2025 VOL. 45
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
Nashville Interiors
THE KITCHEN & BATH ISSUE
HUSKEY BUILDING SUPPLY’S NEW SHOWROOM A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
BUREAU’S MATT DONAHOE SHARES SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL KITCHEN
REJUVENATION OPENS WITH LIGHTING, HARDWARE AND MORE
ARTVILLE EXPANDS TO NEUHOFF, DOWNTOWN
Nashville Interiors
OWNER/PUBLISHER
Hollie Deese
SALES DIRECTOR
Pam Harper
ART DIRECTOR
Cat Kahnle
AD DESIGN
Tracey Starck
COPY EDITOR
Jennifer Goode Stevens, GoodeEdits.com
Kelly Carson
ARTS EDITOR
Robert Jones
CONTRIBUTORS
Nicole Childrey, William DeShazer, Dean Dixon, Allison Elefante, Jeff Frazier, Brandon Lee, Anthony Romano
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 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 or 2025 media kit, email Pam Harper, pam@nashvilleinteriors.com
To request content reprints, suggest story ideas or notify us with website or social media issues, email Hollie Deese, hollie@nashvilleinteriors.com
ON THE COVER
For a family business three generations in the making — currently helmed by brothers Austin and Taylor — it was necessary to showcase not only the Huskeys’ deep family roots, but also the evolution of the company from lumber yard to luxury custom home materials supplier. Their newly renovated showroom — led by the team at Powell Architecture and Building Studio — is meant to be an experience: a place to gather, to get inspired and to be taken care of by a team that cares as much about your project as they do their family name and reputation.
(Cover photo William DeShazer at Huskey Building Supply in Franklin)
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Welcome
What Middle Tennessee is experiencing is a breakneck rate of development. Yes, we sound like a broken record at this point, but the absolute transformation of neighborhoods is happening before our very eyes. And one place where that is very apparent is Wedgewood-Houston. With Hermès about to open on the heels of Pastis, and Wedgewood Village and accompanying music venue set to open later this year, it is barely recognizable from the industrial area it once was.
But amid the growth is the undercurrent of what makes Nashville so special — collaboration, creativity and artistic expression. Cass Contemporary just opened their doors, and the gallery is pushing Nashville art scene even further (page 89), including their contribution to this year’s expanded public art festival, Artville.
One neighborhood that has been developed for a long time now but is also going through some major changes is Green Hills. Its being landlocked doesn’t seem to stop new homes from being built on older lots — and new stores opening in old storefronts.
As we focus on kitchens and baths this issue, one of those new stores is Rejuvenation, the lighting and hardware retailer that opened its 12th location, and first in Tennessee, in the old Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams space (page 60). At a recent panel we hosted for the grand opening, designer Brad Ramsey noted that kitchens are one of the most open and widely used spaces in a home, while bathrooms are more private. As such, the design of each room must be intentional.
Matt Donahoe of Bureau Interiors Design really hammers home the idea that a kitchen is the linchpin in any home (page 35), and offers up tips for making sure yours is exactly as you want and need it to be during a renovation. “Kitchen design is incredibly personal,” he says. We couldn’t agree more.
Rejuvenation grand opening. Photo credit: Jeff Frazier
Nashville Interiors CONTRIBUTORS
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, ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared in magazines such as National Geographic, Plate, Golfweek, ESPN The Magazine, O – The Oprah Magazine and Runner’s World. 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. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, he photographed the artist Sai Clayton and the team and interiors of the renovated Huskey Building Supply showroom for the cover and editorial feature.
NICOLE CHILDREY | WRITER
Nicole Childrey is a writer, editor and digital content strategist/manager with more than two decades of experience. From 2011 to 2019, Nicole worked full-time as a freelance content producer and social media manager, with clients ranging from marketing companies to hyperlocal publications, Realtors, record labels and small Nashville businesses. Before that she spent seven years on staff at Nashville daily The Tennessean and five years on staff at emerging-music publishing/events company CMJ in New York. Her writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, SPIN, the Nashville Scene, Billboard, USA Today, Modern Drummer and NYLON and on MTV.com and a host of other outlets. She has also been part of the in-house creative agency at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, directing online output for the organization as the pandemic turned their business inside out. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, Nicole writes about the renovation project of designer Sarah Stacey, the enduring legacy of sculptor Alan LeQuire and the pro kitchen tips from designer Matt Donahoe of Bureau Interior Design.
ROBERT JONES | ARTS EDITOR
Robert Jones is a London-born fine artist who has been based in Nashville since 2010. He is the owner of Mangoe Arts, a picture framing, installation and arts consultation company in the Germantown neighborhood. An active member of the arts community who is regularly involved in organizing community-focused arts initiatives in the city, Robert is on the board of the North Nashville Arts Coalition. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, he profiles artist Sai Clayton. He is currently enjoying time with his wife and baby; they are preparing to welcome a second child later this year.
ALLISON ELEFANTE | PHOTOGRAPHER
Allison Elefante is a Nashville-based interior and architectural photographer who has become a mainstay with local designers, builders and artists. 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 photographed multiple covers for Nashville Interiors, including this one. For this issue, she brings the interiors work of designers Bradie Fisher and Sarah Stacey to life in her images. When she isn’t behind the camera, she enjoys time at home with her husband and three young children.
60 REJOICE, IT’S REJUVENATION
The respected lighting, hardware and home furnishings retailer opens in Green Hills.
69 IMMERSIVE INSPIRATION
Cheekwood’s latest Interventions exhibit features seven paintings from artist Shawn Huckins.
89
78
SCULPTING THE FUTURE
Alan LeQuire revisits ‘Athena Parthenos,’ passing down hard-won wisdom.
Artville expands physically and creatively in its third year. 60 85 78
85
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SAI CLAYTON
The Nashville artist blends American and Japanese heritage in her creations.
89 CONTEMPORARY COUPLE
Cass Contemporary opens in WeHo and brings with it a new level of sophistication to the Nashville art scene.
92 CREATIVE GROWTH
Family Farmhouse Rescued From Ruin
A ‘LABOR OF LOVE’ RESTORED IN ROBERTSON COUNTY
BY NICOLE CHILDREY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON ELEFANTE
If it weren’t for the Robertson County archives, the Fykes might’ve unknowingly demolished their own family heirloom.
The homeowners had just purchased an 1880s farmhouse in Cedar Hill, Tennessee, with the intention — seemingly their only option — of tearing it down.
“It was in such a state of disrepair,” says interior designer Sarah Capps, a Robertson resident who works in Sarah Stacey Interior Design’s Nashville office. “It was like a hoarding situation, and then abandoned with all that stuff in it.”
A name changed the home’s fate. Its address, on Fykes Grove Road, piqued the new owners’ curiosity: Could this be part of the original land grant from their earliest American ancestor, a Fyke who’d fought in the Revolutionary War?
The archives had answers.
“They saw the house,” remembers Capps. “It was listed as ‘The Fyke House,’ and one of their ancestors had built it. They’re like, ‘Well, now we have to save it.’”
