Knoxville, TN March 2026

Admiral Custom Home Builders

Meet a difference maker

SARAH SMITH, PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVOR

In 2011, Sarah Smith hit a gong to celebrate the end of her cancer treatment. Today, she is hitting a gong at VOLthon to celebrate the money raised for the hospital and team that took care of her.

When Sarah was just four years old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and immediately began receiving treatment at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Throughout her two and a half years of treatment, Sarah and her family grew close to her care team and were positively impacted by the support they received throughout her time at the hospital. “When I would have to go under anesthesia, I remember one of my doctors would make me smile and feel comfortable by telling jokes,” said Sarah. “While I was receiving treatment, the child life specialists would also play with my brothers. I loved all my doctors, nurses and child life specialists who were so good to me and my family.”

During treatment, Sarah was invited to VOLthon, a student-led dance marathon at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville that raises critical funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, like East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. “I remember going to VOLthon for the very first time and absolutely loving it and thinking how cool it was to be around college students.” Sarah and her family continued to attend VOLthon each year and her love for the event grew even more.

After two and a half years of treatment, Sarah was officially cancer free at almost seven years old. She

then became an ambassador for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, a program that connects communities to the hospital’s mission through sharing personal stories and journeys. “I got to attend VOLthon for the first time as an ambassador and remember doing the hero walk with my brothers and other ambassadors. It was amazing!”

After years of involvement in the program, Sarah knew she wanted to attend a university that had a Dance Marathon program someday.

When that day finally came, Sarah decided to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and joined the VOLthon committee. Throughout the years, Sarah has helped in various areas of the event including family relations and director of recruitment. Today, she is a junior at the university and the Vice President of Marketing for VOLthon, which perfectly aligns with her passion for healthcare marketing. “VOLthon has been one of my biggest college blessings. I’ve met some of my best friends through this program.”

This year, Sarah and the rest of the VOLthon team are advocating and raising funds for children, just like her. All funds raised at this year’s dance marathon will support the expansion and renovation of the Hogs for the Cause Hematology/Oncology Center. This new space will provide additional room and offerings for the patients and families routinely visiting for treatment.

Read more stories and get involved at etch.com/connect.

“VOLthon has been one of my biggest college blessings. I’ve met some of my best friends through this program.”

-Sarah Smith

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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Our first Home and Design issue under the new Knoxville City Lifestyle masthead has, like a beautifully tailored bride ready to create her own best nest, something old, new, borrowed and blue.

Some March stories overlap in design details that celebrate Knoxville’s world-class architectural tradition. Vice Chair of The Garden Conservancy, Sharon Pryse, reminisces about the toil and triumph of forty years reclaiming the historic hillside garden of a gracious 1922 Baumann and Baumann home in the Kingston Pike Historic District. Knoxville History Project showcases the design legacy of some of our most beloved hometown houses of worship, like First Presbyterian, designed by the same Baumann Brothers architectural firm and featuring Tiffany Studios-designed stained-glass.

Thinking about something brand new? Spring seems the perfect season to do some serious daydreaming about all the preferences and design details that would make the dream home that you’d build uniquely “you.” If so, you’ll enjoy walking through our gallery of luxury homes crafted by the dedicated team at Admiral Custom Home Builders.

Get a brilliantly fresh look for your current home by lighting up the house and grounds. Limelight Landscape Lighting owner Lance Asti (who, in an earlier career, coached collegiate and Olympic-level athletes) offers practical advice on considering do-it-yourself projects vs. working with a professional landscape lighting company.

Borrowing from the past and building something new, we’ve got a sneak peek of the early architectural model that will become the largest museum in the country honoring the women’s suffrage movement. It will also house priceless artifacts from the women who bravely marched out of their homes and into the streets for their right to vote.

As people with furry family members who believe in “happy pets, happy homestead,” Marc and I got a kick out of our PYA Waltman column. Aaron Nolan, CFP®, is positively dogged on the “data-vs-devotion” debate when deciding to bring a four-footed companion home.

This issue celebrates blue-sky thinking, filled with ideas, inspiration and information to enhance the homes we love. Thank you for supporting our design, home and garden, building, remodeling and home improvement business partners who help make it possible for us to explore these stories each month.

AMY

CAMPBELL & MARC ROCHELSON, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

@KNOXVILLECITYLIFESTYLE

March 2026

PUBLISHER

Marc Rochelson | marc.rochelson@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Amy Campbell | amy.campbell@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Chelsea Babin | chelsea.babin@citylifestyle.com

COPY EDITOR

Matias Arredondo | matias.arredondo@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Patricia Storm Broyles, Paul James, Jack Neely, Aaron Nolan, CFP®

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shawn Poynter, Ben Finch, Smoky Mountain Visuals, Brooke Simon Photography, Wes Hope, Dave Parmalee Knoxville Digital Postcard Collection, Knoxville History Project

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsi Southard

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler

Proverbs 3:5-6

Brett Mistak Art

Photorealistic oil paintings inspired by wildlife, world travels and the landscapes of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Hours: Monday-Friday and most Saturdays, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m., or by appointment

v @brettmistakart b Brett-Mistak-Art brettmistakart.com 865-567-7023

107 Painted Trillium Way, Townsend, TN

business monthly

A ROUNDUP OF NEWS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES

Celebration of Women in Old-Time Music: An Evening With Alice Gerrard

Alice Gerrard, pioneering singer and instrumentalist, will be featured in A Celebration of Women in Old-Time Music on March 6, at 7 p.m. at the Bijou Theatre. The evening includes a screening of the documentary You Gave Me a Song and a live performance with Tatiana Hargreaves and Reed Stutz, plus a discussion of Gerrard’s autobiography, Custom Made Woman . Details at KnoxCountyLibrary.org.

