The Brimer House Inn was built in 1909 as a single-family residence. The home was purchased in 1998 by David Whaley and Tomica Miller. While David is a native of Knoxville, Tomica has been here for 15 years. The complete restoration of the house began immediately. Everything had to be done, from the chimneys to the foundation and everything in between. Fortunately, the househad never been seriously altered, so everything was there waiting to be discovered. The owners did all the restoration themselves, taking special care to uncover, and restore original woodwork, floors, wall colors & wallpapers to their original splendor. Also remaining in the house were all the original gas & electric light fixtures that were restored, rewired and re-hung in their original locations. The home still has the original ornate radiators, which are still used to heat the home.
   One of the most spectacular finds during the restoration was the discovery of hand painted frescos under 13 layers of wallpaper in the dining room. The owners commissioned a restoration artist from Chicago to restore the paintings.
   Another interesting story to ask the owners about is the wallpaper border in the foyers and halls. Once again, they discovered a jewel under countless layers of wallpaper. The original border was discovered but was not salvageable on the walls. It was a very large 18” lotus flower design. After extensive research they found that this particular design was not already in reproduction and had never been found before. Once again, professional help was commissioned, this time a studio in New York, who specializes in custom reproduction of period wall coverings. After 4 years of research & design, the owners now have one-of-a-kind wallpaper border that is also original to their home. The design is copyrighted and a sample hangs in the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in New York.
    After 6 years of hands-on restoration, the home is near completion. It is furnished with antiques, family heirloom pieces, and period reproductions.
    The Brimer House Inn welcomes you to Knoxville! Ask to see the photo album of all their restoration pictures.
    Click on photos to enlarge.