An Artist's Abode

PHOTO BY ALI HARPER

When a Nashville‑based painter, printmaker, and collage artist bought a 1950s home from its original owner, she imagined it as the backdrop for a new chapter in her life. But with its Neoclassical façade, red‑brick exterior, and a less-than-ideal interior layout, the house felt more like a time capsule than a canvas.

That’s why, shortly after the purchase, she sat down with architect Erin Cypress of Pfeffer Torode to bounce around ideas for renovating it. “Since she was creating a new life for herself here, she wanted it to be welcoming for new friends and for her out-of-town daughters when they came to visit,” shares Cypress, who worked on the project with frequent collaborator Liz Bonesio, an interior designer. The pair’s aim was to create a cohesive aesthetic and better flow.

“Every time I thought of this house, my mind immediately went to the English countryside,” says Cypress, describing the picturesque hill in the backyard where a barn, original to the eight-acre property, sits, with an herb garden located right outside the kitchen. Bringing that bucolic feeling inside didn’t call for a complete overhaul, but it did require some structural changes. The warmly welcoming space reflects the owner’s desire for a free-flowing place to hang out. “If she’s cooking in the kitchen and one daughter is watching TV and the other is doing a puzzle, they are all in the same general area,” says Cypress, who took these lifestyle cues from her client to help inform the space.

PHOTO BY ALI HARPER

Additionally, it was important that the kitchen “communicate” with the backyard. “We put the kitchen sink at the windows where the owner can see the herb garden,” explains Cypress. “So, for mundane tasks, like washing dishes, you have a lovely view.” 

The kitchen features washed‑poplar ceilings and wide, random‑plank white oak floors, with blue-and black-veined Cristallo quartzite used for the countertops and backsplash. “Balancing that boldness with the painted wood walls and stained wood ceiling makes it a very soft space,” observes Bonesio. The central island is divided into two sections: one end is for storage, and the other is a welcoming seating group for relaxed conversation. 

Because the space was originally dark and somewhat of a maze, the designers opened it up and reconfigured it, using reclaimed wood beams to support areas where the construction team had removed walls. “For that section of the house, getting more natural light in and having spaces that are functional today were important,” says Cypress. For appliances, the architect considers Sub-Zero’s cabinet detailing for panel-ready models the best available.

Cypress says that nine times out of ten, when planning for cooking, her clients (including this one) ask for Wolf appliances. “I like that Wolf has maintained a very clean and simple aesthetic,” she says. This kitchen includes a Wolf 48” 6-burner Dual Fuel Range and an additional built-in Wolf Transitional Speed Oven. “They function great, and they look really nice,” adds Cypress.

Unlike the dark back section of the original house, its two more formal front rooms had existing tall ceilings and ample natural light. However, the long main hallway led entering guests right past them. The solution, says Cypress, was to “wall off the whole entry foyer, which now forces people to walk through either of those two fabulous front rooms.” The architect also had a series of thick, cased openings added “to help give a little bit of punctuation to an otherwise endless hall.”

For what was originally used exclusively as the dining room, Bonesio sourced a custom dining table from the UK that converts into a pool table, giving the room dual purposes. On the opposite side of the hall, the living room features a fireplace mantel original to the house and an antique gilded mirror purchased at a New Orleans auction. Much of the client’s inspiration came from timeless, old-world materials like reclaimed wood and plaster. “If something felt too fine, we asked ourselves, ‘How can we knock it down so it’s not so exquisite?’” says Bonesio. “We wanted elegant attention to detail but also wanted to tone it down to make it more approachable and livable.”

Cypress and Bonesio felt that a personal English‑cottage aesthetic suited the homeowner’s curator‑like personality. While many people hesitate to use open shelving, she embraced it—styling each shelf with pieces from her extensive pottery collection.

The design team credits the owner’s overall understanding—and her trust—with the success of the project. “We collaborated together,” says Cypress, “and in my view, we came up with a space that really reflected the client.”