At Home: Shannon and Peter Brasovan’s Backyard

Since they started downtown’s first CrossFit gym, CrossFit NapTown, Shannon and Peter Brasovan have seen their fitness brand explode. The young couple now operate NapTown Fitness, Practice Indie, and NapTown Swift, and they plan to open a paleo kitchen. The Brasovans practice the holistic lifestyle their business preaches at this cheery urban homestead on the city’s northeast side.

Clothesline
“It’s really fun until you accidentally drop your underwear in the yard, and you realize everyone sees them lying there,” Shannon says with a laugh.

Chickens
The couple own three: Onyx, Jean Grey, and Biscuit. “We got them from a lady in Avon; she has hundreds,” Shannon says. “It’s kind of like Jurassic Park when you walk up and they’re all slowly coming at you.”

Coop
Their previous design had less “coop appeal,” so Peter and two friends spent around 20 hours constructing a new one with custom hatches and vibrant blue trim.

Fence
Shannon tried to convince Peter to tear it down so they and the neighbors could have goats. “We compromised,” he says. “If we don’t get goats, she can name one of our sons Tennessee.”

Rain Barrel
This wedding gift collects precipitation for the chickens and the garden.

Gnomes
Shannon has quite a history with the little garden creatures. She tried to scare off her first college roommate by placing a bunch of them around their dorm room on move-in day.

Firepit
Peter grew up in a rural part of northwestern Indiana; he likes to host summer bonfires just like he enjoyed as a kid.

Pillows
Crimson Tate owner Heather Givans accented the blue coop with custom-made patterned shams.

Furniture
They spotted this vintage set at Midland Arts and Antiques. “I’d never been to Indiana before we moved here,” Shannon says. “Then I went to Midland, and I was like, ‘Okay, I can live here. This place is cool.’”

This article appeared in the July 2015 issue.