Project Spotlight: Knoxville Dream House

Posted 2/21/2024 by Amanda Hall

Luke Brown, professional builder and owner of Dream Decks, embarked on a mission to create the perfect space for his blended family. Alongside his wife, Lea, they envisioned a home that not only accommodated their seven children but also became a tangible manifestation of their dreams—a space where cherished memories would be woven into its very fabric.

The Family Dynamic

The Browns, who resemble a modern-day Brady Bunch, share a unique story of blending two families. A native of Ohio with five children, Luke joined forces with Lea, a Tennessee native with two kids, to form a close-knit family.



Although Luke has expanded his business into Knoxville, his main business is in Medina, Ohio. He travels 500 miles every other weekend to oversee operations in Ohio, presenting its own set of challenges while being separated from family.

Wanting to create a haven for his family to forge lasting memories, Luke, and Lea, decided to build their Knoxville Dream House. Luke had envisioned a home that goes beyond a physical space,

“Building this home was something that we really wanted to make to where when our family was together, it was the spot where we were making the memories that would sustain us when we were separated.”

Knoxville Dream House Design and Build 

Luke, a skilled builder, and Lea, a graphic designer with a keen eye for design, synergized their talents to craft this extraordinary home. Lea meticulously selected quality materials and coordinated trades, while Luke managed the build and played a hands-on role in trim carpentry. Lea chose a variety of our prefinished wood products for the exterior and interior design of the home, giving each space its own unique look and moment. Lea appreciated the versatility of each collection commenting,  

“I love that [they’re] so versatile that I can put it in different rooms, and it almost takes on its own life.”

The home exterior is adorned with white brick and our Thermally Modified Wood Siding. Lea decided to run Black Forest horizontally and Lost Trail vertically for a contrast of both line and color, making a well-balanced aesthetic.  

“Black and white is an obvious go-to for people. But I really love the Lost Trail brown. So, I thought bringing in that third color gave it more of an accent.”

 The Lost Trail brown brought balance and warmth to the exterior design. It’s a spin on the traditional black and white of Modern Farmhouse home design. You might call this the Modern-Modern Farmhouse design style.

The interior is equally breathtaking. Upon entering, Vertical Grain Hemlock cladding from the Thermally Modified Wood Collection, graces the living room ceiling. With its striking interplay of warm wood, black and neutrals, it makes a bold statement.

Lea shared that they had initially planned to do coffered ceilings in the living room with VG Hemlock in the inlays, but all that changed once she saw the product arrive. She explained, 

“I called Luke immediately because he was out of town and I was like, scrap the coffered ceiling, it's so beautiful. I can’t cover any of it up.”

Not only did they choose to nix the coffered ceilings, but they chose to do a waterfall look of the VG Hemlock in Luke’s office cascading from ceiling to wall with the extra product. It was a stunning spontaneous choice. It contrasted with the dark charcoal cabinetry and walls and complemented the hardwood floors.

Lea also chose to incorporate our prefinished wood products in a few of the kids’ bedrooms, laundry room and bathroom.

One of the kid’s bedrooms features an accent wall of Native Woods in the color Saddle to complement the dark green board and batten and black and white wallpaper with warmth and visual interest.

This downstairs bathroom features Timeless Shiplap in Midnight Black.

The kids’ bunk room showcases Rustic Collection Shiplap in Dark Brown.

The laundry room is lined with Timeless Shiplap in Farmhouse White.

“What I love about UFP-Edge products is that they're turnkey ready.

 You don't have to paint them, you don't have to sand them, you don't have to caulk them, you put them on, and you go.”

Lea's enthusiasm for the prefinished feature of our products also extends to the way they save both time and money. 

The Knoxville Dream House stands as a testament to their collective efforts, residing as a place where family bonds are strengthened and memories are etched into the very soul of its design. 

UFP-Edge products transcend the purpose of merely adorning a cool accent wall or serving as a unique siding wrap. They are crafted to create beautiful spaces where relationships deepen and precious memories are cherished.

Knoxville Dream House will continue to be a source of joy and connection for the Browns for years to come.

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