“We called it the Mushroom House due to the towers and curved roof,” Evie Pols says of their Monte Sano home. When you see the house it evokes images of fairytales and nursery rhymes. A storybook facade that you might find on the English countryside surrounded by enchanting gardens is only beginning of the story. Inside each room has its own personality weaving the story together with exceptional attention to details, colors, and textures. The rooms are bold yet comfortable, drenched in sophistication yet calming to soul.
Evie and Alex Pols moved to Huntsville in 2014 initially living near Monte Sano’s Bankhead side. “Our old home was very open, but due to the exposures, the main living area didn’t get a ton of light. We contemplated a major renovation to completely reorient it but weren’t sure it would be what we wanted in the end,” Evie remarks. Living through Covid made it clear that the Pols needed an office with a door and more dedicated play space for the children. “Our realtor, Lore Hislop, really understood our style and insisted we had to come see this home, Evie continues, “I walked into a living area completely flooded with sunshine and light, and I was a goner.” They moved just in time for their oldest to start kindergarten at Monte Sano Elementary.
When it comes to design, Evie and Alex wanted to be surrounded by things that inspire them. Evie smiles, “We enjoy a range of styles and mixing them together. The more unexpected the better!” She continues, “It isn’t always the most logical order, but decisions come easiest to us when we fall in love with something (the fireplace, a piece of stone, a light fixture) and the rest falls into place around it.”
Their first project was the fireplace area. “When we moved there were a set of built ins in the corner to accommodate a much older (deeper) television. It took up a lot of room, and the space was oriented at an angle which wasn’t how we were using it. It was also very visible, so it made sense to tackle it first, states Evie. Evie and Alex looked at tons of photos and knew they preferred simple dramatic shapes. They then hired Mike Knox to develop the final concept. The new fireplace is made of Roman clay, and although it is dark, the clay gives a lot of texture and warmth. Evie remembers, “We asked for shelving and storage on the adjacent wall. Mike delivered with the asymmetrical shelving and nooks and cabinets in one of our favorite colors. The shelves have circular cut outs in places that are echoed with the big round pulls on the cabinet doors. This was the first project we did with Mike, and we were so thrilled with how he brought it to life and added details beyond what we’d imagined.”
Having three young boys that thrive on being close to their parents made functionality key. “They are active and love to play, and we are not particularly fussy about wanting to move things around to get them out of reach. We also love to entertain family and friends, so we wanted a balance of space that would work well for our day to day but be flexible to accommodate that,” says Alex.
With the main living area large, Evie and Alex left it neutral with art and rugs providing pops of color. Evie states, “I love wallpaper and was so excited to indulge in the smaller rooms that allowed it. We chose a painted grasscloth paper by Scalamandre for the dining room. This paper is a little moody and dark, and we love the texture. We had wanted to use paper that would create a mural, but it wasn’t possible with the layout of the room. The landscape pattern of this paper gives a little bit of that feeling.”
They chose a paper with palms and a mix match of mythical creatures in the powder bath. With a mix of greenish gold and grays, it feels both warm and cool at the same time. The palms tied in with the dining room choice as well.
They used Galapagos Turquoise paint in the library. They painted a room in their old home the same color, and it is an all-time favorite of the couple, pairing well with warmer colors.
Knox chose a terra cotta for the ceiling in the dining room and a mauve color for the bar cabinetry that pick up the wallpaper perfectly.
“We repainted the entire living area from white to white which was painful but worth it! It had been a cooler white with a grayish trim. We repainted it all a warmer white with black trim which makes it feel much more inviting. We also laid a wood flooring product over the tile, which did a lot to add warmth to the rooms as well,” says Evie.
When asked about their favorite room, Evie contemplates, “For me it’s a toss up between our living area and our little blue library. I love the sunlight and comfort of our living area as much as the first time I saw it. I’m always drawn to the layers, richness and coziness of the blue room.”
Their boldest room was perhaps the wine room. The couple had a guest room with a huge walk in closet which wasn’t needed backing up to their library. Alex had dreams of busting through the wall and creating a secret speakeasy wine room. Mike created a beautiful room with pearl white clay coating on the walls with wood shelving. The couple reused glass Murano bulbs they found on our honeymoon for the light fixture. The finishing touch was the door. Knox managed to create a door with shelving that blends right into the rest of the room so you wouldn’t know it was there. Evie laughs, “I’m not sure we would’ve done it if we’d understood what an undertaking it would be to run all the special cooling equipment, but the result is amazing.”
Art is another feature element that you see throughout the home. Evie states, “Neither of us are artistic in the traditional sense, but we love to enjoy and collect art. It’s very important to us that our kids value creativity, and we try to model that by having it around us. They have starting using their allowances to make purchases for their bedrooms at Panoply and the Monte Sano Festival, and they have their own styles!” She continues, “Alex’s mom has been a huge influence in this regard. She has an amazing collection, and her mantra has always been if you love it buy it (within reason). I’ve always hemmed and hawed more, so that shift in perspective is amazing. We’ve collected things through the years on trips and at fairs. The pieces represent so many memories and adventures. We both love a wide range of styles, so it’s always fun to shop together. We never find anything if we’re looking for something specific, it is more about what pulls us in. There are certain pieces that you can’t stop looking and we let that guide us. We also love reimagining things by moving them or hanging them in different combinations. It’s a fun little puzzle that keeps thins feeling fresh.”
When it comes to the outdoors the couple has different interests. Evie likes pretty spaces to sit and read or watch the boys and Alex enjoys creating those spaces. Alex says, “I’m not much of sit and relax type person. Gardening gives me an artistic opportunity blending plants and hardscapes to make fun spaces, keeps me on the move, and provides plenty of learning opportunities for the boys. I have been growing vegetables since I was a kid.” It is the first yard improvement Alex has put into every home he has owned. He continues, “Where our food comes from is important to us. Our yard is like our house. It transitions from clean functional spaces to a tranquil oasis of flowers to a mad vegetable science experiment gone wrong. Last year we potentially created a Frankenstein heirloom tomato variety. It was delicious.”
The main footprint of beds and paths was largely in place when Evie and Alex moved in. Alex remarks, “It was overgrown but had this wild Secret Garden feeling to it. We paired back trees for safety and worked with a landscape architect to develop a plan. We wanted things that would work naturally with the light and soil. As always we love a mix of things and incorporating something unexpected with more traditional choices. We love something that feels natural and keeps a little of that wild element which has come out as the plants have grown in.” Alex is a huge gardener, and he has multiple raised beds for vegetables, herbs, and fruit. The symbiosis between the garden of flowers and garden for sustenance feels full circle.
Evie and Alex worked extensively with Mike Knox. Evie ays, “I can’t say enough about how wonderful it has been to collaborate with him and his team. Mike has managed to bring each idea to life but somehow better than we could have imagined while incorporating pieces of furniture or art we love. We began with the fireplace and shelving area. Mike designed the custom bar in the dining room and chose the paint colors to compliment the wall color. He came up with the concept for a new hood in the kitchen and redid the island to allow more seating. He also designed and executed the hidden wine room. It has been the most creative process, and Mike has been known to engage in a mean Nerf game as well.”
The couple also worked with Stephanie Wallace, a Nashville based designer. Wallace helped identify furniture to better fit the space, selecting paint colors, and designing the powder bath and bedroom updates. Jeff Throkill and Wendy Mosier did a lot of the upstairs work in the boys’ rooms. They completely remodeled a bath, added an extra bathroom, redesigned a bedroom, and threw together the nursery for the arrival of their youngest in record time.