At home during the pandemic? Why not remodel the kitchen

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

Like many people during 2020, Kelley Weninger spent her time updating her home. And like many people throughout history, she first started with a general contractor who wasn’t exactly doing what she wanted.

Weninger works for Lee Company as a strategic account manager for larger customers like hospitals. She and her fiance bought the home in the Willow Springs neighborhood in Franklin last summer. They knew it needed some sprucing up, both because parts of it felt dated and because they wanted to make it their own. After struggling to get her kitchen remodeled in a timely fashion with a contractor who was subbing out most of the work, she decided to use Lee Company’s home improvement services to get the work done.

“We were able to pick up the phone and call them if we needed something or if something changed we could easily find or track down who was working on what,” Weninger said. “That was important because sometimes with a general contractor you’ve got to hunt them down and they’ve probably subbed the job out so they’ve got to contact that person. That scenario just did not work particularly well for us.”

Weninger said her family also plans to renovate the master bathroom as well as some smaller projects like updating the dining room.

“There’s a lot more to do, but we really knocked out the big one with the kitchen,” she said.

Alli Thompson with Lee Company said that while not all families were looking for big upgrades like a kitchen remodel during the pandemic, many did things like put in additional plugs to accommodate working from home or having kids home doing virtual school work.

“We definitely saw a spike in redoing home offices,” Thompson said. “As far as our home services group, we weren’t really sure what to expect when the pandemic hit. What ended up happening at first is that people were a little scared to have people in their homes. Luckily we have some technology where we take pictures of things, and so first we were doing a lot of that.”

According to a survey from NerdWallet in August of 2020, more than 60 percent of homeowners said they updated their home during the pandemic.

“The pandemic probably generated a lot of repair and rehab projects, for a couple of reasons,” NerdWallet’s home and mortgage expert Holden Lewis said. “First, homeowners were present to supervise the work or do it themselves. Second, people seized the chance to fix up their homes before listing them, preceding skyrocketing home sales in late summer.”

Lewis said the COVID-19 pandemic also changed how homeowners felt about having contractors and sub-contractors in and out of their home. More than half said they wouldn’t allow home repair or improvement professionals in their home due to safety concerns about the coronavirus, according to the September survey. About 80 percent said later on that they’d just be more cautious than usual due to safety concerns about the coronavirus.

Thompson said later on in the pandemic, and now that vaccinations are ramping up, Lee Company’s home improvement division expects more people to call about bigger builds.

“Some might’ve held out for a bit, but now folks are a little bit more ready to redo a whole bathroom or bedroom,” Thompson said.

Weninger’s kitchen remodel was a complete rebuild — they took everything down to the slab. They moved plumbing, pulled up floorboards and “started from scratch.”

“I thought, you know, we’re both working from home right now during COVID,” Weninger said. “So we just jumped in.”

Weninger’s favorite feature in the kitchen is the island — a large block that includes a farmhouse sink and can be used as dining space or to prepare food. It faces into the home’s great room so she can still chat with family or watch TV while cleaning up. The cabinetry for the island is stained a more natural wood color while the ones on a back wall are painted white. The kitchen looks upscale, but also feels comfortable and like a space that can be lived in. It also features an appliance wall, which neatly tucks away the refrigerator and oven.

Weninger worked with a friend who is an interior designer to create the look — details like the white subway tile lining the wall or the elongated cabinetry or copper hood over the stove.

“Lee Company worked with exactly what we chose,” Weninger said. “So we picked everything and they would just install it exactly as we wanted it. We would give them drawings and know we would get back what we asked for. The whole process, working with a friend to design it and then guys that I knew from Lee Company getting it done. It made it comfortable and easy and it’s now a service I know works from personal experience.”

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Top 10 Home Sales in 2020 in Williamson County

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

The economy may have taken a beating in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the real estate market in Williamson County was booming.

The top 10 homes in the county were all sold above $4 million — the owner of Bink’s Outfitters offloaded a home, Williamson County real estate investor Richard McAdams snapped up a place in Brentwood and the folks at Propst Realty Nashville nearly hit $10 million in the purchase of a Franklin property on Long Lane.

