Nashville Interiors Summer 2022

Nashville Interiors

SUMMER 2022

SECOND ACT

THE COUPLE BEHIND PEACH & PINE INTERIORS BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO A 100-YEAR-OLD HOME IN WATERTOWN, USHERING THE STRUCTURE INTO ITS NEXT ACT AS THE START OF A NEW CHAPTER FOR YOUNG HOMEOWNERS, WITH THOUGHTFUL USE OF MATERIALS AND LIGHTING.

ANTHONY M C GILL

Principal Clarinet, New York Philharmonic & Artistic Director, Music Advancement Program, The Juilliard School

JACKET IN: TUXEDO PARK GILLESPIE GREEN

TIE IN: BILLIE OMBRE GREEN

BRINGING ART TO LIFE

HOME MARKET

HOME MARKET

Find key pieces for your home in our uniquely curated home market. While you ' re there enjoy a delicious latte in our dark

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DESIGN STUDIO

DESIGN STUDIO

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Let us help you create the home you ' re dreaming of with exceptional style and personalized details. Our full-service design team and home market associates will welcome you in, with unparalleled service and attention. Let us help you take care of all your design needs.

Located on the Square in historic downtown Franklin

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O N Y X + A L A B A S T E R O N Y X + A L A B A S T E R

Nashville Interiors

E E Welcome Welcome

ven the most hospitable of Nashvillians — with the most welcoming arms, with the most optimistic mindset for change and growth — are probably starting to feel a little bit of a twinge here and there with the now almost-comically unending stream of new residents.

We’ve moved the goalposts on what classifies you as a long timer — you weren’t here for the great flood of 2010? Neither were 350,000 other people who now call the Nashville area home. But the new people’s input on progressive development projects like the proposed East Bank development is just as important as the insight of the Nashvillians who were here during the flood — people who saw the Cumberland River crest 11 feet over flood stage and inundate downtown (24 feet of water filled the Schermerhorn).

The city is changing to meet the needs of all residents, and like any growth in development, there is eventually a tipping point. Life is all about balance, and among the change I keep meeting more and more “native Nashvillians.” I have to believe that one of the reasons for this is that the generation before them worked hard to make Nashville a place their children would want to return to. That likely meant uncomfortable progress amid community pushback.

But it is within that push and pull that a city evolves, that a skyline grows vertically to usher big change onto just a few city blocks, that neighborhoods find their identity like trees within a forest. Twenty years ago you could not legally build residential space downtown. Nothing reflects the change in that quite so much as the fact that today, as the latest high-rise on Church Street from Giarratana Development is starting to pre-lease, at least 4,600 dogs live downtown, according to the Nashville Downtown Partnership. Their humans have to live somewhere!

The only thing that will keep Nashville from progressing now is if we lose sight of the past in pursuit of the future. The future is happening. But remembering how we got here and letting it inform our smart growth is vital, and we can’t ignore the voices of anyone who is willing to step up and contribute to what happens next.

So in this issue is a mix of old and new: historic and new construction, empty nesters and newlyweds — a reflection of all that is Nashville in 2022.

—Hollie Deese Publisher

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ON THE COVER

The couple behind Peach & Pine Interiors handled the renovation of a 100-year-old home in Watertown for another couple starting a new life in Tennessee. By using design elements like lighting from Circa, they were able to create spaces that capture the charm of the past while bringing in all the appeal of the present.

SUMMER 2022

OWNER/PUBLISHER

Hollie Deese

DIGITAL MARKETING

Kim Samaroo

SALES DIRECTOR

Pam Harper

EDITORIAL DESIGN

Ginger Katz

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Mary Grace Gauerke

Tracey Starck

COPY EDITOR/ CONTENT MANAGER

Jennifer Goode Stevens, GoodeEdits.com

AD DESIGN

Tracey Stark

Mary Guaerke

VIDEOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Ashley McIntosh

ARTS EDITOR

Robert Jones

VENUE EDITOR

Jim Myers

EVENTS

Amanda Dease

DISTRIBUTION

Whit Gilbert

CONTRIBUTORS

Sam Calderon

Allison Elefante

William DeShazer

Janet Kurtz

Pam Monaghan

Caroline Sharpnack

Fielder Strain

John Troxel

Nashville Interiors is the premier building and design guide of Middle Tennessee. We feature regional master artisans, designers, architects, builders, artists, collectors and retailers, and we bring you news of the region’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. It has continuously been 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, receive an advertising rate sheet, request content reprints, suggest story ideas or notify with website or social media issues, contact Hollie Deese, hollie@nashvilleinteriors.com

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Nashville Interiors

CONTRIBUTORS

ROBERT JONES | ARTS EDITOR

Robert Jones founded Overton Arts in 2018 with the goal of creating a picture frame shop that emphasizes community engagement by embracing nonprofit arts initiatives and programming. Overton Arts combines a traditional workshop with an art studio to provide clients with not just a transactional relationship, but a connection to the wider arts community. In 2020, Overton Arts donated $2,500 to Gideon’s Army in support of their ongoing efforts to use restorative justice programs to build resilient kids and healthy communities. Last year he sponsored the Just Us program at The Oasis Center, which provided LGBTQ+ youth with a liberating space to be authentic and celebrate the fluidity of identity, to help reach their full potential. This issue of Nashville Interiors is Robert’s first as arts editor.

