425 N Spring St

We have been back home about a month, but we have been busy.  We put the finishing touches on the landscaping and curb appeal. A neighbor was instrumental in helping with the landscaping.  We used Boxwoods, hydrangeas and spiral junipers in the shaded part of the yard.  Salvia and lemongrass were used in the sunny sections.  It was then topped off with pine bark mulch and wave petunias are found in the planters.

We also had new sod installed; the grass has never looked this good!  Trust me, I’ve been trying. You’ll also notice the new landscape lighting that looks really dramatic at night.

We had to match the garage and mailbox to the house since we completely changed the color scheme on the exterior. A copper mailbox and white post were used and the garage was painted Cloud White to match the trim on the house.

The house is essentially complete. Our next big project is converting the unfinished attic into a master suite and office. However, it will probably be a while before we start because we just want to relax and enjoy our home.

News Article

It was a surprisingly pleasant December morning. It was partly sunny and warm; the rain gently tapped against the windows. MTSU was set to face UAB for the Conference USA championship in a couple of hours, so I was up “dancing” around the house to the likes of Major Lazer, Mø, and Odesza while getting ready for the game. My girlfriend, Destiny Womack, was relaxing in the bedroom with our fur babies: two boxers, Donnie and Tyson and Charlie the Corgi.  I grabbed a seat at the dining room table to take a look at my computer. If you’ve ever been to our home, you know the spot I always sit at the table; it’s my spot. The blinds were open to soak in the view of our eclectic neighborhood, specifically where Bell ends on Spring. I peer above my laptop screen and catch a glimpse of a large silver Chevrolet truck coming down Bell Street towards our house at a high rate of speed. 

“It sounded like a bomb went off”, said my girlfriend. That “bomb” was a ten thousand pound truck driving through our dining room at 60mph.  That “bomb” hit me directly in my chest and knocked me 15 feet back into the kitchen. It was all in slow motion. I remember blinking and when my eyes opened, they were staring up at the ceiling. I could hear the commotion that was outside now in my dining room, where I was just sitting.  I hopped up, noticed a full-size truck in the house, told my girlfriend what happened, and ran outside to tell the police that I lived there and was hit. How I knew to do what I did, I’ll never know. How I survived, I’ll never know. 

Did you ever think about a truck sitting in your dining room while the home you’ve spent a lot of time, money, and energy on is sitting exposed for the entire neighborhood to see?  A home is where you are to feel the safest, never vulnerable to this type of event.  Possessions lost that no amount of money can replace. Our home, arguably one of the nicest and best-kept downtown, has been destroyed because of the choice of someone else.  

That’s not what this story is about. This story is about forgiveness. While the person that hit our house made a series of choices that affected us, people make mistakes. I hope she gets the help she needs so no one else is hurt by her decisions. This story is about strength and perseverance.  My girlfriend and I are closer than ever. My mental and physical state are as strong as it ever has been. This story is about perspective. Possessions can be replaced, people can’t. I’m grateful to have survived and will live my life to the fullest after this brush with death. 

But most of all, this story is about rebuilding. Metaphorically, we have picked up the pieces and have rebuilt our lives. Literally, our beautiful home is whole again. Our rebirth comes at a time when the trees are budding and the birds are chirping. I am happier than I ever have been; which is so weird to be based on what has happened the last 5 months. 

This would not have been possible without several people.  Mitchel Truett and Truett Building Group led the construction efforts on this unique project.  I’ve known Mitchell and his family for 25 years; they are the most genuine and kind-hearted folks you’ll meet. Mitchell felt a call to help when the accident occurred and was committed to helping us rebuild our lives.  Pete and Sylvia Silva from ReVintaged Lemon helped design and build custom lights. They also restored a beautiful cabinet that we had purchased just a couple weeks prior to the accident. Deneen Miccuci from Dreamingincolor was instrumental in helping replace furniture in the dining room. Polly Blair from Blackberry House Paint sourced an exact buffet that was destroyed and painted it beautifully. These folks were integral in helping us get back on our feet and our home better than it was. It wasn’t “business” for these people. It was love and friendship. It was genuine care and concern that their neighbor and friend needs help. 

