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How do we leave a legacy?
For a lot of Nashvillians today, there is this urgency to make a mark, to say we were here — now, before it all changes, and that it meant something that we were.
In this issue, it is the story of Rick and Ray Myers, brothers who changed their career paths to take over their father’s business after Gene died unexpectedly at age 53. Together they grew Myers Flooring into a company their father would be proud of, and they cemented their close relationship — which is the real legacy.
It’s also about the Stephens Valley along the Natchez Trace, the conservation easement subdivision from developer John Rochford that will preserve hundreds of acres of green space, conserve 90% of tree canopy and provide the setting for the kind of community his son built a house in to raise his grandchildren. The legacy isn’t only the land, it’s the people and the community.
For me, at this moment in time, it’s this magazine. Print is tangible and real, and long after we are gone, copies of this issue will still exist to tell the story of what Nashville is now, even as it is changing. So while I am here, I love that I get to share the stories of other people who are living here and now in Nashville, making their mark.
Hollie Deese Publisher
@katiemaddenfineart info@katiemaddenfineart.com Art Consultations by
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Complexion is the Tennessee’s only provider of the iconic French biological skincare line Biologique Recherche.
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Be sure to check out the online edition of Nashville Interiors regularly for fresh content between issues. You’ll find profiles, photos we couldn’t fit on our pages, style tips and trends, and a heads-up about art- and design-focused events and happenings around town.
Follow Nashville Interiors on social media for updates when new content is posted online and for lots of behind-the-scenes peeks from photo shoots and insider events.
New residents are flocking to Stephens Valley, a conservation easement subdivision with 500 acres of open space near the Natchez Trace Parkway. More than 90% of the tree canopy was preserved in the planning. Read more starting on page 68. (Cover photo by Solomon Davis)
AUTUMN 2019
PUBLISHER | SENIOR EDITOR
Hollie Deese
SALES DIRECTOR
Pam Harper
ART DIRECTOR
Karen Cronin, Cronin Creative
ADVERTISING DESIGN AND SALES
Jennifer Rapp
Tracey Starck
COPY EDITOR
Jennifer Goode Stevens, GoodeEdits.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Reed Brown
Mary Craven
Solomon Davis
Tonda McKay
Pamela Monaghan
Chuck Plante
Reeves Smith
PRINTING
Catalog Kings, Nashville, TN
Nashville Interiors is the premier building and interior design guide for Middle Tennessee. We feature regional master artisans, designers, architects, builders, artists, collectors and retailers, and we bring you news of the area’s trends in building, design and development. We also showcase the inspiring spaces of our area’s eclectic group of residents.
Nashville Interiors is published by Deese Media LLC. Nashville Interiors has been continuously in print since 2000. All editorial and photographic content is the sole property of Deese Media LLC and is not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of the publisher.
Nashville Interiors is available at select locations and events. For information on where to find a copy, visit the website or email hollie@nashvilleinteriors.com.
To receive an advertising rate sheet, contact Pam Harper at pam@nashvilleinteriors.com.
To request content reprints, suggest story ideas or notify us about website or social media issues, contact Hollie Deese at hollie@nashvilleinteriors.com.
MARY CRAVEN found her love of photography through a journey to capture her own girls’ childhood memories — not just the big moments when they were dressed up and posing for the camera, but all of the in-between moments at home and at play. Those are the real childhood memories that they will cherish. Through this journey with her own family and now many others, she has taken her candid storytelling vision to everyday moments and subjects. A native of North Carolina and former anthropology major at Wake Forest University, which originally sparked her love of culture, Mary now lives in 12South neighborhood of Nashville with her husband and three daughters.
with a degree in English and was the Associate Editor at ROUTE Magazine, where she wrote features related to road travel, vintage Americana and Route 66. Besides writing, her interests include traveling, watching films and spending time with her adorable dogs, Atticus and Boo Radley. She recently moved back to Chicago to start a job writing with Built In Chicago.
TONDA MCKAY is an awardwinning commercial and architectural photographer with more than 30 years specializing in small and large architectural, commercial and real estate photography. Her book, A City in Harmony, was published for the Chamber of Commerce of Nashville, and she has won two American Advertising Awards (ADDY) for her media campaigns with Phillips Magnavox. She has also won Best Cover, for both Business and Lifestyle Magazine from the City and Regional Magazine Association. Tonda is a life-long Nashville resident and loves photographing this ever-changing city.
OLIVIA MCCLURE is a contributing writer for Nashville Interiors. A Nashville native, Olivia graduated from Loyola University Chicago
Shaped by early and frequent trips to the contemporary wing of the St. Louis Art Museum, MARIA MEYER brings her love of art and design to her work as an interior designer at EOA Architects in Nashville. Her first project at EOA, Vanderbilt’s Walker Library at the Owen Graduate School of Management, recently won the International Interior Design Association Tennessee Chapter’s “Best of Design” Award. Maria has been an advocate for Nashville Design Week since its inaugural year and now leads the content curation team as Programming Content Manager. On the weekends you can find her walking her dog, Sandwich, at Shelby Bottoms.
PAMELA MONAGHAN is a freelance photographer and owner of Wynd & Paisley Photography. She has a bachelor of arts from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she met her husband. Her love of photography began at age 13 when her mom, an amateur photographer, taught her on film. Her work has been featured in multiple magazines, including Your Sumner and The Pink Bride, and she also runs a blog called Girls Gone Mild. She lives on several acres in Portland, Tennessee, with her husband, three children and four Dalmatians.
CHUCK PLANTE is a recent arrival to Music City after decades in NYC as a commercial photographer, picture editor and creative executive. He began his career as an apprentice photographer at Town & Country Magazine and has held key positions in image licensing as Director of Photography and Collection Director at Getty Images, Visual Leader at Photonica and VP of Creative at Amana Images in Tokyo and currently maintains a Senior Management role with Tetra Images based in NYC. A serious music lover who, despite his urban roots, spends whatever free time he has listening to and photographing musicians playing around Nashville.
REEVES SMITH entered the art community by teaching at Nossi College of Art and Currey Ingram Academy. He built his client list, which mostly consisted of builders, developers and real estate agents. His talent in photography was honed at Delta State University, then at The Bolivar Commercial newspaper in his hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi. He went on to earn an MFA at the Brooks Institute of Photography and became a photographer and photo editor for Disney-ABC Television in Burbank, California. Reeves is creative director for The Builder House, which provides marketing and branding services for home builders and developers. He lives in College Grove with his family.
BALLYFIN DEMESNE
Nina Campbell in conversation with Fred Krehbiel, Jim Reynolds and Colin Orchard
WIRTZ INTERNATIONAL
Martin Wirtz
VAN WYCK & VAN WYCK
Bronson van Wyck
BLACKBERRY FARM
Mary Celeste Beall and Kreis Beall
Bunny Williams – Honorary Chair
46 26 68 36
26 FALL’S FINEST THINGS
All the things we love this season.
30 SPOTLIGHT: BINKLEY NASH
Designer Ashlee Dozier Nash has a fondness for furniture.
36 FULLER HOUSE
A family of 11 renovates a historic downtown Franklin home and gets creative with storage and sleeping arrangements.
46 A BETTER PLACE
Couple fill their home with all kinds of art, much of it picked up at the annual Artclectic fundraising event for University School of Nashville.
60 HEALTHY LIVING THROUGH DESIGN
House Beautiful magazine’s Whole Home Concept House in Nashville is 6,000 square feet of healthful living ideas and high design.
68 A NATURAL DEVELOPMENT
At Stephens Valley, residents have access to the Natchez Trace and acres of green space right from their front door.
88 NASHVILLE’S DESIGN DISTRICT
Get to know the businesses that built up an area that has become an inspiration for interior designers.
97 OLD BUSINESS, NEW SHOWROOM
Myers Flooring makes its mark in Nashville’s Design District.
106 TAKING INSPIRATION
Southern Living Show Home takes its design cues from the Grassmere estate at the Nashville Zoo.
131 CHALLENGING MISCONCEPTIONS
Photographer Anouk Krantz travels to the West to photograph rodeo culture and gets an education much better than old TV westerns.
134 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: HANDMADE STUDIO
Dinnerware that makes everyday meals more intimate, and special occasions stand out
140 A MERRY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS
Deck the halls with all the things you loved from your past.
118
PHOENIX ON FATHERLAND
After a house fire left her heart hurting, EOA architect rebuilt and pushed past old boundaries to create a space that’s truly hers.
THE PLACES WE WANT TO GO AND THE THINGS WE’VE PUT ON OUR MUST-HAVE LIST THIS SEASON.
Inspired by the natural and built worlds, duVisst’s inaugural collection is designed by Nashville-based designer and furniture maker David Wildman. The collection showcases contrasting colors, combined materials and juxtaposed design elements, along with the synergy of modern and traditional practices, all in sustainable, ethically sourced materials.
Hudson Valley Lighting’s Taper Candle Chandelier, $462, in aged brass from the Angler Collection is perfect for an entryway that aims to make an understated yet impactful first impression.
A flowing shirt dress, $325, in the lightest fabric from Nashville designer Emily Phillips is our must-have layering piece heading into winter, perfect paired with jeans, sweaters and T-shirts.
Granite and Trend Transformations, a franchise system specializing in kitchen and bathroom remodeling using engineered stone surfaces, announced its latest addition: Titan Grey. The Titan Grey is specially engineered with Bianco Montorfano, a granite quarried in the northwest of Italy that features a white base with top blends of white, grey and black crystals.
We can’t wait for the new Reese Witherspoon-produced Netflix unscripted series featuring New York Times bestselling authors Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the women behind Nashville’s home organization company The Home Edit. The show will feature organizational makeovers for locals, and each hour-long episode will center around two organizational projects.
For the first time in its history, Farrow & Ball is veering from its standard 132 colors to create a special palette of 16 colors inspired by “Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours.” First published in 1814, the groundbreaking guide quickly became an invaluable tool for scientists and artists alike, giving them the ability to fully describe the everexpanding world around them. From Skimmed Milk White to Broccoli Brown to Dutch Orange, each shade is blended with an eco-friendly water base that’s safe to use in all rooms of the home.
Contemporary meets sophistication in the beautifully designed blue-and-gold Asti Mirror, which features a bold shape and bright color that is sleek and fun at the same time. $277 at highfashionhome.com.