WILLIAM DESHAZER | PHOTOGRAPHER

William Deshazer is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Nashville. He spent 12 years working at various newspapers, including Memphis’ Commercial Appeal and the Chicago Tribune. He’s a regular contributor to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared in magazines like National Geographic, Golfweek, ESPN The Magazine, Runner’s World and O, The Oprah Magazine. His interior photography has been used by Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Davis Jewelers. William has been recognized by Photographer of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association. When not taking pictures, William is either writing music or exploring locally and beyond with his wife.

CAROLINE SHARPNACK | PHOTOGRAPHER

Caroline is an interiors and lifestyle photographer based out of her hometown of Nashville. Caroline’s passion for photography started at the age of 13, when she was given her grandfather’s Canon AE-1. Since then, her love of photography has only grown, and she could never imagine herself pursuing any other career. Caroline has been photographing professionally since 2014. She has an ever-expanding love of design, and she adores collaborating with her clients to tell their stories and bring their visions to life.

PAMELA MONAGHAN, WYND & PAISLEY

PHOTOGRAPHER

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. The majority of her work is wedding and lifestyle photography, but she’s always up for new and exciting shoots. Her work has been featured in multiple magazines, including Your Sumner and The Pink Bride, and she runs a blog called Girls Gone Mild. She lives on several acres in Portland, Tennessee, with her husband, three children and four Dalmatians.

Nashville Interiors

ALLISON ELEFANTE, RUBY AND PEACH PHOTO

PHOTOGRAPHER

Allison Elefante is a Nashville-based interior and architectural photographer, and her company, Ruby and Peach Photo, has become a mainstay with local designers, builders and artists in the industry. She is classically trained in photography and graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Allison developed a passion for interiors over the past several years and is genuinely excited when she walks into the rooms of her clients. Her work is widely published on social media and in local magazines, and she has shot three covers for Nashville Interiors. When she isn’t behind the camera, she enjoys time at home with her husband and three young children.

JANET KURTZ |

Janet Kurtz began her hospitality career at an early age in Dresden, Ohio, but became fully invested when she moved to Nashville and took a role at Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery. She moved on to Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, then spent 13 years at the Forbes Five Star—rated Hermitage Hotel and Capitol Grille where she developed relationships for the property that would establish the brand as “Nashville’s Hotel.” In 2016, she founded Kurtz Hospitality Marketing, a communications and public relations consulting firm for the hospitality industry. She was recently named editor-in-chief of NFocus magazine. She serves on a variety of boards and committees for nonprofit organizations like Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, Nashville Repertory Theatre and 2ndavestrong—a fund created to help rebuild Second Avenue after the 2020 Christmas Day bombing.

Nashville Interiors

CONTRIBUTORS

JENNIFER GOODE STEVENS | COPY EDITOR/CONTENT MANAGER

Jennifer Goode Stevens is a copy editor who, in her 30 years in Middle Tennessee, has worked on newspapers, books, magazines, websites, advertising and marketing content and communications for businesses, publishing houses, universities, nonprofits, public relations firms and independent authors. Currently full-time with Vanderbilt University, she shoehorns her other professional obligations around her home and gardening life in Clarksville with her husband, their two teenage kids and a dog.

TRACEY STARCK | ADVERTISING DESIGN

Tracey Starck is a graphic designer who has designed ads and editorial layouts for local publications, including the now-shuttered Nashville Arts magazine, Your Williamson magazine, the Nashville Scene and Nashville Interiors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts at the University of Texas–Austin and worked as a graphic designer there for years before moving to Nashville. Tracey has donated her design skills to animal rescue organizations such as the Austin Humane Society and Austin Greyhound Adoption. She has provided a home to shelter cats and a few retired racing greyhounds.

CONTENTS Nashville Interiors

26 THE SEASON’S BEST

This summer there are too many things we can’t say no to buying just for ourselves.

38 A SECOND ACT IN WATERTOWN

The husband-and-wife team behind Peach & Pine Interiors restores a historic home for another husband-and-wife team making a huge lifestyle change after the pandemic.

31

AT HOME WITH… INTERIOR DESIGNER EVAN MILLARD

In the first installment of a new regular feature, Millard shows off his small-space life at the luxurious 805 Lea while we make ourselves right at home.

49 SOMETHING TO REMEMBER

Designer Mary Forsythe helps a new-to-Tennessee couple from California fill their new home with memorable pieces that reflect the life they are living together — all from scratch.

CONTENTS Nashville Interiors

58 VAN LIFE, DONE LUXE

The trio behind Bodhi Vans create custom buildouts with top-of-the-line finishes for people who want to live that van life, but not without custom cabinetry and luxurious linens.

68 A NIGHT IN JUNE

Celebrated Southern chef Sean Brock’s latest venture on Meridian, above his hard-to-book Audrey, showcases his connection to the culinary world of Appalachia.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ELISHEBA ISRAEL MROZIK

64

THE ART OF HOSPITALITY

The Future Is Female, the latest exhibit at the stylish 21c Museum Hotel Nashville, features four Nashville artists and is open to the public 24/7, free of charge.

74

The Memphis-raised tattoo artist, muralist and fine artist keeps community at the forefront as the co-founder of the Jefferson Street Art Crawl and founder of the nonprofit North Nashville Arts Coalition.

SUMMER’S BEST 2022

THIS SUMMER THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS WE CAN’T SAY “NO” TO BUYING JUST FOR OURSELVES. HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITES.