“It was in such a state of disrepair. It was like a hoarding situation, and then abandoned with all that stuff in it.” — Sarah Stacey
FINDING FUNCTION, KEEPING CHARACTER
The decision was easy. The process of rescuing the nearly 150-year-old home? Much more complicated.
Nearly two generations since those early Fykes built and loved it, the stately but simple vernacular farmhouse now bordered on crumbling — covered in rust and rot, filled with long-forgotten furniture and trash, ivy vines growing straight through the walls.
An 1880s farmhouse in Cedar Hill was brought back from a state of total disrepair, its history honored in the renovation and redesign.
The new stewards carefully cleared out remnants and refuse from past renters and started some of the significant demo work. But once they got into it, the full scope of the project became apparent.
“They saw, ‘Oh, we need help,’” Capps says. “’This is more than we can tackle on our own.’”
Sarah Stacey Interior Design had been tapped to help shape plans for a new build. Their task — reimagining a historic property that seemed beyond help, adding modern function and comfort while honoring the history that made it priceless.
“They’re very sentimental people,” Capps says of the homeowners, “so they wanted to save a lot — as much original as they could. But when it’s in that state, you want to keep the character, but you also want the house to be comfortable for them to live into their retirement. This is their forever home.”
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
As restoration and renovation began, history commanded restraint. In its heyday, the classic farmhouse wouldn’t have featured much flair, but the designers and homeowners saw opportunities for creativity too.
Ultimately, bridging that gap became a collaborative effort.
The team figured out how to install modern ductwork without crowding the comfortable historic ceilings. They managed to save a share of original details — upstairs floorboards, brickwork inside the fireplaces and on the chimneys, even some of the original framing.
The homeowners carefully restored the original mantel in the primary bedroom and built other mantels to match.
For other finishes and furnishings, the design team and clients sourced and selected an eclectic mix of new pieces and heirlooms and antiques that referenced the past but fit for the family’s future.
OLD, NEW, MIXING THE TWO
For the living room, the Stacey team found an antique rug and a cache of vibe-setting paintings at Debbie Mathews Antiques & Designs in nearby Nashville. They pulled pintsized vintage chairs up to an easy antique coffee table. They added a tapestry found at a flea market in Paris, and made pillows out of vintage overshot blankets and new floral fabric that’ll be part of the forthcoming Sarah Stacey fabric and wallpaper line, likely out in 2026.
The homeowners had a collection of decorative plates, including vintage Majolica pottery, which Capps arranged in wall displays to add interest in the living and dining rooms. In the dining space, the Fyke family silver sits in a hutch near another lucky find — framed photos whose full importance only recently became clear.
“They had a bunch of old black and white images, and were looking back at them after they bought the house,” Capps says. “They’re like, ‘Oh, that’s our house.’”
The kitchen stayed simple at the homeowners’ request, with clean lines, warm wood tones and subtle pops of color. But a ledge on the range hood offered a place to play with art, and the Fykes have turned that into a rotating gallery.
“It was just a pretty little ledge detail that spoke to the bracket feet at the bottom of the cabinets, just to bring that curve up there too,” Capps says.
“And then it turned into the art ledge,” says studio founder Sarah Stacey.
Nearby, large pendant lights draw the eye up from the center island. Those are new, though the vintage vibe is intentional.
“They kind of look like carriage lanterns, which is fun,” says Capps. “This house probably saw some carriages early in its life.”
The grandkids’ room didn’t require much sourcing, with the owners providing a mix of colorful pieces (a quilt, rug, vintage toys kept since childhood) that the designers arranged into a cohesive, classic but whimsical design.
In the primary, a tall armoire with light curtains anchors the space. It’s one of the few close-to-period-appropriate antiques in the restored and reimagined home.
Capps and Stacey both love that the piece and its era alignment. But neither believe it’s necessary (or necessarily optimum) to hew rigidly to a historic home’s original era and its dominant design style.
“We’re definitely of the mentality that you don’t have to have every piece that’s specific to the time period in a house,” Stacey says. “We just want to make it something that you love looking at and you feel happy in.”
“Period appropriate” probably wouldn’t be period appropriate, anyway, from Capps’ perspective.
“At that time, unless people were really wealthy, they couldn’t buy all of their furniture at the same time,” she says. “So it was a lot of collected pieces.”
LABOR, LOVE
On the back side of this collective “labor of love,” as the Fykes reestablish their roots and move on to restoring more of the long-ignored seven-acre property, Capps and Stacey are raking in high marks for a high-difficulty-level project.
“They’re obsessed with it,” Capps says of the homeowners, beaming. “They love it.”
And who knows? Maybe in another 145 years, future generations of Fykes will tell the story of the family farmhouse’s unexpected resurrection, sitting together at and on these carefully picked, lovingly placed antiques.
“They’ve lasted this long,” Capps says. “They’ve lived through so many families, and so many children. And they’re still trucking.” NI
LET THEM COOK
In the kitchen with Matt Donahoe of Bureau Interior Design
BY NICOLE CHILDREY | PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED
“It’s the epicenter, the hub of the home. It’s the nucleus of how families live.”
— Matt Donahoe
Matt Donahoe says a good kitchen design requires an incredible sense of balance. Form and function have to harmonize, and the kitchen’s design needs to make a clear aesthetic statement without crowding out the voice of every other room.
“Most of our projects are multiyear, so we’re seeing clients through a large portion of their life. We want to make sure that we’re always designing for what’s beholden to them in the future. What’s going to be their life in five more years? Are they staying in this house forever?”
— Matt Donahoe
Maybe you cook a lot. Maybe you never cook but love to host. Maybe your kids prefer to do their homework at a breakfast bar and maybe your husband dreams of a scullery kitchen that keeps the shrimp shells and greasy sauciers safely out of sight.
Every homeowner has their kitchen particulars. And once the process of designing or redesigning a kitchen starts, it becomes clear, almost immediately. This space is the absolute linchpin.
“It’s the epicenter, the hub of the home,” says Matt Donahoe, founder and principal designer for Nashville’s Bureau Interior Architecture | Design. “It’s the nucleus of how families live.”
Donahoe and Bureau don’t focus their work on kitchens exclusively, but their stylistically broad portfolio does show a particularly deft hand for it. The secret? Treating kitchens as “highly considered architectural moments,” meant to “quietly evolve alongside” the homeowners.
“Most of our projects are multiyear,” Donahoe says, “so we’re seeing clients through a large portion of their life. We want to make sure that we’re always designing for what’s beholden to them in the future. What’s going to be their life in five more years? Are they staying in this house forever?”
THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL
Knowing where they’re going means knowing where clients are — their needs and patterns, practicalities and preferences, tastes and tendencies. So even getting to the starting line for a timeless kitchen design requires an intense level of curiosity, understanding, intuition and intimacy.
“Kitchen design,” Donahoe says, “is incredibly personal.”
It also requires an incredible sense of balance. Form and function have to harmonize, and maybe more than any other space in the home, the kitchen’s design needs to make a clear aesthetic statement without crowding out the voice of every other room.
