Amberley and Patrick Woodard moved to Memphis from Reno, Nevada, to take Patrick’s job. He is a physician and leads digital project development initiatives for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.
Amberley works for AVIA Health, a Chicago-based digital health innovation company, and leads the practice of precision medicine. The couple knew they were looking for a home that would provide them with a home office space for each other. Amberly is working remotely and as the pandemic continues, Patrick’s second home office has been perfect.
“In addition to the home duplex office space, we also wanted a large entertaining area and a spacious chef’s kitchen because we love to cook,” Amberley said. “With the family out of town, we knew we needed a dedicated guest room. And we wanted to have a TV room separate from the main room where we could entertain. Also, we hoped to have a wine cellar. Outside, we wanted a large patio and enough fenced patio space for our dog.” To make plenty of room to run around. Finally, we wanted a two-car garage.”
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To help them find what they were looking for, Patrick and Amberley enlisted the help of Melanie Blakeney, an agent with Marks Bensdorf Real Estate. It was referred to them by the transportation services associated with Patrick’s new employer.
“Melani has been great at helping us identify areas of Memphis where we will find things we love, such as access to parks, proximity to restaurants, etc.,” Amberley said. “She was very kind and helped us narrow down our findings based on her extensive experience and market knowledge. Most importantly, she took the time to get to know us. In addition to her real estate experience, we loved working with her because her personality was a perfect fit for us.”
“Melani took us to see nearly 18 different drugs,” Patrick said. “We looked at homes in a variety of neighborhoods, including Mud Island/Harbor Town, South Bluffs and a few other neighborhoods in East Memphis and Germantown.”
The couple found their dream home in a gated community in Tuscany Park in East Memphis.
“The architecture of the house in the French countryside was inviting to us, with lots of old world charm,” Amberly recalls. “There were extra touches, too, that really made this house special to us, like three French barn doors from an original Pierre Frey building in Paris, Italian lighting in the dining room and an antique Belgian window from the greenhouse. And there were plenty of room, about 4,400 square feet of Living spaces, with three bedrooms and five bathrooms.”
The Woodards paid $780,000 for their home. It was built off Park Avenue about 15 years ago in a gated community that supports an abundance of green space.
“The design of this house is very open and has a large central entry hall,” Amberley explained. “Our dog loves it too, as she loves to run up and down the hallway. We also appreciated the presence of a convertible gas/wood stove and high ceilings in the main entertaining space. Our previous home was a three bedroom/four bathroom home, but our new home is much more open and larger. We also have more outdoor space.”
Patrick said they made some changes to make their new home exactly what they wanted. He explained, “We’ve already repainted the interior in a more modern color scheme, brighter colors in hues like sapphire and emerald, and updated two powder rooms to brighten their look. In addition, we replaced the former wine nook with a formal wine cellar. We’ve replaced several fixtures lighting to bring a modern feel to our mid-century home.”
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When they settled in Woodards, they found that they were really impressed with their new location.
“We’re close to working for Patrick, in a charming, closed enclave near The Dixon,” Amberley said. “We are close to amenities like grocery stores, as well as great restaurants. We also love living near the Memphis Botanical Garden and the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. We try to go to both places as much as possible to enjoy the beauty there and the chance to walk and relax.”
Emily Adams Kiplinger is a freelance reporter who has produced this feature for the advertising department.