4 minute read
Understated Elegance
For the Love of History & Horses
Written by Jen Dotson | Photography by Eric Williams
The fall season would not be complete for the Garlington family without the annual dove hunt hosted on their 217-acre farm in Paris, Kentucky. Jennie and her husband Peek, founding partner of Edge Capital Partners, love bringing together their family, friends, and colleagues from all around the country for this event.
Homeowner Jennie Garlington has been riding American Saddlebreds since she was 11. The restored original stone barn from the 1800s is now home to Bluejeans and other family horses.
For the Garlingtons, the opening of dove season is heralded by the massive rolling fields of bright yellow sunflowers. These fields lure in children as much as the hungry dove, offering hours of entertainment and beauty. “We routinely hop in our open Jeep, grab our buckets and take daily rides out to the sunflower fields,” says Jennie. “The children love collecting them and placing them all over the house! It is our family’s favorite time of year.” Jennie, Peek, and their four children, Anna, Hope, Peek, and Sarah Bailey, have created more than a few memories in these fields, from playing hide-and-seek to taking family photos. After all, it is Jennie’s philosophy that if you are blessed to live in a place with such natural beauty, especially during the fall season, then you should embrace it and share it with your loved ones.
The 217-acre farm in Paris encompasses a Federal-style home and original stone barn that date to the 1800s as well as a small historic cemetery.
Now, after several years of the hosted hunt, Jennie and Peek enjoy witnessing family and friends, including their sons, at this event. “The hunt is really becoming a rite of passage,” says Peek. “It warms our hearts knowing the younger generations are going to keep this event alive.”
“This house reflects a collection of our life and doesn’t have room for anything that isn’t sentimental to us,” says homeowner Jennie Garlington. A collection of family photographs in the breakfast room is a reflection of that philosophy.
The Garlingtons did not look long when they moved to Kentucky almost eight years ago. A family friend of Peek’s father assisted them in their search, and this stately, restored 1800s federal-style home was the first farm they toured.
The house still needed some renovation work, as well as an expansion. Architect Tom Wilmes of Wilmes and Associates in Lexington worked closely with Jennie and Peek on their year-long renovation. Wilmes stayed true to the integrity of the original architecture and historical aspects of the home. The elegance is subtle from the entry, but when you walk into the foyer you see the graceful detail in the restored Palladian windows and doors, the grandeur of the high ceilings, and the detail in the moldings. Even with the soaring ceilings, like in the master bedroom, the rooms of this stately home feel inviting and intimate thanks to a number of design aspects, such as massive pine wood ceiling beams, exposed brick and refinished wide-plank wood flooring. Rooms flow one to another with a window-lined gallery hall acting as a connector to the whole house.
In the dining room, as elsewhere throughout the home, there is an understated palette of antique white with splashes of color coming through in the form of art and other home accessories. The art throughout the home is an eclectic mix of old horse oils with more contemporary artwork by Atlanta artist Todd Murphy.
The main house sits on the highest point of Bourbon County, lending a dignified feel as you drive up the two-mile tree-lined drive. The restored original stone barn from the 1800s sits to the left of the house and is truly a gorgeous piece of history. The barn is now home to one of the family’s favorite horses, Bluejeans, as well as many others. Jennie’s love for the Bluegrass, as well as the horse world, started when she would visit with her trainer looking for horses. Since she was 11, Jennie has been riding American Saddlebreds. Lexington is a huge mecca for saddlebreds and paired with being a wonderful place to raise children, as well as an amazing landscape for people that love the outdoors, they could not ask for a better setting.
Massive pine wood ceiling beams in the family-friendly hearth room are justone of the myriad architectural elements that appealed to the homeowners.
Being very sentimental, the Garlington home is inspired by memories – family trips to Europe and Asia, walls filled with their children’s framed artwork, as well as many family heirloom pieces. “This house reflects a collection of our life and doesn’t have room for anything that isn’t sentimental to us,” says Jennie. Their home displays many traveling treasures, such as a chest from Morocco; artwork from St. Petersburg, Russia; many antiques from Atlanta; and an enormous elk head, shot by Peek in Montana, mounted in the master bedroom.
Enjoyment of the outdoors is important to the family and is reflected throughout the décor, including the cozy study.
An antelope-print carpet from Stark anchors the cozy keeping room,which serves a repository for treasured family photographs and mementos.
The art throughout the home is an eclectic mix of old horse oils with more contemporary artwork by Atlanta artist Todd Murphy. The home is an understated palette of antique white with hints of grayish blue, while Jennie adds in splashes of color with art and other home accessories. Another very sentimental aspect is a small historical cemetery near the house. “I almost feel like we are borrowing the home from the original owners at times,” says Jennie. “We feel the original owners are still here to share in the love we can continue in the house every day. I love being a part of history every time I walk through the door.”
