S
winging back and forth on the front porch of her
Stillwater, Minnesota, home, Jodi Spearman is
reminded of the simple pleasures she enjoyed
growing up in the state. She recalls sitting around
bonfires with friends on crisp fall nights and rolling in
freshly fallen snow in winter. Now, she hopes her four boys,
ages 6 to 20, will share similar memories here.
When Jodi and her husband, Kevin, purchased their
home away from home (they live in Texas most of the year),
they were most interested in the small-town atmosphere
that came with it. “It’s the lifestyle we were after—that
neighborhood kind of feel,” Jodi says. “This home gives the
boys a sense of where we came from.”
34
SEPTEMBER 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
“It’s the quiet escape in
the house,” Jodi says of
the living room,
left.
Rustic pieces give the
room character. The
zebra-print chair? “We
like to throw in
surprises,” Jodi says.
Not one to over-
accessorize, Kevin filled
the built-ins,
below,
largely with books.
“Books just add
warmth,” he says.
