Christy Forester Pettus spent her youth singing with her sisters as a member of the Lookout Mountain quartet The Forester Sisters. The Warner Brothers group recorded five No. 1 country singles and received a Vocal Music Group of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music.
While the sisters still occasionally perform together, their professional lives have branched off. Following in the footsteps of her sister, Kim, Pettus entered the home design field. She has worked for Scarlett's Cabinetry & Interiors for the last 13 years, helping people bring their visions for their homes to fruition.
"I'm a creative person," Pettus said. "I grew up singing, so that was like breathing. There's an artistic appeal (to both music and home decor)."
Pettus worked with Dr. Tim and Erika Ballard to remodel the kitchen in their Harrison home.
"The kitchen before was just in a corner," said Erika Ballard. "It was where everyone ended up spending time even though we don't have a lot of space. The goal is that we wanted a kitchen that would overlook the family room so we could all be in here together."
A gourmet cook, Ballard wanted a kitchen that would allow her to do what she loves with the people she loves: her husband and their four children: Tim, 19; Jaime, 17; Tori, 13; and Cole, 2.
"I knew the basic outline and layout," she said. "And Christy helped me figure it out from there."
"Because she does like to cook," Pettus said, "we wanted to make every zone work best for her. This is a true family kitchen."
Some elements added to the space include a 36-inch refrigerator and freezer, a built-in latte maker and appliance garages. Pettus also worked with the Ballards to design a bar area and a spa-style bathroom in the basement.
The whole remodel, she said, took about 18 months.
"There are a lot of frustrations and lots of decisions that have to be made (when remodeling)," said Pettus, "but ultimately everybody is so proud of the way it turns out that it's very gratifying."
Baking center
One of two islands in the spacious kitchen was designed as a baking center. A prep sink in the middle can be used to wash produce. Hidden beneath the island is a mixer lift, which contains a stand mixer on a wooden platform. Dr. Ballard, his wife said, prefers to not have appliances out, so each one has its designated space. A cold marblestone platform for rolling pastry was installed at the other end of the counter, intentionally installed on a low level to allow for maximum efficiency.
Adding storage
There weren't a lot of cabinets near the dishwasher, so a peg drawer was added to store plates and other dishes within one of the islands in the kitchen. "This way, she can unload her dishwasher and not have to walk to a wall cabinet," Pettus said.
For added food storage, a refrigerator drawer was installed at the end of the baking island. Having meat and vegetables close at hand to the gas range also saves Ballard from having to do too much walking between the stove and the refrigerator.
The stove range
Carved wood pullout spice racks were installed on both sides of the range. A tile installer created a mosaic backsplash in feminine earth tones to complement the chandeliers, granite countertops, cherry and maple wood cabinetry and light-colored, heated floors.
"We wanted to make it aesthetically beautiful, with an open layout," said Pettus.
The pantry
"This is a to-die-for pantry," said Pettus of the walk-in space. Metal pullout shelves display canned goods so Ballard can clearly see what she has on hand and what she needs to buy.
"The kids say 'it's like going shopping at a grocery store,' " Ballard said.
"We incorporated cabinetry along with closet components," said Pettus, "and she and I worked together planning the pullouts and the baskets."
A warming drawer was transferred from the kitchen into the pantry. A rolling library ladder was attached to help the petite Ballard reach high cabinets, which were installed for added storage near the ceiling.
Cabinetry
All the cabinetry was done by Forester and Scarlett Interiors. The pieces are custom finished. Ballard chose a green hue for a standing piece, and selected the different elements based upon samples Pettus sent to her. The cabinet is used for cookbooks and storage, but it also serves as an eye-catching decorative piece, adding an element of color to the space.