By Lindsay Hughes
Photography by Ben Finch, Finch Photo
The Locascio’s home is not defined by a particular room, piece of furniture or address. It is the place where the family has spent more than a decade building a life together. Rachel and her husband, David, moved to Knoxville from Atlanta when his job with Tombras brought their family to East Tennessee. Their daughter, Reese, was young at the time, and the couple was looking for a neighborhood where they could put down roots. The wide streets and sense of community immediately appealed to them, and 13 years later, the house they chose has become part of their family’s story. “We have loved being part of the Knoxville community,” Rachel says. “It felt like the right place to raise our daughter, Reese.”
Today, Reese is attending the University of Georgia, leaving Rachel, David and their dog, Lily, at home while the family adjusts to a new season. The house that once served as the backdrop for Reese’s childhood now holds the memories of those years while continuing to welcome her home. Those memories are what matter most to Rachel. “To me, home is less a place than a feeling; one created through memories, shared experiences and the everyday moments that bring a family together,” she says. “After 13 years, this house holds so many of those moments for us.”
Much of that time together has happened in the spaces where the family naturally gathers. The kitchen, den and screened porch flow together, creating an area where everyday life can unfold without much formality. The family enjoys casual dinners at the kitchen counter, games on the porch and evenings spent together on the sofa. “We love sitting at our kitchen counter eating a casual dinner, playing games on the screened porch, cuddling together on the sofa to watch a show together,” Rachel says. The screened porch has become one of the most important places in the home, though Rachel admits that was not always the case. “When we first moved here, we didn’t really use it,” Rachel says. “Over the years, we’ve expanded the furniture and use of it. I couldn’t imagine living without it.” Football season provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoor living space. “We love to host football game watching get-togethers on our porch,” Rachel says. “It’s so private and feels like our own little space.” Entertaining is part of the Locascios’ life at home, but Rachel’s favorite memories are not necessarily connected to a party or special occasion. The routines that might have seemed ordinary at the time have become some of the moments she values most.
The home has also evolved as the family has changed. Rachel never approached it as something that needed to be completed all at once. Pieces have been added through the years and spaces have found new purposes. The family’s art, furniture and photographs have become reminders of different chapters in their lives. “Our home has become a reflection of the things we love; everything has a story and personal connection,” Rachel says. “The main thing is the personal story and connection to anything in our home.” That philosophy gives the house its character. Rachel describes the overall feeling as collected, comfortable and personal. Artwork acquired through the years carries stories and memories, while family photographs serve as visual reminders of time spent together. Rather than creating a home around one specific style, Rachel has allowed it to grow naturally.
Comfort also plays a significant role in how the Locascios use their home. Rachel considers the entire house a retreat, a place where the family can relax and simply be together. That feeling has taken on new meaning as Reese has grown older. A family home changes when a child leaves for college. The home has already adapted throughout the family’s 13 years there. Spaces that supported childhood routines now accommodate a family with a college student. Each stage has added another chapter.
Rachel also finds meaning in the objects the family has accumulated. Her collection of art is particularly important because of the stories attached to each piece. The same idea extends throughout the house. “It has been the backdrop to our family’s life,” she says, “and that history is what gives it its warmth and makes it feel truly like home.” The Locascios’ story is a reminder that a family home is rarely defined by the moment the keys are handed over or the last room is finished. It takes shape through the years spent inside it. Rachel and David arrived in Knoxville looking for a place to raise their daughter and found a community and a house where their family could grow. Thirteen years later, Reese may be away at college, but the place where she spent much of her childhood continues to bring them together. That is ultimately what makes a house a home: not perfection or permanence, but the accumulation of stories and everyday moments that become more meaningful with time.