From Forgotten to Forever

By TERRI GLAZER • Photography by ROSS GROUP CREATIVE

The stunning transformation of a once-abandoned home

   Greenwood native Wade Litton wondered for years about the property he and his family now call home. “This house has always kind of piqued my interest,” he says. Although he loved its riverfront location and the beauty of its architecture, he never imagined he, his wife Meagan, and their three children would live in the classic Georgian-style residence.

     The Littons’ previous home was maxed out. “We loved our house but our family was growing and we were bursting at the seams a little, so we were trying to find our forever home,” Wade recalls. Working with Memphis-based architect Mark McClure, the couple considered adding on or building a new home. “Then in 2019 this came up. We brought Mark here and he thought it was something he could work with, so we went all in on making the most out of the house,” says Wade.

     It’s reasonable to assume that a renovation of a 50-year-old place would be a big undertaking, however this project had a very unique set of challenges. The house had been unoccupied for over a decade and had sustained major damage as a result. In addition to reworking the layout and adding space to meet the Littons’ needs, McClure had to address damage from years of water and animals in the house. The entire structure had to be replumbed and rewired, the ruined floors had to be replaced, and the site required extensive landscape work. Says McClure, “Having this house on adequate acreage and overlooking farmers’ fields, it was a wonderful setting. There was enough square footage and land to accommodate [the couple’s] program. It was in bad shape, but it could all be rectified. We basically took it down to the studs. We had to remove all the finishes, which gave us an opportunity to really modify the existing house to suit their needs.”

     McClure wanted the renovation to remain respectful of the original home. “We had good bones to work with,” he says, pointing out its characteristic elements of Georgian architecture including one- and two-story sections, symmetrical front composition, and a hipped roof. The style has been popular in the South since colonial times.

     A few “must-haves” were on the Littons’ list for their home, among them an office for Wade, a playroom for their three children, and a pool. Landscape architect Marley Fields joined the team and reimagined the grounds to accommodate a pool, a poolhouse, a new garage and more.

     As the design process progressed the Littons began to feel a bit overwhelmed with all the choices that accompanied such a large-scale renovation. Taking the recommendation of friends in Hattiesburg, they brought New Orleans interior designer Chad Graci on board. He recalls, “Everything Meagan showed me for inspiration was very light and bright and simple. Really transitional—not too traditional, not too modern. I think she wanted a clean look, but I felt that the pieces needed to speak to the traditional architecture of the house, so that’s where we started.”

     Contractor Damian Scott of KT Builders in Greenwood rounded out the team, and after two and a half years of construction, the Litton family moved into their “forever” house in the summer of 2023.

     The newly painted exterior allows the house to stand out amid the grove of trees that graces the front yard. Off to one side, the garage designed by McClure is right at home: he fashioned it to resemble a stable from a Revolutionary-era Georgian residence. “I wanted it to look like it had always been there,” he says. While the project was ongoing, McClure found a weather vane embellished with a tractor. He knew it would be the perfect topper for the garage’s cupola, as it is a nod to the homeowners’ family business.

     Immediately inside the new front door, the entryway sets a gracious tone. Oak flooring in a lovely herringbone pattern and a Chippendale-style railing on the staircase create an angular theme.

     To the left, the living room’s color palette is fresh and crisp, with enough of a tint to add interest while allowing the furnishings to take center stage. A classic grand piano, one of only a few salvageable items in the home when the Littons became its owners, provides a dramatic touch and a nod to the house’s history. The furnishings here and throughout are a blend of newly sourced additions, a handful of other refurbished pieces from the previous owner, the Littons’ existing items, and some family heirlooms, including a bed that once belonged to Wade’s grandmother. The bed was crafted by the late Mario Villa, a well-known artist and furniture maker from New Orleans.

    Across the entryway is the dining room, where updated sophistication and tradition again go hand-in-hand. The subtle metallic grasscloth Graci selected for the walls gives the space a decidedly dressy flair. A time-honored standard, the Duncan Phyffe pedestal table sits surrounded by cerused wood French side chairs upholstered in smoky velvet and clean-lined Parsons chairs upholstered in a geometric mini print. The juxtaposition of shapes and styles works to create a space with an air of formality minus any hint of fussiness. This is not your grandmother’s dining room.

     The mood is more family casual in the adjoining keeping room, making it a favorite spot for the Littons to gather for a weeknight meal, to watch TV or play games. Constructing the room was no easy task, as its brick fireplace had to be moved for the renovation. The wall on which it is placed was originally the exterior wall of the house. This wing of the home and a matching one on the opposite side were added in an expansion only two years after the original Georgian box-style structure was built. A pair of cozy club chairs by the fireplace offer front-row TV viewing. Across the room there’s a spot for all five Littons to gather around a white tulip table, thanks to the comfortable bamboo dining chairs and a corner banquette covered in snazzy white textured vinyl. Graci calls the vignette “an unexpected twist” in the home’s overall decor.

