Page 139 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2018

In a town known for charming coastal cottages, the mid- century home of Jill and Phil Meseke stands out with its own kind of charm. The 1,100-square- foot home was built in 1960 and has been brought back to life from the state of neglect it was in when they purchased it.
The young couple did a brave
thing — they bought the house sight unseen while living in Memphis. “We just saw photos on the internet,” Jill recalls. “My mom came by and looked at it and thought it was worse than the photos!”
Not deterred, the Mesekes took
on the challenge. Jill is from Biloxi and Phil is from St. Louis, Missouri, but he signed on to her quest to return to the Coast. An air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration, he works at the New Orleans airport. Jill is a nurse and looks forward to returning to work in her profession. Their rescue Golden Doodle Chester is also an integral part of the family.
“We built a farm house but this house is totally different,” Jill said. “This mid-century is really our style. We’ve only been in the house six months, but we love it here and are never leaving.”
The outside of their Bay St. Louis home was a nondescript red brick with only one outside door that
was on the front; nothing opening
to the back yard. The first task was to remove a carport, paint the brick white, widen the sidewalk and add some badly needed landscaping. “The back yard did not have one shrub,” Jill said. “The yard is a work in progress, but it’s coming along.”
New windows and plumbing were installed and the house was gutted.
A VINTAGE RAILROAD CART used as a coffee table blends perfectly with the mid-century furniture and Jill Meseke’s portrait painted by her mother, Pat
Abernathy, in the living room.
THE REMODELED KITCHEN is open to the dining room where local art sets off the mid-century and antique furnishings.
we love it here and are never leaving FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net February 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 139