A Special Higher Ground Spotlight

Raking Light: Photographs of East Tennessee and the American South is temporarily on view, celebrating the growth of KMA’s photography collection through recent acquisitions, documenting the region’s shifting social landscape. The spotlight features works by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lewis Wickes Hine and Charles E. Krutch. The exhibition is on view through April 12. Admission is free. More information on KnoxArt.org.

Women Architects at Work in Knoxville and Beyond

Presented by Knoxville History Project in partnership with AIA East Tennessee, this program features architectural historian Mary Anne Hunting, author of Women Architects at Work: Making American Modernism . Hunting explores the contributions of women architects, including Jane West Clauss and Knoxville architect Elizabeth Wiley Dunlap. Lunch included. Tickets and information at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org.

Dogwood Arts and Clayton Center for the Arts Present Synergy

Synergy Exhibition showcases gifted K-12 art students alongside their teachers and art interns from across East Tennessee, highlighting the creative collaboration that happens daily in schools with awards and scholarships to encourage continued artistic growth. The exhibition runs March 4-26 at the Clayton Center for the Arts. A closing reception and awards ceremony will be held on March 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Artists, families and friends are invited. Admission is free. DogWoodArts.com.

Big Ears Festival

Big Ears Festival returns to downtown Knoxville March 26-29, for four days of adventurous music and performance. The internationally recognized festival features hundreds of concerts, talks and special events across multiple venues. Showcasing artists from around the world, Big Ears celebrates innovative, genre-defying work and transforms the city into a hub for contemporary music, culture and creative exchange. BigEarsFestival.org.

Knoxville Whiskey Festival

April 11 from 6-9 p.m., whiskey lovers are invited to the premier whiskey event of the season at the Knoxville Whiskey Festival, benefiting TennGreen Land Conservancy. Top distillers will pour premier whiskey, bourbon and scotch while offering educational tastings. Set to live music, the indoor/outdoor event features local food vendors, a mixology showcase, a cigar lounge and photo experiences. VIP tickets include early access and exclusive pours. For tickets, visit  KnoxvilleWhiskeyFestival.com.

TOWNSEND’S DANCING BEAR APPALACHIAN BISTRO HOSTED “ECHOES OF APPALACHIA”

ARTICLE BY KNOXVILLE CITY LIFESTYLE STAFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLENE

Townsend’s Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro hosted “Echoes of Appalachia,” Jan.22, an evening celebrating the region’s music, art and cuisine. The event featured fly-fishing guide and fine artist Ian Rutter, Grammy-nominated musician Daniel Kimbro and an elevated Appalachian menu crafted by Chef Jeff Carter, with wine pairings by sommelier Michelle LaBorde. Guests experienced a blend of regional flavors and live performances in an intimate setting, highlighting the bistro’s commitment to honoring Appalachian traditions as a living, vibrant part of contemporary culture.

Photo ID:

1. Chef Jeff Carter’s five-course menu included blackberry BBQ-glazed smoked venison.

2. Charity and Ian Rutter pose with Ian’s artwork on display.

3. A sampling of Ian Rutter’s artwork

4. The sold-out event featured the Bistro’s signature rustic-elegant table settings.

5. Daniel Kimbro and Ian Rutter

6. Daniel Kimbro shared songs and stories of the region from his debut solo album, Carpet in the Kitchen , while guests enjoyed elevated tastes from Appalachia.

7. Kimbro plays guitar, double bass, electric bass and clawhammer banjo.

Singer-songwriter Daniel Kimbro, DanielKimbro.com

Fly-fishing guide and fine artist Ian Rutter, IanRutterArt.com

Executive chef Jeff Carter, DancingBearLodge.com

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DSB PROVISIONS OPENS IN MARYVILLE

DSB Provisions hosted its soft opening on Feb. 8 in Maryville. The new restaurant is owned and operated by Dustin Busby, formerly of Blackberry Farm, and his partner, Stacey Busby. The long-anticipated opening drew a lively crowd of friends and family.

ID:

1. Stacey and Dustin Busby

2. Dustin Busby expediting orders during the soft opening

3. Leanne Moe McQueen (McQueen Pottery), who created the custom dinnerware for DSB Provisions, and Mike McQueen

4. DSB Provisions interior

5. Brian and Jessica Strutz (co-owners of Potchke Deli and Adopo Pizza) with Dustin Busby in the back

6. DSB logo, designed several years ago by The Happy Envelope

7. Nicole and James Tomiczek. James is the developer of Greenway Village in Maryville, where DSB Provisions is located.

8. The roasted beet salad with burrata and the Caesar salad

9. Shona and Chris Burger, owners of Bluestem Hollow, Greenback

Knoxville Women’s Suffrage Museum MODEL REVEALED FOR THE FUTURE

KNOXVILLE MOVES FORWARD ON WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MUSEUM

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KNOXVILLE CITY LIFESTYLE STAFF

The Suffrage Coalition has completed Phase one of its effort to establish the Women’s Suffrage Museum, securing ownership of the building at 706 S. Gay St. Phase two is underway, with the goal of acquiring the adjacent property at 708 S. Gay St. Together, the buildings will house the future museum in downtown Knoxville.

Knoxville holds a singular place in U.S. history as the site where Tennessee became the decisive “Perfect 36” state to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Organizers say the museum will honor that legacy while connecting it to modern conversations about democracy and civic engagement.

