A Home With Country Charm for a Tennessee Family
A designer creates living areas for playing games, listening to music and hanging out
“This is a house full of life,” designer Chandler Quarles says of this home outside Nashville, Tennessee. Set on a beautiful piece of property, the 1970s house had undergone a few remodels over the years that left it quirky and disjointed. The couple who live here have four kids and a very active household. After getting to know her clients’ preference for eclectic modern farmhouse style, the designer gave them a family-friendly design. The remodel encourages lots of game playing, dining as a family and listening to albums on vinyl.
The modern part of the scheme is a black-and-white base, while the farmhouse part comes in through room-warming elements such as wood and brass. The island countertop is polished marble and the perimeter countertops are black granite with a leathered finish.
The butler’s pantry to the right offers additional food storage, countertop space and a pellet ice maker.
Shop for counter stools
The butler’s pantry to the right offers additional food storage, countertop space and a pellet ice maker.
Shop for counter stools
One of the homeowners’ must-haves was a place to display family pieces. Quarles incorporated this glass display cabinet next to the fridge for their heirloom china.
Hire a cabinet pro
Hire a cabinet pro
A Dutch door was another must-have for the owners. It brings in more wood and adds another country element to the mix.
Just beyond the kitchen is the dining room. Quarles had some existing structural beams wrapped in wood and added others to add character to the ceilings. “Along with the wood of the floor and staircase they add balance to all of the white,” she says. The rustic farm table, simple dining chairs and lantern chandelier all lend an inviting country vibe.
Find the right farmhouse dining table for your home
Find the right farmhouse dining table for your home
This chest was one of the special pieces the couple already had and wanted to use in the new house. While a first impulse might have been to place it in a bedroom, Quarles used it to add their personal style to the dining room. “It’s so much fun to see it in the mix,” she says.
The dining room is also open to the living room. Quarles infused it with color by displaying the homeowners’ extensive collection from Hatch Show Prints. Hatch Show Prints is an iconic Nashville letterpress shop that has been creating work in its signature style since 1879, including many music posters.
“They are big music people. His must-have was a major showplace for his beloved prints, while she was skeptical of finding space for them in the main first-floor space,” the designer says. “But everyone loves it and it’s a defining part of the living room.”
“They are big music people. His must-have was a major showplace for his beloved prints, while she was skeptical of finding space for them in the main first-floor space,” the designer says. “But everyone loves it and it’s a defining part of the living room.”
Quarles set up lots of comfy seating around an oversize coffee table. “They spend a lot of time around the coffee table playing games and doing homework. It’s a major hub,” she says. They leave the game boxes stacked beneath it for easy access.
The designer replaced existing orange pine built-ins made for an older boxy TV with an updated mix of cabinets and bookshelves. And she refreshed the fireplace by painting it white and adding a wood mantel that plays off the ceiling beams.
The designer replaced existing orange pine built-ins made for an older boxy TV with an updated mix of cabinets and bookshelves. And she refreshed the fireplace by painting it white and adding a wood mantel that plays off the ceiling beams.
This view provides a nice sense of the floor plan. The entry and study are to the right and the living room, dining room and kitchen run along the left.
In such an active home with an open plan, a quiet room was imperative. Double French doors lead to the study. “Like I said, these homeowners are big music people,” Quarles says. “They have records playing constantly and have a huge collection of albums, so we customized the shelves on the right for LPs.”
New brass light fixtures, including library lights, give the room a cozy feel.
Outdoors, Quarles replaced an existing deck with a porch. “I continued the look of the interiors out here so it feels like an extension of it,” she says.
An iron chandelier marks the dining area. And she centered a comfortable lounge area on a new outdoor fireplace. An alcove provides a convenient spot for wood, while a mirror over the mantel adds an unexpected finishing touch.
An iron chandelier marks the dining area. And she centered a comfortable lounge area on a new outdoor fireplace. An alcove provides a convenient spot for wood, while a mirror over the mantel adds an unexpected finishing touch.
Another special touch are the timbers that support the porch roof. They provide a strong architectural connection between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Upstairs, the expansive master bedroom has an unusually high ceiling with a large beam. The room “is so big that the former owners had a grand piano in here,” Quarles says. She cozied up the space with shiplap walls, layered window treatments and an area rug. Each homeowner has their own comfy chair and ottoman for quiet reading time.
Note the way the designer placed the drapes on either side of the bed. “The bed fit in this spot just right. So we didn’t want drapes hanging behind it,” she says. Instead they hang from just one side of the rod and extend all the way across when needed.
Note the way the designer placed the drapes on either side of the bed. “The bed fit in this spot just right. So we didn’t want drapes hanging behind it,” she says. Instead they hang from just one side of the rod and extend all the way across when needed.
Quarles layered the windows with custom Roman shades for texture and simple white drapes to add softness. She used the same Roman shades throughout the house.
Before, the bathroom had a strange layout that Quarles reworked. The homeowners knew they wanted the iron shower surround from their first meeting, as well as white and brass.
The floor is composed of 12-inch hexagonal marble tiles. The shower floor has the same marble in small hexagonal tiles.
The floor is composed of 12-inch hexagonal marble tiles. The shower floor has the same marble in small hexagonal tiles.
Matte black faucets and door paint play off the shower enclosure. The doors (seen in the mirror’s reflection) lead to a toilet room and a closet.
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young family of six
Location: Franklin, Tennessee
Size: 4,500 square feet (418 square meters); five bedrooms, four bathrooms
Designer: Chandler Quarles, Peach and Pine Home
Contractor: Glenn Grayson Home Builder
The couple’s previous home was a 100-year-old farmhouse. “They were getting rid of a lot of their stuff but they had some pieces they wanted to keep,” Quarles says. “This gave me a chance to see what they loved and get a sense of their style. We wanted to do a little more than just modern farmhouse — we wanted it to be colorful, playful and fun for the kids.”
The kitchen serves as the hub for the family, and this is the view from the dining room. Pretty stools and pendant lights draw the eye in, while an appliance garage on the right end of the cabinets reins in countertop clutter.
“Family really drove this design. We made it accessible for everyone and it’s easy to move in and out,” Quarles says. Her clients like to cook, and there’s a seat at the counter for each of the children to hang out.
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz