An Interview & House Tour with Brooke Davis-Jefcoat
On Home Town's season five, the world was introduced to some of Laurel's most treasured locals and friends. One of those families being Robbie and Brooke Davis-Jefcoat.
While Brooke and Robbie were on your TV screen for an hour, Brooke is usually behind the lens, taking lifestyle photos for Laurel Mercantile Co. and the production crew on reveal day. She manages all of the LMCo. social media accounts and has become the friendly, helping hand that replies to your messages and lets our followers know about the best things to do in Laurel. She's even become the unofficial family photographer, as she has captured Erin and Ben's biggest moments for the past decade. Needless to say, we're proud to call her our teammate and our LMCo. family.
She has a way of capturing the big moments more authentically than anyone. She uses the same approach when it comes to sharing her story of love and life after the loss of her late husband, Brandon.
It's been a few months since Brooke and Robbie filmed their reveal episode. Since then, so many things have changed — including the arrival of their youngest son, August! Today, she wants to share a glimpse into their home; how their family honors the ones they've lost and how their story is unfolding each day.
"It's been three years since our world turned upside down with the loss of my husband and the father of my oldest son. Our future dreams felt like they passed away along with him, too. Brandon was in the height of his career with so many opportunities on the horizon. I was teaching English at our local middle school, and we were working hard to provide and grow our family. We had dreams to buy a home in Laurel, fix it up and continue to be a part of Laurel’s story. After Brandon passed, I thought about taking our baby and moving somewhere that didn’t have a memory of him on every corner. Yet, God had different plans and here we are."
"When I met Robbie, it was pretty clear that Laurel was our home- it was my son’s home and we couldn’t just leave. If we were going to blend our lives, I really needed it to be in Laurel. Robbie, being the angel that he is, happily said that we will make it work. We knew that only Jesus could have given us this piece of restoration after so much heartache."
DINING ROOM
"The Home Town crew gave us a huge jump start on renovating our beautiful 1950s home. It’s an old house with a lot of square footage so we definitely still had projects to be done after the show — but I love a good project! I’m the kind of person who likes to rearrange furniture every few months just to have a fresh look."
"I can’t think of a table that is more perfect for this space. We have a large immediate family, so you’d be surprised how many chairs you can comfortably seat around it! I know a lot of folks were worried about the dark paint, but we have the most beautiful picture window that overlooks our deck and backyard and it lets so much light in."
LIVING ROOM
"The windows are the best thing about our house. Robbie, the AC controller, would probably disagree, but I love them. The light filtered through our home makes a huge difference and has made this extroverted lady into a homebody. On the crisp fall or spring days, we like to open those doors in our den and let the fresh air in. They have screen doors on the outside so we get the breeze without the bugs! Best of both worlds."
PLAY/ SITTING ROOM
"Laurel had a way of holding onto us that I never knew was possible. Yes, every Downtown corner left me with a memory and a few tears but the thought of leaving it all behind was more heartbreaking. So instead, we began to pick up the pieces and build something new together. That's what I think of when I see this Adam Trest original everyday."
"During the day and early afternoons, you can find us downstairs. We’re either in the den making forts, or building legos on the coffee table, listening to Ben Rector while cooking dinner or playing hide and go seek. Old houses are the best for that. All those nooks and crannies? My five year old plays hide and seek better than anyone; it usually takes me twenty minutes to figure out where he is. There’s a lot of laughter and love within these walls, and I’m grateful for it."
KITCHEN
"We have a small table in our kitchen, and we sit there on weekend mornings when we actually have time to enjoy breakfast. Most mornings we are getting ready for school whilst simultaneously drinking coffee, doing dishes, feeding a baby, and reviewing books with Kingston."
AUGUST'S ROOM
"All of our bedrooms are on the second floor so we spend most of our evenings there; settling down for bed, getting bubble baths, playing a card game before bed, and reading books as a family. I treasure our routines!"
"August and I play on the floor in his room almost every day; it’s become a part of our morning ritual."
KINGSTON'S ROOM
"Kingston usually has Tupperware boxes of legos underneath his bed that stay scattered on the floor. I mean, have you ever stepped on a lego? It’s the absolute worst. But it’s where he feels most comfortable and safe, and I love that."
"King sleeps better in his own bed than he does anywhere in the house, and I like to think it’s because we've spent a lot of time making this space his own. We keep photos of Brandon on the shelves in his room, and every now and then, he’ll ask me to tell stories about his daddy."
"Robbie handles these conversations so beautifully and loves being Kingstons “Bonus Daddy.” He's a wonderful father and makes Kingston feel like he is his own flesh and blood. It's a special way that we like to keep Brandon with us, but I always tell King that his daddy is in the place that we all long to be and turn our focus to heaven. I'm grateful that God has given us a way to navigate the hard conversations."
"We love this home more than I can say. It’s a dream come true and just a beautiful picture of God's grace in our lives. At the end of the day, the people that fill this home mean more to me than the physical space, but we are so blessed to call this our home."
