapes — Drapes are often more formal than curtains and made with

heavier, lined fabrics and often fall to the floor.

Shades — Shades can come in a variety of materials like fabric or bamboo, but typically fit the size of a window and are retracted with a cord or roller.

Swags — Swags are pieces of fabric loosely draped over or around a rod. Swags can achieve different levels of formality based on material and installation.

Valances — A valance is a piece of small fabric that hangs across the top of a window, typically covering hardware or the top of another window treatment, like blinds. Pleated valances offer a more structured, formal look.

Window treatments make a statement in Linda Parish’s Lexington home. Erin Kenney/Home Grown

An artist’s haven

Rebecca Wood finds dream home in Lexington cottage

Story by Shelby Israel Photos by Megan Fitzgerald

Amix of colorful hues and rich earth tones fill artist Rebecca Wood’s Lexington home, reflecting the outdoors she grew up loving.

“You just can’t help but notice the beautiful symmetry in nature and the colors and the light and all that, and that just got deep in my bones,” Wood said. Built in 1890, the renovated Georgian-style cottage features an expansive yard and gardens she cultivated, as well as a barn out of which Wood teaches ikebana, Japanese flower arranging workshops. Wood, who owns R.Wood Studio in Athens, purchased the one-bedroom, one-bath home in 2017.

Rebecca Wood furnished her living room with antique pieces from estate sales and thrift stores.

“I just wanted to be able to grow my own food and flowers and have privacy,” Wood said. “I just feel so blessed and excited to live out here.”

Despite the home’s age, Wood said the only updates she made were updating the AC system, rebuilding the porch and painting the floors a bright clay orange. Wood, a frequent thrifter, said she appreciates the character found in old things.

Her favorite room is the dining room, which has three large windows that capture daylight. She opted for white paint throughout the house to emphasize her love of natural light.

Her love of art manifests throughout the 1,800-square-foot home in dreamy floral paintings, including her works above the original fireplace, and a combination of pottery, some of which are her wood-fired pieces. Other pieces are from “Perspectives,” a yearly showcase in Watkinsville of 50 Georgia potters that she helped start in 2003.

“I just want to show that vision of the artistic, creative life, lived and full, so that people could be like, ‘That’s what I want,’ ” Wood said. “Because if you don’t see it, you don’t know.”

When her two granddaughters visit, Wood said they love to pick out one of the smaller mugs from the display for tea parties. Her home studio contains minimal wooden furniture to create an open and bright workspace.

Piece by piece

With care from current owners, an 1830s home retains its past

Kathleen deMarrais steps onto her porch and motions toward a stone path lead ing to the door that’s slightly overtaken by grass. While doing upkeep on one of her gardens, deMarrais dug up a stone, then anoth er, until she realized she had discovered an old walkway. “I’m trying to reclaim it again; it wants to grow over,” she said.

DeMarrais is a champion of historic proper ties, so it’s only fitting that she puts her words and actions into practice at her Lexington home. She and wife Jamie Lewis, who pur

chased the home in 2003, are attempting to maintain remnants of 19th century Oglethorpe County while adding personality throughout the residence.

“It’s got this really rich history. It used to be a cotton plantation, and it’s such a solidly built house,” said deMarrais, president of Historic Oglethorpe. “It was in the same family until the last ones died. What’s really sad is that … once the family dies out, then there’s nobody to take care of the house.”

The main part of property, known as White

professor emerita in the University of Georgia’s Mary Frances Early College of Education and co-owner of the Rowdy Rooster in Lexington, shares updates to her historic home on its Facebook page (facebook.com/whiteoakplanta tionlexington).

By Sarah Donehoo and Emma Bennett

Kathleen deMarrais (above),

Portrait by Sarah Donehoo. Home photo by Emma Bennett.

The home — seen in a photo from the 1930s, nearly a century after it was built – is joined by a sharecropper house, outhouse, smokehouse, cookhouse, henhouse and grain barn on the 4.19-acre property in Lexington.