Australian lifestyle brand Cultiver is known for its effortless comfort and sophisticated design. Their summer palette creates a calming oasis and transforms your space into a place to totally leave the stress of daily life behind. Pillowcases start at $70.

Serax, the multinational, Belgianbased design company known for its expansive line of homewares, has a wide range of designer collaborations under its belt — including the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Chef Yotam Ottolenghi and Paola Navone — turning any tablescape into a true work of art. serax.com.

From tea towels to cute tiger bins, The Tiniest Tiger designs are inspired by cats for fellow cat lovers — some designs are subtle and some are whimsical, but all are created with feline finesse. We love stashing pet toys in the $15 bins, available at Rite Aid.

Alma Ocean carries inflatables perfect for hot girl summer yearround in bold colors, bold designs and bold changes in the aquatic community with pool and beach essentials that fully represent culture and promote inclusivity, exhibit creativity and raise awareness for water safety. Almaocean.co.

Need a perfect at-home activity to pass the time and sharpen everyone’s mind? Nautilus Puzzles elevate family fun with uniquely designed, intricate wooden jigsaws with vibrant colors and challenging shapes. $15.95-$250.

Backyard Candles are made using upcycled coconuts, natural soy/ coconut wax, high-end fragrance and cleanburning cotton wicks. They also do their part to save the planet by donating 5% of profits to help clean up oceans and protect coral reefs. $10.

Pair your favorite drink with a whimsical beverage mixing stick from Friendlily Press, available in a wide variety of themes, including Throwback, Lifestyle and Travel. You can even upcycle the stirrers by accessorizing kitchen plants. $15 for a pack of four.

In a design element you never knew you needed, you can now capture the happiest moments in your life and turn them into everlasting pieces of art. After you record your own voice and words, the artist behind Clia Creations creates a visual sound pattern made from various types of wood, with custom stain and color to add distinct characteristics. Think wedding vows or your baby’s first words. Starting at $300.

Interior Designer Evan Millard At Home With...

BY HOLLIE DEESE

For year,s Evan Millard has grown as a designer in Middle Tennessee, first as a student at O’More College of Design — pre-Belmont years — then as one of three designing as a collective out of a showroom in The Nations known as Modern Remains.

Now, Millard is taking a leap into being an independent designer. Modern Remains will continue to operate without him, but Millard is ready to put his enthusiastic stamp — no compromises! — on every space he is tasked with bringing to life.

“I gravitate toward change, and I’m always up for a new adventure,” he says.

And when it comes to where he lives, Millard also gravitates toward the hustle of a city center,reminiscent of the time he spent in Chicago during one of his stints away from Nashville.

He most recently moved into 805 Lea, one of Nashville’s newest luxury high-rise apartment buildings. Near the downtown core in SoBro, 805 Lea is packed with the kind of amenities you would expect in a brand-new high rise, including a saltwater pool, private screening room and gaming space.

There is also, most enviably, a private sky lounge on the 29th floor that boasts a bird’s-eye view of a city that is quickly becoming one that never sleeps.

“This is my third time to be back in Nashville, and since Chicago I’ve gravitated toward areas that are highenergy and really close to great restaurants and coffee shops,” Millard says.

But design is always top of mind, too, and one of the biggest draws of the building for Millard was that it was designed by local firm Hastings Architecture, which is known for a mix of high-profile residential, commercial, civic and hospitality projects that push design while maintaining a sense of community within the neighborhood and honoring the space.

They are currently building the mixed-use space at 1100 Broadway and have been noted for their work on the Schermerhorn and Ryman Auditorium renovation and expansion.

“When I walked down the roof deck, I told the listing agent that it felt just like LA Jackson,” Millard says, which just so happens to be another Hastings project. “I walked in, and it literally felt like home. I toured so many places in Nashville — new build, existing build — and from an architectural standpoint, and a finishes standpoint, it felt right.”

INTERIORS

Millard took into consideration everything from ceiling height and doors, cabinetry and colors to plumbing and fixtures, and he took inventory of what he already had and the pieces that he needed. Thus, he wasted no time setting up his space exactly how he wanted it, proving that not everyone puts off doing for themselves what they do for others all day at work.

“It is completely all set up … and it was set up within the first three days,” he laughs. “Designing for myself versus a client is definitely a quicker timeline. I’m designing it and then I’m also going ahead and giving it the okay on the spot.”

To keep the small space — about 400 square feet — feeling fresh and eclectic, Millard brought in an armless white sofa from CB2 and mixed that with vintage and antique pieces like the brass and glass coffee table.

“I want to incorporate local artists as well. A.C. Smith with Blue Door Framing did a couple of my antique glass mirrors. And I picked up the Asian horse on silk that’s behind my sofa at an antique store while traveling in Chattanooga.”

Locally, Millard likes to shop at Patina + Co. for their curated collection of vintage and new items. For decorative accessories, he goes back to Providence Interiors over and over.

“I think the best way to incorporate textures and colors is in small increments,” Millard says. “As you can see in my living room, I introduce color through natural fresh flowers, like orchids. That’s such a great way to incorporate natural beauty and color.”

“ “ I think the best way to incorporate textures and colors is in small increments.

As for pattern, he brought in an animal print with pillows, a great way to bring in the bold without a huge financial investment. “Or boxes and decorative accessories — anything that you can really move from room to room.”

