Date:  July 2, 2020  |   Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |  

A vacation home in Jasper offers endless opportunities for family fun

Amid the rolling hills and treetops of the Ozarks is one family’s treasured retreat. With a wraparound porch, courtyard dining, rows of rocking chairs, and even a tennis court, it’s a dream home for a family who loves to spend time together outdoors. And while classic architecture makes the house feel as if it’s been a part of the landscape for decades, this picture is only partially true. 

“When the owners first bought this land, there was a roughly 100-year-old farmhouse in this exact location,” says Daniel Keeley, who designed the landscape and outdoor living spaces both here and at a compound on another part of the property. (Its two cozy cabins and their outdoor living areas were previously featured in At Home). With plenty of sleeping quarters at the aforementioned area, this house was intended more as an “entertainment hub.” “They didn’t necessarily need more bedrooms, but having another gathering place like this where they can all be together is really important to them,” Daniel says. “And once they discovered the original farmhouse was beyond repair, they figured they might as well make it everything they wanted it to be.”

When the decision was made to build new, the family brought on architect Jeff Laur, contractor Tim Emerson, and Daniel, who had also become a friend over years of working together on various projects. “We wanted to design it very much in keeping with the original house,” Daniel says. “It’s Southern, casual, and rural, but dressed up a little bit.”

We wanted to design it very much in keeping with the original house.” —Daniel Keeley

Step Right Up
Natural stone steps, a white gate, and lush liriope and catmint lend a cottage feel to the home’s entrance, while white clapboard siding and weeping mortar in the structure’s brick foundation give the home a lowcountry appeal. An antique iron bell installed on a post by the entrance is a relic of the home’s past, one of the few items found on-site before construction of the new house began.

Al Fresco
A large dining table in the courtyard offers space for a crowd to share a meal, often from the nearby pizza oven (seen on page 44). “We wanted to bring that casual, Southern feel throughout the design,” Daniel says, pointing to the classic shape of the skirted-style wicker chairs paired with a more modern concrete-top table. “The captain’s chairs’ historic Windsor design is English-turned-early-American, and that’s chronologically fitting for the style of the house,” he adds.

Indoor-Outdoor Design
Daniel turned to the home’s interiors for inspiration in the outdoor furnishings. “We always try to bring the outdoors in and vice versa, so I asked what colors they were going to use inside the house before we began,” he says. In this way, he pulled shades of navy and denim throughout all the outdoor areas, including a screened porch off the house’s only bedroom (above) and in upholstered rockers along the veranda (left). A lighter version of the hue coats the ceiling of the wraparound porch, and classic Bevolo copper lanterns fit right in with the home’s Southern style.

We wanted to bring that casual, Southern feel throughout the design.” —Daniel Keeley

A firepit behind the house creates another destination for gathering, particularly when the temperatures drop at nightfall. Lights over the tennis court in the background mean players can hit the court after sundown.

Playing Fair
One of the vacation home’s most unique features is its tennis court, complete with a pavilion for spectators to keep an eye on the fun in a cool, comfortable environment. Although this destination is a short walk from the house, similar design materials and furnishings make it feel cohesive in the overall design. A beverage fridge on one end offers easy access to refreshments on hot summer days.

Design Resources
Architect Jeff Laur, Jeff Laur & Associates Contractor Tim Emerson, Tim Emerson Construction Landscape and outdoor living design Daniel Keeley, DK Design Outdoor furnishings and accessories DK Design