Here we are! Sharing the finished Bresslyn Manor, and I could not be more thrilled. This house was going to be a special project from the beginning, because of the location, size, and potential. But as we got further into planning, each space carried a special design experience for me that I am so thankful to have had. I am thrilled to be able to take you deeper into the designs of the biggest project that we have done yet. I want to give you an insight into the creative process behind the design decisions as well as a look at certain challenges, because while it is technically a “new” home, it never comes without its issues. Which is why I find posts like this so important! While there are times that a designer’s job is picking pretty tile and paint color, the other 87% of it is dealing with really unglamorous nuts and bolts of the build. Aspects that people don’t even think of when they see the finished product, but are such a crucial and necessary part to the job.

This home intrigued me before I even saw it in person, simply because of the location. It’s honestly one of my favorite streets in Nashville, full of huge trees and walkable streets covered with larger lots, giving you space and privacy. This lot in particular, while on a corner of a four-way stop sign is incredibly private. Already had evergreen trees in the back, and because of its positioning on a slight hill you really don’t see much of the neighbors on the other three sides. We started off with just over 3,000 square feet which means our usual model of taking the roof off, adding an attached garage and going up was going to bring this home to over 6,000 square feet. It was originally larger because instead of a standard ranch house it had a basement, which we are thinking was the original garage, then closed in years later. The size and spot of where we would put the new attached 3-car garage fit (almost too) perfectly. But as I got into the designs, I quickly realized how this 6,600 square foot house was actually going to be a lot of work. I mean, 7 bathrooms! That alone is enough to stress me out, but then there is the end goal of the design; a home rooted in timeless design with a touch of Cotswolds and a bit of southern luxury.

No pressure, right?

The style, truly, was dictated by the exterior of the home. This was where it all started after putting the floor plans together and deciding what the exterior finishes would be. The rustic and light stone matched with siding and accent shutters immediately set the tone for the interior of the home; classic neutrals with a pop. But one thing that I didn’t want to happen, was for a house of this size to turn into every other large home on the block. One of the first things I did was to make sure that the dining room was not a table in between the kitchen and the living room, that is a floor plan choice I cannot get behind. Sure, a breakfast table, but not your full dining space. I am with classic architecture on this one through and through, the dining room should be separate from your kitchen so that when you do host (no matter how rarely that happens), you don’t see the kitchen and the mess you made preparing the meal. So I spent months designing the floor plans for a spacious, functional, but also a timeless and comfortable home. It’s one of those homes that you see the number of square feet, but it reads cozier in real life.

After floor plans were done and all the inspiration gathered, I started with the living room and the kitchen; the heart of the home. This space needed to feel light but cozy, soft but functional. I kept my tried and true model of lighter perimeter cabinetry and a stained island to give the space depth, and put the same stone that’s on the outside of the house on the face of the fireplace to anchor the two ends of the space. The Shoji White cabinets are a lovely white to bring softness to the space and the stone brings some rustic tension to the space that can easily be elevated with more modern and luxurious furniture pieces.

Now, back to these 7 bathrooms. One of my main goals in all of my houses is that each bathroom has a bit of its own identity, I don’t want every bathroom to have white subway tile with a pop of marble. Instead, I want each bathroom to be able to stand on its own in design and character. Each bathroom has its different challenges and sizes, ranging from showers so large you could do jumping jacks, to smaller 30 inch vanities and a tub. But I chose to go big in design in the smallest bathrooms; think accent paint colors and Zellige tile. While these details can be expensive, doing them in a smaller space helps in that respect and keeps that small space from being boring or plain. I brought vertical v-groove into those two bathrooms for the touch of classic, painted them in an accent color for a bit of flair, and anchored them in tile design that immediately takes a small space to a designer level.

Of course you can’t forget the custom features that I always love to include: backsplashes, tile design, wallpaper and paint colors. Most of the backsplashes in the bathrooms are pretty standard, except for a little side splash detail. I couldn’t help myself! But this house I went bolder with color. The mudroom and pantry are a custom color finish and several of the bathrooms have their own color palette. Not one bathroom is without its own tile identity as well; from a border in penny rounds, to marble mosaic, or chair rail and pencil trim! This house is custom from the floors in the basement to the window shades on the second floor.

But just as I was getting comfortable with the designs and the direction everything was going, we realized that in order to improved our standing with the comps in the area, we needed a pool. So on top of everything else I needed to design an outdoor pool and pool house? Sure, twist my arm! But that changed everything. We expanded the covered patio, we changed the landscaping and added a pool house to anchor the back of the yard. I wanted it to feel like something that belonged in the Hamptons, and not just a ton of stone was thrown down, leaving your view from the kitchen window feeling like you were looking out a parking lot. I wanted custom designs in the stone work to break up the French pattern, and I wanted pergolas to further emphasize the Hamptons feel, and give alternate hang out areas and space for an outdoor kitchen. While this space didn’t look huge when it was just dirt, you can fit a lot into it when you really try and do it right.

Another on-site change was the height of the basement ceiling. Originally planning on leaving the first floor on and adding from there, we realized how much more valuable a 9 ft ceiling would be on the bottom floor as well as ensuring the structural integrity of the rest of the house. So we took off the entire first floor and essentially started from scratch. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to do that and while it hurt my heart in the beginning, I knew it would be the right call in the long-run.

We also added an elevator from the basement to the first floor. Personally I’d use it for groceries but everyone knows there are instances where stairs are simply not an option: an injury, a grandparent, etc. Seeing as the garage access was in the basement we thought it would be smart to give easier access between those two main floors.

My biggest hope that people take away from this home and the designs is that new construction can feel timeless. While my other homes have been mostly renovations, this is considered new construction. But what I didn’t want to happen was that it looked and felt like every other new construction home on the block, and there are a lot of them. But walking through the project when it was done my realtor said that “it felt like it had been here for a hundred years”, and that is the biggest compliment you could give me. I know people are occasionally shocked at how traditional my style and homes are, but I am happy to lean into that genre of interiors which I think is an important lesson for everyone when it comes to your interior style. Don’t let trends, social media or other homes make you feel like you need your home to look a certain way. Your home should be extremely personal to you, and you should feel proud that it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. It’s going to take a lot more than a few people’s opinions to keep me away from the antique stores!