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAMELA MONAGHAN
ometimes it can seem impossible to find the right piece of furniture that looks good, feels great and seems just right for the space.
Ashlee Dozier Nash of Binkley Nash Furniture & Design can help.
A Gallatin High School graduate, Nash majored in interior design at Middle Tennessee State University and minored in business before moving back home to work at Gibson Furniture and Patio — a longtime Gallatin furniture store.
“That’s where I fell in love with the furniture business,” she says. “I knew design was the route I wanted to go, but I didn’t know that it would lead into furniture.”
Originally hired as a designer to stage the store, she was a natural saleswoman who gravitated toward connecting people with custom pieces.
Then about six years ago, the owner of another furniture store in Gallatin, Binkley’s Furniture House, approached Nash about buying the business. His family had opened the store in 1968, but his mother and father had both died and he was ready to retire.
“I actually saw Mike at a restaurant and he said, ‘I want to talk to you about buying my furniture store,’” she says. “Of course I had known of the store, and luckily we were able to work it out.”
She closed on the deal to buy the store on New Year’s Eve 2014. She decided to change the name —
just enough to honor the Binkleys while growing her own name in the community.
It also means a lot to her to care for the client base the Binkley family had built. She has lived in the area her whole life and knows how important it is to offer the best customer service.
“It’s why we strive so hard with every client to give them the best possible experience,” she says. “One bad experience, you don’t know how many potential people are impacted by that experience, potential customers that choose not to come here.”
In the past five years she can’t believe how much her business has grown, just through word of mouth and referrals.
The small showroom carries lines like Hooker furniture, Braddington-Young, Sam Moore, King Hickory, Fairfield and Uttermost, with most everything able to be ordered with custom fabrics and finishes to meet the client’s needs.
“That’s what I love about the furniture that I sell, that it can be made for you, for your space, and you don’t have what your neighbor has,” she says. “Every design is different. Even if it’s the same sofa frame, it’s going to have different fabric, it’s going to have different pillows, it’s going to have different nail heads. We don’t want cookie cutter.”
Nash takes her interior design skills to her customers’ homes as well, offering consultations on style and space planning, as well as guidance on paint colors, lighting options and layout.
“Once they welcome you into their home and you’ve established a relationship with them, it becomes much more personal at that point,” she says, admitting she looks at her customers as friends over time. “Spaces don’t accommodate one person; spaces accommodate families.
You design around their dog or the way their children live or the way their spouse lives. And not everybody always agrees on how space should be designed, so you’ve got to work together to make it right.”
Decades after the Binkleys opened their furniture house, it is still a family business — just for a different family. Nash’s mom, Tanya Dozier, is on staff full time, and her toddler son usually is in a playpen nearby.
“It’s not a different sales associate every time you come in. It’s just us,” she says. “My daughter was raised here, my son is now being raised here. We may not be the most professional, but I think it shows that they’re spending their money with a family. They’re not spending their money
to go towards a corporation or somebody they’ll never meet. When you walk in, it’ll be me or it’ll be my mom.”
Nash offers free delivery within a 40-mile radius of the store and has a local upholsterer and seamstress on hand to do custom draperies, custom bedding and custom cushions. And if something is ever not up to her or her customer’s standards, she does everything she can to make it right.
“Things aren’t always going to be perfect, but they want you to handle it to the best of your ability,” Nash says. “When Mr. Binkley owned the store, his motto was ‘Good product, good price,’ and I feel like we have tried to stand by that for five years, and hopefully another 50 more.” NI
BINKLEY NASH FURNITURE & DESIGN
224 N. Locust Ave. Gallatin, TN 37066
615.452.7096
BY HOLLIE DEESE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK PLANTE
ayne DeVeydt and Michelle Jackson had a few very specific considerations when they were house hunting in Franklin after his health-care job relocated to the area. Well, nine to be exact – the couple are parents of nine children in a beautiful blended family that includes two boys from the Congo and two girls from Nicaragua.
They also wanted something totally different from their other residences: a lodge-style home on farmland in
Indiana and a home in Nicaragua near the ocean.
“Michelle and I have been very fortunate in our lives and have had the opportunity to live in many different places,” DeVeydt says. “We had always kind of desired to have a bit more city living, where we could walk to things and things would be convenient.”
They had originally looked at downtown Nashville but thought it a bit too robust with babies. In downtown Franklin they found exactly what they were looking
Indiana home — and that the children would all have to share rooms. Plus, they’d have to pile on the big sofa in the cozy family room to all watch a movie.
“What it has done is allowed the nighttime to be more fun, because they’re all kind of hanging around and laughing — the girls in their room and the boys in their room,” Jackson says. “And they want to hang out with us more as parents. The teenagers seem to engage more when we’re there. And they want to hang out more together, as well, vs. individually going to their own room.”
Designer Christine Plante with Blakrock Interiors had never worked with a family that big before, and she admits that the first time she walked through the home she had a hard time wrapping her head around where everyone would sleep.
She created one bedroom with two queen beds so up
to four girls could sleep there, and then in the boys’ room she constructed custom bunk beds for four, with an oversized window seat that could easily sleep two kids. Downstairs are the master and the nursery.
This was also the first historic home Plante had helped design. She worked with Chris Veal of Whitestone Enterprises on everything from replacing the electrical and plumbing systems to finding as much storage as possible by accessing unused space.
“What they really wanted was a sleek, modern interior while maintaining the historic integrity of the exterior,” Plante says. “They wanted people to walk in the door and have it just take their breath away, to be completely unexpected.”
That sense of wonder is definitely achieved, starting with an expert mix of luxe materials like silk, mohair, wool, velvet, leather and marble with antique pieces,
The homeowners wanted to create something totally unexpected while paying homage to the history of the home. That look is achieved by mixing textures like velvet and silk with rough sculpture, like the one here sourced from the home’s original coal chute.
When there are so many kids in a house the adults need a sanctuary, and this master bath certainly fits the bill with mirrors and tile going all the way up into a a ceiling with extra
local art and even a stone sculpture in the living room that was sourced from the home’s original coal chute.
“Any home of that age and tenure has amazing character and amazing bones,” DeVeydt says. “This is an early 1900s home, and you’re kind of expecting that era. But it had already been changed so much over the years that we were able to go, ‘You know what? We can really make this whatever we want inside.’”
Because fitting so many people for a meal is a challenge, the island was reconfigured to run practically the length of the room, giving it almost a diner feel where everyone can belly up to the bar and share a meal. Of course, they have just as much fun enjoying family outings too — the whole reason they chose the location.
“We find ourselves walking into Puckett’s — there’s not many music venues you can go to where your kids can actually be eating macaroni and cheese, screaming and yelling, and yet you have live music in the background and aren’t worried about upsetting anybody in the crowd,” he says. “I like Cork & Cow for a great steak. We like Red Pony for a nice atmosphere and a drink. And then the candy shop with the kids is
always a favorite.”
The floors throughout were replaced with custommade antique flooring from Du Chateau in California. They went through a 12-step process to get just the right weathered look. An eight-foot custom fireplace in the master bedroom that shares a wall with the en suite bath is possible because Veal found unused space and opened up the ceilings to 12 feet.
Plante went shopping with the couple a few times to help incorporate antiques with their large-scale art pieces, finding pieces like the antique French doors reconfigured into pantry doors on brushed steel barn door tracks.
She also found an original train wheel mold at a shop in The Factory and hung it in the staircase going up to the second floor, as well as a pair of needlepointupholstered chairs she sent to Dugan and Foster in Nashville to be reupholstered.
“They rebuilt those chairs,” Plante says. “We painted them gray and put blue velvet on them, and they are the head chairs for their dining room. Sourcing some of those older pieces and getting them to fit a very sleek-looking interior was probably the most fun.” NI
BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY CRAVEN
Healthcare attorney Chris Howard and his wife, Angie, had tackled a renovation or two over the course of their years together. Eight years ago, they decided to embark upon building a home from the ground up, and they drew upon their earlier experience to make their new home fit how they live and to work together to make it happen.
Working with West Cook of Cook Builders, the Howards put into practice all of the elements they wanted in their forever home – hang out space for their boys, now 14 and 18, a serene outdoor area right off the master, lots of light and open spaces for entertaining.
But one of the biggest parts of how they live is being surrounded by the art they collect. Many of the pieces were purchased from the University School of Nashville’s annual Artclectic fundraiser — years before their children became students at USN.
“I would love to say that I’m an artist, but I’m not. I just appreciate other people’s work,” Angie says. “Ever since we moved to Nashville, we would try to pick up a piece or two here and there, but mostly at things like Artclectic or local galleries, things like that.”
Their first Artclectic piece was bought in 1997 when the show was still held in the school gym. It was a mosaic piece from Sherri Warner Hunter that has been since gifted to someone else.
Their home has an open floor plan. That, combined with years of collected pieces, has Angie looking for art that doesn’t hang on walls.
“Paintings are what I always look at first. Then I realize
we don’t have anywhere to put them,” she says. “We had pretty limited wall space to begin with, and now what we have is taken up.”
Now she keeps an eye out for things like sculpture, glass, felt, photography, multi-media and 3D works of art. And she somehow always finds room for something new.
“It makes me happy,” Howard says of the art. “We’re
“It’s just stuff we think makes our home a better place.”
– Angie Howard
not collecting it because we think it’s valuable or anything like that. It’s just stuff we think makes our home a better place.”
It also reflects their interests, style and sensibility, and even utilitarian items are pieces of art in the Howard home. The kitchen has a showstopper stove hood, and the dining room table has a custom base created by Larry Stone and coordinated by the Howard’s designer, Sally Truitt.
“He did a lot of things in the house, and it’s really a showpiece,” she says. “There’s some spaces that were kind of odd. The dining room space is a little odd. So, it needed a table that was just right for that.”
This year at Artclectic, which is scheduled for Oct. 24-26, Howard is excited to look for pieces from new artists, definitely some jewelry, and hopefully run into some artists she has gotten to know over the years, especially when she was a co-chair a few years ago — even helping some of them hang their work.
