Tour a Grand Kentucky Home With Laid-Back Style
Casual-chic rules in this Lexington, KY, house inspired by the great outdoors. Muddy boots, welcome!

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Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
Photo By: ©2022 DAVID TSAY davidtsay.com
The Story
When Abby and Jonathan Webb were searching for a house around Lexington, Kenutcky, it took no time for them to decide on this one. Located in a walkable neighborhood and built in 1908, it was completely renovated and bigger than they’d expected to find at more than 4,000 square feet. Given some of its grand features, like double front doors and a marble floor in the kitchen, they made sure their relaxed style came through. “To us, a place that looks nice but where you can plop down and put up your feet feels like home,” says Abby. Working with designer Isabel Ladd, they filled it with welcoming materials and notably friendly colors like blue, yellow and pink. “Both of us garden and spend a lot of time outside, so we wanted to bring that organic feel indoors,” says Abby. And if they trek in a little dirt, well then, they’re just living the life.
The House
With a colossal portico and its stucco exterior, the house was already beautiful. An edible garden cultivated a wild side. "Plants just put people at ease, which is why we have them all over our place," says Abby.
The Living Room
A pair of sofas with different patterns (from Anthropologie) feels informal and totally cool. To celebrate their Kentucky roots, the homeowners have a coffee table built with maple from the state and a Fibreworks rug made of hemp, a crop grown in the area.
The Dining Room
The drapes and antique light fixture came with the house. “They’re kind of formal but beautiful, so we made them fun,” says Abby. She and designer Isabel chose a peppy rug (from the Nashville Rug Gallery), chairs with birds on the backs (from Ballard Designs) and a large piece of abstract art (from Chairish) over the credenza. The table, by Gabby, is an easygoing combo of wood and metal.
The Kitchen
The Webbs lucked out: It was renovated nine months before they bought the house. A traditional checkered marble floor was OK with them. “We appreciate that it’ll look good years from now,” says Abby. Rattan counter stools by Gabby loosen it up. A pot rack is always a down-to-earth feature, and it gets style points for the coordinating stainless steel cookware.
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The Bathroom
Located off the kitchen, it’s mostly used by guests. Abby and Jonathan gave it garden feels with floral wallpaper by Thibaut, robin’s egg blue sconces by Visual Comfort and a sage green mirror by Ballard Designs. “My friends have actually taken selfies in here,” says Abby.
The Main Bedroom
The worn look of the original exposed brick is part of the character. Isabel brightened the room with red buds on a duvet cover and shams by Ballard Designs, a sunshine-y mirror (Kouboo has a similar version) and blue and white lamps from Target topped with pink pleated shades from Ballard Designs.
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The Sitting Area
The best part of the main bedroom for Abby is this bonus space that beckons her to sit and do phone catch-ups. It’s outfitted with a rattan daybed from World Market and a wicker egg chair by Selamat, plus a pink-y rug by Jaipur Living laid over a diamond sisal rug by Fibreworks. A porcelain plant stand (Walmart has a look-alike) keeps books handy, and it’s a nice patch of forest green.
The Guest Bedroom
Anyone staying over gets the full bed-and-breakfast treatment with a magnetic pairing of peacock bedding from Target and a floral window shade, plus a mini fridge and coffeemaker on the other side of the room. The painted and speckled hardwood floor is a fun feature that’s impossible to scuff up.
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The Potting Shed
The couple converted the garage into a multi-use space for gardening, storage and hangouts with friends. “We’re out here year-round — it’s covered from rain, and we can plug in heaters when it’s cold,” says Abby. Almost everything, from the garden tools hanging neatly on the wall to the bar cabinet, is used or vintage for an old farmhouse feel.
The Front Yard
Before, there was only grass and a few bushes on either side of the path. Now, it’s an oasis! Garden designer Jon Carloftis planned out a blend of native flowers and plants that includes some 15 kinds of herbs and vegetables like cilantro, kale, radishes, broccoli. It’s less manicured than a regular lawn, and more enjoyable to care for. Tasty, too. Or, as Abby says, “We don’t mow our yard, we eat it!”