The home shared by Rob and Judy Stooksbury is always filled with chatter. The couple enjoy it with their five daughters - college-aged triplets and their two older sisters - and four grandchildren. Judy says she never knows whose car she’ll find in the driveway when she awakes. The home, in the gated LashBrooke community just twenty minutes from downtown, sits on the banks of Lake Loudon. It’s the perfect gathering spot for this spirited bunch.One look at mist-covered Fort Loudon Lake and its surrounding
lands was all it took. Judy and Rob Stooksbury knew they had found the ideal waterfront property for building their home. The ensuing plans, however, weren’t exactly what Judy had in mind. With 5 daughters, 3 of whom are triplets, married or away at college, she was thinking “empty nest” and a cozy home built for two. But for Rob, who she calls a visionary when it comes to land planning, the property was begging for far more. Says Judy, “He can see a piece of land and instantly imagine where the streets should go.”
This particular 180-acre parcel would soon become a state-of-the-art, gated community called LashBrooke.
THE COUPLE’S STORY IS SIMPLE. Rob was a lifeguard at the Holston Hills pool where Judy swam as a teen. He, on summer break from college, and she, a high school cheerleader, were instantly smitten. A summer romance blossomed, but the two parted ways with the arrival of fall and didn’t reconnect again until Judy entered college. They were married several years later and to hear Judy speak of him, it’s clear the flame still burns. Rob, a “born entrepreneur” says Judy, started an athletic apparel manufacturing company called SM (Stooksbury McKeehan) Athletics. He later sold the successful business and ventured into other retail endeavors: Lake Flight, a Sea Ray boat dealership, and ownership of the Knoxville Cherokees Hockey Team (now the Ice Bears) among them. But he had always had an interest in building and it was his longtime friend, Bobby Slack of Creative Structures, who mentored him and taught him the business. In 1985, he began building individual homes, but it was his natural ability to see a piece of property and envision the possibilities that led him into land development. Judy says that on multiple occasions, he has shown her prospective properties of which she saw zero potential and was proven wrong every time. “It really is his love,” she says. He eventually developed such upscale properties as Cherokee Springs, Longview Estates at Rudder Lane, River Club and Gettysview (in partnership with Ron Watkins), then Rarity Pointe. He is currently developing LashBrooke with great friend and neighbor, Ray Evans.
The homes within the community are built in an old-world, European style: lots of stone and copper; turrets and arches surrounded by lush landscapes; long paved drives. Judy thought the River Club home they lived in previously would be their last, unless they downsized and built a smaller home, but with Rob forging ahead with plans for another development, it was clear that a larger home was in her future. In hindsight, she is grateful for the decision, as it has been the perfect way to routinely bring the ever-growing family together. Their five daughters and four grandchildren were excited to have a new, larger home in which to gather.
They worked with architecture firm Shawn Fisher Designs to build the home, a 10,000 square foot enclave on the end lot of the development. This private lot is Rob’s preferred location within each property he has developed and also lived in. A winding, paved road leads to the home built of stone and to a circular drive where an attached three-car garage sits. The main entrance shows off a beautiful leaded-glass door, similar to two other doors within the home, custom built by Egan Hardwoods. The more frequently used side entrance includes a pretty patio garden and a sturdy wooden bench for daydreaming. A stone pathway leads from here down to the water, where the couple is building a boat dock. They look forward to bringing their boat from the marina where it is currently docked and enjoying it this summer with family and friends. “The project has taken much longer than we anticipated, but we know we will really enjoy it once it’s complete,” says Judy.
The home also includes a swimming pool enjoyed especially by triplets Allison, Abby and Anna and by the children of older daughters, Ashley and Amy. The triplets frequently have friends over to sun and boat or to enjoy a special home-cooked meal by mom. Just steps away is an especially charming pool house used for storing floats and pool equipment, but its stone exterior and arched doorway make it seem more quaint than utilitarian. Pretty potted flowers represent a favorite pastime for Judy: she enjoys selecting and caring for plants and changes them out to suit the season.
Rob and Judy spend a lot of time with family, entertaining on a fully-furnished outdoor covered patio complete with a big-screen TV and fireplace. A poolside outdoor kitchen is currently under construction. The space has “a great ambience,” says Judy. Nearby is a breezy screened-in porch that overlooks the pool and lake beyond, with comfortable furnishings and a large stone hearth. The couple recently hosted a 21st birthday party for the triplets, a bridal shower for their older daughter’s close friend, and a sorority bid day celebration for 150 girls by the pool. In addition to frequent charity fundraisers and events held at the house, they have even made their pool available to the church which daughter Ashley attends; it’s used for immersion baptisms. “We have our home so others can enjoy it,” says Judy.
