Houzz Tour: A Vintage-Modern Mix Outside Nashville
Traditional detailing, Hollywood Regency style and local art personalize a new family home in Tennessee
Dining room. Just off the foyer is the formal dining room, and the same traditional millwork continues in here. “The applied molding adds a visual touch to the walls without getting too busy,” Ray says. Another patterned rug grounds the space, while the dining chairs and a showstopping chandelier add modern touches and warm metallic finishes. Charcoal velvet curtains add contrast.
Wall and trim paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams; chandelier: Mid-Century Parlor, Visual Comfort; rug: Nashville Rug Gallery; chairs: Restoration Hardware
Find large area rugs on Houzz
Wall and trim paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams; chandelier: Mid-Century Parlor, Visual Comfort; rug: Nashville Rug Gallery; chairs: Restoration Hardware
Find large area rugs on Houzz
Living room. The living room is straight down the foyer from the front door. An abstract painting by Nashville artist Jennifer Gibbs fits the scale of the room and enhances the focal point of the fireplace. Also scale-appropriate is the large antiqued-mirror cocktail table and a pair of navy velvet sofas. Vintage pillows found on Etsy throw in unexpected pattern.
Cocktail table: Anthropologie; chandelier: Marsha, Arteriors; rug: Sara Ray Interior Design; browse velvet sofas
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Cocktail table: Anthropologie; chandelier: Marsha, Arteriors; rug: Sara Ray Interior Design; browse velvet sofas
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Kitchen. If you match up the wood sculpture on the far right with the previous photo you’ll understand how the living room connects to the kitchen. Ray placed it there to draw people in, floating it on a custom acrylic stand and backing it with a mirror to reflect the light.
The black glass-paned doors are another example of her use of high contrast. They lead to a covered porch that overlooks the backyard.
Window and door trim paint (throughout house): Black Magic, Sherwin-Williams
11 Reasons to Paint Your Interior Doors Black
The black glass-paned doors are another example of her use of high contrast. They lead to a covered porch that overlooks the backyard.
Window and door trim paint (throughout house): Black Magic, Sherwin-Williams
11 Reasons to Paint Your Interior Doors Black
This side of the kitchen has scads of storage and is outside the work triangle. This freed up some space for vintage artwork found in local antiques stores, and the counter can also serve as a buffet. There’s a two-tone cabinetry scheme, with black anchoring the lower cabinets and the white above lightening the room.
Subway tile: beveled in Ice White, American Olean; counters: Torquay, Cambria; bin pulls and knobs: oil-rubbed bronze, Top Knobs
Subway tile: beveled in Ice White, American Olean; counters: Torquay, Cambria; bin pulls and knobs: oil-rubbed bronze, Top Knobs
On the other side of the island is the work area and a wide opening to the family room. The beveled subway tile adds dimension to the backsplash without looking busy. Warm accents include the wood wishbone stools, oil-rubbed bronze hardware and brass pendant lights, faucet and vintage jar.
Pendant lights: Photonic Studio; faucet: East Linear pull-down, Newport Brass; sink: Kohler
Pendant lights: Photonic Studio; faucet: East Linear pull-down, Newport Brass; sink: Kohler
Breakfast nook. In the breakfast nook, the homeowners kept some favorite seating from their old house: budget-friendly chairs from West Elm that Ray had upholstered in pink velvet. Black-and-white stripes continue the contrast and a mix of pillows adds pattern.
Painting: Jennifer Gibbs; floral pillow fabric: Romo; all other pillow and cushion fabrics: Zak + Fox
Painting: Jennifer Gibbs; floral pillow fabric: Romo; all other pillow and cushion fabrics: Zak + Fox
Butler’s pantry. “I always like to do something more dramatic and different from the kitchen in a butler’s pantry space,” Ray says. This area connects the dining room and kitchen, with plenty of counter space for mixing cocktails and serving food. The subway tile continues in here, while all-black cabinets and lucite and brass hardware switches things up and brings in Hollywood Regency style. Pink glassware and crystal show through the glass cabinet fronts.
Cabinet pulls: square glass handle with solid brass base, House of Antique Hardware; knobs: pressed glass, Anthropologie; see more acrylic hardware
Cabinet pulls: square glass handle with solid brass base, House of Antique Hardware; knobs: pressed glass, Anthropologie; see more acrylic hardware
Family room. You may have spied a bit of the family room from the kitchen a few photos back. This is the one TV-watching spot downstairs. “We wanted this space to feel clean yet casual and capture a hint of beachy California style to remind my client of home,” Ray says. Natural materials and light colors make the room inviting and comfortable.
The stone fireplace serves as a focal point in the room, with the TV opposite it. Ray chose a light-colored stone that has presence without overwhelming the space. The lack of mantel makes for a cleaner look. The botanical artwork and sculptural logs add more organic touches.
