The Midwest meets Mt Laurel

A custom fireplace and 24-foot arched ceiling are the focal points of the formal living room. | Jon Goering

By Katie McDowell

Don and Gail Rule knew they wanted to retire near Birmingham.

The couple had spent years in their home in Waterloo, Ill., a small town about 25 miles south of St. Louis, but they were looking for a change.

The Craftsman-style home features a shingle and brick facade. | Jon Goering

The Midwesterners’ daughter and her family moved to Birmingham about four years ago, and the Rules fell in love with the area during their visits. They soon began making trips to the South to search for their own place.

They considered gated communities, but they were struck by the sense of openness and hospitality in the town of Mt Laurel.

“We just kept coming back to Mt Laurel,” Don said. “We kept saying to ourselves, ‘This is too good to be true.’”

Once they made their decision, they moved fast. They bought land in September 2010 and moved in eight months later.

Their two-story, Craftsman-style house is larger than they expected. The couple planned to downsize to a smaller home when they moved, but that plan was dropped during the fun of creating their dream home.

“As it turns out, this is probably the largest house we’ve lived in,” Don said.

The Rules do most of their living on the first floor, while the second floor is usually reserved for guests, including their two grandchildren, who live nearby.

The home opens to the formal living room, which features a 24-foot, arched ceiling with wooden beams and a fireplace Gail designed.

Adjacent to the living room is a library where Gail spends her mornings.

“That’s where I read my Bible and pray in the morning. It’s my quiet time,” she said.

The living room flows into an open kitchen with a large island and dining table. The kitchen has quickly become another favorite of Gail’s, who loves to cook.

A brilliant chandelier hangs over the dining room table. | Katie McDowell

The master bedroom and the family room round out the first floor of the home. The master bedroom is decorated in airy blue and white tones, while the master bathroom includes a heated tile floor.

The family room is where the Rules spend most of their time. The room is large and open, and is decorated in an “eclectic meets Southwest” style.

“The room is large, but they did a great job in still creating and keeping the warmth in an area that is maybe a little bigger than a normal-sized family room,” Don said.

Don’s office is located upstairs, as well as two guest bedrooms.

Oak floors can be found throughout the house, with the exception of the bedrooms. Many of the decorations reveal the Rules’ interests – family pictures are scattered throughout the house, as well as the peacock figurines and feathers that Gail loves and decorative cardinals, a tribute to Don’s beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

Most of the furniture and decorations came from the Birmingham area. The Rules, who were living with their daughter’s family while their house was being built, bought most of the furniture during construction.

“About 90 percent of the furniture that was in the house was bought before the house was built,” Don said.

They planned each room carefully and organized delivery of the furniture from the back of the house to the front to assist with the moving process.

Both of the guest bedrooms are decorated in bright, cheerful colors. | Jon Goering

While the Rules, particularly Gail, did much of the interior design on their own, they did receive help throughout the process.

Glenda Underwood of Issis and Sons assisted the couple with some of the interior design, helping them decorate and choose wall colors that flowed throughout the house.

The Rules said Underwood was one of many people who helped with the process of building and decorating their home. They said they owe their gratitude to numerous people, including Vice President of EBSCO Development John Freeman, Mt Laurel Sales Manager Della Pender, project manager Brian Phillips and home designer Clem Burch.

“I can’t say enough about everybody that had a hand in this house,” Gail said.

A sense of camaraderie developed between the Rules and the people who built and designed their home. The feeling was so great that the Rules often found themselves visiting their future home multiple times a week, not because they were concerned about the construction, but because they enjoyed the company.

That friendliness was something that the Rules loved about Mt Laurel and Shelby County. They have quickly become involved in the community. They attend Valleydale Church and Gail volunteers in local organizations.

“Coming from St. Louis to Birmingham is an improvement that’s almost immeasurable,” Don said. “Maybe it’s part of the definition of Southern hospitality. Although I still love my St. Louis Cardinals and follow them closely, college football has taken a front seat to professional football.” l

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