The story below is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
One couple’s getaway home combines elegance and functionality to accommodate ongoing family fun.
Bill Hazlegrove Architectural Photography
Martha Stilwell was “hyper focused” on making sure the kitchen renovation didn’t look like an add-on. She is pleased that the white oak floors, additional island and cabinets all match the other part of the home.
An opulent home in the Water’s Edge community of Penhook has proved to be the perfect holiday spot for one couple. Martha and Kevin Stilwell purchased a second home for lakeside vacations while their kids were growing up. Thanks to a kitchen and bath renovation with Construction Marketing, LLC, the Stilwells have the space to continue making memories 20 years later with an ever-expanding family.
HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR
Bill Hazlegrove Architectural Photography
The lighting fixture over the new island that seats 10 with vaulted ceilings had to be big to fill the open space. Growing in scale can make things look heavy, and Martha didn’t want a heavy feeling. To achieve something grand that she could still see through, they chose this light fixture made out of reeds.
The house was already stunning when Martha and Kevin purchased it, as you would expect of a home formerly owned by a Hollywood celebrity. The Stilwells purchased it from Sissy Spacek, the actress most well-known for her portrayal of Carrie in the 1976 horror classic of the same name.
As the Stilwells got to know their neighbors the year they moved in, people asked where exactly they were located in the neighborhood. They replied, “We’re in Sissy’s house.”
The first summer that the Stilwells lived in the home, the local lake tour company paddled down the cove to include their home as a destination. The Stilwells’ sister-in- law was visiting and is very thin with fair skin, much like Sissy Spacek. As she stood in the kitchen in a large sunhat, passengers on the boat tour waved, believing that she was Sissy herself.
“We often wonder who has been in this house,” Martha says. “It doesn’t matter, but it’s fun to think about.” Posters with signatures of movie stars decorated the walls before Sissy and her husband, Hollywood producer Jack Fisk, moved out, adding to the intrigue.
A HOME FOR GATHERING
Glamour is fun, but the capacity for gathering is what prompted this renovation. Within one week of purchasing the home in 2004, the Stilwells hosted 18 people for the 4th of July weekend.
Martha and Kevin have been going strong since then. The tradition of large family gatherings hasn’t slowed down. It has actually intensified over time.
Their son, Luke, suffered a seizure and passed away in 2022. While the Stilwells had always prioritized gathering with family as often as possible, this tragedy made large gatherings an even more prominent piece of their lives.
Last July, the Stilwells hosted 32 people for the 4th of July weekend. As their number of grandchildren increases, more family will be added to the mix.
CHOOSING INTEGRITY WHEN CHOOSING CONSTRUCTION MARKETING, LLC
Bill Hazlegrove Architectural Photography
The new kitchen appliances, hardware and lighting are from Ferguson Kitchen & Bath.Martha selected quartz for the islands so she could get precisely the look she wanted. Since quartz is manufactured, every slab looks the same.
Martha had worked in interior design in the past, so she knew how to research contractors. After obtaining several bids for the project, the Stilwells felt the bid they got from Construction Marketing was “fair” compared to others, which were “outrageous.”
Yet it was the foresight of the team that ultimately sold the Stilwells on using them as their contractor. Martha and Kevin describe them as “realistic and on the ball.”
The construction team asked in-depth questions related to the engineering to get a scope of the project before beginning it. This resulted in “no surprises” related to budget once the work began.
Jason Perdue, the project manager, was the Stilwells’ primary contact during the renovation. Martha says, “We can’t say enough good things about him. He was kind, detailed and amazing!” The Stilwells appreciated that communication was constant. Jason ensured that the vision for the renovation was exactly brought to fruition.
OUTSIZED KITCHEN RENOVATION
Want to learn more about how this lakeside retreat was transformed with an outsized kitchen renovation and thoughtful design updates, all while preserving cherished family traditions and the iconic charm of the home? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!
The story above is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!