Emma Bennett/ Home Grown

Oak Plantation, was built by slaves in the 1830s, she said. In 1916, the Doziers, the original owners, added an addition to the back includ ing a staircase, kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, half bath and back porch.

The two-story home’s symmetrical layout features four rooms on each floor. She calls the four rooms off the second-floor hallway “the peach room, blue room, yellow room, and red room,” adding that they did not paint any of the rooms a new color. The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house, which has 3,782 heated square feet, was not always as practical as the rooms’ color-coordinated names. Gussie Dozier, White Oak Plantation’s previous owner, never installed a bathroom.

“Miss Gussie and Miss Ruby could never agree where to put a bath room,” deMarrais said. “They never had a bathroom inside the house.”

The bathroom, along with a ramp built by CSR Construction next to the back porch steps, are modern additions to the home, which has accumulated antiques as decor. “I started collecting antiques when I was really pretty young,” deMarrais said. “There’s a cupboard down stairs that I’ve been carting around for all my moves.”

Much of the original furniture, built between the 1840s and 1850s,

was sold in 1979 by a nephew of Augustus Dozier. The corner cup board features craftwork still present from the Dozier house. A “fauxgrain” paint job makes the cupboard — and one of the home’s fire places — appear to have a rich finish. This style was popular during the 19th century, she said, and involved commissioning artisans to create the desired texture for a wooden structure or fixture. Original finishes, like the faux-paint, have been untouched. “We do a lot of up keep,” deMarrais said. “It’s not all sanded up and all bright and shiny. (It’s) like Miss Gussie had it, basically.”

There is no place where White Oak Plantation’s history is more evident than its structures. Her research has shown that 26 slaves lived at the plantation at one point, said deMarrais, professor emerita in the University of Georgia’s Mary Frances Early College of Educa tion. “There would have been a loft here, and this would have been a bedroom, and then he had electricity here,” deMarrais said, standing in the middle of the dilapidated sharecropper’s house.

While the residents and some of the buildings have come and gone, deMarrais said they are dedicated to the property’s future. “We just work at it a little bit at a time,” she said. “You spread it out over the years and you figure, OK, what needs to be done next.”

Stepping into the past

By Christa Bugg

conee Forest Road, and the roads connected to it, are gravel.

As I rode from Athens with my dad on a sunny October day, I was surprised that so many homes and farms lined the road, hidden from the rest of Oglethorpe County. From Athens, we drove about 40 minutes to Stephens on paved back roads and 10 more minutes on a road of red, Georgia clay. We pulled up to the house, a black structure that stuck out against the green grass, followed by my mom, who drove my van. I felt myself getting excited. This was it.

Then a headstone took me by surprise. I knew that there was a cemetery near the house. The front headstone is just for decor — admittedly unusual decor — noting our family name and located near the house.

When I was younger, my last name, Bugg, was the thing about myself that I hated the most. I was surprised when I saw it on the back of a photograph from 1978 in the University of Georgia’s Special Collections Library when our class visited to learn about the county through archival documents. I requested to view several boxes, hoping for something that was different than my classmates. Little did I know that I would find something so personal. “Bugg House cr. 1710-20,” the caption read.

In the archive photos, brush covered the foundation of the house, and decades of history showed through the empty windows and missing pieces of siding near the roof. I knew I had to see the house. The photo didn’t have much info, leaving me to find the rest about my ancestors’ connection to the county. More recent ly, George Bugg, an Athens businessman who owned the house before he died in 2019, was my grandfather’s second cousin. The next week, my great-uncle gave me the phone number for Bugg’s sons, George Bugg Jr., and the homeowner, his brother, Perry Bugg. George and Perry live in the area but not Oglethorpe County. After

a few minutes of conversation, they agreed to take me and my parents out to view the homestead the next week.

