Est. 1896 · House No. 7 · Tennessee

Hi, I’m Charlotte.

My college sweetheart and I have lived in and renovated seven houses. This is the seventh, and it’s the last, which I say with the confidence of a woman who has said that before.

She is an 1896 Folk Victorian in Tennessee, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She had already lived more than a century of life before we arrived, but somewhere along the way, much of what made her special was removed.

A house that once had five fireplaces was left with one. Walls were taken down, the downstairs was changed, and much of her original character disappeared with them.

We are restoring and renovating her with a deep appreciation for her history and her story. We want to understand what she was, care for what remains, and thoughtfully give back some of what she lost.

Where we can, we are returning what was removed. Where we need to make something new, we are choosing details that feel worthy of the house and the life she has already lived.

We are not preserving her as a museum. We are helping her become a full and gracious family home again.

The Next Chapter

Two of our three children are in college and one is still at home. We are in that strange season when the house grows quieter and then suddenly fills up again.

I want this to be the place they always come back to. For Sunday dinners, holidays, long visits, future grandchildren, and all the people they will bring into our lives.

This house already holds generations of stories. We are now adding ours, and more than anything, I want our chapter to say, “You were loved here.”

That is the heart of My Creekside Life.

The Things That Come Home With Me

I have been collecting antiques for more than twenty years. Looking around now, I sometimes wonder if I had been shopping for this house all along.

I have a particular weakness for dishes. I have walked past furniture I wanted to get to a shelf of plates, so “weakness” may be putting it politely.

I share what I find, what I paid, what I know about it, and why I think it is worth bringing home. I also share what I leave behind, because appreciating something and spending money on it are not always the same decision.

Along the way, you’ll find rooms in progress, restoration and decorating decisions, gardens being created, tables set for the season, family coming and going, and the ordinary life happening inside it all.

You do not need to own a historic house or know anything about antiques to be here. If you are drawn to homes with character, things with a past, meaningful details, gardens, and creating a home slowly and thoughtfully, I think you will find something here for you.

There are also three children 👧🧒🧑, two dogs 🐶, and I remain hopeful about chickens 🐔.

Xo, Char