When great design meets quality construction dream homes are created.
In the heart of East Tennessee, where scenic beauty meets a strong sense of community, a newly completed custom home stands as a bold expression of vision, experience, and craftsmanship. Designed by longtime residential designer Stephen Davis and built by the seasoned team at Seigler Construction, the home doesn’t just occupy a lot—it commands a presence. It is the kind of residence that makes you pause, admire, and wonder what it would be like to live within its walls.
Creating someone’s perfect home often begins with a walkthrough of the property for Davis, to understand the nuance of the landscape he is working with. Other times it begins with a plan—in this case, a special one that Davis had originally drawn years ago. “As it happens, I designed this plan and named it after my daughter because I knew it was very special,” he says. Over time, this ranch-style home plan became a popular starting point for clients, and in this case, it was reimagined and expanded with specific modifications to suit the lot and lifestyle needs of a family looking for both beauty and functionality.
When pre-created plans need some reimagining to accommodate client wants and needs, they work in partnership with Gus Carodine, a key member of the Stephen Davis design team. In the case of this particular home, the one Davis named for his daughter, the most recent iteration now spans six bedrooms and six baths, laid out to offer seamless transitions between public and private spaces, with an emphasis on open, adaptable design. A key highlight is the expansive central living area, where the kitchen, family room, and breakfast space form the nucleus of daily life.
“The kitchen, the family room, those are going to be your gathering spaces year-round,” Seigler says. “In this particular home, we designed those two spaces around a 10-foot-long island.” That island seats five comfortably and is surrounded by high-performance GE Monogram appliances, quartz countertops with thick custom edging, and cabinetry selected for its clean, transitional lines. This, coupled with the oversized breakfast room directly beside the kitchen allow conversations to flow. The spaces are intimate enough for everyday use but also allow for easy hosting and entertainment.
Everywhere in the home, there is a quiet elegance—no single feature demands attention, yet everything feels intentional. “We’ve really seen that over the last four to five years, maybe even six years, that we’re we still have some heavy elements to the house, as far as a single seven-inch crown molding, but I think the lines are getting cleaner where we’re doing a lot of 48-inch tiles on fireplaces with no mantles, just to clean that up.” Seigler used to do a lot of stone fireplaces with wooden mantles— “That was just kind of a standard in East Tennessee,” he says—but the movement to more modern spaces is evident.
In the family room of this particular home, that philosophy comes to life in a tiled fireplace flanked by built-in bookcases with LED backlighting. A coffered ceiling floats above, its soft, indirect lighting able to change warmth and color depending on the mood or occasion. “The lighting in these areas is extremely important,” Seigler says, but is often something overlooked.
That can be seen in the bedrooms of this particular home. Each was designed not just as places to sleep but as extensions of a lifestyle that values both hospitality and retreat. Four of the six bedrooms are on the main level—an intentional move to accommodate aging family members or long-term guests without needing to navigate stairs. “As the baby boomers are aging out in some of these older homes, and the Generation X moves into that next phase of their life, they are more cognizant, where I don’t think the previous two decades were as cognizant about aging in place,” Seigler says. Wider doorways, bigger and more accessible showers, even elevators are more prevalent, he adds.
The primary suite is a standout, not only in scale—at 16 by 28 feet, it feels more like a boutique hotel suite—but in thoughtful and more accessible touches like: a zero-entry shower that eliminates trip hazards, dual closets, a comfortable sitting area, and yes, even a discreetly placed television. Designs are created for how people actually live and move about in their homes.
More and more homes are being built with all the main spaces on the main level. “The upstairs is really going to be fore secondary bedrooms, a theater room, a bonus room for grandkids to play in,” Seigler explains. “On a lot of the home we’re building, they become a secondary living space, not a primary.”
Outdoor living is equally central to a home’s design. In this particular home, a telescoping wall of glass opens to a covered patio complete with a fireplace, TV, and comfortable seating area—blurring the lines between indoors and out. Beyond that, a custom-designed pool and spa, installed by long-time partner Able Gunite Pools, turns the backyard into a true retreat.
Three-season rooms have become a popular addition to homes, a mainstay in East Tennessee building. “A three-season home really becomes an extension of the house,” Seigler says. With operable windows, ceiling fans, and heat/air connections in this particular home, the room is equally suited to a breezy spring brunch or a cozy fall gathering around the fireplace.
None of this happens by accident. A build of this quality depends on strong relationships with vendors and subcontractors—in this case, many of whom have worked with Seigler for more than two decades. From Gillenwater Flooring and Early Bird Painting to Builder’s First Source, the vendors who helped bring this home to life share a common thread: attention to detail and reliability.
“It’s extremely important to have a long-term relationship with those folks because they understand what your expectations are on every single project and the quality you’re trying to deliver to the end user.”
That commitment to excellence extends to the design process as well. “It’s a ton of responsibility,” Davis says. “It’s not just the largest investment most families make, it’s also very personal. And I treat it as such.” And with solid partners, that ethos—one of collaboration and trust —has kept Davis and Seigler working together for over two decades. They share a belief that a home should reflect the people who live there, not just the trends of the day.
This home is a testament to that belief. It is timeless yet current, grand yet comfortable, and built not to impress strangers, but to serve a family for years to come. In a market where so many homes are rushed to completion or built to spec, this one stands apart—not just because of how it looks, but because of how it was imagined, crafted, and ultimately lived in.
Homes in East Tennessee aren’t cookie cutter. They are true collaborations—and always East Tennessee original.
Comments are closed.