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Interior Design Inspiration : A Few Of Our Favorite Things

Posted on: November 2nd, 2011 by Castle Homes No Comments

Great design inspiration for your own home awaits you when you step inside the inviting seeded glass, knotty alder door of the Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home open daily through Sunday, November 6. So, slip on the shoes covers, grab your camera and be prepared to take some great notes.

First, from the tour guide outlining paint colors and room sources to the display area in the garage, the Southern Living Showcase Home provides great building and design information. In addition, there are over a dozen designers and decorative artisans contributing to the project. Their website and contact information is included as well.

Bring some drama to a smaller space has been accomplished by designer Kippie Leland in the Gentlemen’s Study with an English Jacobean style coffered ceiling. Leland has taken a simulated clock face with hand-hammered zinc leaves as numbers creating a unique focal point for the room. Acquired from Garden Park Antiques in Nashville, the piece has huge wooden clock arms.

Not your college dorm captain’s chairs! Designer Jerome Farris has woven whimsy into the elegant Living Room with a new take on this element with chairs of silver-leaf, chrome and cream leather with raw-silk cushions. You’ll also see a great example of using a neutral palette (Sherwin Williams’ Oyster White Walls) and adding dramatic splashes of teal and turquoise.

Convert a picture frame into a clever bulletin board. Bella Tucker Decorative Artists’ Brook Tucker found a nice size picture frame and converted it into a clever corkboard in the Tween Girl’s Bedroom by designer Kristen Finney. Using the popular Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, described as faux paint for dummies, Tucker’s frame takes on a new personality.

Speaking of new ideas in paint, Castle Homes’ in-house designer Caroline Weigel has used dry-erase paint outlined with decorative moulding for clever family message board in the home’s mud room.

What, what do you do with the narrow wall of a two-story staircase? Local art expert Ron York called in one of his creative big guns Michael Bush to create a delightful triptych “Caballo” custom to the slender space framed by pretty sconces. York encourages homeowners’ to be unafraid of commissioning special pieces for their home. By doing so, you transform the transition space into an artful addition.

Rough and tumble boys with huge imaginations deserve a room which reflects that personality. Designer Lee Shacklock has re-purposed plumbing pipe into the curtain rod and desk frame of the Industry Whimsy themed boy’s bedroom. Using a world-map mural to wrap a flying machine, created by Tweed Baby Outfitters, completes this inspiring space.

Intimidated by Pink? Designer Amanda Burdge has provided the showcase home with a fresh take on this sometimes disastrous color. Weaving a vintage pink, a variation of the design industry’s top color of the year, she brings Southern glam to her soothing guest retreat.

Encourage your kiddos to linger at the dinner table through informal seating. Desiger Beth Jones has long been an advocate of adding comfy seating to the kitchen table to please all members of the family. Mom will love the look of the clever bench seating in the showcase home’s Breakfast Room while kids will appreciate the posture break.

Castle Homes’ in-house designer and company vice president Heather Looney recently appeared on WSMV’s More at Midday with an additional “Five Great Southern Living Showcase Home Ideas.”

Find your own inspiration through Sunday, November 6 at Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home in the new Dorset Park neighborhood off Old Hickory Boulevard and Granny White Pike benefiting Ronald McDonald House Nashville. For directions, hours and on-line tickets, visit www.castlehomes.com and follow the Showcase Home on Facebook and Twitter.

Eat ‘n Greet: Discover What’s Cooking in Kitchen Design

Posted on: October 20th, 2011 by Castle Homes No Comments

In a truly southern home, the kitchen may as well be called the ‘living room.’ It’s where we gather and chatter, commiserate and contemplate. I’ve been to many events in grand homes with palatial sitting areas, decks and views yet all I can recall are the kitchens. Maybe it’s the anticipation of what’s cooking or the warmth and familiarity of the space. Whatever draws us in, the kitchen is, indeed, the heart of the home.

In the Nashville Southern Living Showcase Home (presently making its debut in Dorset Park just off Granny White Pike), the kitchen is the heart of the matter—by design. The first floor layout embraces our natural inclination to gather in the kitchen. The bright, open space is only a few steps from the front door and flanked by inviting areas for milling, relaxing and (of course) dining. The space embodies the concept of southern hospitality.

