The Office: Karen Garner - Magnolia Homes

×

Expand

Photo courtesy Magnolia Homes

Karen Garner

Magnolia Homes founder Karen Garner gets to work from home every day. Well, not specifically home; the business’ new office and design center at 193 Cartwright Farm Lane in Collierville certainly looks like a beautiful home, and has all the amenities one might need in a modern abode. It’s all in the service of providing the best possible experience for her customers. 

When Garner founded Magnolia Homes 33 years ago as a single mother, she hit the ground running. “Women know what women want to see, so I tried to make that my niche,” she says. “I worked hard on branding my company name, and did a lot of advertising when a lot of other builders would not. I even got a whole page in Southern Living magazine, which at that time was unheard of.” 

Expand

Now, she runs the business with her son, Reggie Garner Jr., while her daughter Abbey works at Magnolia’s Oak Grove Realty company. In April, Magnolia Homes moved into a new 12,000-square-foot space. Garner and her colleagues work in the offices upstairs, while the downstairs area showcases products. 

“It was important to us to have a facility where they could come in and select everything for their homes in one trip,” says Garner.  “Our goal was to make the whole process stress-free, fun, and exciting when creating your home.”

Visitors feel like they are entering a living room, with fireplace and couch, before arriving at the receptionist’s desk. Beyond that lies a wide-open floor plan. “We’ve got three full kitchens and two full baths with showers and running water,” says Garner Jr., “so you can try everything out.” The showrooms are synced with technology to allow customers to try the latest trends. “Tell Alexa you need one cup of water, and the faucet will give you one cup of water,” he says. “You can turn on a shower from bed using your phone, as well as activate other appliances.” 

The design center’s options include 125 color panels, a variety of cabinets and countertops, and an extensive backyard with grills, outdoor fireplaces, and brickwork. “We use products that will give their houses a long-lasting life and are as maintenance-free as possible,” she says.

Flexibility has been key to Garner’s approach since she started Magnolia Homes. “I wanted to create homes that both men and women would enjoy,” she says, “so I included a lot of items in a house that other builders wouldn’t at the time.” 

Her outside-the-box thinking and passion for the work have grown. And when her son graduated from college she recognized that same passion in him. “He came up through the ranks,” she says, “doing every single position there was.” 

×

1 of 3

Expand

Magnolia Homes

Construction on Magnolia Homes' new office and design center was completed earlier this year. The new headquarters aim to provide homeowners with a one-stop-shop for their homebuilding needs. Garner's team works upstairs, while customers can tour realistic recreations of bathroom, kitchen, living room, and outdoor spaces on the ground floor. 

×

2 of 3

Expand

Magnolia Homes

Construction on Magnolia Homes' new office and design center was completed earlier this year. The new headquarters aim to provide homeowners with a one-stop-shop for their homebuilding needs. Garner's team works upstairs, while customers can tour realistic recreations of bathroom, kitchen, living room, and outdoor spaces on the ground floor. 

×

3 of 3

Expand

Magnolia Homes

Construction on Magnolia Homes' new office and design center was completed earlier this year. The new headquarters aim to provide homeowners with a one-stop-shop for their homebuilding needs. Garner's team works upstairs, while customers can tour realistic recreations of bathroom, kitchen, living room, and outdoor spaces on the ground floor. 

Prev

Next

Garner and her son are now partners, but his involvement in the business started as a 6-year-old, when he would accompany her to the office and other homes. He took odd jobs around Magnolia Homes growing up, and even led his own homebuilding project before college. When subcontractors were busy on other houses, it fell to him to find other qualified workers and lead the project.  

“He brings things to the table that men want, like outdoor living, exteriors, media rooms,” says Garner. “I tell people that with us, you get what women like to see in a house, and what men like to see.”

Like so many other industries, homebuilding has needed to adjust to the coronavirus pandemic with communication and scheduling. Home sales, however, are doing well. With people at home so much, they are realizing how much they need a home office and quiet areas where the parents can work and children can study.