“I think that [Artclectic] shows the art off in the best possible way, but it’s very approachable and the artists are there,” she says. “You can talk to them, and I think that aspect of it — the educational aspect where the kids get to come in and talk with the artists — is probably one of the more impressive things. It’s become bigger and better but still feels like a community event.” NI
BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY REED BROWN
House Beautiful is bringing their Whole Home Concept House to Nashville this fall, showcasing a nearly 6,000-square-foot home that is a stunner while also promoting happier, healthier and smarter living.
“At House Beautiful, we believe your home should work for you — bringing you joy, helping you reconnect with family and recover from external
stresses,” says Carisha Swanson, senior editor and market director. “This house will illustrate these concepts through layout, product and inspiration, providing actionable ideas that readers and visitors can implement in their own homes. I look forward to seeing this exceptional group of designers bring these ideas to life and transform these spaces into more than just beautiful rooms.”
The goals are to produce beautiful rooms with purpose and to create a home that contributes to your wellness, your peace of mind and your sense of place.
“It’s an amazing place,” says Alan Looney, owner of Castle Homes. “I think, hands down, it’ll be one of the best show houses this town has seen in years.”
Looney and the Castle team had been looking to host a National Symphony Showhouse like they had in 2015. They’d found a perfect lot in Belle Meade when they were approached by someone at House Beautiful magazine to do a show home. So a partnership was made, and Looney’s project became House Beautiful’s Whole Home Concept House, to benefit the Nashville Symphony.
The lot once had an old English cottage that was in disrepair and needed to be torn down, but not before it had inspired Looney and architect Kevin Coffey to do an English Arts and Crafts house.
When it came to selecting the interior designers, it was a collaboration between House Beautiful and Looney, with a mix of national designers and local collective Modern Remains, comprised of O’More College of Design alums Evan Millard, Betsy Trabue and Lauren Moore.
“When we had our initial phone call, they really emphasized that we would be the team from Nashville, representing Nashville. They wanted us to utilize Nashville talent and Nashville artists, so that was a very big focus in many of our designs,” Millard says.
Plus, they were excited to be able to give local artists like Jack Spencer, Meagan Little, Andrew McKellar, 5 String Furniture and EClan Design a little shine in their spaces.
“We love to use local artists,” Trabue says. “That’s a key component to our business.”
Other designers on the home include Vern Yip, Amy Berry, Barclay Butera, Joy Huber and Rachel Haag of Castle Homes, Chenault James, Dani Arps, Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters of Forbes+Masters, Kristine Paige of Jackson Paige Interiors and Matthew Quinn and Richard Anuszkiewicz of Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio.
Quinn worked on the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year in 2017 and then did the Whole Home in Atlanta version, the first one ever.
“I really wanted to push it to Nashville, because obviously I love Nashville — I’m building a design center there, moving an office there. So I really kept pushing the editorial staff to move it to Nashville, and they loved the idea. And we wanted it to have the personality of what we think Nashville is all about.”
Quinn’s Design Galleria did the kitchen and the master bath, while he personally designed the kitchen and the pantry. Anuszkiewicz, his lead designer who will run the Nashville showroom studio, designed the master bathroom.
“I think the wellness of the house just brings a
different layer to it, maybe something that people don’t consciously think about. The types of materials that are used, thinking through the sustainability of the materials that are used, the VOC, the content, how it’s manufactured — really looking at it,” Quinn says.
For Looney, keeping all those voices working toward a cohesive design goal was a challenge, especially when the goal is to show off all you have — and everyone had wallpaper.
“You want to dazzle people,” Looney says. “It gives you a chance to really let your character and your personality shine. I mean, that’s what I’m looking for.” NI
No expense was spared on the details of this Belle Meade home.
House Beautiful’s 2019 Whole Home Concept House, powered by LG, is partnered with Signature Kitchen Suite, Benjamin Moore, Circa Lighting, Architectural Grille, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Stressless, Caesarstone, Castelle, Grothouse, Kohler, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, TempurSealy and The Tile Shop.
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ometimes you need to make a change, to switch things up and choose a different way of living.
Paula Durham, 70, and her husband, Fred, have been in Stephens Valley since November 2018. Self-proclaimed empty-nesters, they were ready to downsize from their life in Green Hills — which was the first place they decided to move after their kids left home.
“My husband is a native. After college, when we were married in the early ’70s, we ended up raising our family not far from here on Moran Road. Then we built a home in Green Hills, and we were there for almost 20 years,” Durham says.
Green Hills was wonderful, with convenient shopping and restaurants. But eventually they saw a shift in the area — and in their lifestyle — and began to think of what to do next. Green Hills was getting hard to navigate, and most of the downtown activities they had once gravitated to didn’t interest them as much.
“I think sometimes the older you get, the more simple you like things,” she says. When she heard about the Stephens Valley development — with its access to Natchez Trace, its front-porch living and its town center with shopping and restaurants — it was the only thing she wanted.
“The town center had enormous appeal for us, and it’s what I had dreamed of,” she says. “It would be so nice to be able to just walk out my back door, cross the street
BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY REEVES SMITH
Paula Durham and her husband, Fred, were some of the first residents at Stephens Valley. They had moved to Green Hills after their kids left home, but recently things were getting too congested for them.
and be in an area where there are restaurants, coffee shops, a little shopping. But there was nothing in our comfort areas in Nashville that offered that. It just wasn’t available.”
So when they heard that lots were available to purchase at Stephens Valley, they were in the office that day.
Their home was built by Rochford Realty and Construction Company, which developed the community with Land Innovations. There are four other builders in the development — Legend Homes, Celebration Homes, DeFatta Custom Homes and Sipple Homes.
“We love it, and it’s all we need,” Durham says.
Among the first residents at Stephens Valley, Durham says they already feel like a big part of a growing, diverse community.
“Rochford has done a fabulous job of keeping everybody connected. When new people move in, they host a get-together at the welcome center, and they’re always providing anything that we would need to have a nice social event,” she says. “We’re grateful for that because it makes a strong neighborhood.”
Johanna Brooks, her husband and their two young daughters became part of the Stephens Valley community in June. They moved to Middle Tennessee from Arizona last year and had been renting in Westhaven, another walkable community in Middle Tennessee.
They had assumed they would come to Tennessee and get a lot of land, but they loved the community and seeing kids riding their bikes every day so much that they could not wait to sign up with Stephens Valley. It also was closer to his job at Vanderbilt, even though it
was such a new development.
“It’s been amazing because everybody is coming in with a fresh start, and everybody is so eager to meet each other,” Brooks says. “Especially coming from somewhere where you don’t know anybody. We very much were seeking that sense of being in a neighborhood and having a sense of community.”
Being able to meet their neighbors, connect with them and invest in the growth of the community is exactly what developer John Rochford wanted when he first conceived of Stephens Valley.
“I like to tell people that it’s not an exclusive community, it is an inclusive community,” he says.
“Stephens Valley isn’t just building houses and making money. It’s really about what it is, what it will become and how it makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Rochford understands the importance of what is being built here, and having his name on the project it makes it even more important that they do it right. The 1,000 acres that Stephens Valley exists on belonged to Rochford’s old neighbor Bill Stephens.
Stephens made work clothes and was one of the original advertisers on the “Grand Ole Opry” radio show.
“Stephens Valley offered the opportunity to bring together the best practices of everything a person would want to create harmony, with nature and with the community,” he says. “Not just build houses, but build a true community.”
Rochford was president of Friends of Warner Park twice and is committed to preservation and protection of the environment. He also has a commitment to creating spaces where people really want to live.
“I’m interested in your home, but I’m telling you I’m much more interested in what this is for people. The land and the efforts made to preserve the infrastructure protect God’s gift to mankind,” he says.
Stephens Valley is a conservation easement subdivision and will have 500 acres of open space — 400 acres that border the Natchez Trace Parkway. More than 90% of the tree canopy was preserved, and there are seven miles of sidewalks and trails. No hunting is allowed, and rabbits, squirrels, deer, turkey and other birds abound.
“When I first walked the property years ago there was this alligator turtle in the creek. She looked up at me and I said, ‘Myrtle,’ — I named her Myrtle — ‘I promise you that I’ll protect your environment,’” Rochford says. “And she’s still out there, protected and living in harmony with us.” NI
Located in Northwest Williamson County
Stephens Valley is a collection of handcrafted residences with diverse architectural styles and designs. Our community offers entertainment for people of all ages while maintaining deep-southern values that have been passed down through generations. Admire miles of nature from your front porch, or take a stroll to the future Town Square for shopping and dining–it’s all possible in Stephens Valley.
New Homes from the $600s to over $1 Million
VISIT OUR WELCOME CENTER 441 Union Bridge Rd Nashville, TN 37221
Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 10am-5pm Sunday 1pm-5pm StephensValley.com
www.celebrationhomes.com
Rochford
7123 Crossroads Blvd. Brentwood
615.376.9354
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOLOMON DAVIS
Doug Herman bounced around various forms of construction work back when he was in high school, so by the time he got to college he had already gained marketable skills in construction and remodeling.
He got a master’s degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio in construction technology, then he worked with a small custom builder in Toledo before moving to Atlanta. In 1998 he moved to Nashville and in 2006 opened his own firm, Legend Homes.
“Our niche is taking people from the very beginning of the process through architecture, the planning phases, working with interior design and selections, and building the house and staying with them all the way through,” Herman says. So basically, they do it all.
“The team of people we have and systems we have in place and the communication that we make available on a regular, ongoing basis really help to make it a great process.”
Herman and his team — including Vice President Andy Ferguson — were invited early on to be one of the five members of the Stephens Valley building community, planned around a federal park system.
“I think they took care in preserving green space and including miles of trails,” Herman says. “They could have developed this land with higher density, and they chose to develop on a lesser scale and with less density, mainly to preserve that feeling of open space and focus more on preservation.”
Eventually there are plans for townhomes and condos at Stephens Valley, but the first few phases of development are for single family homes on varying lot sizes and types, some with the homes oriented more to an open backyard setting, some to a courtyard setting.
“In either case we try to maximize outdoor living,” he says. “It’s so important to our buyers and how people live. And outdoor living can make all the difference in how the home feels when you’re inside.”
Legend does most of their development in Williamson County now, and one of their latest projects is a brand-new development, Hardeman Springs, in the Arrington area. They are also present in more established developments like Westhaven, Witherspoon and The Grove, where they will have a show home during the upcoming 2019 James Hardie Parade of Homes.