Mind you, this is a “Showcase Home,” so no detail has been spared in presenting the absolute latest and greatest in a chef’s kitchen. Design elements and product selections were made by Caroline Weigel and Heather Looney, who form the in-house design team of show house builder Castle Homes. From premier appliances and hardware to durable surfaces and generous conveniences, this kitchen has it all.

Here’s a quick list of the must-see touches:

- A highly functional center island constructed of Calcutta Gold honed marble with thickened edge, containing a pop-up lifter for a kitchen mixer, towel pull-out and Asko dishwasher
- Perimeter counters in Caesarstone (a non-porous, mineral-based surfacing product) with a mosaic natural stone backsplash
- Maple cabinets, custom crafted for the space by Larsen Cabinet Shop and painted an “Origami White” for a fresh, open feel
- A Wolf dual fuel 48” range with double ovens, topped by a pewter finished hood, as well as a Wolf microwave drawer
- An enameled, cast-iron farmhouse sink with apron front and parq chrome, bridge-style faucet—both by Kohler
- A Sub-Zero 27” wide, tower refrigerator/freezer with a new flush inset with cabinet panel doors
- Entire area, including adjacent breakfast nook, features low VOC paint, 3”-thick, coffee-stained oak flooring and fresh, ample and attractive lighting and natural color schemes for walls and upholstery

“This showcase home is about southern hospitality, and we didn’t forget a key part of being hospitable is cooking,” Designer Heather Looney summarizes. “Every square inch of this area is inviting, comfortable and welcoming…and ready for gourmet cooking.” While this home is a true showcase of the grandest products and designs, Looney offers some practical design insights so we can all add a little “Southern Living” to our kitchens. Here are the take-aways.

- Counter intelligence: Choose durable surfaces for lasting functionality and beauty, and keep those surfaces as uncluttered as possible to make food preparation simple.
- Bright ideas: Don’t skimp on good lighting in the kitchen, and select soft, natural colors for draperies, cabinets and walls to enhance the view from within.
- Appliance reliance: Invest in appliances that will meet your family’s needs long term. Even if you can’t attain the Sub-Zero or Wolf selections, opt for good performing, sturdy and generously proportioned refrigerators, dishwashers and ranges.
- Soft landings: Contrast the hard surfaces of kitchen cabinets and counters with plenty of upholstered seating and drapery panels.
- Open up: If you’re considering a remodel, find ways to open up space around your kitchen to make all that southern gathering and chattering more comfortable and possible.

Get firsthand kitchen inspiration by touring The Southern Living Showcase Home between October 21 – November 6. For more details, visit the Showcase Home on Facebook and Twitter.

Intriguing Design Element: Natural Hide Rug

Posted on: September 16th, 2011 by Castle Homes No Comments

What do natural hide rugs, Lee Ann Rimes and Dana Goodman have in common? Goodman, one of the talented Southern Living Showcase Home interior designers, has woven her signature design element into the penthouse of the Terrazzo where Rimes’ Great American Country special “Backstory” interviews took place. Adding some design intrigue to the uber interesting Nashville high rise setting, Goodman is also weaving a striking natural hide rug into the eclectic dining room of the Southern Living Showcase Home, opening October 21 in Dorset Park neighborhood.

Southern Living Showcase Home Dining Room

A natural hide rug will be layered atop an all-natural seagrass rug creating an exquisite layered look in the showcase home’s dining room by designer Dana Goodman.

A statement piece is what Goodman considers a natural hide rug and she likes to incorporate one into every design project when appropriate. “An important by-product of the sport of hunting, sometimes people are hesitant using a natural hide rug until they see it in context and fall in love,” Goodman said. “I like a wow factor in a room. A natural hide rug adds whimsy to a sedate room and punches it out with personality. ”
Here are some of Goodman’s points to consider when choosing a rug:

- A natural hide rug is a statement piece. Be sure you use a professional to guide you in the right selection. You don’t want to inadvertently invest in an imitation product.
- Measured by the square foot, it is important to know the size and shape of your room before making your final selection.
- If maintained, natural hides never wear out or deteriorate. You can continually re-invent a hide by the way in which you present it in your home.
- Prices vary based on type, size, color and origin of the skin. If you aren’t ready to make the natural rug selection, try an interesting accent piece in a pillow or frame from stores like West Elm or Restoration Hardware.

Dana Goodman, Showcase Home dining room designer, is creating an internationally eclectic room from an Indonesian teak root table pedestal to a Waterford, Ireland chandelier.

