Intertwining Heart and History
How a home built in the 1960s has been revitalized with personal flair and timeless elegance.
Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
Nestled along 9th Avenue in Jasper, Alabama, a cottage-style home constructed in 1964 recently found its new owners, Sarah and Martin Roberts. The pair had been hunting for a new home as their needs were changing, but continually came up dry. When Sarah stumbled upon an estate sale at the 9th Avenue house, little did she know that the property would soon become a canvas for her vibrant visions of home.
"It had everything we were looking for but just needed a bit of a facelift," Sarah explains. "I called Martin and said, 'This is our house."
But it wasn't just any house it was a serendipitous match, blending the lives of its original owners with uncanny overlaps to Sarah and Martin's stories.
"9th Avenue is my home," Sarah says. "I grew up in two different houses on this street, first living in one house down the street from this one, then later moving to what is still my parents' home about three houses down, so it's really special to be living on 9th Avenue again."
The similarities don't stop there. Barbara and John T. Oliver were the home's original owners and sole occupants until the Roberts family. John, the longtime President and CEO of First National Bank in Jasper, passed in 2021, and Barbara, a practitioner of the fine arts, passed in 2018.
"The Olivers were very important fixtures in the Jasper community, and their lives were rich with beautiful experiences, which is what we aim for in our lives," Sarah says. "Plus, there were so many synchronicities between their lives and ours."
Barbara Oliver, like Sarah, was an artist, and the Olivers, like the Robertses, loved to travel abroad. During their many travels, John and Barbara fell in love with Ireland and built a cottage on the country's Southwest coast. There, they welcomed children and grandchildren for 25 years of vacations and tours around the Irish countryside, visiting local friends and making memories. Martin Roberts graduated from veterinary school at University College in Dublin, Ireland.
Yes, for Sarah and Martin, the house's allure was not just in its bones but also in the echoes of its previous occupants.
Sarah and Martin began transforming the space with the help of interior designer Chapman Blanton One of the most dramatic transformations is seen in the kitchen. Initially characterized by its dated cabinetry and plain white aesthetic, the kitchen was completely gutted to make way for a modern culinary haven with custom cabinets in soft neutrals, marble countertops, and brass hardware radiating understated luxury. The kitchen is now a more dynamic space, but still functional with timeless appeal.
"The paneled appliances and custom hardware every little detail in the kitchen was curated to reflect Sarah and Martin's lively style," Chapman explains.
The kitchen now also boasts a beautifully constructed space featuring a cozy fireplace, a functional workstation, and a charming window seat. The fireplace is a particular point of pride for Sarah's father, Wade O'Mary, who served as a foreman of sorts in all the renovation work completed on the house. Wade's keen eye for detail is evident in the elegant mantel he sourced and the precise craftsmanship of the built-in shelving and workstation. Sarah says that her father's dedication to the renovation helped ensure that the new additions seamlessly blend with the home's historical integrity. "My dad oversaw all the nitty-gritty parts of the renovation and helped make this house really feel like it's ours. This is the second home he has worked on for us, and we couldn't have done it without him."
The redesign journey continued to the den, where Sarah and Chapman revitalized the wet bar.
Once characterized by dark wood cabinetry, and countertops made of wood and whimsical tile, the space has been completely reimagined to include vibrant turquoise cabinetry with spacious cabinets, custom shelving, and marble countertops. The glass in the new cabinets is original to the house, saved from the kitchen renovation. The planned addition of an understated backsplash with a mix of earthy tones is set to complete the space's rustic yet elegant "country club chic" transformation, making the wet bar a functional and aesthetically pleasing focal point, perfect for entertaining.
Additional modifications throughout the home include a redesign of the dining room and entryway. In the dining room, the previous traditional setup gave way to a contemporary space adorned with vertical striped wallpaper and modern lighting fixtures that echo the home's elegant new aesthetic.
Similarly, the entryway was given a complete makeover, turning it from a dimly lit space with terracotta tiles into a warm and welcoming entrance, complete with a hand-painted checkerboard pattern on the floor that makes an inviting first impression and sets the tone for the rest of the home.
Sarah and Martin decided to combine two adjacent full-size bathrooms, allowing them to enlarge the bathroom in the primary bedroom suite and add a half bath off the entryway for guests. The half bath is certainly the home's "personality piece," boasting dramatic wallpaper in shooting shades of green, a striking round mirror with a textured white frame, marble countertops with an under-mount sink, and brass fixtures throughout.
Still, with the beautiful transformations made throughout the home, Sarah and Martin opted to keep many elements that give the older home such strong character. For example, charming floral wallpaper original to the house still adorns the walls of their daughter Lillian's playroom.
Chapman, known for her knack for blending traditional and contemporary, found working with Sarah easy and exciting. "What most people would consider too bright or too daring, she embraces fully. It's right in her comfort zone," she shares. "If you're fun and bold, your home should reflect that without apology, and this home certainly does."
As Sarah and Martin plan future renovations, their focus is not just on the indoor spaces but also on enhancing the outdoor areas, where they spend considerable time. For now, though, they plan to continue adjusting to life in 'The Oliver House' with Lillian and their pets, Townsend, Rugby, Katie, and Frank.
This house on 9th Avenue, with its layers of history and personal significance, has been transformed into a vivid portrait of Sarah and Martin's lives and dreams. 78