When people get to that level of buying their dream house, they have likely been thinking about it most of their lives and expect the experience to be amazing. Herman says they put a lot of pressure on themselves to live up to that.
“We go into it fully with the expectation that this is going to be a great experience,” Herman says. “Our clients say they are sad to see the process come to an end. We develop amazing relationships with our clients because we work with them for months, and we’re committed to making their experience as easy as possible and actually fun.” NI
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY REEVES SMITH
When Randall Smith and Corey Craig came together to form Celebration Homes in 2001, each came to the table with decades of experience that dated back to high school — Smith was 13 years old when he began working on survey and footing crews, while Craig had formed his own company at age 17, Traceside Properties, before cofounding the Craig Company with his dad, Lloyd.
And once they joined forces, business really began to grow.
“They were already building as the Craig Company, maybe 20 homes a year,” Smith says. “I joined them with the goal of expanding the company and growing into new markets. So we went from about 20 units up to 50 the first year.”
Today their current scale is about 135 homes a year, including some in the mixed-use Berry Farms community and now in Stephens Valley, the new Williamson County community bordering Natchez Trace. Both developments have live, shop and play options.
“Stephens Valley has a unique approach in just the amount of acreage set aside for natural space,” Smith says. “There’s a lot more open space and a lot more natural amenities with the Natchez Trace being adjacent to it.”
It fits right in with Celebration’s slogan of “More space, more style,” working in tandem with their in-house design department to help clients through the process of selecting all the interior finishes. Their exteriors are a combination of different styles, including the nationally popular modern farmhouse style, Craftsman, Federal, Georgian and even some Neoclassical to create a nice architectural mix for a pretty street scene.
“I think it’s the perfect combination of place and nature with activities and amenities, and also a small-town environment that’s coming,” Smith says. “I think that when buying in Stephens
Valley, the community is really the bigger decision. We’re building a beautiful home, but there’s a beautiful home in a lot of places. What makes Stephens Valley unique is the small-town atmosphere we’re creating in nature.”
It is in the details of the homes where Celebration really shines, setting a high standard with the selections in hardware, lighting and finishes, working hand-in-hand with homeowners to make sure they get the selections they want, without stress and anxiety.
“We work with a client very closely, creating a plan that really factors in their needs and what they want in that home,” he says. “We can literally start from scratch with a design and tweak it to the changes that family needs — put their personal style on the elevation and the exterior as well as the interior. Even though we think of these homes as a custom design, we can make that process very easy.” NI
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY REEVES SMITH
Trey Rochford started out in the family business sweeping houses when he was just a little kid. He tagged along with his father, John Rochford, who had started out himself as a salesman for Republic Steel. The Southeast was his region, and he moved to Nashville — where he went to the Nashville School of Law, got his law degree and practiced for a little bit.
And while he was doing that he had a house built.
“And he watched the guy that was building the house for us and said, ‘You know, this doesn’t look too hard,’” Trey says.
So John went out and built a house for someone else. And that worked out pretty well, so he did that again and again. Today, Rochford is doing about 25% of the builds in Stephens Valley, which will be a combination of townhomes, condos and single-family homes throughout the entire project, as well as office and commercial.
Not that they are just in Williamson County — they have projects in Clarksville and have built in Providence in Mount Juliet.
“Anywhere in Middle Tennessee, we’ll reach out if the project’s the right fit,” Rochford says.
With the aim to build tradition,
today, Rochford Construction looks to develops communities built on timeless models that impact all areas of life, with quiet streets for walks and bicycle rides, pleasant lighting and wide sidewalks for evening strolls. Plus, plenty of green space.
“We try to make places livable,” he says.
It’s a model that works in their Oakland subdivision in Clarksville and another big development in Mt. Juliet’s Providence Marketplace.
And it’s part of the reason they have been such a perfect fit for Stephens Valley.
“Bill Stephens had a vision for the asset to be leveraged over time into a community that was the way things used to be: Where you knew who your neighbors were and you felt safe with your kids riding their bikes down the street to the swimming pool, where front porches actually meant front porches where people sat out in front of their houses,” Rochford says. “It was just a return to the way things used to be, and things didn’t seem to move quite so fast.”
And while Stephens Valley is a 20-year project, it allows them to realize what Mr. Stephens wanted to see: slow growth and organic development of the community. And it really gives the area a feel of a place that has been there for a long time.
“If you can talk to the people already living there, you can hear the passion that they have for the community they’ve created,” he says. “We’re creating this community that will realize Bill’s vision that creates that community organically over time.” NI
ROCHFORD REALTY AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Rochfordcompany.com
2200 Abbott Martin Road, Nashville 615.383.1141
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY REEVES SMITH
Joe DeFatta began building homes 35 years ago, and in 2007 he and his son David, a Middle Tennessee State University graduate with a degree in residential construction and land development, decided to start their own business — right before the recession hit.
But that only made them work harder.
“I grew the company by standing in the middle of the road and waving down cars,” Joe jokes. He got clients by selling the fact that he, the builder, would be working with them the whole time. He pledged not to pass them off to someone else on the team.
“We started out that way, and, to a certain extent, we still operate the same way — except now I have David so I’m not spread as thin,” Joe says. “My younger son, Joe, has been working with us for almost a year, and in a little more time he’ll be able to do that.”
Slowly, methodically and strategically they grew their business from two houses in 2007 to close to 50 a year today.
“We might’ve come out a little beaten up, but we learned a lot of lessons,” David says. “We really focused on our company and the culture and the product and the process. He’s got tons of experience in building homes and helping run homebuilding companies. And with my eagerness to start our own thing, it’s been a great partnership between us.”
David says it is their phenomenal team that sets them apart, from sales agents to designers to project managers. But one thing he and his dad really pride themselves on is being present throughout the process, remaining small enough to still give each homeowner personal attention.
“We’re a small family business, and we are both intricately involved in each and every detail. Whether it be behind the scenes or on site, we are always available to our customers,” he says.
“There’s not many other companies where you can get ahold of the actual builder, and in our case, we’re both available. We’re both ready and willing to walk through the process with our customers.”
They were picked as one of the builders for Stephens Valley based on their work in Temple Hills, another one of John Rochford’s developments.
“We feel extremely blessed that they chose us to be part of the Stephens Valley team,” David says. “To hold up our end of the bargain, we’re going to build the highest-quality homes with the best integrity for the community.”
In fact, David is so committed to Stephens Valley that he and his wife built a home there and moved in July with their daughters, ages 2 and 4.
“I think that speaks a lot to the community, that we bought into it so much we built our own home in there,” David says. “And it’s been fantastic.” NI
DEFATTA CUSTOM HOMES
Defattacustomhomes. com
110 Reynolds Drive, Franklin 615.216.7202
COOL SPRINGS 1701 Mallory Ln (615) 661-0110
Brentwood, TN 37027
GREEN HILLS
4004 Hillsboro Pk, 140R (615) 645-5483
Nashville, TN 37215
MURFREESBORO
830 Memorial Blvd (615) 893-5756
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
SMYRNA
200 Jefferson St (615) 355-5438
Smyrna, TN 37167
We’ve got you covered!
We invite you to visit our new showroom and warehouse. Discover the many flooring options we have to offer.
Let your imagination run wild while browsing our vast collections of trendy flooring ideas. If you have questions, our friendly highly qualified salespeople would love to help you.
MYERS FLOORING OF NASHVILLE
The Design District | 2919 Sidco Dr. | Nashville, TN 37204 Main 615-777-3344 | Fax 615-777-3345 www. myersflooringofnashville.com
BY HOLLIE DEESE AND OLIVIA McCLURE
In a city of neighborhoods that seem to be carving out new cultures and niches for themselves, one part of town has been unwavering for years as the go-to spot for interior designers and design-savvy homeowners looking for every manner of fabric and fixture.
Nashville’s Design District, radiating out from the intersection of Sidco Drive and Powell Avenue, is filled with dozens of showrooms, designers and storefronts devoted to commercial and residential design.
It’s definitely a lot of what there is to love about old Nashville — industrial buildings and longtime family businesses. It’s mixed with what is exciting and new — namely, an invigoration of personal style and the courage to express it in home design.
There’s no way we could hit them all, but here are some of our favorite businesses to visit when we decide to hit the district. NI
When Brian Courtney decided to leave his corporate job at Nissan North America, he wrapped himself in the throes of a new business venture in the world of interior design.
The “self-confessed lamp hoarder” opened Nashville Lamp & Shade last December. Realizing the significance of the Design District and the need for more lamp buying options, Courtney decided to open his store in Berry Hill.
“When we saw businesses like Myers Flooring, Merridian, Daltile and Fabric House making significant investments in the area, we knew we wanted to be part of the landscape,” Courtney says. “With all the regional growth, we desperately needed more local brick and mortar retail options for designer lamps, custom lamp shades and lamp repairs.”
Nashville Lamp & Shade is a must-stop for anyone’s lighting needs; it offers a wide variety of designer and artisan products. And the store doesn’t only sell highquality lamps and shades, but it also works alongside its customers to ensure that every purchase suits their needs perfectly.
“For us, the design process is always collaborative with homeowners and/or their designer,” Courtney says. “We problem-solve together, whether it’s finding shades that maximize light output or lamps that fit their space in terms of design, scale, et cetera.”
In Courtney’s mind, the store’s one-on-one consultation with customers makes Nashville Lamp & Shade a unique and trusted member of the city’s Design District.
“We offer a level of service that you don’t get trying to guess if something’s going to work from a picture online,” Courtney says. “Even if they don’t have an immediate need, customers always seem to be glad to know we can help them with lamp repairs and custom lamp shades.”
NASHVILLE LAMP & SHADE
440 E. Iris Drive | 615.828.9550
For more than 50 years, the Fabric House has been a fixture in Nashville’s Design District, serving up some of the city’s greatest collections of fine fabrics for a wide variety of design needs.
Originally opened in 1967 by Tavy Doty, native
Nashvillian Lynda Mosley and her husband, Tim, became the store’s new owners in 1979. The store was initially in Green Hills’ H.G. Hill Shopping Center, but in the early 2000s, rumor began to spread that the center would be razed to the ground. Fearing imminent closure, Lynda and Tim decided to find a new location for their store, which brought them right into the heart of the city’s Design District.
