A Restful Retreat

When Candy and Dennis Reynolds first walked in their home, they felt like they were walking into the outdoors. It felt like the perfect space to fulfill the greater purpose they envisioned for their new space.

“I wanted to create an environment for the young women (I mentor) who are busy with their children and hectic lives to come in and take a breath,” Candy says. “I had prayed that the Lord would really have me open my home to be hospitable because I had primarily taught Bible studies that met at the church (before that point).”

And indeed since the couple moved in and made the Vestavia Hills home their own it’s been a haven for many who have spent time there to sit and stay a while.

The 1950s home had been renovated with a modern style by a previous homeowner, but above all Candy wanted its design to feel welcoming and comfortable but still keeping its existing style. To achieve that look, she enlisted the help of interior decorator Lauren Valentine, and they set to work shopping around Birmingham to create a calming color scheme for the interiors to complement the modern elements of the home.

Candy’s style had once been traditional, but Hurricane Ivan destroyed most of her heirloom furniture back in 2004 when her family was living in Gulf Breeze, Florida. “It gave me an open hand, so when we started to refurnish our home, I got this feeling in my heart that I didn’t want to be surrounded by a lot of stuff,” she says. “I wanted to have a more streamlined style.”

Not long after that she started to take painting lessons with the goal of creating “something beautiful so that people know that God loves them.” She began photographing birds on her back deck, painting them and adding scriptures to the art. Today you can find these pieces throughout her home along with landscapes she has painted and photos of her family.

But more than any specific item, Candy sees a bigger purpose for the space she calls home. “I wanted to create a peaceful environment where Jesus was honored,” she says.

Basement

Leopard print carpet on the stairs adds a pizzazz to the modern feel of the basement with a couch and square built-in shelves left by the previous owner who had overseen the home’s renovations.

Dining Room

Candy and Lauren designed this room around the light fixture that previous owners had left and added a table from At Home in Homewood and chairs that would coordinate with the living room adjacent to it.

Living Room

Candy and Lauren created a calming color scheme with pops of fun custom pillows to coordinate with the grey granite fireplace, with couches from Stock & Trade Design Co. and a coffee table from At Home.

Entryway

More recently Candy and Lauren added a geometric wallpaper to welcome guests as they walk inside the home. The portrait is one Candy painted to represent her daughter—who has auburn hair—the year she got married.

Pavilion

The Reynolds say that the pavilion they had built out back two years ago to match the architecture of the house has been a lifesaver in this year’s pandemic. They’ve held family celebrations out there, and Candy’s discipleship groups with younger women have met there too.