Harriet Chen is used to being behind the lens, adjusting shutter speeds, aperture, and exposure, but usually not for her own home. As a contributing photographer for StrollCrestline, she’s accustomed to focusing on a variety of subjects around the neighborhood. It’s rare she turns the lens on her own home.

Though it now feels like the Chens have always called Crestline home, that wasn’t the original plan.

“My children grew up in Madison, Wisconsin,” Harriet explains. In 2015, her husband, Dr. Herbert Chen, received a call from an old friend and colleague inviting them to visit Birmingham. “We were not here 24 hours before we fell in love with Birmingham,” Harriet remembers.

The couple moved to Mountain Brook that same year, but Crestline didn’t become home until 2020. “We felt like our house on Hermitage was big in all the wrong places,” she says. “So we started looking elsewhere.”

The turning point came during a nighttime showing of their current home on Richmar. Harriet still remembers the moment. “I truly believe it was that the house was shown at night,” she says. The home’s automated lighting and electric system made an immediate impression. The previous occupants owned Audio Visual Excellence (AVX), and the house is wonderfully tech-forward.

With the push of what Harriet calls the “party button,” lights dim to the perfect level and shutters adjust themselves automatically—creating an instant atmosphere for entertaining.

And entertaining is something the Chens do often.

Walking into the Chen home on Richmar feels just as welcoming as the host and hostess themselves. Clean architectural lines and a soft neutral palette of white oak create a warm, modern backdrop for gathering with friends and colleagues.

Her husband, Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), frequently hosts visiting surgeons and collaborators. Some evenings call for a more formal sit-down dinner, while others take on what Harriet laughingly describes as a “Zoom party,” with surgeons joining virtually from different places to share ideas.

“That might mean pizza or sushi on the island,” Harriet says of the more casual nights.

When the occasion calls for something more formal, Harriet turns to Small Batch Catering. The team handles food and beverage pairings while Harriet focuses on what she enjoys most—setting the scene.

“The best gift is that I get to be a guest at my own party,” she says. “I can clean, arrange flowers, and create the atmosphere, but they take care of the rest beautifully.”

The custom dining table, where many of those gatherings happen, was designed and built by Michael Morrow of MDM Design Studio. Above it hang two abstract works inspired by the Chens’ children, who are now grown with families of their own.

When the Chens settled into their Richmar home, designer Alison Gorrie helped them blend Harriet’s more traditional antiques with modern upholstery and clean-lined furnishings. Throughout the house, art plays a starring role. Nearly every room features a piece collected on a meaningful trip or during a special moment.

“We go to Art Basel in Miami every other year,” Harriet says.

The home is also shared with a lively group of rescues: five cats—Shadow, Peanut, Mr. Banks, Mayo, and Nutmeg—and a Morkie named Georgiana.

Even with a full calendar of gatherings and visiting colleagues, Harriet treasures the quieter moments just as much. On calm afternoons, she can often be found birdwatching from the kitchen window as natural light pours into the space.

“We didn’t even mean to be here,” Harriet says with a smile. “But it has become such a perfect spot for us. We love our neighbors. It’s truly been a gem.”