In its new location, the store doubled in size to 10,000 square feet, giving Lynda and Tim ample room to expand their business.
“With all the extra room, we were able to more than
double the amount of decorator fabrics, trims and drapery hardware we carried, plus add accessories, lamps and ready-made panels,” Lynda says.
In 2015, the store gained another 3,000 square feet, enabling them to add a showroom for neutral fabrics, one-yard cuts, ready-made panels and hides.
Although the Fabric House is a fabric store at its core, it operates as a design studio. Lynda says the store’s design consultants work closely with customers to ensure all their design dreams are realized — but that’s not the only thing that makes the Fabric House unique.
“Many people think they have to sew to shop in a
fabric store — that isn’t true,” Lynda says. “We will make window treatments, bedding, cushions and pillows for them. We even go into homes and measure for a nominal fee. We say, ‘If you can dream it, we can make it.’”
THE FABRIC HOUSE 4308 Sidco Drive | 615.837.0000
Interior designer Rozanne Jackson and her shop The Iron Gate have been in downtown Franklin since 1996, but she opened a second location in the Design District in June 2018 out of a need to be closer to the designers she works with and their client base.
“And the way Nashville is growing, we just wanted to be a part of this,” project manager Mike Nastri says.
So far it has been a great move, with new clients finding them just because of their location — some never having even heard of the original Franklin storefront. And the extra space has been a much-needed bonus for displaying and storing their fabric and tile samples.
“We had just truly outgrown it as our business grew over the years,” Jackson says. “We work with interior designers here in town through our trade program, and so many designers were in this area. We just felt that was a real positive, planting ourselves where all the designers are, dealing with Kenny & Company or Myers Flooring. We just felt like to be in the heart of it, we’d benefit.”
As a designer out and about in the field, life has been easier for Jackson, too, with many of the vendors she sources from literally within blocks. It’s a win-win for her and her clients.
“Everybody’s time is valuable, so if they can make several stops to mark items off their checklist, that’s better,” she says.
Visitors to the showroom who are familiar with the Franklin location will see the second store has stuck to its roots with candles, linens and accessories. But the new space is definitely a designer-friendly furnishings showroom.
“There’s a lot of furniture, and we want people to feel like they can come in and shop for the home here,” Nastri says. “We also want designers to feel like they can bring their clients in to sit on furnishings, try things out, pick out fabrics and use this as a resource. So we have a little bit of everything.”
Though there are antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces, there are also more modern pieces and design-forward finds that were selected during trips to High Point and Market in Atlanta.
“We really stay on the cutting edge of what’s happening trendwise in the design world,” Nastri says. “We want people to feel like when they come in here they can definitely find something unique that not everybody has.”
They even stock their own designs — like light fixtures they have made — as a way to give designers and clients options they won’t find elsewhere in the marketplace. It’s an extra level of service to keep them top of mind when designers and homeowners are looking for inspiration.
“Something I’ve always told my staff, and really try to practice myself, is customer service,” Jackson says. “We know people have a lot of options, and we appreciate the business. To offer the hands-on service that I try to do, and I know my staff does, is a big thing that helps us against the giants in our industry.”
THE IRON GATE AND ROZANNE JACKSON INTERIORS
Theirongateonline.net
2934 Sidco Drive, Suite 120 615.791.7511 Ext. 1
$16.7 billion in annual sales.
For 45 years, Ferguson has operated a showroom in Nashville’s Design District, where visitors can see all that the company has to offer in a uniquely interactive setting.
I
n 1953, three men shared a dream of opening the greatest interior design store imaginable. Ralph Lenz, Johnny Smither and Charles Ferguson began their design enterprise with two supply stores, and very quickly, their business grew — more so than they ever expected.
Today, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery boasts more than 27,000 associates, nearly 1,400 locations in North and Central America and
“Our state-of-the-art showrooms take the experience even further,” says Carla Medlin of Ferguson Design Sales and Marketing. “We have working showerheads, working appliances and a fully functional kitchen in the showroom. This allows you to touch and feel the products in a welcoming, hands-on environment.”
The store features a diverse designer lighting area, which showcases top brands, including Hinkley, Fanimation and Progress Lighting — but that’s not the only specialized setting visitors can find at the showroom.
“In addition to lighting and traditional plumbing products, Ferguson also offers appliances from top manufacturers like Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove, Thermador
and JennAir,” Medlin says. “They are displayed beautifully within kitchen vignettes so homeowners can assess the design, size and functionality.”
While Medlin says it’s important for customers to bring professionally calculated measurements to the showroom, she also urges people to demonstrate their design style so they can receive the most customtailored consultation experience possible.
“We encourage homeowners to bring elements that represent their style to the showroom,” Medlin says. “Bring along magazine photographs, color swatches, paint chips, rug patterns, Houzz Ideabooks or anything else that reflects your vision for your home. Our product experts can pair these with product samples in the showroom. This helps the homeowner gain a better understanding of how all the elements will come together.”
In Medlin’s mind, Ferguson is an integral aspect of Nashville’s burgeoning design scene, helping builders and designers cultivate their creativity and discover new, groundbreaking approaches to design.
“When designers feel supported and have resources — for both inspiration and execution — their ability to innovate expands,” Medlin says. “We’re excited to be a part of their network as an extension of their team. In fact, over the last few years, we’ve been excited to see the Nashville design scene playing a major role in the national design, art and architect landscape … We love
knowing that we are part of a neighborhood that is a true asset to local design, art and architect enthusiasts.”
While Ferguson’s presence in the Design District is undoubtedly desirable for generating business, Medlin says the company’s real aim is to foster the city’s growing ingenuity and support the local design community.
“To us, being a part of the Nashville Design District is more than just our storefront,” Medlin says. “We want to use our knowledge and products to further the district’s goal to inspire creativity. We welcome people to come and look at the latest in smart appliance technology or witness the artistry that distinguishes the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.”
FERGUSON BATH, KITCHEN & LIGHTING GALLERY www.fergusonshowrooms.com
3201-B Powell Ave. | 615.385.3054
Nashville was a different place when Kenny & Company began doing business in the Gulch in 2003. After 15 years supplying gorgeous kitchen and bath fixtures to designers and homeowners, they moved to their current location the Design District in 2018. Bill Kenny, founder of parent company Kenny Pipe
& Supply, opened the luxury showroom to support Nashville’s builder and design community and their clientele. He founded Kenny Pipe & Supply in Nashville in 1992, when the builders and designers who were looking for a more personal, custom touch to their showroom experience were pretty much out of luck elsewhere.
“Our move to the Design District was a response to both the need for more space and the requests to bring our showroom experience nearer the other design-related firms in town,” says Samantha Costello, operations manager. “Sidco’s Design District area was already making a name for itself, and we are excited to play a part in the future of its growing reputation.”
Their clients were also looking for convenience, which is why the move to the Design District was so important.
“For them to be able to select plumbing, tile, lighting and hardware with us, head down the sidewalk to Iron Gate for design services and furniture, and then go up the road to CenWood Appliance for their appliances — that makes completing their home design stress- and trafficfree,” Costello says. “Nashville is growing by leaps and bounds, and the less time clients spend in their vehicles, the happier they will be.”
Plus, guests to the Design District showroom can test showerheads in their working shower display and faucets in the working kitchen faucet area to see how products will function.
Costello says the philosophy behind the Kenny & Company “experience” is to learn the client’s design personality and then connect beauty with their desired functionality to create their dream space.
“We pride ourselves in providing a very personal and distinct experience for our clients,” Costello says. “Our product and design specialists take you on a journey from idea to installation, eliminating stress and making the process as hasslefree as possible.”
Kenny & Company stocks a wide range of looks, from classic to modern to transitional, and currently they are seeing clients using finishes in everything from champagne gold to sleek, matte black in
their plumbing fixtures.
“One of the biggest benefits to our showroom is the amount of product we have on display, plus we work with distinct vendors to offer the best products in the industry,” she says. “Clients can see and touch countless plumbing fixtures and see the various colorations in our tile and stone.”
Being a locally, family-owned business, Costello says they take a lot of those same family values into each selection meeting with the client.
“Our showroom does a beautiful job of showing off our large selection of the latest in plumbing, tile and stone, hardware and lighting,” says Costello. “Our staff of degreed interior designers helps clients find the style best-suited for their project, whatever the budget. We want our clients to feel like they are getting the best customer service experience and to actually enjoy the design process. We try our best to tell our clients
to leave their stress at home and let us do the heavy lifting.”
KENNY & COMPANY
Kennypipe.com
2934 Sidco Drive #100 | 615.782.8000
When Milestone opened their showroom in the Design District in December 2015, it was their first time expanding out of Clarksville, and Design Center Manager Camille Elvord-Jacky says they knew it was exactly the area of Nashville to set up shop.
“When we first got that building, it was because that area was starting to be the up-and-coming design
area,” Elvord-Jacky says. “And in the last few years, we’ve seen it just expand by leaps and bounds.”
All of the design businesses really play off of each other, too, she says. They work together to make sure everyone gets what they need.
“If I don’t have something that a customer wants, I like to send them just around the corner. They don’t have to drive across town to get something,” she says. “And really it’s becoming the ‘it’ area for a little bit of everything. Before, you would have to go somewhere else to get a cup of coffee, but now you can almost walk the area and touch every store.”
At Milestone Design Center, they stock quality porcelain tile that’s made in Clarksville — always with factory-direct and contractor pricing and a free design consultation for indoor and outdoor spaces.
And they really, really want you to ask for their opinion.
“What I love about tile are the different styles, shapes, colors — the versatility of it for indoor and outdoor,” she says. “We have wood looks, marble, bubble looks, you name it. And being porcelain, you don’t have to worry about mold, mildew, stains. It’s such a great product that we produce, and I just love working with people to get their ideas and make them become a reality.”
She likes to get to know every customer individually, know their likes, their families, and how they will be living with the tile when it is finally installed.
“We just like to have fun and help them realize their dream with their tile,” she says. “We’re locally manufactured — I know the people who are producing our tile. We’re a small company, but it’s the love of porcelain tile that makes us the best.” MILESTONE
Betty Anne Mills and her husband, Tom, have evolved Inspired Closets from a small home organization solution company in 2006 into the newly remodeled Design District showroom they work out of today.