Below are the top 10 homes sold in 2020 in Williamson County, ranked by sale price.

1. 4531 Long Lane, Franklin, 37064

Buyer: Propst Realty Nashville, LLC Sale price: $9.9 million Seller: David Duquette and Pam Duquette Seller and buyers’ agent: Paula Duvall, Benchmark Realty, LLC

This 6,800-square-foot home is on 88 acres — a dream for someone looking for space inside and out. The property also includes a barn-turned-guest house — 3,440 square feet just for the visitors isn’t bad at all. The Colonial-style main house has four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and fire fireplaces throughout the home.

The property was purchased by Propst Realty Nashville, LLC, a firm based in Huntsville, Ala. It was sold by David Duquette and Pam Duquette.

2. 1816 Pace Haven, Franklin, 37069

Buyer: Mash Real Estate II LLC Sale price: $7,250,000 Seller: Jay and Donna Richards Seller’s agent: Mary Sue Dietrich and Janet T. Jones, Worth Properties Buyer’s agent: Bill Henson, SilverPointe Properties

This home, built in 2010 by sellers Jay and Donna Richards, was featured in Nfocus Magazine’s 2018 Homes of Distinction issue, and for good reason. The 19,137-square-foot Franklin mansion, which Donna told NFocus was “built for parties,” is loaded with every amenity imaginable. Along with five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and six half baths, there’s also a 700-square-foot kitchen, a catering kitchen, a media room with theater seating, a racquetball court, a sauna, multiple bars (including one that features a built-in aquarium!), a koi pond and an infinity pool with a waterslide.

The buyer is listed as Mash Real Estate II LLC, an anonymous LLC that leaves little paper trail.

3. 7300 S Harpeth Road, Franklin, 37064

Buyer: Edgar and Michelle Begun Sale price: $6,995,000 Seller: Brandon and Christie Binkley Seller’s agent: Dan McEwen, McEwen Group Buyer’s agent: Aaron Kirchner, Commercial Properties of Tennessee

4531 LONG LANE, FRANKLIN

Not many homes come with a custom-built sign at the beginning of the driveway, but that’s hardly the most impressive feature in November’s top sale. This Williamson County property, aka “The Farm at South Harpeth,” features an updated 4,387-squarefoot farmhouse on 220 acres of sprawling woods that line the South Harpeth River. The land is described as “park-like” and photos show trails, streams, bridges and wild turkeys.

The four-bedroom home is outfitted with geothermal heating and cooling and it features more than 2,000 square feet of porches — both covered and uncovered. A nearby barn is outfitted with high-speed fiber internet

The seller is Brandon Binkley, founder and owner of Bink’s Outfitters, a local chain of outdoor equipment stores.

4. 1025 Carlisle Lane, Franklin, 37064

Buyer: Kenneth and Hannah Brobst Sale price: $6,200,000 Seller: Joseph L. Melz Seller’s agents: Tim Thompson and Tess Thompson Singer, Tim Thompson Premier Realtors

Buyer’s agent: Stephanie Tipton Soper, French King Fine Properties

This home is a 11,433-squarefoot gated estate that was built by Joe and Sandy Melz, founders of Deer Creek Construction, in 2004.

The house, which was only on the market for 10 days (and originally listed at $8.75 million) features eight bedrooms, eight baths, four half baths, five fireplaces and 150-year-old heart pine floors throughout. It sits on a sprawling 24 acres of land that also boasts two barns, an event space, a nine-car garage and a place to land a helicopter. There is an infinity pool and a lap pool.

Buyers are Kenneth and Hannah Brobst. Fun fact: Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born Kenny Wayne Brobst and he is married to Hannah Gibson, daughter of actor Mel Gibson.