Scheduled to open in 2028, the Women’s Suffrage Museum will preserve and display more than 1,000 artifacts related to the suffrage movement, offer educational exhibits and public programs, and highlight Tennessee’s pivotal role in securing women’s voting rights.

Coalition leaders say the museum is intended to be more than a historical site, serving as a space to inspire future generations to advance equality and civic participation.

Photo ID:

1. Wanda G. Sobieski, president and founder of the Suffrage Coalition, gets her first look at an architectural model of the future Women’s Suffrage Museum. The museum, Sobieski’s life’s work, is expected to be the world’s largest museum dedicated to women’s suffrage.

2. Members of the team working to bring the Women’s Suffrage Museum to life pose with Sobieski, from left: Robert Fleming, principal, CEO and owner of Idletime Network Inc.; Bruce Robinson, founder and president of BDR Design; and John Schaefer, creative conceptual designer, master planner and architect with Shepherds Mountain Architecture.

3. An overhead detail view of the architectural model of the Women’s Suffrage Museum.

4. A rendering shows the front facades of the future Women’s Suffrage Museum at 706 and 708 S. Gay St.

More information on supporting the project is available at SuffrageCoalition.org

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ARTICLE BY PATRICIA STORM BROYLES PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAWN POYNTER

THE Surprising GARDEN

Sharon Pryse on Restoring and Maximizing a Hidden Riverfront Garden

As she starts the story, when Sharon Pryse and her late husband bought their house in the Kingston Pike Historic District in 1984, she would not have mentioned that it was on the Tennessee River. She couldn’t see it down the steep slope that was completely grown up. “There was a back terrace, but no access to the garden from it. The owner before us had put in a very modern swimming pool … which did not necessarily complement the house,” Pryse adds. Having moved from a subdivision to their 1922 Georgian house, designed by Knoxville architectural firm Baumann and Baumann, they would sit on the terrace, having a drink and lament “there was nothing to the backyard.”

“Everything from the pool terrace down the slope was covered up in euonymus, vines and brambles. It was not about the garden or the river view. We bought the property for the house and the beautiful molding details.” Turns out uncovering a hidden garden holds lots of surprises.

The first garden designer Pryse worked with in 1985 was Knoxville’s Bob Hendrix. When they started clearing, they found the remains of a sprinkler system that was original to the house. “It was not functioning, but we found the pipes. There was a little bog pond on the slope in addition to a pond on the main terrace. I don’t know if the bog pond has an underground pipe to it, but we never have to fill it up.” As they cleared out the euonymus, they found the basics of a walkway. “It was rudimentary, but it was the

first part of that meandering walkway—where you enter through the gates—to a flat place where the bog pond is, and a little stone seating area that was all covered up. We tried to find what the original walkway looked like and later built another seating area two-thirds of the way down.”

A Georgia native and University of Tennessee alumna (who would later serve on the UT Board of Trustees), Pryse has roots in gardening going back to her grandmother’s house. “I spent time with my father’s mother, who was a big gardener. My late husband was a physician and loved gardening because it was a huge release for him.” A lot of satisfaction, she says, is gleaned from the hard work of clearing. “When you pull weeds, you can see a pile of what you’ve gotten done … as long as you look at the pile you have done and don’t look down the slope and see all that you haven’t gotten done.”

In those early days, it might have surprised Pryse that the stunning three-acre multi-terraced hillside garden on the Tennessee River she would transform over the next 40 years would be featured in such lifestyle media as HGTV’s “Garden Tour” and Southern Living. Most recently, Pryse and her garden were one of 20 featured aspirational gardens and their maximalist owners who prove “more” is better in the 2025 garden book, “Garden to the Max: Joyful, Visionary, Maximalist Design” (Teresa Woodard, Photography by Bob Stefko).

“Ryan [Gainey]

presented us this plan for a formal rose garden and very formal pavilion that Joe calls ‘The Temple.’”

Widowed in 1998, Pryse married Joe Pryse in 2006. “When Joe and I got married, I already had a rose garden, but it was down by the river. We bought the house next door that was in serious disrepair and tore it down. We told our new garden designer that we’d like the roses closer to the house and maybe some kind of garden pavilion with a grill. ‘Give us some ideas,’ we said. Joe and I were thinking ‘casual.’”

However, Ryan Gainey, the internationally acclaimed garden designer and horticulturalist they had hired for the redesign, was not. “He presented us with this plan for a formal rose garden and a very formal pavilion that Joe calls ‘The Temple.’ It was not at all what we asked for, but it was gorgeous … and it’s what we did.”As its centerpiece, Gainey’s formal design incorporated six limestone columns from a Middle Tennessee bank that Pryse’s late husband had acquired years earlier. “Knoxville portrait artist John Kelley, known for his work interpreting Greek mythology, was involved with the original purchase of the columns. The prior owner didn’t utilize the columns, so they lay in a yard for a long time when my late husband heard about them and bought them. Of course, it took a Metler’s crane to move them. We paid more to place the columns than to purchase them,” she laughs.

“We have 120 hybrid tea roses in the double 8-feet-wide and 40-feet-long formal beds, and multiple hybrid tea and David Austin roses going down the slope. We enjoy taking our homegrown roses to lots of people, but we have to remind them that, because they are homegrown, they do have thorns. Joe’s favorite is Double Delight, and he’s convinced Lydia, one of our five grandchildren and four great grandchildren, that it’s hers too.”

“Joe and I met the renowned British garden designer and writer Rosemary Verey in England and became friends. She came and spent the weekend with us and gave us wonderful garden ideas.”