It’s just the remodeling that’s new. The space? They’ve been there for a decade, fitting right in and working in tandem with their designcentric neighbors. Shoppers who come to the area can drop their dog at Miss Kitty’s, consult about organization with Inspired Closets, get something framed at the Picture Frame Warehouse and go shopping at Peacock Alley before picking up their pooch again.
“There’s just tons of things that they can get done, all in one square mile,” she says.
Mills and her design team are dedicated to creating closet spaces that function just the way her clients need them to, whether that means reworking existing space or knocking down walls. In the showroom, clients can view the products and all the finishes and styles.
“We do a lot of lighting now that LED lights have become very popular,” she says. “We have a lot of accessories and finishes, as far as hardware goes. Matte gold has become really popular.”
Mills is also seeing people mix finishes instead of just using one finish throughout. “It’s a way to help the price point. You can use the more expensive finish for your door fronts and a less expensive one on the shells.”
Mills says today’s clients like their closets big or bigger, with all kinds of bells and whistles. Maybe a pull-down ironing board to touch up a favorite shirt on the spot, or perhaps a relaxing sitting space that may end up being the only sanctuary in the house.
“We’ve got mirrors, a place for all your jewelry — a closet can be a place you can go camp out for a while if you want, for a little getaway time,” she says.
As people’s tastes evolve, Mills is ready to evolve with them, working with clients to help them achieve their dream closet spaces.
“We want everybody to be as happy when we are done with a project as they were excited when we walked in the door,” she says.
INSPIRED CLOSETS
Inspiredclosets.com 4320 Kenilwood Drive #109 615.312.7103
It has been about a year and a half since Daltile moved from a small gallery off their warehouse on Bransford Avenue and into a shiny new showroom on Sidco Drive, and the team is loving being right in the heart of the Design District.
“All of the designers are over here all day every day, running up and down the street, so we’re a convenient stop for them,” says Lisa McNeese with Daltile. “The uniqueness of having everybody here together — I’m finding it’s so nice that we’re building a team, really, with our other businesses and vendors and supporting each other.”
It’s definitely a new incarnation of what there is to love about old Nashville — community and a
collaborative spirit.
“Being born and raised here, this has always been known as the Design District,” says Jodi Pennington, who helps designers in commercial and hospitality design at Daltile. “This has always been known as that area to come for the most unique things that are available. The designers and the builders and the developers — this is the area they all come because they know someone in this area has something that they’re looking for.”
Daltile has an unusual business model; they are wholesalers, but they also are open to the public. At their gallery and showroom, customers choose product for the design staff at Daltile to direct-order for them. They also work directly with designers, builders and contractors, sometimes walking through an entire house at once — an appointment that can take up to four hours.
The majority of their products are made right in Dickson, Tennessee. With one of the biggest natural stone yards in the area, Daltile is a one-stop shop for stone and tile selections. Plus they have several lines that can be customized.
“People come in and they want to be able to look at a tile with their slabs, and so it’s super-convenient,” McNeese says. “Plus, I think a lot of the more boutique-focused companies don’t have the meat-andpotato tile to go along with their product. We have your basic floor tile, and we have something to go with a beautiful mosaic.”
Right now, Pennington says, people are going back to the vibrant retro colors that had gone away for a bit while everybody was into grays and blacks and creams. People are also very into marble, but they don’t want the maintenance and high cost. Porcelain has been a great alternative.
“We’ve got a lot of diverse designers now, lot of new designers,” Pennington says. “Newer generations of designers are not scared to push it a little bit. They get out of their comfort zone, and they experiment with new designs and colors and shapes.”
It’s full circle for a company that has been around since the 1970s.
“We know tile,” Pennington says. “It’s our business; it’s just what we do. It’s always been about tile, since day one.”
DALTILE
Daltile.com
2976 Sidco Drive | 629.208.7199
It’s hard to believe the totally renovated showroom was once an RJ Young distribution center, but an inset scale, a remnant from the past, was preserved in the remodel to commemorate what was once there. And in a city that is changing as fast as Nashville, that’s important.
It’s also why it is important for longtime businesses like Myers Flooring, now in its 62nd year in business, to stay involved in the design community in Nashville while maintaining the core character of their companies. So owners and brothers Ray and Rick Myers have created a showroom experience like none other for their customers — right in the heart of Nashville’s Design District.
“We felt like this was the spot we needed to be,” says Doug Peeples, Myers Flooring Nashville manager.
In 1957 their father, Gene, founded the company in Dalton, Georgia — the city’s first carpet retail wholesale business. They traveled to carpet mills to buy their poundage and brought it back to Myers to make throw rugs and runners. Rick was just 5 years old, and he tells of how his father had worked for J M Ferry, a company that supplied cutting machines to the carpet industry. He then learned to work a binding machine and the serging machine himself.
Now, among the showrooms in Atlanta and Dalton and Nashville, Rick can’t think of any major line of floor covering they don’t have.
When Gene passed away in 1981, at age 53, Rick was just 29. He was then in the hospitality industry, having worked at Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta from the day it opened. Ray was at Auburn University, studying to design furniture.
But both brothers knew you needed family to run a family business. Their mother, Evelyn, was good at buying. She took over, and she was one of the only female business owners in Dalton at the time.
“I was a competitor of theirs then, and she was very
savvy,” Peeples says. “She would really drive a deal and didn’t take a back seat to guys.”
By 1984 Rick had left Peachtree to come home to Myers, and a year later Ray joined him – but as a young single guy right out of college, he had plans bigger than Dalton, Georgia.
“Somehow I talked Mom and Rick into letting me go to Atlanta to open up a satellite showroom,” he says. He started with the basic carpets that had been popular in Dalton, but things weren’t clicking.
So when a man came in and showed him high-end wool at $100 a yard, he took the risk and pulled the trigger. It totally paid off. One day shortly thereafter, a member of the Woodruff family — owners of The Coca-Cola Company — came into the showroom and ordered that carpet for her whole house.
“From that day on, anything I could get that was unusual I did, and that separated us from the Dalton game,” he says.
It was a decision that helped pave the way for even more growth for the company, saving them when the recession took out competitors and eventually enabling them to keep expanding.
BY HOLLIE DEESE
“The best decision we ever made was to go higher and separate ourselves from everybody else,” Rick says.
In 2012 they added Hollywood to their roster of clients, after a set designer for “Anchorman II” came in looking for a ’70s-era orange shag rug and some limegreen carpet. Myers delivered, and since then they have provided flooring for “The Internship,” “Dumb and Dumber II,” episodes seven and eight of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “Pitch Perfect” and “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Black Panther” and “Stranger Things.”
“The Marvel movie bought $45,000 worth of hardwood floors from us and blew it all to hell in an explosion,” Rick says.
In doing research into where they should expand, they learned that Nashville had the second highest percapita income in the Southeast. The vibe of Music City was not dissimilar to Atlanta, and they thought their high-end lines would work well here.
“It felt good,” Ray says of making the move.
In 1998 they opened the store on Lafayette, and in 2001 they bought the old Carpet Barn on Division Street. They operated out of that location — behind Frugal MacDoogal Liquor Warehouse — until 2016
when they decided to sell some of their 3-acre lot.
When the city announced they were going to build a bridge to connect to the other part of town, real estate prices went through the roof. Everyone around them started selling, and they joined them.
“We counted 16 cranes from our windows looking out, right there,” Ray says.
They knew they wanted to build in the Design District, and they committed to looking for just the right space. On Feb. 1, 2016, Myers Carpet closed on ownership of the assets of Nashville Carpet Center, purchasing them from owner Van Gilmore.
“When we bought it, we knew that the two showrooms needed to go to a different location,” Rick says. “He was in a warehouse on Fourth, and we were having trouble finding a spot. We moved our warehouse in with his warehouse on Fourth and had a separate warehouse location, which was very difficult for us.”
Operating out of their warehouse on Fontana, they would look over at the RJ Young building and commiserate that they needed something just like that space, never dreaming it would be an option. And then suddenly luck shined upon them, and it was.
“One night we were having dinner at Brick Tops,
kind of a celebratory thing having just completed this move,” Peeples says. “We’re sitting there and we’re just talking like guys do about Little League Baseball and business. I guess we were just close enough to where this guy could hear us, and he said, ‘Y’all are who?’”
Turns out that guy was friends with the owner of the RJ Young building and knew he was almost ready to sell. A few months later he walked into Myers’ door and asked if they were still interested. Rick and Ray met with him the following week, and they shook on a deal.
Ray put his design skills to work on the concept of the new showroom, transforming the 1950s building with a new roof, new HVAC and a sleek design center of all glass and steel — designed so customers can see every sample and the work being done to it.
And just like Gene did back in the day, serging runners in his work room, the showpiece at Myers is their work room. Its air table, designed by Ray, is so large you can take any sample in the showroom, any roll of carpet they have, and make hall runners, staircase runners and any size custom rug, right on site.
“The work rooms are very important to us in all three stores,” Rick says. “If somebody sees us working on a $100 a yard carpet out here, they have more confidence in us that we can do the right thing.”
It shows that they aren’t trying to hide anything, that they want their customers to have the utmost confidence in them. After all, it is their name on the delivery trucks out front facing all the other design businesses.
“When you see somebody, your neighbor, with the Myers Flooring truck it gives a little more confidence,” Rick says. “Our name is our brand.”
And Gene would be proud. NI
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SOUTHERN LIVING’S CUSTOM BUILDER
PROGRAM SHOWCASES HOME MODELED AFTER GRASSMERE ESTATE
hen Southern Living magazine was looking for the right place to build their next Showcase Home, it was hard to ignore the pull of Middle Tennessee. They were thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of the 2019 James Hardie Building Products Parade of Homes hosted by The Grove in College Grove and produced by the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee.
Hatcliff’s that the magazine embraced. The home was built by Col. Michael C. Dunn around 1810, and it is the second-oldest residence in Davidson County that is open to the public. Originally built in a Federal style, it was renovated to Italianate between 1876 and 1881.
BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG SMIT
Many people made this project happen, including above from left, Southern Living senior homes editor Zoe Gowen, Nashville’s Stephanie Sabbe, Mary and Patrick Hatcliff, and Ashley Gilbreath from Montgomery, Alabama.
