The Davis-Jefcoat House
Hey y'all! Brooke here, and welcome to our beautifully renovated home in the heart of our very favorite city- Laurel! I am currently the photographer and communications manager for Laurel Mercantile so we thought it would be fun to walk through this renovation experience together. I'll start by saying that we had the smoothest and most incredible time doing this with our sweet friends Erin and Ben and 100% trusted them along the way to create exactly what we needed and wanted in this home together.
Nearly three years ago I was living in Laurel with my husband Brandon and our almost two year old son. We were married in 2010, and our very first apartment was walking distance to the Napiers. We both grew up right outside of Laurel, so moving into the city when we got married just seemed like the right choice. We loved the atmosphere of being in the downtown community and made a life here that we adored. In 2018, Brandon was running his own production company and working with the crew on Home Town, I was teaching at the local middle school, and we had a beautiful growing little boy with hopes for more children some day soon-life was incredible... However, early in March that year that would all look very different. The Lord took Brandon home to heaven unexpectedly and my whole existence felt completely shaken. I wasn't sure where to go next, what to even do, and I had no idea how I would keep moving forward. Thankfully my faith kept me moving and it was the community of Laurel, and our family and friends, that literally picked us up and carried us. I'll never forget the way that we felt so surrounded and never alone, it got me through some of the darkest days. In the summer of that year, I came on with Laurel Mercantile as their photographer and well, they haven't been able to get rid of me since. It's been a dream to be here and be a part of this whole team! It's created a sense of consistency and flexibility for my now growing family plus an atmosphere of creativity and love that pushes me through each day.
(Pictured: Brandon)
When I remarried this past June, we knew that buying a home in Laurel was something that we wanted. We searched for the perfect family home that had historic charm, space for us to grow, and in a neighborhood that would be perfect for our family. Thanks to Erin and Ben we got just that! Robbie and I were ecstatic for a fresh start, and to finally be settled in a dream home of our own. We knew from the beginning that this home was so much more than just a house... It would be a space that we had prayed for, for such a long time! The cherry on top would be to have Erin and Ben helped us out along that journey.
(Pictured: Robbie, Kingston, & Brooke)
When we found our house, it had been on the market for a while. I like to say that it was just waiting around for us. I fell in love immediately... Even though the house was dated, with deep red walls, and a den that felt like a dingy brown room with wasted potential. It definitely needed some work, but we could all see past the outdated spaces and picture something incredible. Here are a few before photos:
It's hard to say which room we were most excited about. I think I would say I couldn't wait to see the transformation of the brown den... I couldn't wait to see what they had in mind for that space because I could envision my family sitting in there enjoying a movie night, or Christmas by the fire with hundreds of twinkly lights from the tree. The possibilities were endless for me! Robbie couldn't wait to see the exterior just not be pink anymore... I guess I can't blame him!
Because Erin was already such a close friend, she had such a great idea of my personal style. A little bit of vintage, a little bit of modern and totally understood my love for beautiful warm tones and clean lines! I'd say she really hit the nail on the head with every single room.
Our dining room was a bit different for me! Erin totally shocked me by pulling out the fact that she would like to paint the room black... on top of a beautiful, but somewhat dated feeling wallpaper. Would it be too much? I have to admit I might have had the smallest fear at first that it might be, but she was so confident that it made me feel confident so quickly that it would look incredible! And oh my goodness, it's definitely one of my absolute favorite rooms in the house now. Please wallpaper, never mess up! The world is a better place with you in it, haha.
I couldn't have guessed that we would have loved our space as much as we do. From the exterior colors (MY FAVORITE) to every single room and space that they completed... we were absolutely in awe! I don't think there's a day that we've been in our home where I didn't try to pinch myself that we actually get to live here... plus, that deck! I sit on that deck every single day. Cannot beat that shade from the magnolia tree and how it now overlooks our back yard. We cannot wait to spend many more years in this beautiful space!
The most heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our lifelong friends Erin and Ben. Taking the time to fill this space with more than just things... you made an effort to incorporate things that were special to us, that when we moved in it would already feel like home. It is the perfect balance of all that we want to hold onto and remember and a fresh start for us. We could not love it more and we are so grateful.
Visit here for my very favorites I put together for the Laurel Mercantile Collection!