There’s also a companion Itoh peony [Japanese hybrid] bed comparable in size that Gainey installed on the upper tier. “The beauty of Itoh peonies is they don’t need ants to blossom, so you can cut and bring them inside without bringing in ants.” Their two dogs, Molly, a Westie, and Pearl, a 17-year-old Cairn Doodle, love the gardens as much as their people do. “Molly likes to start at the top of the peonies bed and belly crawl all the way down the slope and then run back up and do it again, as if she’s sliding,” Pryse adds.

During planning, they also told Gainey they wanted everything to be as low maintenance as possible, which “was not a forte of his,” Pryse explains. “When he suggested planting vineyards, I asked, ‘Since when are vineyards low maintenance?’ But ours are. Ryan planted native muscadines and blackberries that don’t need tending, thanks to the birds, and thrive without maintenance.”

CONTINUED >

Gainey was the gifted visionary behind their redesigned, expansive four-tiered garden tapestry (including vegetable and herb gardens, an English knot garden and several water features) up until his death in 2016. “We worked with him so long, we still ask ourselves what would Ryan do? I don’t do as many garden chores as I used to, now that our weekends are spent in our North Carolina mountain house. But we have a wonderful crew with Megan Shankles as our garden manager.”

Active on many nonprofit boards, Pryse is also Vice-Chair of The Garden Conservancy, a national organization that celebrates America's gardens and diverse gardening traditions with lectures, webinars, garden tours and Open Days. “Open Days are fundraisers for The Garden Conservancy, but they also introduce people to private gardens they might not otherwise see. We’re not as well represented in Tennessee as in New England or California, and haven’t had Open Days in Knoxville in a couple of years. I hope to put together Open Days in 2027.”

Pryse’s advocacy for opening private gardens to public enjoyment is reflected in her experience throughout the years, entertaining and hosting personal, business and nonprofit events for organizations such as Legacy Parks, Random Acts of Flowers and

UT Gardens. “Friends, family and folks who work with us or know us have family event photos taken here. Knoxville has been good to me and my family and I’m glad to be able to give back to the community and share our garden experience. Walking through the garden and the way it smells, the way it looks, the way it makes you feel … it’s just comforting.”

“Back in the day, we’d have people for dinner, go for a garden walk and stop on our way back at the terrace and have cheese or vichyssoise and wine before going back up. As we and our friends have aged, we aren’t taking people down to the river as much as we once did.”

Pryse says she doesn’t walk down to the river every night either, but when she does, she ponders making maintenance easier. “I may not walk to the river as often, but I do walk to the rocking chair terrace underneath the rose garden. It’s a semi-circle of rockers around a fire pit overlooking the river and a favorite place to enjoy the views.”

Their historic hillside garden has brought unexpected gifts. “We don’t have any significant trees left, not by plan. They’ve all died. I’ve been told that during the Civil War, these hillsides were denuded for firewood or whatever else. The large trees that came back naturally were roughly the same age and often uprooted at the same time.”

One of those surprise gifts came when one of them fell.

“Before, that really huge tree blocked the view of the bridge [James E. Buck Karnes Bridge] from the house. Now that it’s gone, we can see the bridge from the house and the rocking chair terrace. Our house faces south, and the bridge is southeast of us. When the sun sets to the west, that bridge glows orange, and it is beautiful. If the water is flat, you get that orange reflection of the bridge in the water. I never thought about the view of the bridge, but it’s really a pretty bridge with that double reflection.”

Where better in Big Orange Country to appreciate that tangerine glow in the river than from a rocking chair in the garden of a transplanted Georgian who was grafted into the Volunteer family decades ago? One more surprising garden lesson in blooming where you are planted.

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LIMELIGHT LANDSCAPE LIGHTING creates OUTSIDE-THE-BOX outdoor lighting

Leading His Team of Landscape Lighting Specialists, Lance Asti Brilliantly “Paints With Light”

ARTICLE BY PATRICIA STORM BROYLES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES HOPE AND SHAWN POYNTER

“Our process for design and installation is different from a typical landscaping company,” says Lance Asti, owner of Limelight Landscape Lighting, LLC. “We are a very niche service company.”

Limelight specializes in landscape and architectural lighting design and installation, creating custom outdoor lighting designs to transform homes and yards. “Landscaping companies focus on putting in trees, shrubs and mulch, but for them, landscape lighting is an add-on,” Asti explains. “For us, lighting is everything. The details of placement, or of aiming, and even the premier fixtures themselves, are much more intentional than with a company that does not specialize in outdoor lighting.”

What are the most popular types of landscape lighting? Asti lists uplighting, wall wash lighting, path lighting, tree-mounted down lighting, hardscape lighting and bistro lighting so people can really enjoy their outdoor living spaces. He also explains how important it is to work with a member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals. “As AOLP members, we are certified designers and professional installers, and are held accountable to continuing education. This distinction separates us. It takes a lot of time and energy, but it keeps us focused on working on our craft to be on the cutting edge of everything we do.”

A collegiate men’s swim coach for 20 years, Asti coached at LSU, Clemson and then the University of Tennessee, where he had also competed as a Vol in the late 1990s. His drive for excellence led to his coaching Olympians and Team USA at the 2018 World Championships in Hangzhou, China. Despite his coaching success, which involved significant traveling for meets and recruiting, he made a decision to change careers to allow him to be home more with his wife and three children. He founded Limelight in 2020 as a part-time business, but that quickly evolved into a fulltime landscape lighting company.