“Nashville is becoming a major design voice for the country, and we jumped at the chance to showcase all the different interpretations of Southern style in this house,” says Southern Living senior homes editor Zoe Gowen.
So they teamed up with Hatcliff Construction and put together some of their favorite designers: Becky Boyle from Charlotte, North Carolina; Ashley Gilbreath from Montgomery, Alabama; Betsey Mosby from Jackson, Mississippi; Hannon Doody out of Chattanooga and Birmingham, Alabama; Stephanie Sabbe from Nashville; and Kevin Walsh from Little Rock.
Gilbreath was the first one to sign on and was originally supposed to do the whole house. But once she realized it was nearly 7,000 square feet, she knew she wanted to bring on some Southeastern design reinforcements — including Sabbe, the only local on the project.
“It looks like maybe one designer could have done the whole thing, which is rare when there’s seven different designers on a team, but we all have a somewhat general overlap with our aesthetic,” Sabbe says. “With show houses there’s usually all these very contrasting styles, which can be fun. This one is the opposite. I feel like we all have styles that are very classic, Southern and have a traditional overlay to it. And we all like color. It’s just fun.”
The project is a re-imagining of the historic Grassmere estate on the grounds of the Nashville Zoo, an idea of
“This project was a wonderful challenge re-creating the masterpiece that is the Grassmere estate while making it comfortable for today’s lifestyles,” said Mary Hatcliff, who says her daughter suggested the home — one she had visited many times growing up — as the source of inspiration for the project.
The four-bedroom, three-story Showcase Home is an example of the home’s current grand Italianate-style architecture, showcasing several features typical of the style and time period. The home also features a quaint guest house inspired by the cottage at the Grassmere estate.
The front of the house is very similar to the Croft House in the sense of the dimensions of the doors and the windows on the front porch, which are all 10 feet tall. Once inside, there is a 13-foot-wide foyer as a grand entryway — just like the original house. The dining room and the study are also the same.
“Where we changed everything is where the original Croft House has a huge back porch, we re-imagined it as though somebody bought the house today and remodeled it, and so we closed that in with these huge glass windows that go across the back of the house,” Hatcliff says.
And where there is an open-air breezeway that walks back out of the original house to a summer kitchen in the backyard, the Southern Living home is glassed in to make the summer kitchen a master suite.
“So it kept the flavor of the house but made it what would be happy for a modern family,” Hatcliff says.
Having multiple designers on one showcase home really raises the energy and creativity all throughout the house, says Gowen. “It can be overwhelming for
one designer to tackle an entire showcase home alone. Carving up the house like this frees up each designer to dial up their respective spaces. Plus, they have one another to bounce ideas off of.”
“Working with other creatives on projects like this not only makes us grow as designers but also fuels our passion for the process,” says Gilbreath. “I got to go tap on the shoulder of some of the design peers that I have looked up to and have admired for a long time. It was really an honor for them to say, ‘Yes, we want to be a part of this with y’all.’” NI
is on display during the 2019
The Grove. Check out all the architectural details that make this new build so much like the Grassmere estate.
Public tours of the SOUTHERN LIVING SHOWCASE HOME will begin Oct. 12 and run through Oct. 27, 2019. Tours will be open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. The house will be featured in a print Spring issue of Southern Living magazine as well as on SouthernLiving.com. The house plans, Oakland Hall, plan No. 2025, and Bluebird Cottage, plan No. 2026, will be available for purchase online at Houseplans. SouthernLiving.com.
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ARCHITECT REBUILDS
EAST NASHVILLE HOME AFTER DESTRUCTIVE HOUSE FIRE
It started with a pop. The lights dimmed. Soon campfire size flames were emanating from behind the dryer, and smoke began to fill the closet and storage room. Tracey Ford, dressed in T-shirt, grabbed her purse and a pair of pants and walked outside to call 911 — thinking that the small fire would be taken care of swiftly and she could return to the “Game of Thrones” episode she’d been pulled away from. However, as she stood outside, minutes ticked by and soon flames were erupting from above her home. One fire truck turned into five. “I started yelling to the firemen to grab things because I started to realize that this could be it.”
In the hours that followed, the fire destroyed everything that was in that closet, photos from a semester in Budapest, journals, prom dresses, Christmas ornaments and a beloved wardrobe that Ford described as “her armor.” What wasn’t incinerated was badly damaged by smoke and heat. Personal mementos melted into a “puddle of muck.” The walls of her historic 1813 Lockeland Springs home appeared to be weeping from smoke that had attached to moisture given off by the gypsum board. “Under the wreckage of my bed they found a box full of bikinis. All of which could be salvaged,” Ford wrote five days after the fire. “I now have more bikinis than I do anything else in my life.”
It took several months for the shock to subside and for Ford to get back on her feet. When she did, she set out to renovate her damaged home, rebuild the life she had pre-fire, and to be reborn
like the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes.
Below, new clapboard was added to the exterior.
Across, two sets of pocket doors survived the fire and she used them as “architectural definers” of the space.
As an architect and principal at EOA Architects, Ford had the chops to bring about her dream living scenario. The house had “always been the hub for my East Nashville crew,” said Ford. Life was ever-changing — crushes, marriage, kids — but her home was a constant. “I enjoy hosting my friends, I always have.”
For Ford, another important goal was for the home to be of a proportion and scale to provide the comfort and sense of safeness that the fire had taken away. These became the central thesis of the new floorplan.
She gave herself permission to completely re-invent the house for the better. Her approach centered on giving her home a better flow, which had coincidentally been
blocked by a fireplace. Its destruction gave way to a natural procession from the front parlor to the hub of the kitchen island and onto the outdoor patio — anchored by a new outdoor fireplace.
Two sets of pocket doors made it through the fire, and Ford described them as the “architectural definers” of the house. She used these elements to visually frame the flow and procession she had sought to achieve. She increased the thickness of their casing and worked with Bootstrap Architecture and Construction to recreate the dozens of pieces of wood trim that made up the historical design. It was very important for Ford to dive into that level of detail. The result creates a sense of strength and stability, and their improved locations divide the floorplan into comfortably proportioned rooms to live and entertain. Having those bones enabled her the freedom to decorate with some modern finishes.
The kitchen backsplash tile was the first thing she fell in love with after starting the renovation. The mixed material geometric tile is almost a manifestation of Ford’s style — architectural yet tailored, and a little risky. It creates a striking balance between the white walls and black cabinets. Her open, metal-framed shelving was a napkin sketch done by Ford and fabricated by a local metal smith. To top it all off, she selected a brass starburst chandelier that Ford calls the room’s “jewelry.”
However, it is really the kitchen island that is the star and heart of everything. “If anyone is ever at my house, we are right here at the island. I spent a lot of time thinking about how big it needed to be. It works with two people, it works with 20 people,” says Ford.
Her kitchen now plays host to myriad events — from Thanksgiving dinners and cocktail classes to friends simply stopping by to visit.
Beyond the kitchen, new telescoping wood and glass doors open fully to the back patio, creating a seamless flow of energy from inside to outside. The patio is defined by a commanding fireplace and has pockets of outdoor living space scattered throughout. Terraced “steps” surround the fireplace, creating amphitheaterlike seating. Ford designed it as a regular host to a quarterly event called “Acoustically Speaking,” which features visual artists, chefs and acoustic musicians. They frequently opt to perform in front of the fireplace.
Her home renovation also features new exterior clapboard siding, which she chose to finish in painted charcoal-toned stripes, another nod to her tailored yet edgy style. In Ford’s new world, the outdoor space is just as important as the inside.
To further achieve her desire for a comfortable scale, Ford created little “eddies” of space to tuck within her floor plan, so areas and rooms feel cozy and uninterrupted. The doorway to her bedroom was moved to gain more privacy and wall space in the living room. Her bathroom has heated floors and a walk-in closet (far from the dryer) — both filled with natural light from added windows. Those rooms flow off the path of travel from the bedroom to her newly
appointed jewelry studio workspace. Ford’s side-hustle as a jewelry designer and maker warranted a northernfacing niche from which she prepares for fairs such as Porter Flea and Tomato Art Fest.
She also gave herself the go-ahead to finish out her attic space. Two guest bedrooms and a full bath enable her entire family to stay at the house during holidays. Their pitched ceilings, dormer windows and skylights lend to the feeling of being in a tree house.
The final challenge for Ford was to restore a timestamped soul that had been lost in one fell swoop. “My wardrobe had a soul, every piece had a story; my home had a soul, and that’s why people gathered here. It was hard to have everything erased and then have to rebuild it all at once. You don’t have that build up of
The patio is defined by a commanding fireplace and has pockets of outdoor living space scattered throughout.
Terraced “steps” surround the fireplace, creating amphitheater-like seating. Ford designed it as a regular host to “Acoustically Speaking,” which features visual artists, chefs and acoustic musicians, who perform in front of the fireplace.
time that tells that story.”
EOA is hosting the programming
“Modular Concepts: Alternative Housing in Nashville” for Nashville Design Week on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2019, at Bento Nashville, 1267 Third Ave. S.
She chose to rebuild her history from others. Found objects and vintage finds were sourced around Nashville, including the beautiful gold-plated glasses that adorn her kitchen shelves, a group of Eero Saarinen executive chairs and a growing collection of dinosaur figurines. Two of the three interior fireplaces remained and were outfitted with gas fireboxes then framed with salvaged mantels Ford found on a trip to Kentucky, her home state, with her mother. The beatup mantels were stripped to reveal beautiful oak and mahogany.
To adorn her freshly painted walls, Ford sought out the curatorial eye of Susan Tinney of the Tinney Contemporary gallery in downtown Nashville. The first piece, which anchors her collection, is from
the painter James Perrin. “There’s a rigor to it” that Ford appreciates as an architect and designer. The next acquisition was from the mixed media artist Charles Clary. She followed the artist’s work on social media, and when the piece was posted she reached out immediately. “I felt so connected to the beauty of decay and its scars.” The paper and drywall assemblage resembles abstracted flames and reflects her torched experience. It is now embedded into her wall, serving as a daily reminder of her rebirth from the ashes.