5. 7740 Cumberland Drive, Fairview, 37062

Buyer: Natures Way Living LLC Sale price: $5,995,000 Seller: Short Family Farm LLC Seller’s agent: Dan McEwen, McEwen Group Buyer’s agent: Maggie Schuh, Tyler York Real Estate Brokers, LLC

This Fairview farm has a two-story, 2,079-square-foot rustic cabin that sits on more than 350 acres. The property features a five-acre lake with a dock, a basketball court, a firepit, a two-story goat house and a barn outfitted with an apartment and its own covered porch that looks out over the lake. Natures Way Living LLC also owns the 84.5-acre forest property known as 0 Old Harding Road in Williamson County.

6. 5747 Garrison Road, Franklin, 37064

Buyers: Lawrence and Bonita Lineker Sale price: $5.725 million Seller: Greg Gaddy Seller’s agent: Richard B. French, French King Fine Properties Buyers’ agent: Kindy K. Hensler, Village

Built in 2017 on property formerly owned by Wynonya Judd, this 9,400 square-foot “modern farmhouse” on nearly 17 acres includes all the smart-home upgrades, geothermal heating and a “sumptuous” master suite.

Outside, there’s an infinity edge pool surrounded by “outdoor living rooms” and covered terraces. Buyer Larry Lineker is an executive vice-president at insurance firm HUB International. As a couple, the Linekers are prolific real estate investors.

Seller Greg Gaddy is a Washington, D.C.-based real estate agent.

7. 4447 Long Lane, Franklin, 37064

Buyer: Bethesda Road LLC Sale price: $4.85 million Seller: Kevin J. and Jana Kelly Seller’s agent: Cooper Magli, Magli Realty

Buyer’s agent: Jennifer Bickerstaff, Compass Tennessee

This Franklin home has a whopping 130 acres included in the $4.85 million price tag. The property is home to a 10,600-squarefoot brick home built in 2007, an in-ground pool and a guest house. But the listing’s focus was on the potential of the property. It’d “make an exceptional development opportunity,” it reads.

And that could be exactly what is in the works. Bethesda Road LLC sold four lots in Thompson Station’s The Mill at Bond Springs (at 4726 Bethesda Road) to builders including Hawn Custom Home Design, Celebration Homes, Woodridge Homes and Carbine & Associates. Will Bethesda Road turn these 130 acres, which lie east of the Ladd Park neighborhood and the Williamson County Ag Expo Park, into Franklin’s next residential community?

Seller Kevin Kelly appears to be an associate professor of plastic surgery at Vanderbilt Plastic Surgery.

8. 4224 Two Rivers Lane, Franklin, 37069

Buyer: Leslie Ann Liautaud Sale price: $4.7 million Seller: Conradie Family Trust Seller’s agent: Laura Baugh, Worth Properties Buyers’ agent: Gregory Carl Davis and Lisa Davis, Parks

The buyer of this Franklin farmhouse is author Leslie Ann Liautaud, wife of sandwich magnate Jimmy John Liautaud.

The home features five bedrooms, five full baths, two half baths, three fireplaces, an inground pool, a tennis court, a fourcar garage, a detached three-car garage and storage building large enough to accommodate RV parking and enough acreage to allow for up to five horses.

The Conradie family is in the oil business.

9. 1207 Round Grove Ct Lot 104, Brentwood, 37027

Buyer: Richard McAdams Sale price: $4.65 million Seller: Lindsay Todd Butler Seller’s agent: Lisa Culp Taylor, Parks Buyers’ agent: Linda Schklar, The Realty Association

This five-bedroom Brentwood home was only on the market for seven days before being snapped up by Williamson County real estate investor Richard McAdams. The outdoor pool features a lazy river and swim-up bar and the home itself features a wine cellar, two-story master closets and something called a “pet room.”

10. 1016 Vaughn Crest Dr, Franklin, 37069

Buyer: Stephen Davidson and Veronica Perez-Davidson Sale price: $4. 5 million Seller: William Liggett Jr. and Cynthia Liggett Sellers’ agent: Bill E. Henson, SilverPointe Properties Buyers’ agent: Courtney Cooper Jenrath, Fridrich & Clark Realty

This private estate sits on almost four acres in a gated community. It includes a heated salt-water pool with slide, bridge and extensive landscaping. The property also has a carriage house studio with access to an In-law suite. It boasts a theater room, wine room, elevator, exercise room and more.