“At UT, we had an incredible staff of coaches, where I had the opportunity to work primarily with the sprinters. When you come to a school like UT, you come because it’s a worldclass program, and you bring a big dream . The coaches have the honor and responsibility to guide these talented athletes to help them achieve their dreams . When you’re helping an athlete make an Olympic team, details in so many areas like nutrition, the mental game, training and recovery, all matter.”

Asti translated many of those coaching principles to his lighting business, investing in his staff to develop a strong work ethic, teamwork, discipline and attention to every detail. “We have the most incredible team at Limelight. I love mentoring and guiding these young team members to grow and develop as people and certified craftsmen pursuing excellence. We take that Olympic-level experience into running our business, making every detail matter in service to our customers, achieving their vision,” Asti adds.

Customers discover that the consultation, custom design and estimate with Limelight are all free. “The goal of a consultation is to understand the personal preferences and vision of our customer. And then, to evaluate the unique property features and determine focal points for evening illumination.” His certified designers work quickly to turn around a written custom design, sitemap, detailed image of fixture placement and estimate, so the customer can envision the end result and know what to expect.

“We want to go above and beyond while showcasing what we can do and assuring our homeowners we won’t cut corners. “

“We are proud to be 100% local–not just a national franchise in the Knoxville market. My family lives in Knoxville. Our team members live in Knoxville. We get a ton of work by word of mouth, neighbors, friends and families who see and love our work.”

Asti explains that durability is a huge factor when a professional installs a lighting system. “The difference in what we do vs. a homeowner buying some lights at a big box store can also be defined by our expertise in professional installation. Our fixtures and our installation process are unique, and the end results are noticeably better. Many of the fixtures even have a lifetime warranty. Maintenance plans assure customers who have invested in a high-quality system that it will look outstanding year after year.”

“Our company mission is to brighten people’s lives, not just their homes, and we try to live that out every day.” Asti lists core values as integrity, craftsmanship, infusing value into relationships and brilliance.

“We want Limelight to be a brilliant spot in our community and the world.” But the word “brilliance” also reflects the intelligence, expertise and imagination they

Lance Asti Owner, Limelight Landscape Lighting, LLC

“The first time I installed landscape lighting at my own house, I was hooked. The craftsmanship and skill sets were perfect for me and my interests. I was shocked at the extraordinary difference it made. My house was so inviting and cheerful. It appealed to my love of being outdoors and also to my artistic side, allowing me to essentially ‘paint with light’ and make an impact on the homeowner’s property. Because this happens for me, I know when my customers pull into their driveway and see this bright, shining, welcoming home, it gives them a smile that makes their day maybe 1% better. And if we can make our customers’ lives 1% better, we can make a tiny difference in the world.”

bring to designs. “We do the kind of outside-the-box outdoor lighting that a lot of companies say can’t be done. We put lights in tricky areas. We put more thought into how to accomplish brightening a home instead of just giving a cookie-cutter design experience. I empower my crew when they are out in the field to always be thinking and imagining the best way to do it.”

The former Olympic-level coach is driven daily to elevate the product, the outcome and the experience his team creates at Limelight. “Our goal is to provide a white-glove, red carpet experience–where customers feel they are well taken care of from start to finish,” Asti adds, “and we can develop long-term relationships.” Learn more at LimelightKnoxville.com

Dogs Are a Financial Scam

(And I Am Glad I Fell for It)

ARTICLE BY AARON NOLAN, CFP® | PHOTOGRAPHY

“Dogs are a financial scam!”

If you walked the halls of our office five years ago, you likely would have heard me adamantly saying this to my colleagues. I didn’t have a dog and certainly didn’t want one, yet everyone around me kept telling me how great they were.

This led to an ongoing debate. Is a dog a worthwhile investment or not?

Leave it to the financial nerds to analyze something that doesn’t need to be analyzed.

I was very clearly on team “it doesn’t make financial sense to get a dog.” Although I am not sure if it was a team as much as it was an island.

The debate even made it out of our office and into this very publication. My teammate wrote about the great debate in July of 2021 and “Those on the other side” (thanks for sparing me the hate mail by leaving my name out of it, Melissa).

The point of Melissa’s article was that life has tradeoffs. What is important to one person won’t be important to another. And, while that lesson remains true five years later, there has been an interesting development in the infamous debate…I now have a dog.

And you guessed it—I love the little guy more than anything. As I type this, I am balancing my laptop on one leg while he uses my other leg as a pillow.

The obvious takeaway is that I was wrong.

The more important takeaway is why I was wrong. When forming my original opinion, I didn’t have all the data. It was never really about dogs. It was about spreadsheets. It was about how expensive vet bills can get. How much grooming costs. How costly food can get. And, how all of that cost equated to little perceived value from my perspective.

Yet, that was only half the story. I had never experienced a dog running at full speed down the hallway to greet me when I walked in the door. I had never had a dog fall asleep in my arms. I had never experienced a dog crying when I walked out the door.

In Morgan Housel’s book The Art of Spending Money, he notes that “All behavior makes sense with enough information.” I can’t think of a better way to sum it up.

If a dog can flip my perspective this completely, how many other opinions am I carrying around that are due for a second look? More importantly, how many amazing things am I missing out on because I don’t have all the data?

Life is all about growing and learning as the years go by. It’s why having colleagues, friends and advisors who can help you see the big picture is so incredibly important.

I hope you don’t fall for a financial scam, but if you do, I hope yours comes with as many cuddles and face licks as mine has.

