Home Services

Where's that Room Stretcher?

As a part of our whole home design services, custom Window Treatments are one of our favorite solutions to provide for our clients. These are known to add beauty to a space, but did you know that there are also functional benefits of adding custom window treatments to your home? Here are a few benefits of adding custom window treatments to your home:Sound Absorption - Have an echo? Or a loud neighborhood? Layers of window treatments can act as a sound absorption layer to muffle sounds and stop...

Finance + Legal Services

Investing in Financial Peace

PYA Waltman's Melissa Ballard on a Mission to Build Relationships with Financial Clients and At-Risk Youth Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Shawn Poynter and Ben Finch Director of Financial Planning Melissa Ballard, CFP®, became one of PYA Waltman Capital’s owners last year. She joined the firm out of college during the 2008 financial crisis. They weren’t hiring, but President Bill Waltman took a chance on her, in part, once she shared her why. “I wanted to help people make...

Arts + Culture

Knoxville: A Walking Music Guide Part I

Article by Paul James | Photography by Photographs by Knoxville History Project, Shawn Poynter, and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection. With the publication of a new educational booklet from the Knoxville History Project, it’s a good time to take a look at the fascinating history of music here in Knoxville. Designed to increase awareness and appreciation for the city’s rich musical heritage, Knoxville: A walking Music Guide is a free, 44-page booklet emphasizing the sites...

Arts + Culture

Wesley Bennett’s “The Kitty of Knoxville”

Children’s Book Revisits Dad’s Favorite Scruffy City Stomping Grounds Article by Wesley Bennett and Amy Campbell | Photography by Illustrations by Finn Dean Fatherhood birthed a new creative venture for Knoxville native Wesley Bennett. In tribute to his hometown and hours of storytelling for his daughter, Vivi, Wesley wrote his first children’s book. “The Kitty of Knoxville” showcases beloved landmarks that make Knoxville special, like Ayres Hall, Neyland Stadium, the Sunsphere, the Strong...

Finance + Legal Services

Lessons Learned

Article by Eric Foster, CFP®, CPA | Photography by Ben Finch I entered the investment business around the turn of the century.  The economy was headed for a recession fueled in part by excess speculation around this new thing called the internet.  I have been taught ever since at the “school of hard knocks” offered to any investor by the market itself.  I thought I would share a couple of observations and lessons from my schooling. Lesson #1: The future is hard to predict.  People are just bad...

Life + Culture

Knoxville Summit 2025

NEW Covenant Health Park | Knoxville Old City | April 24 Article and Photography by Knoxville Summit 2025 is an exclusive event–limited to 250 attendees–where leaders and high achievers come to be educated, encouraged and empowered to enhance their performance and impact. Knoxville Summit distinguishes itself from other leadership conferences by offering a unique, impactful lineup of leaders from the sports and business community. Clay Travis – Outkick/Writer/Lawyer/Radio and Television Host...

Arts + Culture

Bazillion Blooms

Dogwood Arts Keeps Historic Dogwood Trails Blooming on Its 70th Anniversary Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Shawn Poynter, Dogwood Arts, Kristen Bright What do those pink lines mean? If you’re new in town, now that April is here, you may soon make a turn up into a Knoxville neighborhood to follow the thick pink lines painted right in the middle of the street. You can join the motorcade meandering through one of more than 90 miles of historic Dogwood Trails throughout 13...

Life + Culture

Everly Brothers Park: Touching tributes by musical icons endear this Bearden park

Article by Paul James | Photography by Shawn Poynter, Knoxville History Project, and Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina If you haven’t noticed, there is a small pocket park in Bearden that celebrates two of the most cherished performers of rock and roll history. It’s no hyperbole to say that without the Everly Brothers there might have been no Beatles, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and a host of other legendary bands and musicians. You don’t have to take my word...

Finance + Legal Services

How Much is Enough?

Article by By Aaron Nolan, CFP® | Photography by Ben Finch How Much is Enough? By Aaron Nolan, CFP® Moving is one of the most miserable tasks known to man. You don’t know where anything is. All your free time goes to packing/unpacking boxes. Your whole body aches from moving things around. Even when the end destination is a positive one, the actual act of moving is not fun. At All. My wife and I went through this over the summer, and while I have a fresh perspective on how miserable the...

Arts + Culture

Planting a Spring Garden

Expert Advice From Master Gardener John Coykendall Article by Amy Campbell | Photography by Shawn Poynter  Q: Where do we start?    A: Plan where you are going to plant things. If you’ve had, say, beans or tomatoes growing in a certain area for more than two years, you want to rotate those crops within a new area so that you avoid pest and disease build-up and depletion of the soil. In other words, you would grow beans, say, and tomatoes (just as examples) and have those two years on an area...