Light and Bright

Homeowners with young children were not afraid of an all-white color scheme
for their new Grand Oaks construction.

Written by Jennifer Wilson 

Photographed by Hubert Worley

Most first-time visitors to the McPheron house seem surprised to learn that children live there. The pristine front hall gleams with immaculate white walls and floors, one-of-a-kind light fixtures and delicate antiques. Accents of turquoise and gray provide splashes of color throughout the house, and every room feels clean, bright and fresh.

This includes the bedrooms occupied by 4-year-old Preston and 2-year-old Parker, done in the same color scheme and kept in perfect order.

“It is funny because people do often come in and are so surprised,” Summer McPheron said, laughing. “Like, ‘You have two boys. You have all these nice things. How?’ Honestly, I just started when they were born, teaching them. I want them to be able to go anywhere and be respectful of other people’s things. Plus, I like nice things, so they had to learn early.”

Nice things are plentiful in Summer and Travis McPheron’s home. The couple, who have been married almost six years, loved the idea of living in a family-friendly neigh­borhood, but they also craved space for their children to grow. Summer, who is originally from Batesville, Miss., didn’t want to raise her family in a big city. In 2013, when they moved from Dallas, Texas (where Summer and Travis met as Southern Methodist University students), they chose Oxford’s Grand Oaks as the building site for their new home.

Summer’s mother, Rhandy, worked with an interior designer to help her daughter create the design aesthetic, which Summer describes as “contemporary casual.” A neutral palette of white and gray, with a few regal touches of gold, was chosen for the furniture in the main areas of the house. Summer then put her individual touch in each room by choosing backsplashes, hardware and fixtures. She said her vision for the house was classic but with modern accents.

“I chose white because it’s timeless,” Summer said. “And then I just sprinkled in pops of color. Right now I love turquoise. I think that’s due to having two boys. But if I get bored and want to change out, say, my entire kitchen, for instance, I can just change the ‘pop.’ It’s easy.”

Those pops are seen in the screened-in living room, the family’s favorite space. Meant for either relaxation or entertaining, it has cozy furniture, a full kitchen and bar, a grill and Big Green Egg, plenty of seating, and a television for watching Ole Miss sports. The glass doors are often thrown open to enjoy nice weather and blend the indoor and outdoor spaces. 

“The house was designed for entertaining. We have tons of dinner parties. I can seat up to 28 people,” Summer said. “We really like to open up the whole house and just let the party flow throughout,” Travis added. 

Upstairs, each boy has his own bathroom and bedroom. Between the bedrooms, there is also an expansive playroom, a small kitchen and a laundry room, which will allow the boys to grow with the space and become more independent as they get older.    

Another favorite area of the couple’s, as well as their many guests, is the temperature-controlled wine room, which is just off the kitchen and filled with favorite bottles.   

“We were married in Napa. Wine is very important to us,” Summer said.

The McPherons’ home is filled with exquisite pieces of art, delicate vases and figurines, and perfect white walls and floors, but ask Summer what her favorite part of the house is, and there is no hesitation.

“My family wall, with all the photos of my boys,” she said. “I smile every time I look at my babies’ pictures. That is my true happiness.”