Goodman is part of a team of Nashville’s top designers selected for Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home being built by Castle Homes in the new Green Hills’ neighborhood, Dorset Park. Tickets are now on sale via TicketsNashville. com, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ronald McDonald House Nashville. Follow the progress of the Showcase Home on Facebook and Twitter.

Mixing Upholstered Pieces For Comforable, Everyday Eating Areas

Posted on: August 25th, 2011 by Castle Homes No Comments

Does your kitchen table look magazine great but your family flees as soon as possible? If the answer is yes, then maybe you haven’t made it comfortable, ‘key to those precious lingering family meals’ says Southern Living Showcase Home designer Beth Wilee Jones.

Jones, an HGTV Designer’s Challenge Winner, is creating the breakfast room for the Southern Living Showcase Home opening October 21 in Dorset Park nestled in southern Davidson County. The key, she says, to an inviting eating area is to emphasize comfort. “Many times, an everyday eating area has a hard, durable chair stressing form and durability over comfort. I like to take the opposite approach by choosing a comfy, fabric covered chair which makes the family member want to stick around and talk beyond the “how was your day,” said Jones.

Southern Living Showcase Home Breakfast Nook

Jones is taking that approach in the breakfast room of the Southern Living Showcase Home mixing fabric covered chairs and side benches, heavily scotch-guarded, with an interesting trestle table. “Although someone older wouldn’t want to spend hours on a fabric covered bench, I love to pair bench seating in a more casual setting. Kids flock to a bench which doesn’t constrict them into a more formal environment and makes it seem more playful, like a picnic in the park,” Jones said.

Ultimately, if you are too afraid of messy kiddos in your kitchen eating area, Jones recommends a slip-covered parsons chair. You’ll be able to change and wash your slip-covers to match the season or decorating mood.

Here's a pretty preview of the Southern Living Showcase Home's Media Room by Bradford's Interior designer Tressa Hudson, allied ASID. Hudson divided the spacious room into four flexible living areas including an inviting Game Area with a tall back, striped upholstered banquette paired with striking modified Chinese Chippendale chairs.

The Southern Living Showcase Home opens select dates October 21 – November 6. Furniture, accessories and artwork are available to the public for purchase at the After The Tour Sale immediately following on Monday, November 7 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. To find out more about Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home experience, follow the build on Facebook and Twitter.

Encouraging Conversation Through Design

Posted on: August 11th, 2011 by Castle Homes No Comments

A southern home should be all things hospitable and the trend of incorporating round tables into entertaining spaces is just one of the many inspiring design elements of Nashville’s Southern Living Showcase Home open to the public in Dorset Park this October.

The round table was seen in ancient Chinese times as an essential part of the meal experience. The circular setting allowed more people to be seated and none was considered more important than others when seated in the round.

The circular table also encourages the exchange of ideas by serving as an equalizing element says Dana Goodman, ASID interior designer with Dana Goodman Interiors. She is creating the dining room of the Southern Living Showcase Home with a stunning glass-top table.

“As a feng shui consultant, it is very important to me to recognize that design elements chosen with these principles impact the way in which a family lives in a home. Round tables in dining rooms lend a more casual air instead of a boardroom feel. As a result, the family gets more use of the room instead just for high-family holidays,” Goodman noted.

The Southern Living Showcase Home’s dining table will not only evoke a feng shui principle but will be stylistically intriguing as well says Goodman. The pedestal is exotic teak root from Indonesia. It was excavated and repurposed for furniture production with no pieces of the tree discarded. Natural in color, it has been treated for residential use.

An intriguing teak root pedestal top table, taken from designer Dana Goodman’s private collection, will be featured in the Southern Living Showcase Home with custom chairs in Celtic natural linen fabric by Vervain.

Designer Jerome Farris of Peddler Interiors, reflects on the round table trend in the Southern Living Showcase Homes’ living room: “Depending upon the room, the round table can be a great way to make efficient use of space. The shape inspires movement with ease and encourages flow when entertaining,” Farris said. “We are excited to be using a gorgeous Marge Carson silver-leaf finished table with a metal woven metallic band. With two-tiers of glass, the table cleverly accommodates magazines on the bottom and decorative accessories on top.”

The area’s only Southern Living Showcase Home is open select times October 21 through November 6 in Dorset Park neighborhood in southern Davidson County with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville as the benefiting non-profit organization. Follow the build on Facebook and Twitter.

(Photo by Lynsey Waddill)