Millard remembers his mom embracing the fashion of the ’80s, from fabrics to shoulder pads, and imagines his affinity for bold patterns and bright color came from her.

“Growing up, our family home, the kitchen and dining room were one open space, but the walls were wrapped in black paper with pink,” he says. “And their master bathroom — the large soaking tub, everything — was cobalt blue cultured marble. My love for color originated because I was always surrounded by it.”

His roommate, a Frenchie pup named Sophia Marie, doesn’t need much space and loves basking in the sun by any one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap the unit. Sometimes you can even catch her napping in her pearls.

“I think at this time it’s perfect to live in this amount of space,” he says. “This will be another busy year, so I feel like I am only there half the time anyway.”

Designer Evan Millard and his pup, Sophia Marie, wasted no time settling in to their new Nashville home at 805 Lea—400 square feet of intentional personality and flair.

The experts at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery are here to help create a home that’s as extraordinary as you are. Any project, any style, any dream—bring your inspiration to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. Visit build.com/ferguson to schedule your personalized showroom experience today.

amanda@studiodease.com studiodease.com @studiodease

A Second Act in Watertown

THE COUPLE BEHIND

PEACH & PINE INTERIORS BREATHE

NEW LIFE INTO A 100-YEAR-OLD HOME

Many stories of complete lifestyle overhauls were birthed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and through the renovation of a historic home on 200 acres in Watertown, two couples experienced lifechanging shifts that will inevitably be written into their family lore.

First there’s the homeowners. They began buying animals before they even left Green Hills, and they bought the Wilson County home based on a dream to change everything — buy land in an idyllic setting, grow their own food, bake their own bread and raise a family.

“The owners have aptly called it the Heartland Homestead because it’s their dream to raise their family and work the land,” says Chandler Quarles of Peach & Pine Interiors, lead designer on the renovation.

“They have a beautiful garden and greenhouse, a barn and farm animals. Every view from the house is stunning — wide open spaces, trees and rolling Tennessee hills.”

Helping Chandler usher the structure into its second life as a new chapter for the young homeowners was her husband, Jeremy Quarles, just as the two were really finding their own footing as equal business partners. Jeremy had left his job in 2019, just before the pandemic began, to go all in on the design firm.

“It was a blessing in disguise that we had already transitioned him to do so much for our business before things shut down,” Chandler says. Jeremy handles logistics, project tracking and client onboarding in addition to client renderings and design. “At the time it was our largest project, and we didn’t know that it was also about to be the craziest season to be doing a renovation.”

Jeremy and Chandler met as students at Belmont — she was a music major from Texas, and he was a studio engineering major from Georgia. They married a decade ago, and both went into the music industry. They bought their first house, and, once they started renovating the little brick home — and blogging about it — they both fell in love with design.

“I wasn’t sure what the future in the music industry looked like long term,” Chandler says. “When I began learning how the design industry works, I really started to love it so much.”

So in 2016 the couple launched their design firm Peach & Pine, a nod to each of their roots. Since then, they’ve worked together to execute homes that they aim to be filled with love, meaning and beauty.

“We named our company after the both of us because we always worked really well together,” she says.

The Watertown house — then their biggest endeavor — was built in 1900, and when the Quarleses began the renovation process, it was barely habitable.

“We worked to completely rework the floor plan, reinforce the structural integrity and bring new life to all of the nearly 6,000 square feet of living space,” she says. “We focused on materials that were not only fresh, but also felt like they could have been original to the house.”

They leaned on furnishings and accessories that felt connected to the rest of the home, with a mixture of clean-lined new furniture, antiques and custom pieces that were made to look old. And they used Circa Lighting throughout to make the space feel warm and lived-in — creating moods and moments in every room.

Working with Prestige Construction, the Quarles helped bring the homeowners’ vision to life — a Tennessee farmhouse, with lots of natural materials like the stone fireplace and textured metals that

gave it a sense of being even older than 100 years. “We wanted it to feel collected,” she says. “So even though we really did start from scratch, we had a lot of pieces built to look like they were old.”

Kyle Levy of Broken Compass Woodworking created the island and pantry in the kitchen to fit the vision, and Harpeth River Woodworks did the cabinetry. Lighting throughout the home was from Circa, whose showroom is in the Nashville Design Collective.

“We did a lot of white oak,” Chandler says. “The island is white oak, and all the accents. And we did the same thing with the doors to the pantry. I think it’s such a pretty, natural element.”

Though the home feels like new construction when you enter because of the extensive work, there are some legacy “weird” spaces the couple had to work to find the right use for — like a shower cleverly tucked under some eaves upstairs in a bonus room.

“We added a skylight in that room, above the tub. It is in such an awkward place that it was the only way to bring in natural light,” she says. “We just played around with layouts for a long time in that space because we could not keep it in any way, shape or form the way that it was. It feels very cozy, and I honestly kind of love it.”

Another bathroom in an odd space is wallpapered in blue. Though it’s a bit quirky, it makes sense for the house.

“This house renovation took longer than we all thought because that’s the way of the world right now,” Chandler says. “They could have very easily started over and built something new. But they didn’t want to tear the house down. They wanted the history of the house — even the quirky layout and floor plans. And there were things we had to really put our heads together on because a lot of things didn’t make a lot of sense. So it was really fun to be creative with it. It makes the end result a little bit sweeter.”

