A Dream of a Home

Story by Terri Glazer | Photography by Annabella Charles

2022 Memphis St. Jude Dream Home

The winner of the 2022 Memphis St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will truly receive a dream of a home—a charming cottage with a lake view and all the character of a classic home, newly built with today’s best amenities.

At Home Memphis & Mid South, a sponsor of the annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, recently toured the home, set to be given away on June 26. Now in its 23rd year, the project has raised over $ 26 million to assist St. Jude in its mission to eradicate childhood cancer.

The 2,100-square-foot house may be moderate in size, but it packs a big design punch with its smart use of space and loads of extra features often found only in larger custom homes. Kim Loudenbeck, whose design firm Warehouse 67 is staging the Dream Home, says that’s what sets it apart. “Trends are to give the spaces that you do have character no matter what size the home is. What working with a home this size allows you to do is upgrade the finishes. I was impressed with the amount and level of trim work, the beautiful detail. The barrel vault in the living room with the brick, I honestly have never seen this application in the Mid South before and it's just beautiful.” 

Katie Yokie has been associated with the construction of the St. Jude Dream Home for 12 years and has steered its design for the past four. She says her job is easy, thanks to the wide array of product choices available from the many national and local sponsors. From the General Shale brick to the Shaw floors to the Kichler lighting fixtures, the materials are high-quality and in today’s most up-to-date styles and finishes.

The home’s front entry faces a serene lake, creating a peaceful ambiance. The front door welcomes guests into a stunning living room with a brick-lined, barrel-vaulted ceiling. Anchoring the room is a natural stone fireplace with a cedar mantel. Built-in cabinets on both sides play up the cottage charm and echo the style of the cabinetry in the adjoining open kitchen. Every square inch of that kitchen is well-thought-out, including room for a stainless steel gas range, a separate oven/microwave combo and plenty of storage. The island, topped with Silestone quartz counters, holds the sink and dishwasher, in addition to well-lit prep room and seating space.

Yokie chose Sherwin Williams Breakwater for the color of the custom cabinetry from Southern Cabinets, with a slightly distressed finish and furniture-style trim to up the cottage kitchen style.

Wide plank engineered hardwood flooring from Shaw has plenty of traditional appeal, but with both warm and cool tones in its stain it’s neutral enough to work with whatever style of furnishings the future owner chooses.

The downstairs primary suite includes features usually found in grand homes. The trayed ceiling in the bedroom immediately draws the eye up to the elegant Kichler chandelier and on to a unique wood trim detail. Shiplap lines one wall for an extra dose of architectural interest and large windows allow natural light to bathe the room.

The attached bath, separated by the cutest paneled French doors, is a study in effective use of space. An elegant double vanity with plenty of drawer space is opposite a freestanding soaking tub. Just past the oversized shower, a fully fitted owner’s closet from Inspired Closets would be the envy of any fashionista.

An adorable second bedroom, another full bath and a separate laundry room complete the downstairs, and no detail was left out in any of these spaces. Yokie is especially fond of the three-quarter board and batten paneling that surrounds the guest bedroom. “I love the height. It reminds me of a house with age and character. We’re trying to bring that into every room.”

Loudenbeck echoes her fondness for the trimwork. “When you think ultimate cottage style, this is it. Because they did such a great job adding those special details that make a traditional cottage home, we went the extra mile with the antique-look iron bed layered with beautiful textiles—prints and patterns. The trim work is the perfect backdrop.” 

Yokie says she tries to include a new or unique product or material, “something that people haven’t seen before to dress up a space,” when she makes selections for the Dream Home each year. For 2022 that highlight comes from Shaw Tile. The hall bath features wall tile in a graceful arabesque pattern with further interest coming in its variety of textures, including smooth, linear and slightly rocky quartz. 

Even the laundry room got special design attention through the addition of a gray and marble-look basketweave tile floor that Loudenbeck says is squarely on trend. “The small-scale stone mosaics are so popular for bathrooms or laundry rooms now. People are tending to go with those more unique patterns because they provide texture and allow an area to have a little pop.”

The home’s upstairs holds a third bedroom or multipurpose room and another full bath. The generous bedroom, dressed up with decorative trim and a large window, could serve a multitude of purposes. Loudenbeck envisions it as “a place for the family to have down time to hang out and watch TV. But it’s large enough to hold a pullout sleeper sofa, so guests could have a separate wing with their own bath, living area and a place to sleep.”

Loudenbeck says she was thrilled to come on board to stage her first St. Jude Dream Home. While the mission of the hospital holds a special place in the native Memphian’s heart, the project gives her a chance to explore a design style not commonly found in the Mid South. She hopes those who tour the house will enjoy the change of pace. “We don't get to do cottage style very much here in Memphis. If we were more in a coastal area, the Carolinas or Florida or the Hamptons, you would see more cottage but I think that people will enjoy something different, something unique and a little bit out of the box. We hope they will come in and see how they could see themselves in a space like this.”

To achieve that goal Warehouse 67 is staging the home completely, from furniture to linens, drapes and rugs, plus accessories and artwork. Yokie says the significance of that is tremendous. “It's important when someone walks in here that they feel at home and it’s impossible to do that without great furnishings.”

Although the furnishings are the ultimate finishing touch, Loudenbeck admits that the house is the true star of the show. “What's great is that no matter what we add, the home itself is absolutely stunning. We're not having to make the home have character or charm; it's already there.”