From a Dream of Beauty to a Life of Meaning: The Woman Who Reimagined Home and Hospitality

Some people build businesses. Others build places that change how we feel. Kris Beall belongs to the second kind. Her journey is not just about luxury or success—it’s about creativity, loss, resilience, and redefining what “home” truly means. Behind the rise of Blackberry Farm stands a woman whose eye for beauty and heart for people transformed a forgotten property into a world-renowned retreat.

This is the story of Kris Beall: how she shaped an iconic destination, faced unimaginable heartbreak, and emerged with a deeper, more honest vision of life.

Growing Up Surrounded by Style and Expectations

Kris Beall, born Kris Bailey, grew up in an affluent suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. From the outside, her childhood looked polished and privileged. Her mother, a former model, had an instinctive sense of elegance, while her father transitioned from college football into successful business ventures. Their home reflected a certain standard—beautiful rooms, thoughtful details, and an unspoken rule that everything should look just right.

As a young girl, Kris absorbed those lessons deeply. She learned how presentation could shape perception and how environments could make people feel welcome and admired. But she also sensed that appearances could hide vulnerability. That contrast—between surface beauty and inner truth—quietly shaped her worldview. Even then, she was learning how to create spaces that felt special, not just stylish.

Those early experiences planted the seeds for what would later become her life’s work.

A Partnership That Sparked a Bigger Vision

In her early twenties, Kris met Sandy Beall, an ambitious entrepreneur who would later become the founder of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain. Their connection was immediate and powerful. Marriage followed, along with children, business ventures, and a shared passion for hospitality.

Their partnership was complementary. Sandy focused on strategy and expansion, while Kris brought warmth, creativity, and a deeply personal touch. When they moved to Mobile, Alabama, Kris refined her skills as a hostess and creative thinker. She studied Southern cooking, learned the rhythms of entertaining, and even attended an early workshop led by Martha Stewart.

These years weren’t about fame or recognition. They were about practice—learning how food, design, and atmosphere could come together to create something memorable.

The Birth of Blackberry Farm

In 1976, Kris and Sandy purchased a worn-down house from the 1940s tucked into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. At the time, it had only a handful of guest rooms and little prestige. To most people, it was just an old property. To Kris Beall, it was possibility.

She imagined a place where guests didn’t just stay, but belonged. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother’s love of food and her mother’s sense of beauty, Kris shaped Blackberry Farm into a retreat rooted in comfort, authenticity, and connection to the land.

Every detail mattered. Meals celebrated local ingredients. Rooms felt lived-in rather than staged. Outdoor spaces invited rest and reflection. Over time, Blackberry Farm evolved into a destination recognized worldwide, earning elite hospitality honors and redefining farm-to-table luxury.

Kris often said her philosophy was to “live in every inch.” That mindset guided her work—nothing was accidental, and everything carried intention.

Creative Success and Quiet Sacrifices

As Blackberry Farm flourished, Kris Beall became a respected voice in design and hospitality. Her work appeared in magazines, and her aesthetic influenced countless homes and retreats. Eventually, she stepped away from daily operations, exploring photography and returning occasionally to guide design projects.

But success came with trade-offs. Balancing business, marriage, and motherhood left little room for stillness. Looking back, Kris has acknowledged that her drive sometimes overshadowed deeper emotional connections. Like many high achievers, she kept moving forward, rarely stopping to reflect.

Life, however, had other plans.

Loss, Trauma, and a Forced Awakening

The later chapters of Kris Beall’s life brought a cascade of heartbreak. A fire destroyed her beloved home on Mobile Bay. A serious accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury and partial hearing loss. Her marriage ended in divorce, dismantling a partnership that had defined decades of her life.

Then came the most devastating loss of all. In 2016, her son Sam—who had taken a leadership role at Blackberry Farm—died in a tragic skiing accident at the age of 39. The grief was overwhelming.

At 60, Kris found herself stripped of identity, certainty, and direction. Instead of clinging to what she had built, she chose something radical: she downsized her life entirely, moving into a tiny shed on the edge of the farm. There, surrounded by peeling walls and silence, she faced herself honestly for the first time.

It was painful. It was humbling. And it was transformative.

Writing as Healing and Truth

From that period of solitude came Kris Beall’s memoir, The Great Blue Hills of God, published in 2020. The book is not a business story. It’s a deeply personal reflection on perfectionism, grief, faith, and learning to live without hiding.

Kris writes about chasing approval, masking insecurity with beauty, and the fear of being truly seen. She also writes about surrender—about learning that worth isn’t earned through achievement, but discovered through presence and grace.

Readers connected immediately. What began as a short talk to a women’s group turned into a book that resonated far beyond its initial audience. Her voice is honest, gentle, and disarmingly real.

Life Today and a Lasting Influence

Today, Kris Beall lives more quietly but no less creatively. She remains connected to Blackberry Farm, not as a builder, but as a guiding spirit. She shares reflections, memories, and encouragement through writing and social media, focusing on authenticity rather than image.

In her seventies, she embodies a different kind of success—one defined by self-awareness, compassion, and hard-earned wisdom. Her legacy lives not only in a luxury destination, but in the lives she’s touched through her story.

Conclusion: Redefining What It Means to Build a Life

Kris Beall’s journey is about more than hospitality. It’s about transformation. She built something beautiful, lost almost everything, and found something deeper in the process. Her life reminds us that while homes can burn and titles can fade, meaning grows when we face ourselves honestly.

From the rise of Blackberry Farm to the quiet strength that followed loss, Kris Beall shows us that true luxury isn’t perfection—it’s presence. And sometimes, the most important thing we ever build is a life that finally feels like home.