In the two-year process of completing the house, the homeowners got married and had their first baby — so the of the nursery off the primary bedroom became a priority project.

The Quarles family has grown too; their boys are now ages 3 and 1.

“This has been such a special project for us,” Chandler says. “We started with these clients in May 2020, and in some ways our biggest growth has been in the last few years. It’s been really sweet growing a family and growing a business as they have begun their own family.” NI

Facing page: Two bathrooms in the 6,000-square-foot renovation made use of quirky spaces, adding skylights and tucking in a shower. The home became a signature project for Jeremy and Chandler Quarles, Peach & Pine.

Above and left: Beautiful Wilson County views surround the oldmade-new farmhouse, which has added another resident during the renovation project. The nursery now has an occupant.

Something to Remember Us

BOLD DESIGN CHOICES MAKE MEMORABLE SPACES THAT LINGER

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY FIELDER STRAIN

California couple Kyle and Joel Van Boom had never lived anywhere together but the West Coast since meeting in college and getting married 36 years ago. But just before the pandemic, they decided to make a big move — for themselves and their printing company. Texas was in the running for their relocation, but Tennessee ultimately won out at the urging of their daughter, whose husband went where the business went.

“We visited right before the pandemic, and the weekend we were here we really fell in love with it,” Kyle says. “The people, the scenery — everything. Even now when I go back and forth from California to here, there’s a feeling I get … My best friend lives here, too, also from California. She feels it too.”

They found space for the company in Columbia, then they followed suit when they found a place: a traditional home in a charming neighborhood they could see entertaining guests and hosting family in — once they figured out how to fill the completely empty space. After all, they were leaving everything behind in California and starting totally from scratch.

While such a move is daunting for some, it was a dream for the Van Booms and for their designer, Mary Forsythe, owner of Forsythe Home Styling based in Brentwood. Although, it can be difficult to fill 7,000 square feet and still feel authentic to a family.

“No. 1 was really having beds,” Forsythe says. She worked with Sprintz to get the bedrooms set up enough that the Van Booms would not have to stay at a hotel while they waited for furniture.

The mantel with giant corbels that originally accented the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the main living room was replaced with a live-edge walnut slab from Good Wood Nashville.

In the primary bedroom, the original color palette of a pinkish-taupe was replaced with Benjamin Moore’s Alaskan Husky, an appropriate hue for a soothing oasis that is complete with a sitting area looking out onto the iconic rolling hills of Tennessee.

Every piece in the dining room is custom, including the Century buffet in lapis blue, which unifies all the layers of blue in the dining room. In many ways, Forsythe helped Kyle focus her desire for color and pattern on everything into smaller doses that made more impact, giving her the result she was ultimately looking for.

“Our starting off point was really the dining room table, because they wanted to have space to put eight people around,” Forsythe says. And

because they could not fit a bigger table in the room, she instead had it made on a pedestal so no legs would interfere with seating.

Plus, the couple found out their two oldest children were expecting babies just a week apart, and both grandchildren arrived this past May. Now, plans for a pool and extended porch and outdoor living space are in progress.

The original colors of the interior were taupe tinged with pink, Tony Taupe, which made for rather dark surroundings. During the first phase of the design project, we transformed the primary bedroom into a soothing oasis with a sitting area that looks out onto the rolling hills of Tennessee.

The Van Booms wanted a piece of art in this room that would be dramatic. Fierce Beauty, Alaska 2015, does just that! It’s a limited edition of an American Bald Eagle photographed by

a National Geographic photographer.

Unafraid to make a visual impact, the Van Booms wanted art that would be dramatic.

“We wanted something strongly American in the office,” Joel says. He set his sights on a limited-edition print of an American Bald Eagle photographed by National Geographic photographer Michael Melford. Unable to secure it from the first gallery where he saw it, Forsythe found it at another. They had it framed by Bennett Galleries in Green Hills.

“Through all that, I’ve come to love the eagle,” Kyle says. “I kind of had a hard time with him, like, is he staring at me while I’m working? But now I love it. And every time Charlie gets to the house, he comes and says ‘hi’ to the eagle. It’s really cute.”

Still working on more spaces together, the family is making memories as they go that their extended family will always remember about the big move they made after so many years.

“They have had a lot of excitement their first year in Tennessee,” Forsythe says. “I am so glad I was able to help create a home that is personal and has meaning for them. And over time it all becomes a good memory.” NI

INTERIORS

The original colors of the interior were taupe tinged with pink, Tony Taupe, which made for rather dark surroundings. During the first phase of the design project, we transformed the primary bedroom into a soothing oasis with a sitting area that looks out onto the rolling hills of Tennessee.

Van Life, Done Luxe Van Life, Done Luxe

THE TEAM BEHIND BODHI VANS ADDS AMENITIES TO ROAD TRIPS

BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER

Van life holds a certain appeal for people who don’t like the idea of being tied to one space for too long. But it also holds a bit of a stigma — many think it’s the kind of lifestyle you eventually rise above once you “grow up.”

But that whole perception is changing, and in Nashville, Bodhi Vans is on the forefront of providing a high-design option for folks who want that nomadic lifestyle.

Ethan Jones first became a fan of van life when he moved from Texas to San Francisco to go to school for marriage and family therapy. With rent through the roof, he decided to build out a van to live in. Eventually he sold that van for a profit, then bought a second van to do it all over again.