This experience has been a challenging one.  We still have a little ways to go to get the house exactly where we want it. As we open the front door of our home for the first time, a wave of emotions hit us. Most importantly, we are happy to be home. 

Please visit the Accident page for more details about our project.

 

Always doing something…

While there hasn’t been a ton of work at Spring Street, my girlfriend is upset that I haven’t updated the website in a while. So without further adieu, here’s what we’ve been up to. 

First, we wanted to treat ourselves, so we bought a hot tub. We had a covered area outside that was a perfect fit for it. I ran all the electric and got it ready. 

While this job didn’t require a ton of work on my part, the next job did. I wanted to create a “custom” look to our kitchen by building a DIY fridge enclosure. I’m pretty damn happy with how this project turned out. 

Here’s the before photo:

Boring, right?

First, we went to Habitat Restore and picked up an above fridge cabinet for $20. We then went to Home Depot and grabbed a 3/4” piece of plywood and some crown moulding. 

Next, we fit the cabinet above the fridge and attached the plywood to one side. 

Lastly, we painted it the same color as our cabinets and attached the crown moulding. 

I think it turned out beautifully and it only cost $80 total. 

We are preparing for the big project of finishing the attic and converting to a master suite and office. We’ve had a couple contractors out to give quotes and we are looking to begin soon. With the skyrocketing price per square foot in downtown Murfreesboro, it’s a no brainer to add square footage. 

Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Haaaayyy!

It’s been a while since we’ve updated the site and there have been lots of changes.  Check out some of the additions to the house below.

First, we finally have the driveway gate automated.  We had to dig a trench and use conduit to bury the wire and connect it to both sides of the gate.

Next, we used the pavers to hide the wires and conduit.

The next part was to connect the arms to the gate.  These are the motorized pieces that help the gate move.  We also mounted the control box to the side of the house.

The gate is now complete.  It opens quite easily with Multi-Code Garage Door openers.  I even have one on my keychain.

We also did some things to spruce up the front curb appeal of the house.  First, we painted the mailbox post, added a light on top, and installed a new mailbox and house numbers.  It was simple change for a big impact.

We also put a new house numbers on the house with a planter box we purchased on Etsy.

Lastly, for the curb appeal, we installed hardwired LED landscape lighting.  There are four pathway lights and six spotlights.  It really adds a wow factor to the exterior of the house at night.  These are hardwired lights that required the wire to be buried.

Not all of the work we’ve done has been outside.  In the kitchen, we made custom live edge open shelving and installed a new kitchen sink faucet.  The wood we already had, so we cut it, sanded it, stained it, and then mounted it on brackets.

We also swapped out the old kitchen faucet for a new one.  This wasn’t easy being an older house…I had to sawzall the old faucet off.

The last change we made was installing a barn door in the hallway to the entrance in the bathroom.  First, we prepped the door by staining and putting a coat of polyurethane.

After prepping the door, we mounted it on the trim with a 1×4 header board extending past the trim.  There was quite a bit of fabricating that had to be done.  I had to cut the track to shorten it, I had to cut the door to make it fit, and install spacers to push the door out enough to clear the historic door trim.  We finished it off with a custom handle from Etsy.

We are thrilled with this change because it allows for more space when entering the bathroom.  The old door would not open completely because of the vanity, so this renovation really makes the bathroom feel bigger.

These are the recent changes we’ve made at Spring Street.  If you have any questions about any of the jobs we’ve completed, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Welcome to 425 N Spring St!

Owning a home in downtown Murfreesboro has always been a dream of mine.  As someone who graduated high school, college, and now works in the geographic center of Tennessee, living downtown in this vibrant community is important to me.  The downtown real estate market is hot, which led to challenges finding the perfect home.  In September 2016, I closed on a meticulously-maintained property on the 400 block of North Spring Street, blocks from the historic downtown square.  On this page, you’ll find details of all the renovations and changes made to this beautiful 1930 cottage-style home.  I hope you’ll continue to check this page, as with any home, it’s a work in progress.