Three years have passed, and in that time Tracey Ford has remade her world. The prom dresses are memories, but life is still evolving. And the steady constant of Ford’s home is still thoughtful and intentional with a little edge. Come on over. NI
Photographer Anouk Krantz was raised in France by a Dutch mom. She lives in New York and travels to remote areas of the world for work, but she has yet to make it to Nashville. That will change when she speaks at this year’s Artclectic — the annual fundraiser for University School of Nashville.
She will be discussing her new book, “West: The American Cowboy.” It is a study of the American cowboy that, fittingly, had her very much out of her element. Ultimately it inspired her to break down her misconceptions, as well as to challenge her subjects on their own.
“That whole world is really foreign to me, and to most of the people around the world,” Krantz says. “But the American cowboy is such a symbolic and iconic person — loved around the world. When I grew up in France, like most people, I read books, magazines, saw movies and knew about the American cowboy from the silver screen. When I moved to the U.S., I wanted to go and explore that part of the country.”
Krantz got her first camera when she was 5 years old,
but she did not turn to photography full time until years of being in publishing and working for Cartier. During that time, she worked on what became a 10-year project, “Wild Horses of Cumberland Island,” exploring four corners of the remote island by herself.
Published in 2017, it became an acclaimed success. “I didn’t know that it was going to become such a successful book,” Krantz said. “When I started doing lectures and talking about this whole journey, people asked me right away, ‘What is your next project?’ And when you worked for 10 years and you’re a full-time mom and you’re doing everything at home as well?
Anouk Krantz became enthralled with cowboy culture after seeing her first rodeo, and her new book “West: The American Cowboy” captures the reality of the lone rancher as much as the ropers and riders. You can see her speak at this year’s Artclectic fundraiser for USN.
Krantz felt it was so important that her children experience the cowboy culture that she took them out West with her for a few weeks in order to challenge any misconceptions they may have had.
You sort of can’t believe they’re asking what is next.”
What was next turned out to be “West,” which is scheduled for release in October 2019. But the seeds of it had been planted much earlier.
Krantz’ father-in-law is from a small ranch in Kansas, so going out there in 2004 was the first time she’d been to a rodeo and seen cowboys firsthand. She was enthralled, and whenever they went to Kansas she would try to find small rodeos, even driving to Oklahoma to take pictures. All of the pictures, though, went in a drawer and stayed on a hard drive — untouched.
“I just love the rodeos,” she says. “I love how the people came together, the community, the old people, the young people, men, women, babies, strollers. And then you go out and they’re all line dancing at midnight, one o’clock in the morning. And it’s just … a really good feeling, a happy feeling, all these people celebrating their lives and being all together.”
So when she was ready to think about the next project, she was drawn right away to that culture simply because it made her feel good.
“Their integrity, their love for the land, the community, their friends, their family — it’s just amazing,” she says.
So last summer she took her children, then 11 and 12,
with her instead of putting them in camp and showed them that slice of the country. They took a one-way flight to Dallas, rented a Tahoe and got around using Google Maps for a month.
“The best thing you can do is drive and go and explore the most remote places. I wanted to take mine out West with me because I wanted them to see for themselves. We have so many misconceptions, and maybe I went out there with my own misconceptions about the American cowboy. They sure had their misconceptions about me. We come from two different worlds, and now? We’re family.”
They drove thousands of miles, throughout New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Texas, going to the most remote places and staying in motels.
“Nothing fancy, but that’s just how you see the country,” she says. “That was amazing for my kids to see. It’s when we actually go out there and see for ourselves and try to understand and listen first that we realize that we do have things in common.”
Her photographs will be for sale, both her Cumberland Island photographs and the new West series, and she will give a short lecture during a Nashville Interiors sponsored lunch from Vui’s Fresh Vietnamese. Krantz will also be signing copies of “West: The American Cowboy.” NI
DINNERWARE MADE AS MUCH FOR INTIMATE, EVERYDAY MEALS AS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE
Being an artist runs in Morgan Williamson’s blood. Growing up, she watched her mother build a business doing faux finishing and murals in homes in Texas, and as a girl Williamson would work right alongside her, soaking in what it meant to be an entrepreneur artist.
“She was a huge influence,” she says. “Her work is so much about color and texture. I feel like the appreciation that I built then, as a kid, totally carried over to what I’m doing now.”
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Williamson then grew up in Texas — but she ended up back in her hometown when she was recruited to play soccer at Samford while she majored in fine arts. At first she focused on mixed media and
painting, but ceramics was a required class and it ended up being her favorite.
“It was like free therapy,” she says. “It was a reprieve from the demands of soccer and school and everything. I could just slow down and make with my hands, and I was really drawn to it out of the blue. I could see something transform immediately before my eyes, from a lump of mud into something beautiful and useful.”
She met her husband at Samford. When he was assigned clinical rotation for physical therapy in Nashville, they both fell in love with the city. They moved here in 2011. Williamson initially got a “real job,” but denying her artistic nature was not sustainable.
“I was just dying to create,” she says. “I felt
this huge gap — I had no space to do my art and pottery. So I quit my job, and that’s when I started Handmade.”
That was 2012, the same year she and her husband started the shaved ice food truck Retro Sno. She made pottery in the guest room of her home and fired it in a kiln in her kitchen. But her work got placed in the 12South restaurant Josephine early on, and growth was inevitable. She moved her kiln out of the kitchen and into a studio at Fort Houston, but she quickly outgrew that space and settled into her current location at 100 Taylor Arts Collective.
“By 2015 it had really turned a corner,” she says. “I didn’t necessarily set out to start a big pottery business. I just want to do something that I love and have space to do that, and I just needed
to sell a little bit every month to make it worth spending my time on, so we can pay our bills.”
Today there is an online store to buy any of the permanent collection of dinnerware, plus a rotating collection of gifts and holiday items over the course of the year. There is also a registry for dinnerware for newlyweds.
“It is one of my very favorite things we offer,” she says. “I think such a special part of the business is that we get to send people home with a full set of dinnerware to enjoy for their life together. It’s a big investment, so it’s such a great setup when all your friends and family can help you collect it all at once.”
Everything is oven-, dishwasher- and microwavesafe, and her most popular color is versatile
Across, Morgan Williamson sets the table at a workshop retreat where people make their own pieces and enjoy food throughout the day.
Above, Williamson’s pieces are meant to be used every day but that takes nothing from their specialness - if anything, it enhances the intimacy of everyday meals.
white, which is classic and clean and will incorporate seamlessly with any other dishes and glassware you have in your home.
“People tend to not use their china a lot,” she says. “We design the whole collection ideally to mix and match with each other. These pieces are beautiful and heirloom-worthy, but they’re also sturdy and you will want to pull them out of your cabinet every day and use them.”
Williamson loves that things she creates become a part of people’s most intimate moments, gathered around a meal, celebrating special events and daily dinners.
“Drinking morning coffee or sharing a meal with a friend or with their family, your ceramics are around you for all of those special moments,” she says.
Handmade Studio offers monthly workshops, and on Oct. 18 she is hosting her third annual retreat — an extended clay workshop making a 10-piece entertaining set over the course of the day along with a brunch, a happy hour with a cheese and charcuterie spread and craft cocktails, and then that evening a catered dinner at a beautiful home
in East Nashville under the stars.
“We want people to feel pampered and inspired and just create this space to really have the opportunity to connect over the table and share the joy of creating with each other,” she says.
Today her mom paints backdrops for photographers and rents space in Handmade’s Germantown studio. Telicia Lee Backdrops has taken off in recent years as she has evolved her own art.
“It’s amazing because I got to see her as an entrepreneur and artist while growing up, and she moved to Nashville a few years ago and did this pivot, and now she has this other thriving business that relates to what she did,” she says. “It’s been cool to watch her thrive.”
Williamson’s 3-year-old son comes to the studio some, too, running straight to the production table to get the clay out. “He feels like he runs the place, but he’s not quite there yet,” she says. “We’ve made some ornaments together and some little bowls and things. I love that he likes being in there, and I’m excited as he gets older for him to be involved.” NI
TSTORY BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAMELA MONAGHAN
hough many people look forward to Christmas as a way to deck the halls in a new winter theme each year, others can’t wait to pull out the same ornaments they hung on the tree as a kid, soaking in every last holiday memory.
Originally from Macon County, Tiffany Dyer Brown opened her shop, Daisy-A-Day Vintage, on the Gallatin Square three years ago after years working markets and antique booths. Christmas decorations have always been a big part of what she has carried, and in recent years vintage items have experienced a big resurgence.
“I love Christmas,” Brown says. “I grew up with Christmas being a really big holiday, lots of memories and family time and that one time a year you see your cousin from wherever.”
When she gets vwintage Christmas items in stock, they are out the door almost immediately, as people look for holiday items all year long. The reason is simple — feel-good nostalgia.
recreations on the market, Brown says the original ones are so hard to come by because they were all handmade, possibly by your own grandma in a ceramics class on an easy-to-chip white ceramic.
“They don’t hold up that well, so a lot of them would get chipped or broken and they would get thrown away over the years,” she says.
BLOW MOLD YARD CHARACTERS
Brown says the return in popularity of these lightweight yard decorations has been growing for years, so it is easy to find new ones now, though those mostly are made in China.
“It’s fun to see people come in and see something they were hoping to have,” Brown says. “There’s always so many wonderful stories with everything like that, too, like their Grandma had one like it, or maybe their aunt they used to visit for the holidays.”
And while there is a market for everything, there are a few items they just can’t keep in stock.
CERAMIC CHRISTMAS TREES
All over social media last year were ceramic Christmas trees, and while there are many new factory-made
“They are using some of the old designs, but the originals are all made in America, at an American company,” she says.
TINSEL TREES
Very rarely does Brown get these retro futuristic trees, and she is always scouring yard sales, auctions and estate sales. So far she will have three for sale this year, but she recommends people check their grandmothers’ attics to see if they can find one of their own.
ANYTHING SANTA
It doesn’t matter if it is a tabletop item or large figure, Brown says they can’t keep anything Santa in stock.
VINTAGE ORNAMENTS
From handmade treasures to 1950s-era glass ball ornaments from the Shiny Brite company (the name will be stamped at the top), people collect any and all old ornaments.
“Don’t be afraid to unpack those things that bring back memories,” she says. “Those are good memories. Don’t let it make you sad.” NI