“We really, really strive for making sure there’s a continuity to the flow of spaces,” Donahoe says, “whether it’s an open or closed floor plan, really being conscientious of how we’re spending the budget so that the kitchen is the unifier. Because it’s very rare that an architect and a designer will ever place the kitchen off the main tributary.”
To unify the unifier, Donahoe makes careful decisions about where to go big and where to pull back, where to complement the architecture and where to provide counterpoint, where to nod to the past and where to look toward the future.
The kitchen in one of their relatively recent local projects, a topto-bottom renovation for a family of four in Franklin, Tennessee, ended up being a personal favorite, in part because it required Donahoe to flex his dynamic design muscles.
The home’s modern, open floor plan intersected with more classic, Italian-inspired architecture. It was “a juggernaut of a home,” Donahoe says, and the Bureau team was hired to touch every single space without touching the core architecture.
The challenge? Offering due deference to that architecture while bringing in the family’s personality, meeting their immediate needs, and aging well enough to grow with them through all the seasons to come.
Donahoe and Bureau shaped the kitchen design around two substantial islands that define the space while providing ample space to work and play, with bright honed Calacatta Gold Extra marble complementing quarter-sawn white oak. The islands sit alongside a large, arched window that looks out onto the pool (and feels like it could just as easily be looking out onto a Chianti courtyard).
The kitchen quickly became the most used space in their home, the family told Donahoe — a preferred hangout for their boys and a beautiful, comfortable place to prepare and enjoy meals.
“That kitchen still makes me feel like a warm embrace,” Donahoe says. “I mean, I don’t know if there’s a better way to explain it. It just feels like home.”
HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT
One surefire (but maybe a little contradictory) way to make a space feel like home, from Donahoe’s perspective — bringing in finishing touches, often small in size but always big in personality, from farflung places.
He got a taste for travel early, growing up in Nebraska and getting toted around Europe with his German-born mom, Sigrid. Being exposed to French design, Italian design, Nordic design — it piqued an interest in interiors and a lifelong draw toward wandering and collecting.
This summer he headed to Norway, Sweden and Finland and came back to Nashville with new old treasures. Through the years,
Donahoe has snatched up an array of intriguing statement pieces, from vintage Danish wood bowls to old mortar and pestles, cool little lamps and intriguing pieces of glassware.
“I’m a terrible collector,” he says, laughing, “because then I’ll decide that I wanna sell it to a client or I wanna use it in a project. I’m always acquiring and always looking.”
As Bureau gets toward the end of a design project, Donahoe tends to gift a finishing touch or two to the homeowners. Right now, they’re working on a contemporary home for a client who has a keen eye for Japanese design. So the team is preparing something special to imbue that innate, individual sense of home — a bowl that’s been repaired through the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, joining broken pieces with precious metal to reflect the beauty in imperfection.
“It’s something they’ll look back on,” Donahoe says. “And not only do they look back on us fondly, hopefully, for the kitchen design, they’re also looking at something that speaks to what makes them happy.”
Happiness, like kitchen design, is incredibly personal. NI
Matt Donahoe is the founder and principal designer of Bureau Interior Architecture | Design in Nashville. His approach balances comfort with elegance, designing spaces offering a personalized sense of home.
Matt Donahoe says to treat kitchens as architectural moments meant to quietly evolve alongside the homeowners.
PURSUING EXCELLENCE, HONORING LEGACY
HUSKEY BUILDING SUPPLY: FOUNDED BY BROTHERS. BUILT BY BROTHERS. CONTINUED BY BROTHERS.
BY HOLLIE DEESE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER
It takes a team to make things work so well at Huskey, including, from left,
Heather Anderson, Thom Coghlan, Taylor Huskey, Destiny Lopez and Austin Huskey.
The evolution of a legacy usually begins with a hard worker and an idea, and that is no different than the beginnings of Huskey Building Supply in Franklin, now run by its third generation of brothers.
Huskey’s growth began in 1945 when the company was founded by builder Clay Huskey. He circumvented the lack of local lumberyards by buying wood to use in his own projects directly from sawmills in Alabama. When he was done, he would sell the excess materials from a small lot in Southeast Nashville.
He soon realized the value in what he was doing — so he stopped building houses and focused solely on the lumber business. He brought in his brother, Cecil, to help, and Huskey was officially a family business.
After a few years Clay left the company, but Cecil continued on, bringing in his sons, Jim and Arnold, to carry on the burgeoning legacy. Jim threw himself into Huskey and, with the support of his wife, Marla, modeled for his own sons the care and conscientiousness that helped the business thrive for years.
Today those boys, Austin and Taylor, are taking what their grandfather and his brother started, and what their dad and uncle
grew, and they are developing it into something that honors the work that made it possible for them to achieve this next phase. They’re set up for continued success thanks to their commitment to progress, to their people and to the pride they have in their work and in personal accountability — all things they learned from their father.
“My dad did a good job teaching us the business from the bottom up,” Taylor says. “We started out picking up around the lumber yard before we could drive a forklift. And he didn’t let us move on to the next thing until everybody around said, ‘Nope, Taylor’s got it.’ Then he could move on to the next thing. And I am so grateful for those guys who worked with us to make this thing grow.”
Now overseeing a premier building supply house with multiple locations and 300 employees, the brothers have the future in mind, always. After all, their kids are going to need a place to work someday soon, especially after hearing about it at the kitchen table at home — just like their dads did.
“The business was always a conversation at home,” Austin says. “It’s just what we did. We were always talking about work around the dinner table, that was just life. And as trying as relationships can be, there’s a lot of mutual respect between the three of us.”
THE TEAM
Through pairing the energy of youth with the centuries of experience on the sales team, there isn’t much they haven’t experienced in their 80-year history.
“There’s almost nothing out there in the building world that we haven’t seen before,” says Thom Coghlan, who works in sales and business development with Huskey. “We have so much depth and history and experience on the team, but we are also dynamically young.”
Anthony Nigretto has been with Huskey for nearly 10 years. He started out working at the front counter, moved his way up to dispatch, and finally shifted to sales about eight years ago.
“That’s a common trend with Huskey, truly promoting from within instead of just saying they do,” he says.
Nigretto works with custom builders like Sipple and Stonegate Homes, and with high-end designers like Julie Davis, to source all the materials they need on projects.
“We’re not just selling these builders products. We’re almost assistant project managers,” he says. “So if they are going to buy from me, I am now an integrated part of your team. I’m looking for solutions to make their lives easier. I’m value-engineering their builds. It’s truly like I am on the team as opposed to just an order taker.”
Nigretto says people are seeing the value in what Huskey does, and that they have had more customers sign up in the past two years than in their entire history. “We are all trained, and we all have a desire to be product experts,” he says. “It’s all of us in the field, boots on the ground, getting feedback, finding out what builders want and bringing in the best quality.”
He also feels a loyalty to Austin and Taylor, and to their father, Jim.
“They’re very humble, hardworking people who value their people and the dollar they’re working for,” he says. “It’s a lot of pressure that I think most people, myself included, probably can’t relate to. Because they’re taking care of their little circle. Their legacy. They probably wake up every day and think about the hardships their dads and grandparents went through, and they’ll do anything not to fail.”