Art: Emily Leonard
Art: Emily Leonard
The white sectional is slipcovered and the homeowners have let Ray know that it’s been easy to clean. More organic elements seen here are the wood coffee table, root ball bowl and stone garden stool. The table has a brass base that ties in with the other warm metals used throughout the house. Simple white linen window treatments soften the space.
Sofa: Lee Industries via Sara Ray Interior Design
Sofa: Lee Industries via Sara Ray Interior Design
Powder room. The powder room’s lack of natural light inspired Ray to use an ethereal hand-painted ombré wallpaper. She designed the quartz block vanity based on inspiration photos her clients liked. Together with the long sconces and mirror, it emphasizes the vertical in the small room. The black hexagonal floor tile and dark accents add contrast.
Sconces: Fontanelle, Restoration Hardware; custom vanity fabrication: Smokey Mountain Tops
Sconces: Fontanelle, Restoration Hardware; custom vanity fabrication: Smokey Mountain Tops
Master bedroom. The master suite is on the first floor, along with another bedroom. This was good planning, as the homeowners welcomed the fourth child to their family after moving in and were able to have the nursery nearby. In the years to come, the nursery can transition into an office, den or sitting room.
The master bedroom is bright and airy. One detail to note is the way the window treatments work with the window layout. Ray had a custom rod made to wrap the corner for a cohesive look, and the linen draperies add softness. She plucked the green hue on the ottomans from the rich color palette of the Oriental rug.
Fabric on chair pillow and bed accent pillow: Eskayel; lamp: Visual Comfort
The master bedroom is bright and airy. One detail to note is the way the window treatments work with the window layout. Ray had a custom rod made to wrap the corner for a cohesive look, and the linen draperies add softness. She plucked the green hue on the ottomans from the rich color palette of the Oriental rug.
Fabric on chair pillow and bed accent pillow: Eskayel; lamp: Visual Comfort
Touches such as the curved wood nightstands, funky reading lamps, African mudcloth upholstery on the chair (previous photo) and the abstract artwork nod to bohemian California style.
Master bathroom. “This bathroom is very Hollywood Regency,” Ray says. The dark cabinets, glass sconces and marble bring in that look, while black matte faucets and black lucite and brass hardware update it. Marble wraps from around the top of the tub up to the windows and appears again on the floor tiles.
Sink faucet and tub filler: East Square, Newport Brass; bathtub: Underscore 66-by-36-inch drop-in with end drain, Kohler; rug: vintage, Nashville Rug Gallery
Sink faucet and tub filler: East Square, Newport Brass; bathtub: Underscore 66-by-36-inch drop-in with end drain, Kohler; rug: vintage, Nashville Rug Gallery
The beveled mirrors and glass sconces add fanciful touches. The countertops are quartz.
Design Takeaways From This House
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9 Reasons to Buy a Painting
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- When you have large walls and high ceilings, consider applied moldings to bring things down to a human scale.
- Supporting local artists is a wonderful way to tie in your decor with the place you live.
- Touches of high contrast such as dark doors, draperies, upholstery and artwork can update a home’s style.
- Vintage Oriental and Turkish rugs can beautifully bring the old into an old-new mix. They tend not to show dirt and can dry quickly enough to be used in a bathroom.
- Finding unique hardware is a good way to put a personal stamp on areas such as a bathroom or butler’s pantry.
- A flexible first-floor space that can serve as a nursery is good planning for those with a first-floor master suite who plan to have more children.
- Consider twin ottomans in lieu of a bench or settee at the end of the bed.
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9 Reasons to Buy a Painting
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A blended family with two teenagers and two toddlers
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
Size: 4,552 square feet (423 square meters); five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Designer: Sara Ray Interior Design
Interior designer Sara Ray’s clients had hoped to add onto their historic home outside Nashville, Tennessee, for their growing family, but in the end it was easier to build new. The result is a personalized design that’s a mix of traditional and modern, vintage and new, art from local artists and a few subtle nods to California, the home state of one of the homeowners.
“The homeowners had an old farmhouse with more modern furnishings. For this house we wanted to continue the old-meets-new mix and we went for a Hollywood Regency-inspired style,” Ray says.
Scope of work. Ray was involved from the very beginning of the project, before plans were rendered. She helped the homeowners choose all of the interior and exterior finishes and fixtures, as well as furnishings, art, rugs and accessories.
Entry. “This is a true foyer,” Ray says. “We wanted to set the tone with a lot of high contrast.” It includes traditional millwork that stands up to the high ceilings and pieces such as the contemporary table, funky lamp, sculpture and small, sweet botanical painting. An Oriental rug with pink hues brings color into the space.
The designer gave her clients options from local artists to use throughout the home; this painting is by Nashville artist Emily Leonard. The glass bubble sculpture is something one of the homeowners has had since her first home as an adult.
Rug: Nashville Rug Gallery; table: Noir, Sara Ray Interior Design