Once inside the home, it is clear that just as much careful consideration was given to the interior as to the outside of the home. Judy enjoys a hands-on approach to decorating and found her inspiration for the home’s décor in its architecture. Natural light streams in through the many windows and lends a delicate luminescence to the interior. This warmth is enhanced by shades of soft yellow throughout the house. The great room of the home lives up to its name: the chandelier alone is 8 feet in diameter, and the room has stunningly detailed millwork, including an intricately designed coffered ceiling. Judy selected many of her furnishings from Bennett Galleries; she calls these an eclectic mix of European pieces and artwork that she is drawn to based on color or mood. She mostly prefers photos of family for the walls...fitting, given the close-knit family life she and Rob have created together. She also worked closely with Bob Sowell of Destination Designs, who helped her in selecting fabrics for her draperies and upholstered pieces, going so far as to take her along with him to both the furniture and fabric markets. “I’m not a catalog person. I like to touch and feel…sit in a chair before I buy it,” she shares. She also says Bob has a great understanding of scale and layout within a room, and that his recommendations were invaluable.
The dining room, with its soft green, grass-cloth covered walls, features a portrait in oil of oldest daughter Amy painted by family friend Kimberlin Shelton of Knoxville. The draperies are a rich cranberry silk with a leafy vine pattern, designed and fabricated by Headrick and Cullen, who also designed much of the bedding and all of the other window treatments in the home. In a glass-front cabinet, Judy keeps a collection of champagne glasses, wedding crystal, and heirloom treasures once belonging to her and Rob’s grandmothers, as well as a diminutive statue of the Last Supper, purchased on a trip to the Vatican. The glass-topped Henredon table anchors the room, and upholstered dining chairs add a comfortable elegance. In the adjoining foyer, Judy always keeps a vase of fresh-cut flowers. Opposite the foyer is Rob’s office, which also serves as a “golf room” as Judy calls it. “Golf is Rob’s other passion,” she says, as she points out a lighted case filled with tournament trophies and golf team photos.
Every Sunday night, all of the girls and their families, as well as Rob’s mother, are invited for supper. The beautifully appointed kitchen boasts granite countertops and professional-style appliances, a range, double oven and wine cooler by Dacor, and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. It’s the perfect spot for all to congregate as Judy prepares a big meal. Glass-front cabinetry features vintage-look bubbled glass and is accented by oiled bronze hardware. The hand-blown glass pendant lights over the island add an artful flair, with a unique giraffe-like pattern of gold and ecru. Adjacent to the kitchen is the “Keeping Room,” an intimate space where Judy and Rob cozy up when it’s just the two of them, or where Judy enjoys quiet time by herself. “I have a chaise lounge where I sit and read, watch TV or simply savor the amazing view of the water.” Here she hung her favorite painting, a scene from Tuscany reminding her of a trip she took there last May.
The great room is ideal for visiting when her girls are home. Judy says, “Everyone comes early to enjoy the pool and then after supper we hang out here, and there’s plenty of room for all of us.” The far wall of this room is made entirely of windows flooding the room with light, the main criteria for Judy when planning the house. “I wanted the feeling of warmth and a house full of big windows.” The home was built at an angle so that every room had a great view. Rich wood panels cover another wall of built-in shelving that flank a stunning limestone mantel.
A long corridor leads to the only bedroom on the main floor, the master. The corridor features multiple arches to add visual interest. Rob says, “We wanted to create an aesthetically pleasing pathway rather than a basic hallway.” Massive columns include complexly detailed millwork. Rob says no advance drawings were made; rather, he and his finish carpenters experimented with ideas on the spot until they arrived at a look they were happy with. The master bedroom also has a fireplace; French doors lead to an outdoor patio. The master bath has a Jacuzzi tub with a great view that Judy enjoys, but she admits that Rob has yet to use this tub.
The triplets chose the decor for their own rooms in the basement. Judy calls this “a complete house within itself,” as it has a separate kitchen and laundry room. Each daughter’s individual tastes are reflected here. Alison, an interior design major, went with browns and blues, the most contemporary of all the rooms; Abby chose red walls complimented by black toile; Anna’s room is in the same subtle hues used in the rest of the house. The girls love having their own rooms to come home to, so much in fact that one is considering a move back there while she completes her studies. There is also a guest suite “slash grandchildren’s room,” Judy says.
Judy and Rob have built solid friendships with nearby neighbors and hosted a get-together last year for those they hadn’t met yet in an effort to foster a real sense of community. Judy says she takes frequent walks and rides her bike around the neighborhood, adding that LashBrooke is a very friendly place to live. And while she hadn’t imagined that she’d live in such a large home at this stage of her life, it is evident from the life she describes here that she got the nest she dreamed of after all, and thank heavens, it’s never actually empty.
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