Across: All in the family, Taylor, left, and Austin lean on their wives, Evelyn and Katherine, just like their father Jim did with their mom Marla.
The team at Blackwolf Build turns to Huskey for the supplies they need on their most luxurious builds.
Huskey is adept and dealing with designers, architects and builders, like this Fry Classic Constructiion project from architect Farris Concepts Architecture; interior design by Alcott Interiors and shot by Emily Followill.
From beams to floors, windows to trim, Huskey helps builders like River Birch source it all because of their holistic approach to a build.
“The nice thing about Huskey is they look at the entire house. When you send them plans, they are already thinking about windows and interior trim — things that not every lumber yard does. You’ve got one point of contact for the whole thing.”
— Andrew Moreton
Partnerships between Huskey and their clients like Hyde Construction are more than just business. There is also a mutual respect for the work.
THE PROJECTS
From design to finish, Huskey has positioned itself over the years to become the premier building supply house for custom home builders in Middle Tennessee and beyond, including Kentucky and Alabama.
“Huskey is nimble,” Coghlan says. “We will literally build the team and experience around what you need. Our goal is to build the business how you need it.”
Andrew Moreton is the founder and owner of luxury homebuilder Carlton Wise and has worked with Huskey since his previous job at Vintage South. So when he went out on his own in October 2024, he knew the benefits of working with Huskey.
“The nice thing about Huskey is they look at the entire house. When you send them plans, they are already thinking about windows and interior trim — things that not every lumber yard does. You’ve got one point of contact for the whole thing.”
Huskey worked with Superior Custom Homes to accomplish the perfect build for their client.
Brian Sipple of Sipple Homes works with Huskey to achieve a stunning finish.
The recently renovated showroom is meant to be experienced, with designers, builders and clients all coming in to get inspired and find some expert advice.
By taking a holistic approach, Huskey cuts down the number of vendors a builder has to work with, and if the relationship is good, everything is easier.
“I just like working with people who I enjoy working with, first and foremost, and with people who are responsive and get back to you in a timely manner,” Moreton says. “And Huskey always does that.” Huskey is the exclusive Marvin Windows and Doors dealer for the area, and the work they do is reflective of who they are becoming — a true production builder powerhouse.
“We actually have the highest payroll of designers and carry more overhead in that regard because we found it’s the best service by having someone on staff, in house, do your design,” Coghlan says.
NEW SHOWROOM COMES TO LIFE
The perfect way to showcase the evolution of Huskey Building Supply from a small lumberyard to luxury home materials supplier was a total Franklin showroom renovation, so the Huskeys hired Katie Vance and her team at the design and architecture firm Powell Nashville to lead the way.
“The Huskey team engaged us to reimagine their showroom experience into something more elevated and tailored,” says Abbey Stewart, interior designer and material resource manager for Powell. “Their vision was to create a high-end environment where guests would feel welcomed and cared for, surrounded by thoughtful details and amenities.”
For example, upon entering the Lewisburg Pike showroom’s lobby, visitors are greeted by a concierge desk, a well-appointed amenity bar and a soft custom sofa in a seating area anchored by a fireplace. It immediately sets the tone for a luxurious and comfortable experience.
“Because the showroom program mirrors that of a residential space, with a living room, dining room, kitchen and library, we drew inspiration from high-end residential projects that balance sophistication with a sense of warmth and hospitality,” Stewart says.
The result is a showroom that feels less like a retail space and more like a thoughtfully designed home.
“Throughout the design process, especially when developing millwork details and selecting finishes, we kept asking ourselves, ‘How can this feel more bespoke, more luxe, more one-of-a-kind?’” Stewart says.
One standout example is the materials selection area, a dedicated space where staff can share samples and finishes with clients. “But we wanted to elevate the experience,” Stewart says. The result is a custom-designed island with sample storage on both sides, a circular banquette with a large round table for presenting materials, and bar seating along the back—turning a functional area into an inviting, design-forward destination.
“It elevates the entire experience for custom customers,” Coghlan says. “We want people to come here to experience home building in a way they haven’t before.”
The finish palette played a key role in bringing the project vision to life.
“We layered in materials, colors and textures one could find in today’s most elevated homes,” Stewart says. Think bouclé, velvet and linen textiles; a balanced mix of ebonized and white oak wood tones; Calacatta Viola; limewashed walls and brass accents.
“Each selection was made to enhance the tactile quality of the space and reinforce a sense of cozy luxury,” she says, which includes local vendors like the custom conference room tables from Holler Design and the tile base detail at the concierge desk from Red Rock Tileworks.
Even as they were wrapping up construction, the team at Powell loved seeing the Huskey team already enjoying the space and making it their own. “Collaborating with them was a true pleasure, and we’re proud to have helped bring their vision of a refined, elevated showroom experience to life.” NI
A Maximalist Makeover
A leaky shower leads to a full-blown refresh for a home in Franklin
What started as a bathroom renovation after a leaky shower repair turned into a whole-home upgrade for a recent emptynester in Franklin who leaned into her love of mixing patterns, colors, textures and standout lighting.
After seven years of living in their Franklin home, Bernadette Boggess got a leak in her shower. But this wasn’t just any leak. They discovered they had basically been dumping water into the floor of the primary bathroom the entirety of living there. So Boggess enlisted her neighbor, designer Bradie Fisher, and together with her husband, Michael, decided to just renovate the whole bathroom.
After the bathroom was done, Boggess decided the bedroom could use new paint (hunter green) and flooring (wood herringbone), and then things snowballed. Although it wasn’t a full renovation, it did become a total design overhaul. So what started as a builder-grade home with no personality was completely reimagined into a vibrant, dynamic space that felt like a true reflection of the homeowner.
“Bernadette is an empty nester with a passion for color, pattern, and drama that was a true and wanted her main living areas to feel more aligned with her bold personality. My goal was to create a space that would make her fall in love with her home again,” says Fisher. “As the designer, I took a hands-on approach to transform every detail.”
A selection of William Morris wallpapers were the spark of inspiration for designer Bradie Fisher and her client Bernadette Boggess. Once each paper found a place, it was easy to then layer in fabrics and finishes for a maximalist look.
BUT FIRST, PAPER
Fisher anchored the design around a variety of stunning William Morris wallpapers, which set the stage for the entire project. Their intricate, timeless prints and whimsical patterns gave each room its own personality while tying everything together. “She has a ‘more is more’ style, and I would lovingly tease her that she would’ve wallpapered the doorknobs if she could,” says Fisher.
“I’m a total maximalist,” says Boggess. “Print on print, layers of texture. That’s just my personality. I want my home to be warm and comfortable, and everything I pick I want to love.”
Each room has a different wallpaper pattern, but somehow they all flow together in a cohesive way. But once they decided which paper would be in each room, the rest of the design really came together, informing where they would go next with upholstery and window treatments, and rugs, especially in terms of scale.
Fisher says taking the maximalist approach was a stretch for her as a designer, adding layers of texture and pattern while also making sure Bernadette’s non-maximalist husband was comfortable. Ultimately, it was exciting to have a client for a change she had to rein in instead of pushing.
