Gina Kidd grew up roaming the pastures and woods surrounding her 80-acre home in Brookhaven, Miss. – a memory so vivid that she was about to “go home” when mutual friends introduced to her future husband, Robert, a telecommunications professional who is more or less a Dallas native. “He moved here from Alabama when he was three,” laughs Kidd, who says that living on Lakeshore soothes her homesick feelings, even more than a decade later.
“That’s why I love this neighborhood. Lakewood is a mixture of county and city. I can look out my window with the park behind us … that view. I could be in the woods. It’s such a great little pocket.”
The Kidd’s are only the third owners of the 1940’s Georgian Revival-style home, slated to be on tour during the 25th Annual Lakewood Home Festival next month.
Kidd, an advertising photo stylist and, when time allows, interior designer, whose eye for detail is evident around every corner says: “In remodeling and decorating this home … I feel like we’re maintaining the tradition for the past owners too. I feel ‘right’ about being on tour for the 25-year anniversary.”
The couple chose to undergo an extensive remodel shortly after purchasing the property, an effort geared toward keeping the feel of the house intact while making it an elegant but comfortable haven for their children, 6-year-old Elizabeth Virginia and 4-year-old Emma Rose.
“That’s what I wanted people to feel when they come here, the warmth, the whole hospitality thing.”
Along those lines, she took care to use a soft color palette and traditional materials to complement the age of the home and the family’s collection of French and English antique furniture and art. Even the girls’ room sports a floral toile light fixture, “the first thing I officially bought for the house,” Kidd says.
Murals and decorative painting throughout the house are the work of artist Jane Shook, who re-created the English countryside in a loft-style play nook that doubles as a performance stage.
“They love to bring their friends up here,” says Kidd, who is still close to her own best friends from second grade. “They have so many wonderful playmates here … just down the street – I hope they’re friends forever, too.” *