The house is bordered by the Oconee National Forest. The back of the 150-acre property is divided by Falling Creek. Over the summer, Perry cleared the trees behind the house, leaving only 50 feet by the creek. Although the black rubber that now encases the decay ing wood looked different from the photo, the distinct chimney and some disheveled wood pieces in the top right corner were fa miliar. A friend gave the brothers rolls of rubber, and they wrapped the house to preserve it.

The interior brings a hunter’s aesthetic with wood paneling and even a camouflage shower curtain. The lone bedroom has six bunk beds. As I walked around the house, I almost missed the back of a staircase, which is hidden behind the bedroom door. Family mem bers and their friends have signed underneath the steps, mostly unreadable scribbles of memory. I imagined the sounds of children and adult feet stomping up and down the steps.

Before exploring the land, we stopped at the cemetery and prayed. With family memories in my mind, I could imagine the people who were there before me. “I just want to make sure it stays in the family,” Perry said.

As I reconnected with nature and family, the overlap of bird, deer, coyote and human prints and the sounds of nature showed me that the land is still teeming with life. “I hope we don’t see any predators today,” I said. All my life, people have viewed me like prey. I was smaller, shyer and had a name to match. Now, the serenity of the property made me feel powerful, like I was the predator with a pack to support me.

My visit is grounded in my family history, which is part of the county’s history. I’m sure there are countless other stories hidden among the trees and down the gravel roads.

The Bugg family’s house has been passed down for generations and is now used as a hunting cabin. Christa Bugg/Home Grown

Beautiful blooms

By Lily Baldwin and Isabelle Manders

A colorful cold-weather arrangement brightens bland days

Jenny Derevere creates elegant and colorful arrangements with blooms from her flower farm, Jenny’s Garden and Design (jennysgardenanddesign.com), in Stephens. The floral artist describes her designs as “garden style,” mimicking the free, loose and natural look of the plants that grow outside her back door.

What you’ll need

• Assortment of dahlias, chrysanthemums or other seasonal blooms

• Small amount of various greenery for texture

• A flower frog to stabilize stems

• Chicken wire and clear tape,

1Set your studio

one-quarter inch wide

• Garden shears for efficient shaping

• A flat work table

• A lazy Susan or 360-degree access to the arrangement.

• Your favorite urn-style vase (non-transparent)

2Strong Foundation

Spread all your materials on a flat work table. Place your vase on a lazy Susan or allow yourself space to move around the table. Look for a vessel appropriate for the size of the arrangement, such as a ceramic urn. Your plants will need a few points of support to hold the shape you build.

4

Petal play

Place each stem using your best judgment. Derevere said it’s all about creating a piece of art that you enjoy looking at. “Just kind of play with it and see where it takes you,” she said.

Reevaluate and improvise as you go, adding variety. “I’ll add a zinnia for a nice textural change from all the dahlias,” Derevere said.

Use a floral frog in the bottom to stabilize the stems. Add clear tape cut into strips to create a crisscross formation across the top of the vase. A chicken wire cage domed over the tape tapestry will further strenghthen the foundation. Fill about three-quarters of the vase with water.

5

Natural flow

Derevere builds voluminous, flowing arrangements by using short and tall stems to create a sense of movement and curating the flowers to face different directions.

“What’s nice about this one is she’s kind of facing down, so she has a natural arch,” Derevere said, picking up a hot pink dinner plate dahlia.

3

Find a muse

Pick a bloom and cut the stem to a desired length. Place it anywhere within the chicken wire and tape structure, being sure it sticks to the pins of the floral frog. Derevere recommends starting large and building around the eye-catching components.

6 Final touches

Once blooms have taken most of the space, start adding greenery. Take a step back every few moments to look for negative space.

Spin the vase to get a full visual and supplement open areas with greenery or statement blooms. Derevere added more pink dahlias at the end, which brought a final flourish of color.

Jenny Derevere creates an arrangement in her studio in Stephens. Lily Baldwin/Home Grown

Terry Rowlett is a fan of formal gardens and their symmetrical design. His Lexington garden in the fall features marigolds, zinnias, boxwoods and azaleas along with various sculptures.

Josh Talevski/Home Grown