Southern Elegance on the Green

The Juengels bought their 6,800 square-foot picturesque, plantation-style home in 1993, and have worked hard to make it their own, with chic style and a collection of unique and nostalgic furniture pieces and dÉcor elements. The home was constructed in 1973 as a five-bedroom home for a large family; the Juengels were looking for a place to settle into as a couple since their son was heading off to college. One of the first adjustments the couple made was to convert the first level living quarters into a luxury master bedroom suite. They tore down walls and reconstructed the three bedroom, one bath area into a large master bedroom with a sitting area, enlarged closet and smaller, separate his and her bathrooms. They retained the two guest bedrooms upstairs for when their son and grandchildren visit. "There is always something that sells you on a house,” Juengel said. “The dining room caught my attention. It was very important for me to have a large dining room; the one at our previous home was very small. I do a lot of entertaining, I just love it, and this dining room is perfect for it.”

The Juengels re-did the dining room mantle in marble and brought a large chandelier  — a gift from her mother — to hang above the dining table.  Another addition to the home was the 2005 expansion of the front sitting room. The room, which used to be the front porch, was quite an undertaking that the couple worked together on. “Victor designed the black and white marble floor. He did an outstanding job, but it was one of those things where if we knew what we were getting into, we wouldn’t have done it. The floor was brick before and was impossible to get it up. We had to bring in jackhammers to demolish it. But I think it was worth it, now with the end result,” Juengel said.  The room is the perfect addition to the home. It serves as a classy entryway, awash with natural light. It also acts as a landing at the bottom of a winding staircase, leading to the upper level.
Every family has a certain room they tend to spend most of their time in. For the Juengels, it is the breakfast room. This casual room is adjoined to the kitchen for convenience. Its walls are lined with old barn timber, and when the couple vaulted the ceiling for the added feeling of space, they echoed the timber in rafters 17 feet above.

“This is where we eat meals and watch TV together,” Juengel said. She decorated the room as well as the kitchen in one of her favorite color combinations, blue and white. “Blue and white is a combo that we see go in- and out-of-style frequently, but I find it to be a classic and actually on its way back in at the moment.” Juengel stressed the importance of choosing decorating styles and colors that you are comfortable with when decorating your home. “When decorating my home, I chose to go with a very traditional method. I like English and French styles, and I think the two meld well together. I like traditional colors, and I used many of the same colors in my old house. I love these colors, and I feel at home with them.”
Another eye-catching element in the Juengel home is the abundance of wallpaper — the dining room, kitchen and bedrooms each have very unique, very striking wallcoverings. “You really don’t see as much wallpaper as you used to,” Juengel said. “If you use it strategically, you can really get a lot of impact out of it.” The Juengel home is one where visitors feel welcome and at home immediately. The grounds are elegant and abundant with roses and other flowering plant life, much of which is visible from the many windows in the home. The feeling of an airy, graceful southern home is apparent as you pull up the winding drive.  “I feel that my home is very warm and inviting,” Juengel said. “ I want people to say that it is elegant, but not standoffish. I want it to be a place [that people] come to, are comfortable and stay awhile.”