Ceiling-to-floor drapery panels conquer the living room's vertically stacked windows. Nobilis fabric covers a 19th-century spool chair.

Sofa trim is Samuel & Sons.

Todd Richesin designed the velvet-covered niche to add scale.
 

French bulldog Tulipe rules.

Custom hand-carved Italian chandeliers and antique French chairs grace the dining room.

The custom kitchen hood is copper.

Tracy's old portrait of an anonymous man hangs in an upstairs hallway.

A Lee Jofa check dresses 19th-century bergères in the master bedroom; the 19th-century French bench still wears its original mohair velvet.

The master bath features one of the French antique stained glass windows.

The guest bedroom is furnished with a 19th-century Sheraton-style chest made from beautifully grained tiger maple. Bench fabric is by Schumacher.

Tulipe, Debbie's constant companion, commands the guest room's vintage chaise longue, which is covered in a Brunschwig & Fils check; the floral drapery linen is Cowtan & Tout.

The back of the stucco house faces a meadow.

Horses graze on the farm.

Debbie Dobbs is proud of 5-year-old Cadbury, the first Irish Draught Horse born on her farm.

After the experience of daughter Stephanie's bout with a rare cancer, and being married to an oncologist, it was perhaps natural that Debbie would get involved in the fight against cancer. But Debbie's idea of an annual cancer gala isn't about raising funds for research. It's about honoring cancer patients themselves. "All of the 300 guests are either cancer patients or their families," explains Debbie, who hosts the party with husband Tracy. "The gala is their time to get out and have some fun. Everybody comments on how you can really feel the love in the room. It's a very personal party."

The gala, coming up on its 13th year, also recognizes the one individual or organization in the Knoxville community who's done the most to help cancer patients. "One year's honoree was a hairstylist who had provided patients with wigs. It can be a survivor, an organization, or any layperson who has helped the most," says Debbie. The event is in memory of one of Tracy's patients, Joy Dirksen Baker, the late wife of Senator Howard Baker.

The Dobbses pay for the party with funds that Tracy receives from pharmaceutical companies for experimental drug trials when conventional chemotherapy fails. "He puts that money in a nonprofit fund, and it pays for the party and research," explains Debbie.

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Traditional Home  /  Design  /  Beautiful Homes

Old-World Style in a Farmhouse

A rustic home boasts elegant design in the Appalachian foothills

Written and produced by Candace Ord Manroe
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Werner Straube

The back of the stucco house faces a meadow.

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Mid-Atlantic
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