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WHERE CRAFT MEETS CONVICTION

Admiral Custom Home Builders Quietly Earns Loyalty by Putting People, Process and Long-Term Relationships at the Center of Every Home

ARTICLE BY KNOXVILLE CITY LIFESTYLE STAFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROOKE SIMON PHOTOGRAPHY, SMOKY MOUNTAIN VISUALS

When I sat down with Dave Kirkendall, Founder of Admiral Custom Home Builders, to learn more about his company, I assumed we would focus on his background, how he found his passion for his work, his family and personal interests. I quickly discovered that Dave prefers to turn the conversation to his team and the partnerships

and relationships they’ve built by standing by their word. “You are only as good as your people,” Dave says. And he truly means that.

For more than two decades, Admiral Custom Homes has quietly built a reputation for excellence in craftsmanship and service in East Tennessee by investing in people and process rather than volume or flashy marketing. The Farragut-based builder produces a limited number of homes each year, focusing on planning, collaborating, educating and developing long-term relationships.

Kirkendall says the approach is deliberate.

“We’re a custom design builder in the truest sense,” Kirkendall says. “Eighty-five to 90 percent of our clients design their home with us from the ground up. That requires time, communication and trust. “I genuinely enjoy getting to know our clients and the relationships that grow throughout the design and build process. Custom home building is a deeply personal business, and the connection between builder and

client is essential. I have been fortunate to work with incredible clients over the years, many of whom I still stay in touch with nearly 20 years after their homes were completed.”

Design is central to that process. Admiral works exclusively with designer Jim Weaver and his son, Ryan Weaver, whose independent firm provides home design services for Admiral clients. Kirkendall has known the Weaver family since college in 1989.

“I met Jim in college, and we’ve worked together in different ways ever since,” Kirkendall says. “That kind of continuity matters when you’re building highly customized homes.”

Kirkendall grew up in Ohio and earned a degree in ceramic engineering. His early career was in manufacturing, including positions with Acme Brick and, later, General Shale. He says that experience provided a strong foundation in materials, quality control and process management—skills that translated naturally to residential construction.

“We want clients to understand how their home is built. Education helps everyone communicate better.”

Today, the company builds roughly 10 large, fully custom homes per year, many in lakefront or planned communities throughout East Tennessee. Kirkendall says limiting production allows the team to remain deeply involved in every project.

“We don’t want to be big,” he says. “We want to be consistent.”

Kirkendall tells clients that we are just as proud of the things you don’t see as the things you do see in our homes. Structural integrity and the materials behind the walls matter just as much as the finishes on display. A home must perform every day — and continue to do so for its entire lifespan.

He places a strong emphasis on the materials they use. For example, they have

been using Huber ZIP System® wall board since 2006, which they liquid-flash every nail hole and liquid flash the framing to foundation band. They have also used LP TechShield® radiant barrier roof sheathing since 2006.

Since the beginning of Kirkendall’s career in custom home building, he has installed geothermal systems along with energy recovery ventilator systems.

These components — along with several additional materials and building processes Admiral Custom Homes uses — allow their homes to perform at the highest level, delivering lasting comfort, efficiency and value for their clients for as long as they live there.

PROCESS-DRIVEN PLANNING

One of Admiral’s defining practices is its budgeting and selection process. Before construction begins, clients participate in a four-day selection period with the Admiral team and vendor partners, deciding on cabinetry, plumbing, lighting, flooring and more.

“We tell our clients that they need to design to a budget, not budget to a design. Most builders rely on allowances,” Kirkendall says. “We don’t. We want real numbers, not guesses.”

The upfront process allows the company to create more accurate budgets and construction plans, incorporating vendor input before final drawings are completed. While it requires a significant time commitment early on, Kirkendall says it reduces frustration later.

“Most frustration in building comes from unknowns,” he says. “We try to address those before construction starts.”

Sarah Green, Admiral’s estimation and warranty manager, oversees the selection process. She manages client meetings, prepares detailed estimates and assembles Design Review Board submittals for regulated communities. Kirkendall participates in many meetings but says the system relies on teamwork.

As director of operations, Julie manages the behindthe-scenes details that keep the company running smoothly. She has played an integral role in the firm’s success over the years, bringing organization and consistency to every project. Together with her assistant, Alina Komerzan, she oversees invoicing, insurance, monthly draws and the countless moving parts involved in custom home building.

“No one person carries this,” he said. “It works because everyone knows their role.”

Once construction begins, projects are managed by a team led by Senior Project Manager Blayne Howard,

along with Project Managers Alex McCartney, Eric Edwards and Glenn Burchfield. Kirkendall says the company’s consistent quality is a direct result of team effort and long-standing relationships with trade partners.

“A company is only as good as its team,” he says. “Our employees and our trades are the reason we’re successful. We’ve worked with many of the same people for years, and they know what’s expected. And we know what quality we will receive from our trade partners.”

Long-standing trade partnerships improve accountability and ensure craftsmanship remains consistent from home to home. That emphasis on relationships also extends to clients. Admiral’s work comes primarily from word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business, reflecting the company’s service-focused philosophy.

“Our official bumper-to-bumper warranty is one year, with a four-year structural warranty,” Kirkendall says. “But we often address issues well beyond that.”

Clients frequently call years after construction, asking for advice or assistance with problems outside any warranty coverage.

Flexibility during construction is another hallmark. Admiral avoids nickel-and-diming clients for minor adjustments, reserving additional charges for significant scope changes.

“A company is only as good as its team. Our employees and our trades are the reason we’re successful.”