“I lived in the second van I made for a while, and my partner and I at the time traveled all over the country,” Jones says. “We went all over the West Coast and made a huge trip out of it.”

After that experience, Jones came to Nashville, where he met Geoffrey Gill and Joel Barnett. That’s when things really started to take off for his idea to build out vans with luxury finishes.

Gill, who came to Nashville as a student at Belmont and has been in the design/build industry ever since, was exposed to van life through his climbing experience. Barnett grew up traveling the country for BMX, so traveling in any number of converted vehicles was already second nature.

“It was a very alternative way of traveling, but it worked for our needs,” Barnett says. “And that’s something that really stuck with me — that resourcefulness when you have limited means. Plus we grew up taking family road trips all over the country, so this feels like home to me.”

It’s an experience many people who grew up seeing the country from the backseat of their parents’ car — sometimes with a sibling within elbowing distance — can relate to. Because for so many people it was, and is, the most affordable way to travel.

With a luxury buildout, they can get all that feel-good nostalgia plus all kinds of amenities that go way beyond a cooler full of sandwiches and a little extra elbow room. A van buildout allows for the most luxurious finishes because the space is so small — not that much material is needed.

Of course, some materials are still off limits, like glass for doors. But education and managing expectations are a big part of what Bodhi Vans does for people who watch HGTV and expect to be able to get everything they’ve ever seen in a tiny home in a van.

And with Airbnb experiences and boutique hotels continuing to rise in popularity for travelers post-COVID,

opting to go with a van setup instead can have an impact — reconnecting people with what makes traveling so special.

“We love hearing from our clients — where they’ve been, what they’re doing,” Barnett says. “Our last client immediately went into the woods out in North Carolina. And that’s the lifestyle — whether it’s for remote working or just part-time travel, we really enjoy creating their vision and allowing them to do more of what they love.”

In fact, the rise in remote work is one reason Bodhi Vans hit at just the right time, for the right generation. The demand has grown so much they are moving into manufacturing turnkey vans in addition to the custom work, something they had

Luxury woods, custom-crafted cabinetry and innovative storage are hallmarks of

work on high-design van build-outs for customers who want to upscale the nomadic life.

not thought they would want to do even six months ago.

“A lot of people who had wanted to travel got the opportunity when their work became remote,” Jones says. “And once you start looking around at ways to do that, it doesn’t take long to stumble across the van life scene. They’ve got a strong online community.”

In many ways, it is just a (literally) accelerated version of the tiny house culture that already had people rethinking how they wanted to prioritize work and life. And the vans’ compact size makes them so much more accessible. People can get behind the wheel — and get into places.

“A lot of places, like national parks, you can’t drive a larger motor home into,” Gill says. And when you are in a city, parking is much easier too — no need to find a Walmart parking lot to rest.

“And now the industry is exploding with people making new advances in what these vehicles are capable of doing, with accessories and solar panels — it has just changed the experience,” Barnett says.

Gill, Barnett and Jones were not friends when they began

working together; they came together over their skill set and ambition and shared goal. Their team is small, so everyone has to work as hard as possible. And building their team means as much to them as the quality of the vans they build.

“My dad’s a carpenter, and I was very familiar with the types of people that you get to work with on a job site. One of the things that we value is connection to each other as friends,” Barnett says. “First and foremost, that provides us a fantastic foundation to allow the creativity in our ideas to really flourish.”

That understanding of the importance of what they are working on together, along with the camaraderie of building something together, is not lost on the therapist side of Jones.

“I didn’t want to start this business and not enjoy the people that I was building the business with,” Jones says. “It’s a hard thing to do already. So I think it would be even harder if your relationship is purely transactional. You have to have both. And so I love that side of things with what we’re doing. It’s my favorite thing about this.” NI

BY JANET KURTZ

Hospitality The Art of B

orn of the mission to bring contemporary art to a wider audience, 21c Museum Hotels are working to change the way the public looks at art — and at hotels. Now xenia, the Greek concept of hospitality or “guest-friendship,” is alive at 21c Museum Hotel Nashville for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Future Is Female exhibit, featuring four Nashville artists in the main galleries, is on display in the Second Avenue hotel through August 2023.

“Artists propose new ways of looking at the world, and that vision can lead to progress and change for the future,” said Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites.

21c Museum Hotels has become one of the largest contemporary art museums in the U.S. and is North America’s only collecting museum dedicated solely to art of the 21st century. With rotating exhibits across the company’s nine (soon to be 11) locations, pieces from the owners’ collection or displayed in collaboration with artists are offered as an expression of hospitality. Exhibition space is open to the public 24/7 and free of charge at the properties, which also feature boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants.

Opened in 2017, the 21c Museum Hotel Nashville is just steps away from the famous Broadway and Printers Alley entertainment districts.

These art pieces can be seen at 21c Museum Hotel Nashville on Second Avenue and may be included in The Future Is Female exhibit, which is scheduled to run through August 2023.

Visitors to the hotel, a thoughtfully imagined, adaptive reuse of the Gray & Dudley hardware building, can stroll the 10,000 square feet of galleries while enjoying craft cocktails from the restaurant that bears the building’s name.

Guests of the hotel have the added bonus of Elevate exhibits throughout the elevator banks on the guest floors. Guest rooms, designed by Deborah Berke Partners, boast an industrial design with exposed brick and beams, high ceilings, hardwood floors, large windows with plenty of natural light and luxurious floor-to-ceiling drapery with pops of violet throughout the space.

