A House to Live In
Elegance and rustic beauty define the home of Joey and Debbie Sanders
Words by Stephen W. B. Rizzo | Images by Al Blanton
Mid-September 1940. A limousine winds its way through the dusty, dirt roads of Walker County. Seated inside, President Franklin D. Roosevelt surveys a farm purchased with aid from the Bankhead-Jones Farmstead Act.
Almost 50 years later, Debbie and Joey Sanders saved this same property from being crowded with convenience stores and housing developments. Here, five miles from his work at the airport and five from hers at Young Jewelers, they have created their own version of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden,a place where history, beauty, and function—along with a healthy serving of Southern hospitality—meet.
In recent years, the Sanders refurbished two 1930s Farmstead homes and retained a 1940s block barn. To transform the terraced farmland, Joey lowered the front three acres six feet to make a place for the home. To this historical setting, they added their current, Georgian-style home
“We didn't want the front of the house to look like a particular decade,” Debbie explains.“We just wanted it to look like we were saying, ‘You're welcome, come on in, and I'm going to wrap my arms around you.’”
Set on 25 acres, the house was designed in 1991 by architect Jim Earnest. “He took our list of 30 things we wanted in a home, pictures and ideas, then made our master plan,” Debbie says.
Completed in 1993, the house includes poured, solid walls, making it hurricane proof, and a geothermal cooling system that circulates water through lines in the pasture or pulls it from a 400-foot deep well to cool the house. Other features include the fireplace in the den, which is actually a wood-burning furnace that heats the entire house, and a water pumping system that circulates hot water continuously to every faucet, using no more energy than a 100-watt lightbulb.
In the back of the property, the original farm field is now being transformed into a clover field to feed Joey’s newest passion—honeybees.
Family and refinement characterize the interior of the home. In the den beneath a frame of Joey’s military ribbons and medals are pictures of their daughters’ families: Jessica, William, and their son William “Bunky” Walker, Iris and Grant and their daughter Monroe “Monie” Jarvis.
The spacious kitchen also reflects the family focus with two special maps. One is a world map covered with pushpins, chronicling their travels, including the refueling route Joey flew across the Atlantic in the Air Force. The other is a gift from grandson, Bunky, and a custom map of the property from a child’s perspective by artist Sarah O’Mary Roberts, which includes Billy Goat Gruff’s bridge over the creek and the Noah’s Ark playset.
In the living room is an antique tea server that once belonged to Debbie’s great-grandaunt and a bookshelf that displays a collection of Herend hand-painted porcelain imported from Hungary. Alongside is a pocket watch, which was passed down from her grandfather Young.
The centerpiece of the living room is a hand-loomed cream-colored rug with a delicate blue design. Debbie is quick to point out this same floor once served as a pathway for Iris and Jessica’s tricycles. “We enjoy having our friends here,” Debbie says.
But it’s the grill house, added five years ago, that has become the social center for family and friends. “The grill house was built with the grandchildren in mind,” Debbie says. “The outdoor kitchen is supplied with plenty of snacks. There is a convenient restroom, TV, a toy chest, and music!”
A fireplace and suspended heaters ensure that the grill house is enjoyed virtually year-round for family get-togethers and church group gatherings.
By any measure, the Sanders’ house and farm is extraordinary. Still, for all its engineering marvels, the elegant décor, and the breathtaking natural beauty, to the Sanders this is just home. As Debbie puts it, “We use every square inch of this house. We built it to live in.” 78