PORTFOLIO AND NEXT GENERATION

Admiral’s completed homes reflect a range of architectural styles, from traditional residences to modern builds.

Kirkendall’s son, Justin, has joined the company after working in supply chain management for SC Johnson and Harley-Davidson. He manages Admiral’s website and social media, develops educational content and spends time learning the construction process on-site.

“We want clients to understand how their home is built,” Kirkendall says. “Education helps everyone communicate better.”

Professional development remains a priority. Admiral team members attend the International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show annually—a tradition Kirkendall has maintained since 2005.

“It’s about learning and staying current,” he says. “But it’s also about strengthening the team.”

“West Knoxville is still changing,” he says. “What feels new now will feel established before long.”

Despite exponential growth in the area, Admiral Custom Homes remains intentionally small. For Kirkendall, the company’s success is measured not by scale but by the strength of its people and relationships.

“At the end of the day, it’s the team that makes this work,” he says. “Without them, none of this happens.”

What Happens to Your House

When You Die in Tennessee?

Julie D. Eisenhower, JD, LLM, MCEP®

Master Certified Estate Planner ®

PATEL & EISENHOWER, PLLC

e disposition of your house upon your death depends largely on how the property is titled and whether you engaged in advance estate planning.

In Tennessee, property owned by spouses as tenancy by the entirety is automatically held as a single unit. Upon the death of one spouse, the surviving spouse retains full ownership, and no probate is necessary to continue title.

If the house is owned solely in your individual name, it generally becomes part of your probate estate. e personal representative of your estate is responsible for maintaining the property; paying taxes, insurance, and expenses; and ultimately distributing or selling the home in accordance with your will, Tennessee statute, or by court order.

Another planning tool is the revocable living trust. When a house is titled in the name of the trust through the trustee, the successor trustee can manage or transfer the property privately and e ciently, avoiding probate altogether.

If the property is subject to a mortgage, the debt does not disappear death. e lender retains its lien, and refinancing or assumption may be necessary. Being named on the mortgage does not establish ownership. A surviving spouse who is on the loan but not on the title does not automatically own the property.

Because each of these options carries legal and tax consequences, homeowners should review the title and ensure it aligns with their overall estate plan. Proactive planning can reduce delays, expenses, and stress for loved ones during an already di cult time.

ARTICLE BY JACK NEELY AND PAUL

KNOXVILLE SHOEBOX:

At the nonprofit Knoxville History Project, we are always on the lookout for old images to expand our Knoxville Shoebox digital collection. If you have interesting photographs, postcards, brochures or ephemera from any era, we’d love to hear from you so we can preserve the visual history of Knoxville and make it available to future researchers.

This month, we present several vintage postcards from the Dave Parmalee Knoxville Digital Postcard Collection, shared with us by Alec Riedl, which highlight historic downtown churches.

To get in touch, please contact us at 865.337.7723 or email paul@knoxhistoryproject.org. Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org

First Presbyterian Church: After being established by Rev. Samuel Carrick in 1792, First Presbyterian, Knoxville’s earliest church, held its early services in various public spaces. The city’s original settler, Captain James White, donated his former turnip patch (next to his fortified stockade) to serve as a location for a churchyard years before a building was built—it was almost a quarter of a century after Knoxville’s founding before the first church building was erected in 1816. The current one on State Street is actually the third

building, designed by Baumann Brothers and completed in 1902. It’s especially appealing due to its stained-glass windows, two of which were designed by the famous Tiffany studios.

Along with Rev. Carrick and Captain White, several notable early Knoxvillians are buried in the churchyard, including Gov. William Blount, who sited the

new capital of the Southwest Territory here in what he named Knoxville in 1791. His wife, Mary Blount, after whom the city of Maryville and Blount County are named, is buried alongside him.

St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral: On the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Walnut, across from the Rev. James Park House, the current church building dates to 1892, when the original church was rebuilt in a Romanesque style, featuring rose windows and distinctive stonework, and designed by Ohio architect J.W. Yost. Several notable Knoxvillians are associated with this church, including author Frances Hodgson Burnett (one of her enduring works is The Secret Garden, published in 1911), whose family worshipped here in the 1870s. Literary giant James Agee (whose autobiographical novel, A Death in the Family, won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously in 1958) was baptized here and sang in the choir as a boy, and his artist uncle Hugh Tyler painted parts of the church interior in 1919. Another artist, Charles Krutch, painter of the Smoky Mountains, also played the organ here in his day.

First Baptist Church: Organized back in 1843, the original congregation included 46 members, almost half of whom were African American. For about 50 years, the second church building stood on Gay Street, where the Journal Arcade on the 600 block stands today. In 1924, a new structure, adorned in marble, was built just west of the Knox County Courthouse on Main Street at Walnut. Architecturally, it has been compared to the work of Englishman Christopher Wren, who designed the globally iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Originally, the tall steeple featured a radio tower, which transmitted one of Knoxville’s earliest radio stations, the religious-based WFBC. On Christmas Eve that first year, the station broadcast a notable live service featuring Christmas Carols on the airwaves.

Inside, the church features a rather distinctive octagonal design. One of the most notable members of the church is the opera star Mary Costa, who sang in the choir here during her early years.

Church of the Immaculate Conception: Knoxville’s first Catholic church was originally built in 1855 at the same time the city completed its first railway station, serving the East Tennessee and Georgia railroad. Many of the early parishioners were Irish immigrants, who had escaped the devastating potato famine of the 1840s and then immigrated to the United States. Quite a few found their way to Knoxville, attracted by opportunities to find work building railroads.