Artfully playful foodie hotspot Gray & Dudley, which has a rotating exhibit all its own gracing its aubergine walls, is the perfect spot to begin or end an evening in Nashville. Its Southern-focused cuisine incorporates the freshest ingredients of the season, then pairs it with creative craft cocktails that embody the arts of hospitality and food. The U-shaped bar is a commanding presence that features a Tennessee-focused craft cocktail list. Helmed by executive chef Matt Bell, a Montana native, Gray & Dudley’s menu offers refined Southern dishes combined with approachable home cooking at breakfast, brunch and dinner.

Diners and hotel guests alike may find themselves in whimsical company. 21c Museum Hotels have fourfoot-high penguin “mascots,” created by Cracking Art, standing sentinel around the properties — sometimes at the dinner table, sometimes in a guest’s room at check-in. Each hotel has its own color penguins; Nashville’s are teal.

“The public really chose the penguins,” 21c Museum Hotels co-founder Steve Wilson says on the company’s website. “They were part of our opening exhibition in Louisville and people couldn’t help but interact with them. They have really become an icon, and emblematic of our mission to make thought-provoking contemporary art more accessible to the public.”

They help 21c Museum Hotels to break down the barriers that can exist between art and the viewer. Art is not behind velvet ropes, and the goals are to satisfy the public’s hunger for art and to nurture artists’ ability to translate how they see the world. NI

The Future Is Female

In this exhibit, the fourth for the Nashville property, themes of ancient mythology, nature, power and self abound. It explores the affirmation of self while incorporating materials and techniques broadly categorized as female. To reflect the ongoing influence of feminist art of the 1970s, the art incorporates everyday materials like bedsheets, as well as craft-based practices such as sewing, weaving, embroidery and appliqué.

The slogan “‘The Future Is Female’ is thought to have first appeared during the 1970s on a T-shirt designed for a women’s bookstore in New York City,” Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites says. “Over the last few years, the phrase has re-emerged on clothing, social media and various other platforms, reflecting and inspiring a reconsideration of what these terms — female and future — mean. While acceptance of gender fluidity is greater today, inclusion and equal rights remain contentious and contested issues. The work of the artists featured in this exhibition envision resistance, transformation and progress.”

The four local artists participating in The Future Is Female are: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Jodi Hays, Benjy Russell and Vadis Turner. 21c Museum Hotel Nashville is at 221 Second Ave. N.; the exhibit will be on site until August 2023.

A NIGHT IN JUNE

June’s interior is carefully orchestrated with contrasting woods and clean lines inspired by the American Craft movement. Sean Brock’s newest Nashville restaurant opened in summer 2022 on Meridian Street.

SEAN BROCK OPENS INNOVATIVE DINING EXPERIENCE

BY JANET KURTZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN TROXEL

Chef and storyteller Sean Brock brings each of his restaurants to life through subtly conveying the importance of a dish or of an heirloom ingredient. Brock, known as an innovator and visionary, skyrocketed to success by creating thoughtful and well-curated restaurant concepts. Throughout his career, he has kept his heart firmly planted in the rolling hills and gentle mountains of his Appalachian homeland. Each of his concepts is uniquely designed and researched, then uses the freshest ingredients of the season and of the region. His newest restaurant, June, which opened in mid-July on Meridian Street above his restaurant Audrey, will complement this suite of gastronomic endeavors.

June is a journey that brings the traveler to an understanding of Brock’s culinary connection to Appalachia. Guests are treated to a

five-act play for the senses as they travel through 20-plus dishes of a menu that details descriptions and concepts of canapes, water, land, dessert and petit fours. These courses include intricate, artful plates that are playful on the palate. The summer menu’s first course includes dishes such as Foie Gras, Finger Lime, Hoshigaki and Barley and Grilled Lobster with Lovage & Benne.

“The food is most certainly inspired by art in general, but especially by the art of Mary Mooney. Looking at her paintings calms my nervous system instantly. We often look to art for aesthetics,” Brock said. Additionally, the preparation of each dish is inspired by June’s adjacent Research & Development Lab, which is built with flavor extraction and concentration in mind.

The restaurant’s interior is dotted with light wood tables inspired by George Nakashima — an architect, woodworker and one

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of the fathers of the American Craft movement. The airy combination of light wood tables, clean lines and impressive windows invites guests to experience a merging of cultures that are near to Brock’s heart. “The biggest inspiration for June is my two favorite places — Appalachia and Japan. The interior design is heavily influenced by the great George Nakashima. The architecture is a blend of Appalachian tobacco barns and modern Japanese architecture.” Craft played a prominent role in the development of the menu as well as the design of the restaurant, including a custom-built stove — designed by Chris Demant and inspired by Brock’s 1957 Leica camera.

June is at 809 Meridian St. and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays. The tasting menu is $250 per person, $100 for a zero-proof pairing and $185 for a beverage/ cocktail pairing. Reservation openings are released monthly through Resy. NI

Left: One of the carefully curated dishes on the menu at June

Below: Entrepreneur chef Sean Brock fused inspiration from Appalachia and Japan to create the look and feel and menu of June, his latest Nashville endeavor.