     Remodeling an existing home comes with limitations, some of which must be worked around. One of those is ceiling height. In most of the first floor, the ceilings could not be raised, but McClure’s plan afforded space in the keeping room. The Littons capitalized on that architectural feature, adding a tongue-and-groove tray ceiling in natural wood.

     The room opens into the kitchen. As it was part of the new addition, McClure had free rein to draw the eye up here. He achieved that goal beautifully with a vaulted ceiling accented with an oversize fretwork of wood beams. Graci’s design choices emphasize natural elements—the wood of the beams and island, and the white rhino marble countertops and backsplash. White inset perimeter cabinets provide all the storage a growing family needs and a full-height wine cooler just for the grown-ups. The specialty refrigerator is one of the kitchen’s full line of Viking appliances. “We have to support our hometown business!” says Wade of the Greenwood-based manufacturer.

     Also part of the home’s newly expanded rear section, the family room floods with light. Graci left the wall of iron doors and full-length windows uncovered to maximize views of the beautiful live oak tree just outside the room, as well as the peaceful farmland beyond. The room is home to one of seven fireplaces scattered throughout the house. “Lots of fireplaces” was one of Meagan’s original requests for the revamped abode.

     The family room, full of light neutral upholstered furniture, shows no sign of the three active Litton children who spend time there daily, usually accompanied by friends. Says Graci, “We used a lot of performance fabrics, and whatever was not a performance fabric, we had knit backed and stain treated before it went onto the piece of furniture. Even the fabulous pair of deep plum Bergere chairs we ended up in the living room. They’re sort of a defining moment for that room. But that too is a performance fabric.”

     If there’s any place in the house where making the furnishings kid friendly was not topmost on the list, Wade’s office is it. Conceived as a spot for the man of the house to work or unwind, the space is handsome and masculine. Heart pine paneling covers the walls, exuding the air of an English hunting lodge. Tucked away in a corner, a wet bar area is an ideal addition to the space. Graci covered its walls, trim and cabinets in the same high-gloss hue, punched up by black and brass in the flooring, countertop, light fixture, sink, and faucet. The spot is easily accessible when the family is entertaining outdoors via an iron door in the same style as those in the family room.

     Down the hall, the primary bedroom is home to another of the handful of remnants from the original house. The fireplace mantel was usable and the Littons liked its existing soft teal paint color, so it stayed in place and became the jumping off point for the room’s design. That pop of color catches the eye in the light and airy space, along with the new bay window. Graci admits that the room’s beaded wood chandelier is one of his favorites out of the many light fixtures he selected for the home. “We found it at an antique shop that was closing on Magazine Street. I texted Meagan a picture of it and said, ‘This is the only room this can go in because it has the tray ceiling. You’ve got to get the chandelier!’”

     Elegance is the ambiance in the new primary bath. With a base of marble tile flooring in a modern iteration of the classic hex pattern, the design is straightforward and traditional, yet up-to-date.

     When asked about his favorite part of the house, Wade says it’s a toss-up between his office and the new covered patio and screen porch. “When the weather’s right we use this as another family room,” he says. Thanks to built-in heaters and a large fireplace, even a Delta winter day might be considered “right” weather for the family to relax while Dad cooks on the outdoor appliances, then enjoy a meal in the dining area right beside. 

     The couple credits Fields’ vision for the placement of the pool and pool house. The landscape architect positioned both off to the right side of the backyard, allowing the beloved live oak to stay in place just outside the den. The charming poolhouse not only provides extra room for overnight company, it facilitates outdoor entertaining. The party can flow from the house onto the back porch, into the yard and over to the poolhouse, where the kitchen and extra restroom are indispensable. Though smaller in scale, the poolhouse’s decor packs a big punch from its centerpiece, a large mounted sailfish. A unique memento of a spur-of-the-moment fishing day during a family vacation to Costa Rica, the bright blue trophy is part heirloom, part conversation piece. Graci allowed it to be the star, keeping the other furnishings neutral and textured, and of course, indoor/outdoor friendly. “Down to the rug,” says Graci, “which you can literally take outside and hose off.”

     Having gone from forgotten to showplace, this home’s new life is remarkable, driven by an owner with a persistent interest in it and brought to fruition by a team of talented professionals. It is a testament to the fact that even a seemingly unsalvageable property can have its potential unlocked to become beautiful, practical, and beloved.