Tuesday Tour - 215 Kimbrough

Yay, it's Tuesday and what a good one it is!  After the sales meeting we had SIX (!) new in-house listings to tour and our luncheon was at a gorgeous pocket listing (that means it's a secret, y'all!) that my broker, Linda Sowell, and her assistants, Jeanie Henson & Katie Lambert, hosted.  Oh, you wanna know what we ate?  Mini pimiento cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, shrimp salad, fantastic BLT's, rave-able potato salad (Jeanie said the recipe came from the Kwik Check on Madison!), and a cute little platter of cookies and brownies that featured melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies with a little dollop of chocolate ganache.

Sorry.  I completely got off topic there for a minute.  Anyway, because it's Tuesday, YOU get to peek into one of Memphis' wonderful homes, too!  Today, we're going to check out this marvelous home on Kimbrough built in 1925 in Central Gardens.  Absolutely beautiful, no?



215 Kimbrough



I didn't whimper. I actually squealed.

I hosted an Open House here this weekend and absolutely fell in love with it.  Remember how I said one day I'd live in Central Gardens?  If today were the day, THIS would be the house!  It's got this beautiful, classic façade from the outside, but not too showy.  No, it's an understated place really.  And in fact, there's this sweet, humble quality to the entire home.  Don't get me wrong, it's grand in all the right places.  It's just so...perfect.  Yes, that's the word.  It's perfect.  In fact, I think I whimpered a little when I opened the front door to see slim, French doors in front of me!  I adore French doors!  You pass right through a little entry and into a wonderful stucco-walled living room that extends all the way to the brick, covered patio and perfect little yard beyond.  There's this great staircase with a landing that has two extensions - one comes off into the living room; the other turns back into the kitchen area.  I just love that the current owners have kept the decor really classic and light.  I'm sure it's in part due to staging (sounds like a good blog post topic!) but whatever the reason, the decor doesn't overwhelm the house.  And the architectural details are just heavenly - beautiful woodwork, radiator-bench window seats, dark green glazed tile around the gas fireplace, beautiful light fixtures, plantation shutters, gleaming wood floors, glass knobs on the doors, built-in China cabinets and bookshelves...  Really wonderful little details to swoon over throughout the place.

Great, big ol' living room!

Come on in! I've made pie!

 There's a really inviting quality to the kitchen.  There have been some updates and they're all supremely tasteful - a gorgeous kind of cream and black and brown marble-y textured granite countertop, classic creamy white cabinets with dark hardware, and that wonderful neutral paint is used throughout the house.  Those dark wood floors that I just adore extend into the kitchen and the current owners have one of those great butcher-block islands that serves as a wonderful casual dining spot.  There's also a little nook just off the kitchen that was probably intended as a little breakfast room, but with the formal dining room and the island seating, more tables and chairs would just be redundant so the current owners are smartly using it as a little sitting area, perfect for smooshing into the couch with yer coffee and the morning paper (or Red Bull and iPhone, if that's how you roll).



Picturesque, no?

 Oh gosh, what else?  There's a cute little half bath downstairs just beyond the kitchen, the basement has been built out and is the perfect little gym spot, all the bedrooms are upstairs and have so much wonderful natural light (the huge master suite has a full bath, walk-thru closet, laundry, and sun room; the guest rooms share a bath and boast nice closet space), you can walk right out the back and onto a little brick patio surrounded by lovely mature landscaping, there's a two car garage with attached guest suite (that little building is the PERFECT place to show off your can-do skills!), a little front patio that's completely private behind mature shrubbery, and the parking is all gated.  Whew!  What a great list!

Oh, and even though he doesn't come with the house, the place is currently being guarded by one of the most fabulous dogs I've ever met, Stan.  He was such a great host, walking me from room to room, staying by my side in case I needed any assistance (or if the urge to pet him overcame me).



Stan.  Best guarddog ever.

I'm telling you, I took my time and took great pictures and they're all lovely, but they just don't do the place justice.  I really want you to see it in person so you can fawn over it like I did.  If this house has self-esteem issues after my visit, there really is no hope.