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Artist Spotlight ELISHEBA ISRAEL MROZIK

BY ROBERT JONES PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER

In a city blessed with an abundance of talented artists, Elisheba Israel Mrozik’s drive and charisma make her stand out from the crowd. Owner of One Drop Ink Tattoo Parlour, co-founder of the Jefferson Street Art Crawl and founder of the nonprofit North Nashville Arts Coalition, Mrozik is a leader in the arts community.

Her path to that leadership status was studded with obstacles, but determination and thinking outside the box are her specialties.

The Memphis College of Art graduate moved to Nashville with her

3-year-old daughter in December 2006. She sold paintings at every convention and market she could get into. “Back then my business was called ‘tight pictures,’” she said, “because when I started drawing people would always say my paintings were ‘tight’!”

And then on Facebook she saw a picture of a tattoo that looked just like a painting.

“I’d only seen hood tats before, which didn’t interest me at all. But this made me want to tattoo,” Mrozik said. “I started looking at all the tattoos I could find online, and I noticed that there were no Black

people. All the skin was light.” So she turned her determination toward becoming a licensed tattoo artist.

In Tennessee, that means passing a bloodborne pathogen test and completing a one-year apprenticeship under an artist who has been licensed for at least three years. Aspiring tattoo artists are often expected to pay for their apprenticeships, and Mrozik was prepared to do that.

“It was during the recession, and I had just bought a house in foreclosure. I was able to move in for just $200, and so I felt empowered to invest in myself.”

But the money wasn’t the toughest barrier that Mrozik would face in a city that, at the time, had no Black-owned tattoo parlors.

“Even though I had to pay for an apprenticeship, people wouldn’t even talk to me. I got told to leave more than one shop. Eventually the wife of a shop owner took the time to talk to me, allowing me to get my foot in the door,” she said.

But the lead artist there quit when she walked in on her first day.

“I should have taken that as a bad sign. The guy who took over wouldn’t even talk to me, and after a couple months trying to show him that I wasn’t going to quit, he decided to find a way to fire me.”

After that closed door, Mrozik found an open window in the state laws regulating tattoo parlors — and in her federal tax return.

“You have to have a license to tattoo here, there’s no way around that,” she said. “But you don’t have to have a license to open a shop — you just have to have a licensed tattoo artist working in the shop.”

With a $3,000 tax refund coming, she found a space to rent on Jefferson Street and a licensed artist who was willing to work in her shop. The property owner was “a wonderful local Black woman with no credit checks and no discrimination, and I went all out.” The artist was “this other amazing lady, Denise, who reached out to me — she was a licensed tattooer and was willing to work in the shop and help sign off on my license.

“I was fired from my apprenticeship in March of 2011, and by May 26 I owned my own tattoo shop.”

Mrozik’s perseverance would grow One Drop Ink into one of the highest-rated tattoo shops in the city. Her success granted her the financial stability to continue investing in herself: She took classes in subjects ranging from painting and art history to business and nonprofit management. In 2016, she helped form the Jefferson Street Art Crawl. And in 2018, she incorporated the North Nashville Arts Coalition.

The coalition facilitated murals by the Norf Art Collective, a selfdescribed team of creative individuals working to impact their community through art. And the Frist Art Museum took note.

“These [art crawls] and the murals by Norf got us the notice of Senior Curator Katie Delmez, who helped us launch the Murals of North Nashville Now exhibit at the Frist,” Mrozik said. The exhibit ran from August 2019 through early January 2020 and was described on the museum’s website as an “exhibition of new murals by local artists that seeks to shine a light on a culturally and historically rich yet often overlooked part of the city.”

It took just one person from an arts establishment giving them an opportunity, Mrozik said. “And now all of the artists who were involved in that show have continued to grow and prosper in their artistic careers. I want to be able to share those same opportunities with more creatives of color.

“It doesn’t hurt to invite people in or share knowledge. And if it does, then you need to maybe reevaluate why that is and where your values lie.”

The success of the Murals of North Nashville Now exhibit led to Mrozik and her husband, Aaron, collaborating on a second exhibition at the Frist in October 2020. Blood at the Root was an immersive outdoor installation looking at how racial issues were addressed differently during their respective upbringings as an interracial couple. The exhibit was free to view, Thursdays through Sundays, for a month.

Mrozik wants to change the perception that people need to feel uncomfortable when they see Black art.

“It should just be about good artwork, but there are so many basic things that are central to the Black experience shown in our art that are uncomfortable

Below: Elisheba Israel Mrozik’s art draws on her experience and her emotion and her study of society and race.

ART, ARTISANS AND ANTIQUES

to the general public due to the history of racism and discrimination,” she said. “The challenge is in changing the narrative around the Black experience and Black bodies, so that works are able to be appreciated within a more decorative environment — like every other form of Black creativity has been.”

Mrozik’s next show is called An-Sisters (ancestors) and will be opening Oct. 1 at NKA Gallery, 915 Buchanan St., in North Nashville.

“It all goes back to ancestry and identity from the point of view of women specifically. This show is going to be a mini version of my mind. Different ideas require different mediums, so there’s going to be everything from fine oil paintings to mixed media, sculpture, performance, installation and even tattooing. It’s going to be a really immersive experience.” NI

Elisheba Israel Mrozik’s One Drop Ink Tattoo Parlour is on Jefferson Street and is open Tuesday-Saturday. Her new art studio location is 2109 Buchanan St.

Mrozik’s studio is overflowing with her many avenues of artistic expression, from paintings to multimedia collections to crystals and smudge bundles.