“It was fun leaning into all the patterns and the colors and the textures,” Fisher says. “And I never had to convince her when I got a wild idea. She would always go for it.”
Fisher carefully curated the rest of the space along with Boggess: fresh paint, new lighting, custom window treatments, updated finishes and a mix of new and reimagined furniture. “I worked to ensure that every element had a purpose, and that it all came together to create a cohesive, dramatic vibe,” Fisher says.
Boggess says her favorite part of this process was being creative with Fisher, working off each other to make something amazing.
“My vibe is not her vibe,” Boggess says. “But it was so fun picking the rugs and picking the paper and the fabric and the prints. Just the whole evolution of blending together, putting all the pieces together and seeing all the fabrics until we created this unique vision from what we had in our mind’s eye.”
MIXING TRADITION WITH DRAMA
Look up to take in the light fixtures, which are all dramatic statements — each one more striking than the last. Many were sourced from Julie Neill’s ornate collection for Visual Comfort, many with a tulip shape, from sconces to lamps to pendants.
“My mother’s from the Netherlands, and so tulips have a lot of meaning to me, and it just made sense to put them in my house,” Boggess says.
Fisher worked with her to make sure the lighting made a memorable statement in a scale that worked for each space.
“One of the things I loved about this project was blending traditional elements with modern touches,” Fisher says. “There’s a great mix of classic and edgy throughout the home — each room feels unique, but there’s an underlying cohesion that ties everything together. In the open spaces or the intimate corners, I made sure each area reflected the client’s vision while maintaining a sense of flow.”
Boggess says one thing that is paramount to remember when taking on a project of this magnitude is the importance of pivoting.
“It was an evolutionary process for us,” she says. “For example, the paper I picked out for the bathroom was not going to look good once the new vanity came in, so we put that paper somewhere else. It’s a process, and I think that in order to really create your dream, it has to take time. You don’t want to make any rash decisions, and make sure you truly love something before you implement it.”
The end result is a home that’s dramatic, elegant and completely reflective of the client’s personality.
“It’s a space that’s as bold and beautiful as she is, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out,” says Fisher. NI
Rejoice, It’s Rejuvenation
The respected lighting and home furnishings retailer debuts in Green Hills
BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED
Designer favorite and Williams-Sonoma family member Rejuvenation just opened its 12th location — its first in Tennessee — at the Hill Center in Green Hills. And though this is a new physical space for the brand, Rejuvenation has been well-known to interior designers for years. Founded in 1977 in Portland, Oregon, the company began as an architectural salvage, lighting and hardware restoration shop.
Today, as part of the Williams-Sonoma portfolio, Rejuvenation is a premier provider of timeless designs for every area of the home, inside and out. With a focus on quality, sustainability and craftsmanship Rejuvenation offers customizable lighting assembled to order in Portland, solid brass hardware, handcrafted furniture and rugs, and it restores more than 3,000 antique and vintage pieces annually.
Lighting and home furnishings retailer Rejuvenation debuts in Green Hills, marking a milestone in the brand’s national expansion, as this is their 12th location but the first location in Tennessee. Nashville Interiors co-hosted their grand opening in September with a designer panel.
“Nashville felt like a natural extension of the Rejuvenation brand,” says Aujsha Taylor, executive vice president of Rejuvenation. “It’s a city that celebrates design, craftsmanship, and community.
“Our new store at Hill Center allows us to join sister brands Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma, creating a robust design destination. It’s the perfect setting to introduce our elevated assortment of lighting, hardware, bath and home goods to a community that truly values design.”
Beyond lighting, they offer a carefully curated selection of hardware, bath fixtures, furniture, textiles and décor — everything needed to bring a space to life.
“As we grow, we stay committed to creating original, well-crafted pieces that support the way people live today,” Taylor says. “Guided by our focus on craftsmanship, sustainability, and personalization, we’re excited to continue expanding into communities that share our values — offering a thoughtful, inspiring shopping experience that helps people create homes with character and purpose.”
Customers visiting the new Nashville location will be immersed in the brand’s full assortment — including handcrafted lighting, solid brass hardware, furniture, textiles and décor — many of which are customizable and made to order in the company’s Portland factory.
“Our store is thoughtfully designed to welcome everyone — from seasoned design professionals to DIY homeowners — offering a space where creativity and practicality come together,” she says. “Whether you’re tackling a full-scale renovation or simply looking to refresh a room with new rugs, pillows and lamps, we aim to make the process approachable and inspiring.”
The Nashville showroom also offers customers the opportunity to partner with the on-site design team, who can assist with designs projects on site or through in-home appointments free of charge.
“There’s something special about experiencing materials, finishes and scale in person, which is why we’re always finding ways to bring that experience closer to you,” she says.
Members of the Williams-Sonoma Trade Program will be able to work with Rejuvenation’s trade specialists at the Nashville location too.
“When you visit us, we recognize that you aren’t just working on a project — it’s your home.” Taylor says. “It should feel good, and yes, even fun. Renovating or remodeling can feel overwhelming, but we believe it should be approachable and empowering. At Rejuvenation, we’re here to support you through every step — offering inspiration, guidance and quality products that help you create a space that truly reflects you.”
Some of Taylor’s favorite finds at Rejuvenation right now are inspired by the continued shift toward expressive, statement-making design — whether that’s bold, eye-catching lighting or carefully curated decorative hardware that adds personality to every space. A perfect example is their recent Lorna lighting collaboration with Roll & Hill, a handcrafted, Art Deco-inspired line of chandeliers, pendants and sconces.
“We’re incredibly excited to join Nashville’s vibrant design community and were honored to partner with Nashville Interiors for our grand opening,” Taylor says. “More than just expanding our footprint, this opening represents a deeper commitment — to collaborating with local designers, homeowners and design enthusiasts, and to becoming a trusted resource for quality craftsmanship and thoughtful, timeless design.” NI
REJUVENATION NASHVILLE 4015 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 101
A craftsman in Rejuvenation’s Portland factory works on a lighting piece.
Nashville Interiors’ publisher Hollie Deese was allowed early access to the new Rejuvenation showroom in Green Hills, and made selections of her favorite items for fall. Visit Rejuvenation now that they are open to see them in person — just look for the special Editor’s Pick tags around the showroom.
A standout the moment you walk in the showroom, it feels classic but not in a way we have seen before. Plus, it comes in all kinds of sizes, from single sconce to linear chandelier. $4,999.
The of-the-moment fluting is what drew me in, but in no way could this piece ever be considered trendy. A classic through and through. Plus, all that storage. This is a subtle wow. Starting at $3,550.
Customizable in length and material, which includes 15 different kinds of leather, the low-profile hardwood frame is just the right size and shape to give support. $5,799.
Available in four finishes — I’m an unlacquered brass girl — this simple coat rack does exactly what it is supposed to do, and looks good doing it. $182
It’s actually amazing how much new hardware can make an old kitchen or bathroom look completely different. I love this set because of the soft, architectural curves and different shades of bronze that give them an old-word feel. $28-$259.
