By Emily Beckett
Chilton County Probate Judge Bobby Martin and his wife Judy enjoy their home in Clanton every day, but they are by far not the only ones.
The Martins frequently open their doors to family, friends and community groups who need a place to meet and mingle.
Located near Chilton Medical Center off Lay Dam Road, the couple’s spacious home provides multiple floors capable of accommodating dozens of visitors comfortably.
“We like to entertain,” Judy said. “We live in our whole house. We use everything we have.”
The couple recently celebrated their 10th Christmas in the house they designed and built from scratch with help from Barbara Brown Hyte, Judy’s sister-in-law, who drew the house plans.
Both Judy and Bobby were born and raised in Clanton. They married in 1965 and spent the next 30 years working and raising their children in a house located not far from their current one, in the only city they have ever called “home.”
“I always dreamed of having a new house,” Judy said. “We enjoyed planning it. It’s been a work in progress for a while.”
Bobby said Judy spearheaded most of the planning and filled the house with furniture and décor she had collected over the years.
“I just told Judy up front this is her project,” Bobby said. “She took it and ran with it.”
Even so, both have added personal touches to their home along the way.
Guests walking through the front door are greeted by a grand spiral staircase, an element Judy said she has always wanted, as well as crown molding lining the walls throughout the house.
The foyer is flanked by a study on the left and a formal dining room on the right.
On the main level, the foyer leads to the living room with a fireplace, large windows, high ceilings and an entertainment center with lighted shelves on the sides that hold Bobby’s extensive collection of Swarovski crystal figurines.
Upstairs are several guest bedrooms, one of which holds Judy’s doll collection.
Family photographs and the baby outfits the couple’s children and grandchildren wore home from the hospital adorn the walls.
Below the main level is a fully finished basement with a living area, kitchenette a guest bedroom and easy access to the patio, where Bobby grills meat from time to time.
They allow guests to stay in the apartment-style space when it’s not being used for entertaining or watching football games.
“I enjoy it down there,” Judy said. “It’s cozy.”
Flower gardens, decks and a sizeable back yard with tall trees complete the Martins’ home and account for much of where they spend their leisure time.
The couple said they use every square foot of the house they nursed from a concrete foundation to a brick-clad beauty more than a decade ago.
“It’s not a museum or anything; it’s a home,” Judy said. “We’ve been blessed and we’ve worked for what we have. We enjoy sharing it with other people.”