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THE HOME PAGE GUIDE TO

THE RESULTS ARE IN: THE FOLKS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY THINK A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY ARE GREAT

In Williamson Home Page's inaugural Williamson's Best contest, we asked you to nominate your favorite people, places, parks and more. Then your favorites duked it out for the top spot in our Readers' Choice poll. Our writers at Williamson Home Page have also highlighted the best parts of living in the county for our Writers' Choice section.

FRANKLIN THEATRE

Arts & Community

Readers’ Choice

Best Art Gallery

1. Leiper’s Creek Gallery 2. Gallery 202 3. Spark: An Art Studio

Best Charity Event

1. Wine Down Main Street 2. Turkey Trot beneffiting

GraceWorks Ministries 3. Heritage Ball

Best Charity Run

1. Turkey Trot 2. Franklin Classic 3. Race for the Cure Best Church

1. Brentwood United

Methodist Church 2. Church of the City 3. Saint Matthew Catholic Church

Best Event Venue

1. The Factory at Franklin 2. Franklin Theatre 3. Graystone Quarry

Best Farmers Market

1. Franklin Farmers Market 2. Nolensville Farmer’s Market 3. Thompson’s Station Farmers

Market Best Golf Course

1. Franklin Bridge Golf Club 2. Vanderbilt Legends Club 3. Old Natchez Country Club 3. The Governors Club

Best Live Music Venue

1. Franklin Theatre 2. Kimbro’s Pickin Parlor 3. Gray’s on Main

Best Nonprofit Agency

1. GraceWorks Ministries Inc 2. Erika’s Safe Place 3. Freedom Reigns Ranch

Best Outdoor Concert

1. Pilgrimage Festival 2. Crockett Park 3. for KING & COUNTRY (by The Well Outreach)

Best Parade

1. Franklin Christmas Parade 2. Nolensville Veterans Day Parade 3. Franklin Veterans Day Parade

Best Park

1. Crockett Park 2. Pinkerton Park 3. Harlinsdale Farm Best Place to Go Biking

1. Crockett Park 2. Brentwood Bike Trails 3. Bowie Nature Park 3. Wilkins Branch Bike Park

Best Place to go Running

1. Crockett Park 2. Edwin Warner Park 3. Marcella Vivrette Smith Park

Best Theatre Company

1. Studio Tenn 2. Pull-Tight Players 3. Fairview Community Theatre

Best Virtual Event

1. GraceWorks Big Birthday Match 2. Studio Tenn’s Tennessee

Christmas 3. Franklin Tomorrow Breakfast with the Mayors

Best Wedding Venue

1. Graystone Quarry 2. Mint Springs Farm 3. The Barn at Sycamore Farms

Writers’ Choice

BEST EVENT GROUP The Movie Gang

Before the pandemic started and people could actually gather en masse to watch movies together, one of Williamson County’s best ongoing event series came from The Movie Gang. They would host film screening events for various audience favorites, infuse enough pomp and activity to make it feel like something more and tie it all together with the kind of enthusiasm that gets people interested in movies. Whenever the Movie Guy events return, seek one out. They’re easily accessible and a lot

BEST PLACE TO WATCH A MOVIE AMC’s Dolby Cinema at the Thoroughbred 20

The pandemic has made moviegoing harder than ever, with even diehard film fans stuck on their couches to watch whatever the week’s new releases will be. When it finally gets safe to go back with your friends to catch the newest blockbuster, you must check out the AMC Thoroughbred 20’s Dolby Cinema. The state-of-the-art movie theater is the only one of its kind in middle Tennessee, complete with perhaps the clearest image you can find in a theater and the best sound mix possible. A direct competitor to IMAX, Dolby Cinema is one of the best ways to watch a movie on the big screen. Plus, Bradley Cooper himself stopped by that particular theater back in 2018 to discuss his film A Star is Born. For having opened in 2018, that theater is already building quite a history. For the best moviegoing experience in middle Tennessee, check out Cool Springs’ Dolby Cinema. You won’t be disappointed. CORY WOODROOF

