The Measure of a Carpenter's Life Well-Lived

The next time you talk with a home builder, and you shake their hands, take notice of them. They tell the story of years of work, experience and dedication to honoring their vocation. When you look at Jude Markway’s hands, that’s exactly what you see.

Building is a Markway family tradition. Jude grew up working beside his father, Marcellus and now his son, Gabe has chosen to do the same. Known for over 40 years for the skilled craftsmanship and care he puts into each of the homes he builds and remodels, Jude has put his skill to the test by taking on his most important project to date – building a dream retirement home for him and his wife, Mary.

The two of them have been planning this home for a very long time, and their son Levi a draftsman at Scruggs Lumber drew up the plans. Many of the unique materials they used in the design were harvested from past projects. Jude celebrates older homes and has skillfully restored many of them. Historical pieces that pay homage to beautiful homes of the past that would’ve otherwise ended up in a landfill were saved and now bring the presence and aura that seems to surround Jude and his work into his home.

The entry welcomes family and friends starting with the leaded glass door in a classical style. The craftsman style door frame and moldings with an extra beaded detail and plinth blocks are repeated throughout the home. The crowning touch is the double barrel-vaulted ceiling.

The living space is made for enjoyment whether it’s the whole family or just the two of them. Comfortable furniture is arranged to float in the center of the space which adds an expansive impression of the room and the opportunity to place treasured furnishings to house their displays. Mary loves Christmas and her Santa Claus collection. She keeps some of her favorites out year-round. Their son, Gabe is a self-taught taxidermist, and the large mounts were done by him.

In the dining room, a coffered ceiling, built-in cabinetry and a large table offer ample space for holiday gatherings. Mary painted and stained the beadboard on the back wall, adding to a time-honored look that could’ve been there for years.

In the open kitchen and family room, the vaulted ceiling lifts the eye up to hand-hewn logs from Dr. Conrad Balcer’s home-place on Shepherd Hills Road. The beams date back to the mid-eighteen hundreds. More than anything these gathering rooms set the tone for the home. Beautiful rich wood custom cabinetry envelopes the heart of the home making a warm welcoming statement punctuated by stainless steel appliances, ample lighting, wood flooring and granite countertops. They fell in love with the granite they chose. The large island is a single slab with beautiful veining and movement. Prominently displayed atop the cabinets is a collection of sentimental family crockery.

The master bedroom features more design details added by Mary and Jude. Their furnishings were made from vintage five-panel doors by Jude. Hanging above the bed is a painting by Buck Taylor who played Newly in Gunsmoke. Carefully chosen custom features are used in the master bathroom to create a personal retreat that provides comfort and luxury. They laid the floor tile on a diagonal and then brought it onto the wall of the shower. On the shower floor is pebble tile. When they chose the tile, they were only able to look at a small sample and to their surprise, the variations in the tiles greatly enhanced the final result.

Downstairs has a ‘barn’ feel. The walls were hand finished by Mary. Plywood was installed and painted the beautiful white color and then May sanded back the paint to achieve the distressed look. The vintage door has been with them for at least 20 years and now it has a suitable place of honor in their forever home. Mary plans to make a stained-glass window in a quilt pattern in honor of her mother.

The wood for the staircase came from Jude’s stash of treasures. Made from #1 pine, they planed each board and repurposed them into a stunning set of steps. Jude renovated the old Whaley’s East End Drug Store, and the corbels were salvaged from that project. They used an old barndoor track to further the barn aesthetic.

In Mary’s crafts room, the vintage table is also from the Balcer’s home place. In the corner is a wood carving that Jude made of the Madonna and Child. A treasured needlepoint piece is lovingly framed and displayed. Mary’s father made it while he was a POW in WWII. He used a Red Cross sewing kit for needles and thread. Yarn, thread and other fibers were used to stitch together this remarkable tribute to service and sacrifice of the men he served with.

The Markway’s enjoy an amazing view of the home’s natural surrounds on the outdoor living spaces. Lumber and finishes from both the front and back porches were made from materials salvaged from previous remodels. The mix of textures from the rusted corrugated tin and the weathered wood blend beautifully with the wooded background.

As Jude transitions into retirement and his son Gabe continues the family legacy, he remembers a conversation between designer, Tina Davis and a client. The homeowner was talking about how she needed the project to accommodate her family now and as they grow. He reflected on how that simple conversation sums up the true measure of a builder. “We are partners in a future where lives are framed and the future is waiting to be written and built,” says Jude. “Home building is more than walls and roofs, we’re a part of a family’s hope and dreams, where their story will be written.”