Roll & Hill Lorna Double Tier Chandelier
Monrowe Leather Sofa
Islington Double Vanity
Coffman Hook Rack
Fairbanks Cabinet Collection
Beauford Table Lamp
I can just imagine this on my grandfather Arthur’s desk decades ago, right next to the desk pad and fancy pens. A piece that gets
Willamette Sconce
I just love that it looks like an icicle hanging off the front porch of the historic Midwest farm house I grew up in. $629-$779
Miramar Lever Handle Faucet
A bestseller for good reason, you can’t help but love the elegant curve of this faucet, standing solitary between the strength of the levers. Starting at $1,103.
Oak Tree Duvet Set
Good bedding is everything, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg as long as it looks and feels luxurious. This set definitely fits the bill. $59-$349.
Rinna Rattan Basket with Handles
Part of a collection that includes all shapes and sizes, I might have to have them all thanks to a small basket addiction passed on from my storage, this single vanity in the color Laurel with Carrara marble basin is an exclusive design for Rejuvenation, and one that works in so many styles of homes. Starting at $2,200.
Rounded Rectangle Metal Framed Mirror
This piece is the epitome of something with classic lines looking completely fresh and new. Available in multiple sizes, you can hang it vertically or horizontally to achieve the best placement. $399-$899.
I am a believer that beds need to be comfy, plush and have plenty of spots for all of your pets. This fits the bill on so many levels, and the curved headboard can be outfitted with your favorite color linen or velvet fabric. Starting at $2,999.
With the length, shade and finish fully customizable, there isn’t a room where this pendant doesn’t play nice. However, my favorite finish right now, mulberry, takes full advantage of fall’s embrace of rich colors again. $859.
Linnea Candle in Woodhouse
Yes, gifting candles can seem like an easy out, but not when they have the light, lovely fragrance of bergamot, violet and sandalwood like this one. $42-$78
Changing out the covers on your pillows is one of the best ways to bring change to a room, and this version with its charming bird and vine print is perfect for a fall refresh. $99.
Flora Fauna Pillow Cover in Burnt Sienna
Camille Upholstered Bed
Immersive: Inspiration
CHEEKWOOD’S LATEST INTERVENTIONS EXHIBITION FEATURES
SEVEN
PAINTINGS FROM ARTIST SHAWN HUCKINS
BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAWN HUCKINS STUDIO AND SAM ANGEL
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens has named Shawn Huckins, an American painter best known for his fusion of technical skill and satirical wit, as the 2025 Interventions artist, and an exhibition featuring his work will be on view until Oct. 26, 2025.
Interventions launched in 2021 as an arts initiative to activate the historic period rooms and invite artists to seek inspiration from the Cheek family. The series features renowned artists from around the globe who imagine and implement a connection between their contemporary work and the fine and decorative arts within the Cheek Mansion.
“We are excited to bring Shawn Huckins’ work to Cheekwood and to the Nashville community,” says Cheekwood Senior Vice President of External Relations and Museum Affairs Sarah Sperling. “He is a talented artist who has put a fascinating spin on the paintings he created for this exhibition by reinterpreting and taking inspiration from the fine art within the period rooms.”
Huckins’ paintings recreate traditional landscape, still life and portraits with the addition of painted textiles and fabric to showcase his appreciation of history while examining and challenging contemporary culture. The installation consists of seven paintings inspired by works from Cheekwood’s permanent collection, botanical gardens and the surrounding landscape.
“I’m excited to bring my contemporary voice to the museum walls while honoring their rich history,” Huckins says. “Guests can expect a unique fusion of modern creativity and timeless elegance, where each piece invites reflection and dialogue, bridging past and present in an immersive, thought-provoking experience.”
Huckins is represented by galleries across the globe, including Duran Contemporain of Montreal, Galerie Bessiéres in France, Richard Heller Gallery of Santa Monica and K Contemporary of Denver. His work has been displayed in private and public collections across the country, including The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Tucson Museum of Art, The TIA Collection, and The Vicki Myhren Gallery at The University of Denver. NI
Paintings, clockwise from left: Tennessee
Blue
Huckins’ paintings recreate traditional landscape, still life and portrait paintings with the addition of painted textiles and fabric to showcase his appreciation of history. His installation at Cheekwood consists of seven paintings inspired by works from Cheekwood’s permanent collection and the surrounding landscape.
Landscape and
Curtain (after Wyant), 2025, oil and acrylic on canvas, 32x48 inches; Portrait in Metallic Chrome Fabric (Henry Fitzroy after Kneller), 2025, oil and acrylic on canvas; Flowers and Blue Curtain I (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, on loan from the artist.
Sculpting the Future
Alan LeQuire revisits ‘Athena Parthenos,’ passing down hard-won wisdom
BY NICOLE CHILDREY PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS WORMALD AND DEAN DIXON
S
tep up close to the Athena Parthenos statue in Nashville — golden, glinting, stretching 42 feet toward the Parthenon replica’s ceiling — and you’re left dumbstruck by the sheer scope of what she is and represents.
The Greek goddess of wisdom. Lost history reborn. A civic touchstone standing impossibly tall, drawing fascinated tourists from around the world to Tennessee.
She’s also a gilded picture of eight full years of Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire’s life. Unveiled in 1990, the replica took tens of thousands of hours of dutiful research, open-eyed experimentation and careful craftsmanship, completed by a young man with bold ideas and practiced hands.
Decades later, LeQuire still visits fairly frequently, often to talk to school kids about what the statue and her replicated home mean.
“I sometimes look back at Athena and think, ‘Wow, if Amber had been around, I could have done that in four years,’” he says, smiling, flanked by completed
works and works in progress in his Nashville studio. A maquette of his famous Musica piece perches just over his right shoulder. Studio manager Amber Lelli laughs to his left.
Lelli doesn’t co-sign the estimate, but as they break down what went into LeQuire’s two recent Parthenon exhibitions, “Goddess in Progress” and “Monumental Figures,” it’s not hard to imagine he’s got it dead on.
“It was an average of, like, a sculpture every two weeks or something,” Lelli remembers. The normal timeline for major pieces like this is closer to three-plus months each.
“My focus was not really in the grand picture of how this is all gonna come together,” she says. “It was more like, ‘What do we have to do today?’”
NEW WORK, OLD MEMORIES
That year of focused, comparatively frenzied work was recently on view at the Parthenon and invited visitors to reflect on the past while examining where and how a master sculptor’s skills and inspiration grew.
Stretching across the public spaces, including outdoors, the exhibitions didn’t supplant Athena’s impact so much as complement it.
“Goddess in Progress,” in the East Gallery, told the statue’s origin story in photos, videos and details captured and kept, tracking back to its commission in 1982.
Pulling it all together was a labor of love, LeQuire and Lelli say, and one that had already begun before to the exhibition call, for a forthcoming book under the same name. But it did require labor.
“The biggest challenge for me was remembering,” LeQuire says, laughing. “I’ve forgotten almost everything.”