Father Abram Joseph Ryan, known as the Poet-Priest of the Confederacy during the Civil War, served here from 1865-1867. The current building was built in 1886 next to the original church, and its new design incorporated a four-sided clock that was not only visible from Market Square, but also from down at the railroad station and “Irish Town,” to the north of the railroad tracks, where

ABOUT KHP

many parishioners lived. Author Cormac McCarthy described the church in his famous 1979 work, Suttree. Church Street United Methodist Church: Originally located at various downtown locations over the years—the congregation dates back to about 1816—the church maintained a longstanding presence on Church Street from 1836 onwards and became known as Church Street United Methodist. In 1931, the church moved into a new grand structure on Henley Street, overlooking the Tennessee River and was designed by the architectural powerhouse of Knoxville-based Charles Barber of Barber & McMurry, and nationally recognized John Russell Pope, who is perhaps best known for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. The new church opened about the same time that work was completed on the adjacent Henley Bridge. Church Street Methodist is known for hosting musical events dating back to 1935, when the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performed its concert here. In recent years, the church has served as a notable venue for artists such as Bela Fleck during the standout Big Ears Festival.

The educational nonprofit Knoxville History Project tells the city’s true stories, focusing on those that have not been previously told and those that connect the city to the world. Donations to support the work of KHP are always welcome and appreciated. Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org

F I N A N C I A L P L A N N I N G

I N V E S T M E N T M A N A G E M E N T

R E T I R E M E N T P L A N C O N S U L T I N G

MARCH 5TH - 8TH

A Celebration of Women in Old-Time Music

Knox County Public Library | 7:00 PM

The Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound at the Knox County Public Library presents A Celebration of Women in Old-Time Music. This multi-day series highlights women who shaped Appalachian and old-time music with concerts, archival film screenings, lectures and a live podcast recording. Full schedule: KnoxCountyLibrary.org/celebrating-women-old-time-music

MARCH 7TH

Dancing in the Street: Music of Motown

Knoxville Civic Coliseum | 8:00 PM

Enjoy the best of Motown with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, arrangements made by Jeff Tyzik and a trio of talented vocal soloists. Tickets are available at KnoxvilleSymphony.com.

MARCH 7TH

Annual Mardi Growl

World’s Fair Park | 11:00 AM

Young Williams Animal Shelter presents its 19th Annual Mardi Growl festival. Bring your four-legged friend to enjoy a fun-filled day with vendors, costume contests and the largest pet parade in Knoxville. Young-Williams.org/MardiGrowl/

MARCH 7TH

Dragonfly Crystal Ball Gala

509A Dutch Valley Dr., Knoxville | 6:30 PM

Celebrate 15 years of Dragonfly at the Crystal Ball Gala—an evening of circus arts, student performances, appetizers and a silent auction. Dress to dazzle and experience the fun, fitness and community Dragonfly brings to Knoxville. Tickets: Facebook.com/dfaas11

MARCH 9TH

Knoxville Opera presents Irish tenor Emmet Cahill

Knoxville Opera | 7:30 PM

Knoxville Opera presents Irish tenor Emmet Cahill at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Widely hailed as Ireland’s most exciting young tenor, Cahill, joined by pianist Seamus Brett, will perform a program of beloved songs. KnoxvilleOpera.org.

MARCH 10TH

BODYTRAFFIC at Clayton Center for the Arts

Clayton Center for the Arts | 7:30 PM

BODYTRAFFIC is a non-profit, Los Angeles–based contemporary dance company that champions diverse voices, commissions innovative choreographers, tours globally, and inspires community connection and change through movement and education. Tickets: ClaytonArtsCenter.com.

MARCH 12TH

West Side Story

Tennessee Theatre | 7:30 PM

The Knoxville Symphony performs Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story alongside the world premiere of Robert Paterson’s Cocktail Concerto, an energetic alto saxophone concerto inspired by iconic cocktails from classic films. Tickets: KnoxvilleSymphony.com.

MARCH 14TH

Knox Shamrock Fest

World’s Fair Park | 10:00 AM

Knox Shamrock Fest™ 2026 celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and National Kidney Disease Awareness Month with a family-friendly afternoon of Irish music, dancing, kids’ activities, great food, and festive Irish beer and whiskey. Info: ETKidney.org.

MARCH 14TH

Knoxville’s St. Patrick's Parade

Downtown Knoxville | 12:45 PM

Come celebrate with us and this year’s grand marshal, Jimmy Houston, as we stroll down Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. This all-volunteer-run event has raised over $100K since 2017. More info at KnoxStPatricksParade.com.

MARCH 15TH

Dirty Dancing in Concert

Tennessee Theatre | 7:00 PM

Experience the original film in a unique live-to-film concert event. A live band and singers will accompany the full projection of the movie, performing every unforgettable song from the soundtrack. Tickets are available now at TennesseeTheatre.com.

MARCH 19TH

Knoxville’s Habitat for Humanity Sporting Clays Event

Iron Mountain Sporting Clays | 9:00 AM

Join the 11th annual Knoxville Habitat for Humanity Sporting Clays Tournament, March 19-20, for a day of friendly competition and community impact, supporting affordable homeownership, and helping veterans and families build strength, stability and self-reliance. Info: KnoxvilleHabitat.org.

MARCH 23RD

Banff Mountain Film Festival

Bijou Theatre | 7:00 PM

The Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to the Bijou Theatre for two nights in March, featuring award-winning adventure films, global exploration and action sports. Each night offers a different lineup, celebrating the spirit of adventure on the big screen. KnoxBijou.org. Want

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