A Custom-Made Home With Chic Style

"I cannot believe I live here,” says Chenobia Webster-Hill of her 3,200-square-foot Tennessee home. Chenobia grew up in South Memphis and was a single mom by 14; she had her second child at 17. “Everyone told me I would be nothing.” They were wrong. She became high school valedictorian, graduated from the University of Memphis (while raising two kids) and went on to earn her doctorate at the University of Tennessee. She started a career in social work, met her future husband, trucking company owner Corey Hill, and had two more kids.

The family of six lived in a 1,375-square-foot Craftsman (with one bathroom!) for 15 years while they saved up for this dream home, a custom build in the city’s historic district. To personalize the space, the Hills hired Memphis designer Maggie Clarke, and together they filled the rooms with furniture and artwork the couple loves. “There’s no way this should be my life,” says Chenobia, who’s now a college professor. “But I’ve earned every bit of it.”

The Hills updated the traditional brick house by painting it white (Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams). They often hang out on the porch, chatting with close friends who live nearby. “It’s very Southern,” Chenobia says.

A purple front door and a herringbone accent wall, painted Rare Gray by Sherwin-Williams, make for a fun entrance. The house is filled with work by Black artists, including these Basquiat prints.

The dramatic chandelier, from Hinkley, was Corey’s pick; Chenobia chose the smoky plastic chairs from Modway. “They bring the drama!” she says. Gray faux-mohair CB2 end chairs and a wood table from Anthropologie anchor the room. The photo of Biggie Smalls lyrics in the gallery wall is Chenobia’s favorite: “My life really is a dream.”