Athena’s development didn’t leave much of a paper trail, with archaeological explorations and conversations happening largely by phone in the 1980s. A lot of the tactile history LeQuire did have was lost to a studio fire. Luckily, over the course of those eight years, he’d been visited by photographers and videographers who’d held on to slides and footage depicting the goddess’ gradual growth, happening alongside the artist’s.
“It gave me a really cool, unique perspective,” Lelli says of combing through the artifacts.
At 32, she’s about the same age LeQuire was then. And like LeQuire, she’s building a reputation for majestic pieces of public art in and around Nashville.
In 2024, her Celestial Falls — a 28-foot-long, 17-foot-high mixed media sculpture inspired by nature and community — was unveiled at the Nashville Public Library’s Donelson branch.
“I think, as a sculptor, you’re always thinking about scale, and you love the opportunity to go big,” Lelli says. “So as my career has gone, I’ve gotten more of those opportunities. And working with Alan has provided me the avenue to know how to scale, and how to manage some of those processes of going big. It’s maybe made it less intimidating than it would be if I wouldn’t have had that experience.”
TEACHERS’ TEACHERS’ TEACHERS
Working with and learning from LeQuire is a valuable experience for rising artists like Lelli. But by design, it hasn’t been an exclusive one. For years, LeQuire hosted Open Studio nights in Nashville, inviting local and visiting artists to listen, learn and do.
His own skills were shaped in part through the Atelier Method, an apprenticeship practice in which a master passes on their body of knowledge. Before Athena, he worked in Italy as an apprentice to the late sculptor Milton Hebald. Across decades, he’s remained committed to carrying that approach forward.
“An artist can trace their lineage through their teachers and their teachers’ teachers,” LeQuire says. “I think that’s really cool.”
The process of developing and completing “Monumental Figures” offered a clear testament to the power of that practice and the wisdom of LeQuire and his teachers’ teachers.
The exhibition featured 24 large-scale sculptures and eight wall-anchoring relief paintings, each depicting or imagining “everyday heroes,” from activists and athletes to musicians and medical minds.
Alan LeQuire’s recent exhibition featured 24 large-scale sculptures and eight wall-anchoring relief paintings, each depicting or imagining “everyday heroes,” from activists and athletes to musicians and medical minds. Right, LeQuire envisioned and shaped the direction with apprentice Amber Lelli and a cast of dedicated assistants.
LeQuire envisioned and shaped the direction, and with Lelli and a cast of dedicated assistants, brought that vision to its larger-than-life but pointedly true-to-life unveiling.
The subjects spanned famous and semi-famous names — Joan Baez, Odetta, pioneering neonatologist Dr. Mildred Stahlman and trailblazing surgeon Dr. Dorothy Brown — to folks whose names wouldn’t land on a marquee. Sisters. Lovers. LeQuire’s grandma, Eleanor Brickey, with a small flock of chickens.
“I didn’t want it to be a bunch of people to idolize,” LeQuire says. “The idea is that we’re all worthy of monumental statues.”
Since they shared a space with a golden goddess, the inclusion of these regular folks made a grand statement, wrapped in contrast. The sculptures themselves did too.
To create Athena Parthenos, LeQuire laser-focused his intentions on how sculptor Milton Hebald would have done it, curve by curve, tone to texture. Scholars say he hit the mark.
The pieces created for and collected in “Monumental Figures” came from a different point of view, with rugged textures and natural patinas that came directly from LeQuire’s own interests and imagination.
Weaving through the 10 pieces in the Parthenon’s Treasury — imposing human torsos in a collection called “Complete and Unbroken,” nodding to the casts of fragmented original Parthenon Marbles housed in this space — it felt like this work wasn’t sculpted so much as it grew up out of the ground, the fruits of a seed planted 35 years ago.
Early on, LeQuire says, he felt intimidated by other people’s taste and how they were trying to influence him. He had instincts, but he didn’t heed them. His own voice stayed quiet.
“All that’s in the past now,” the artist says, surrounded by reflections of his own voice, sitting next to another gifted Nashville sculptor who’s soaking it all in. “I feel the freedom to do whatever I want.” NI
Lelli, Celestial Falls Donelson Branch Library 2714 Old Lebanon Pike, Nashville AmberLelliArt.com
On public view
Lelli’s work is suspended in a two-story space at the back of the library, viewable inside on either floor or from outside through the library’s back windows.
She also has work on view at the LeQuire Gallery, from her recent “Rest in Pieces” solo exhibition, through the end of the year.
Amber
Bridging the cultural divide
Nashville artist blends American and Japanese heritage in her creations
BY ROBERT JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER
For Nashville native Sai Clayton, the cultural intersection of her family tree provides a foundation for her artistic exploration. The parallels between her differing family histories can highlight both the similarities and differences between the two cultures.
“My American grandfather would go fishing, and he had an outdoor sink where he’d cut and fillet and fry the fish. That, to me, is a very Southern thing, a huge part of my upbringing.
“Meanwhile, my Japanese grandfather would wake up and go to the fish markets first thing in the morning and buy fish and take it to another guy who would cut it into sashimi for him to pick up later.”
She, the curatorial director at COOP Gallery in Nashville, is known for her iconic self-portrait series, which she places in abstracted scenes that help place these cultural parallels into a visual framework.
“I began doodling self-portraits as it was such an accessible subject matter, but I could never fully see myself in my own drawings, which led to this focus on my racial identity and the lack of biracial visibility that I had growing up in the South,” she says.
“My American grandfather served in Japan during the war, while my Japanese grandparents had to flee the bombings in Tokyo, so I grew up hearing two sides of the same story. For my grandfather’s son to eventually marry a Japanese woman is such an odd paradox, an instance of love and connection in spite of the conflict and hatred.”
— Sai Clayton
“These self-portraits are very representative. I don’t want my work to be about me specifically; I see them as a launching point for wider discussions around identity.”
Clayton’s work stands out through the richness of her visual language, drawing on the cultural connections between the two countries.
“I’m really interested in thinking about how these cultures have combined in my family, but also how that reflects globalization as a whole. I find it interesting, for example, that American animation was exported to Japan, which led to this huge boom in Japanese anime, which is now being exported back to the U.S.”
While Clayton’s paintings are vividly illustrated with heavy lines and bright colors, they clearly feel more at home in a fine arts environment. The influence of animation, however, extends beyond the aesthetic and into the narrative world-building where her characters exist.
“I’ve been drawing a lot of football players, and then I will have them wearing a Japanese Noh mask, which is used to represent female youth and beauty in traditional performance. So these figures are using gender to represent the two different cultures, kind of dancing and fighting together at the same time.
“The West prides itself in projections of strength and machoness in a way that Eastern cultures are less concerned with. I think a lot about the Japanese concept of kawaii, which roughly translates as cuteness. It’s young, it’s girly, it’s all of these things.”
