Making a House a Home With The LaBrecque Family
When former restaurateurs David and Sonya LaBrecque wanted to trade in their fast-paced food-and-beverage life in Michigan for a quiet one in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Boutique Living by Curate was ready to answer their call.
In our latest home tour video, we revisit the beautiful custom home the LaBrecque’s built with Curate in 2020. The family has made some fantastic tweaks and personal touches over the years to turn their house into a true home.
After welcoming us inside via their towering foyer — featuring light fixtures recommended by Curate’s own Piper Stromatt — the LaBrecque’s guide us to their living room, which Sonya calls “by far, one of our favorite — if not our favorite — design pieces in the house.”
Sonya communicated her vision for a cathedral ceiling and a wall of windows after the couple’s first design meeting with Curate, and we were able to make her vision a reality. According to David, the room has become a conversation piece for all who enter it for the first time.
““I think when you walk in the house, probably the biggest comment we get is just that feeling of openness and the view of Raccoon Mountain in the background,” he says. “The piece that the architect from Curate, along with my wife, were able to come up with really showcases the beautiful spot in which we live.”
“I think when you walk in the house, probably the biggest comment we get is just that feeling of openness and the view of Raccoon Mountain in the background,” he says. “The piece that the architect from Curate, along with my wife, were able to come up with really showcases the beautiful spot in which we live.
The LaBrecque’s love to entertain, and the sprawling kitchen and island connected to the living room forms a great room with not only plenty of space for guests, but plenty of room for Sonya to cook her famously huge meals without missing a second of the fun. The adjoining outdoor living space adds more room for company, as well as a quiet retreat after everyone’s gone home. David worked with Curate to make sure the area was cozy and comfortable, but also spacious enough for a big table for outdoor dining.
“This is where we really live,” he says. “This is one of the areas where I specifically spend a lot of time. It's really great to sit here and look at Lookout Mountain or look over at Raccoon Mountain, all of our neighbors’ beautiful homes, and (the) outdoor space that we've created. It's just a great spot to rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery.”
From there, the video tour explores the custom natural stone walkway to the backyard and outdoor entertaining spaces. There’s a covered turf area where David practices his putting and the couple’s three grandchildren spend hours playing.
“We love, love, love this space,” says Sonya.
David’s Moonraker man cave was inspired by their Michigan bar, and opens to a crawl space that was converted into a cool storage space with some concrete and an extra set of stairs leading back up in the house.
The rear maintenance garage is the perfect space for both the couple’s zero-turn mower and their golf cart, which is another favorite of their grandkids — even if, as Sonya laughs, they have to wear seatbelts because when David drives, “things get a little crazy.”
Click to watch the full tour of the LaBrecque’s home, as well as learn more about their experience building with Curate.