A Moment’s Peace Salon & Day Spa

CAL TURNER, JR.’S BARN

BEST PLACE TO SEE A MOVIE POST COVID Field at Franklin

One of the better things to come of the pandemic were more outdoor options to see films. Before, you may have had to drive an hour

What’s the best thing about Wil-

liamson County? There is no close second, it is definitively the community. Williamson County is truly a tight-knit area of Middle Tennessee that is blessed with extensive creativity, a family-oriented atmosphere and a prosperous small business environment.

What does your community mean

to you? Our community means everything to us. This is why we make every effort we can to ensure that we hire the most highly trained personnel in each field of service we offer. This is how we take care of our community, through providing for their self-care needs so they are able to operate at their absolute best for their daily responsibilities and activities.

What is the one thing you want people in Williamson County to

know about your business? As one of the area’s premier salons and day spas, we employ a highly trained staff of individuals— with great tenure in the business— who are continually educated on the latest in products and techniques. A Moment’s Peace is proud to serve such a wonderful community here in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as travelers who visit for business or pleasure.

What is a hobby that you have that is not related to your business?

Spending time with my family. We like to ski and we enjoy boating on the lakes around the Nashville area.

Schaffer Skin

What’s the best thing about Wil-

liamson County? The support of the people in our community is what is best about Williamson County

What does your community mean

to you? The relationships that have been established whether it is professional or personal during my years in this county.

Tell us about your favorite place

in Williamson County. I love downtown Franklin! We also enjoy the small town feel and also the wonderful Pilgrimage Festival! This has been a great addition to Williamson County and Middle Tennessee.

What is the one thing you want people in Williamson County to

know about your business? We believe that Schaffer Skin is more than a business but a place where people can feel comfortable in the fact that they will be receiving the best skin care possible. We have tons of experience along with proven results.

What is a hobby that you have that is not related to your business?

What is a hobby that you have that is not related to your business? A: I love live music, attending concerts with my family. I also love to travel and volunteer my time to help my community. What is your hometown? Goodlettsville, Tennessee

PILGRIMAGE

or more to get the drive-in theater experience. The Field at Franklin, which is located behind Rolling Hills Community Church, puts its schedule up about a week in advance, and shows movies in the field on weekends while offering the outdoor space up for rent on other days. It’s a much needed entertainment development in the

county. AMANDA HAGGARD

BEST THEATER COMPANY Backlight Productions

Backlight Productions is a theater company that gives people with disabilities the chance to perform on stage, often in roles they’ve always dreamed of playing. The company produces full shows, ambitious productions that are similar to what you’d see at a professional theater company. Often, Backlight uses multiple actors to play a single character, which allows actors to take on a challenge that’s just right for them. The final product is incredibly moving. Sometimes, actors struggle to remember their lines on stage. In those pauses the theater is dead quiet, but the entire audience is rooting for them. When they finally get that line out, it feels like watching the quarterback from your favorite football team throw a hail mary pass in the waning second of the fourth quarter to win the game. “In those kinds of moments, it doesn’t matter if things are done perfectly,” Executive Director Melissa Smith said. “It matters that you got on stage. There’s nothing like a crowd that’s there to cheer and support that they accomplished something that was really hard for them.”

BEST PIVOT Studio Tenn’s Talk Show

Studio Tenn, the professional regional theater company in Franklin, had a tough year. They had staff layoffs and, of course, nobody could go out to see artists perform in person. But they turned it around with an excellent virtual talk show hosted by Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy, which featured exclusive interviews with acclaimed performing artists from Broadway, film and music. From Susan Egan of the original cast of Beauty & the Beast to Adam Pascal from the original cast of Rent, Cassidy pivoted beautifully. The shows always have impressive guests and the legends seem happy to talk to a Williamson County