Clayton is the programming director at Arcade Arts Nashville. She is co-curating “Her Place” — a show of contemporary women artists working in Nashville, set to open at Frist Art Museum in January 2026. NI
saiclayton.com
@sai_tries
While Sai Clayton’s work is vividly illustrated with heavy lines and bright colors, the influence of animation extends beyond the aesthetic and into the narrative world-building where her characters exist.
contemporary
COUPLE
FROM HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS TO HIGH-END ART DEALERS, JAKE AND CASSIE GREATENS TAKE THE LOCAL ART SCENE TO THE NEXT LEVEL
BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON LEE
Cassie and Jake Greatens have built something wonderful together in the years since they met and fell in love as teenagers in Tampa. Inspired by a trip to galleries in Europe, the couple opened their first gallery in Tampa and quickly became known for curating and selling works by iconic artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol and pieces by emerging talent.
“We’re constantly scouting out new artists everywhere, even family vacations,” Jake, 43, says. “The kids get so annoyed.” The couple, together now nearly 25 years, have four children, ages 12, 16, 19 and 22.
Then, during COVID, the couple shifted into personalized consulting for buying, selling and managing art, as well as to collection management — assisting with private art collections, including logistics for loans to museums and traveling exhibits.
Since the pandemic, they have added commercial art programming to their resume — curating large-scale installations for restaurants, hotels and other developments. But the thread that runs through everything they do is simple: They shine a light on the importance of outstanding art.
“We love artists,” Cassie says. “We love putting money in artists’ pockets. We don’t want kids to stop drawing or pursuing art at 8 years old because they don’t think they can have a successful career.”
NEW GALLERY IS OPEN
The Greatens moved to Nashville a few years ago, and it took them some time to find just the right space for their gallery. But they eventually did, and CASS Contemporary opened earlier this month at 408 Chestnut St. in Wedgewood-Houston.
“Nashville has such a cool personality, and that’s part of the reason why we wanted to move here,” Cassie says. “We love working with clients and finding pieces for their homes, but for the gallery we wanted to be part of the permanent landscape of the change that we’re seeing here.”
Their business partnership works because while they are working toward a common goal, they respect each other’s strong suits and differences. They stay in their lanes — he handles art curation, she handles finances — and the result is an artistic yin and yang that has enabled them to grow and expand over the years.
“Some of the most stressful events and deadlines we’ve been on are also the most rewarding as a couple, because we’re proud of each other for getting it across the finish line,” Jake says.
Their first show in Nashville earlier this month was a showcase of multiple artists, and many of the works on display sold that
night. The gallery is booked with rotating exhibits through 2027.
“If you want an art scene to grow in your city, you have to support the arts — either by attending events or purchasing art,” Cassie says. “That’s the only way an art scene will really thrive. So to see the response to our first show is such a testament to where Nashville’s going, and I’m here for it.” NI
The next show at CASS is for Tristan Eaton, opening Nov. 14, 2025. Eaton is the only Marvel Disney contracted artist, and CASS will be hosting a release for his villain series and the Women of Marvel.
CASS hosts artist talk to kick off Artville
Cassie and Jake Greatens connected with Samantha Saturn, co-founder of Artville, years ago, and immediately began talking about how they could work together on Artville. But it wasn’t until they opened their space in WeHo that they were able to actually do something. This year they are hosting a talk between artist Allison Hueman and journalist Pedro Andrade on the opening night of the public art fest.
“We wanted to bring somebody in at the highest art level we can find and immediately thought of Allison,” Cassie says. “Jake and I met Allison almost 15 years ago and bought two of her pieces when she was just kind of starting out.” Since then, Hueman has been named an Artist to Watch by the Los Angeles Times, created artwork for the 2019 Pink album Hurts 2B Human and even designed a Nike running shoe for the U.S. Olympic team.
“The talk will be how public art can impact a city, or how art that’s viewed by masses can impact people,” Cassie says. “She’s the perfect artist for this because she’s exhibited all over the world, and she’s worked with big brands that people see and don’t even realize it’s her.”
Cassie wanted a dynamic moderator for the discussion and chose art journalist Andrade.
“Artist talks can fall flat if you don’t have someone who knows about the art scene, or who’s just not engaging,” she says. “He has traveled all over the world, covering street art from Lisbon to speaking with Basquiat’s sister to conducting interviews at Art Basel. It’s going to be a really dynamic duo.”
That night CASS will be launching a limited-edition Hueman print. There will only be 75 available for purchase, and they come with a certificate of authenticity.
“Doing this event with Artville is paying a tribute to where the evolution of Nashville’s going,” Cassie says. “We’re excited and honored to be a part of it, and I think it will leave a great impression.”
Pedro Andrade
Allison Hueman
Artville expands physically, artistically in its third year CREATIVE GROWTH
PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED
Artville, Nashville’s only public visual arts festival, is entering its third year with plans to be bigger, bolder and more immersive than ever. Starting Sept. 26, the festival is expanding from its original location in the Wedgewood-Houston and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods to a citywide event featuring multiple locations.
The festival’s hub this year will be in the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, featuring immersive, large-scale public art installations, alongside the American Artisan Festival, which has been a Nashville tradition since 1972. Featuring 65 contemporary handcraft and fine artisans, visitors can expect to see fine jewelry, ceramics, wood, glass, photography, printmakers, painters, metalsmiths, custom cowboy hats, leather goods and more.
In addition to the festival, there will be several Artville After Dark events each evening with activations throughout the city, including The Arcade, 5th Avenue of the Arts, the Neuhoff District in Germantown and Wedgewood-Houston.
“In just three years, Artville has grown into Nashville’s first and only citywide arts festival — and we’re just getting started,” said Samantha Saturn, Artville co-founder. “Our mission is to make visual art accessible, visible and celebrated across the entire city. This year’s lineup brings together an inspiring mix of emerging and established artists from Nashville and beyond, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to Artville this fall to collect and enjoy all that these incredible artists have to offer.” NI
Over the past two years, Artville has awarded more than $320,000 to over 50 artists to create temporary, site-specific public art, murals and immersive experiences for the festival. This year the team selected artists across mediums from Nashville and beyond to receive awards to fund these larger-thanlife pieces, which will be displayed in Walk of Fame Park throughout the weekend. Some of those artists include:
Brian Wooden
Brian Wooden is a Nashville-based multidisciplinary artist whose bold, illustration-driven aesthetic fuses the raw energy of skateboarding and graffiti culture with refined visual storytelling. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Wooden’s pieces oscillate between street art spontaneity and thoughtful compositional structure, reflecting his ongoing commitment to authentic self-expression.
Caleb McLaughlin
Caleb McLaughlin is a Nashville-based visual creative whose work spans time-lapse, infrared, kinetic sculpture, video art and motion control. In addition to his fine-art practice, McLaughlin works in video production — bringing storytelling, technical skill and a love of texture, rhythm and flow to his diverse visual media.
Kimia Ferdowsi Kline
Kimia Ferdowsi Kline is an artist and curator who holds an M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute and a B.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was a Danforth Scholar. Her work has been exhibited in solo shows at Turn Gallery, Marrow Gallery and 68 Projects, and in group exhibitions at institutions such as The Drawing Center and MOCA Detroit. Kline has received recognition from the New York Foundation for the Arts and Rema Hort Mann Foundation, and she frequently lectures at leading universities.
Brian Wooden
Caleb McLaughlin
Kimia Ferdowsi Kline
