For several years now we have invited you into the homes of many Knoxvillians. A few months ago it dawned on us — We should invite you into our own homes too! We are excited to share with you a few thoughts on home and a glimpse into one of the HYD owners homes this week. Without further adieu…

Welcome to the home of Katie and Andy Martin!

Katie and Andy moved into their home on May 28th of this year! As first-time home buyers, they were really excited to establish some roots and make this house their home. Fun back story— I (Caroline) have an unreasonable obsession with house hunting for other people. No, I’m not a realtor, but when I heard that one of my friends was putting her house on the market, I immediately thought about Katie and Andy and connected them with the sellers, thus resulting in this match made in heaven :) Moving along…

When I asked Katie what home means to her, she immediately responded, “A place where you can exhale — a place where you can rest.” She went on to share that not only is their desire for their home a restful place for she and Andy, but also to be a place where they can share their space and that feeling with everyone who comes by.

On the style and design front, Katie loves neutrals, coziness, and simplicity. She’s never really pinned a name to her style but knows what she likes. Style has evolved for her over the years and she’s quick to add that getting married significantly shifted the way she thought about decor. Before, she often focused on aesthetics where as now she’s intentional about functional decorating and paying attention to what is important to Andy as well. Thankfully, they share many of the same stylistic leanings, which has made the process of nesting together pretty seemless.

“Lots of the things that we have were given to us, so they serve as sweet reminders of those folks. We’ve collected things from trips we’ve taken together so we have lots of items that remind us of good memories— trivets, ornaments, rugs. I love the things that have a story or carry memories the most. The moment we first saw the house it felt like us— it didn’t feel too fancy but it felt classic—old and well taken care of— with a history.”

In terms of making interior purchases, Katie tends to go with her gut but also pays attention (especially with furniture) to quality and versatility. Katie is a self-proclaimed lover of classics and sucker for trends, so she often works to blend the two styles in a way that is cohesive.

One thing I was curious about was whether or not being involved with Help You Dwell has changed her perspective on home or decorating. Katie pointed out that it’s exposed her to so many more styles than she would have encountered otherwise. It’s made her want less but treasure the things she has more.

She remarked that “it’s empowering to watch people let go of so much. It reminds me that I don’t need to hold on to everything. I also don’t have the option of keeping a lot of extra items because we don’t have much storage in our house. Because helping people purge is what we do, I’m a pretty consistent purger in my own home. I used to be a pillow and throw blanket hoarder, but I’ve purged a lot.”

As for their favorite parts of the house?? They love the backyard and screened in porch. When it’s nice out, they love spending time outdoors or sitting around the fire pit with friends. The living room is pretty incredible too. With all of the large windows It almost feels like you are up in the tree’s because the house is set up on a hill.

Thank you so much, Katie and Andy, for sharing your lovely home! And a big thank you to TexturePhotographics for all of the pictures!!