Nashville Interiors 2024 Vol. 39 by Nashville Interiors

Nashville 2024 VOL. 39

Interiors MAKING A CHANGE IN 2024, THREE COMPANIES — EUROSTONE, ELECTRONIC EXPRESS AND BATH AND KITCHEN IDEA CENTER BY WINSUPPLY — DECIDED TO START DISRUPTING HOW THEIR CUSTOMERS CREATE SPACES. AND IT ALL STARTS WITH COLLABORATION.

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You won’t find them in ordinary kitchens. Or at ordinary stores. Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist. Wolf, the cooking specialist. Cove, the dishwashing specialist. Find them exclusively at your local kitchen specialist.

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Welcome

his issue is all about legacy and collaboration: Growing and changing while holding on to a bit of the past. Welcoming the new while immersed in the old. Some working for a changing of the guard, and others guarding against too much change. And all the while, making it beautiful.

Our artist spotlight this issue is on iconic sculpture artist Alan LeQuire, who is known for larger-than-life pieces like Musica at the Demonbreun roundabout and Athena at the Parthenon. But he also draws and makes prints, and he does it all from the studio he has had on Charlotte for 20 years. We loved learning more about his history in creation — and about what he plans this year leading up to a large retrospective show at the Parthenon. In our cover feature, three businesses have made a pact to band together and form a new kind of co-op, leaning on each other’s expertise in distinct areas of design to create a referral system for their clients that helps everyone enjoy a project with as few hiccups as possible. It’s collaboration over competition, and the goal is that everyone wins. At Huskey Truss & Building Supply in Franklin, a pair of brothers head up the company’s third generation, spurring growth on the foundation of the standards set by their father and grandfather. And while real estate company Adventurous Journeys has a hand in a number of highprofile developments and adaptive reuse projects around town, they have been making sure to pay homage to Nashville’s past through art, preservation and community. It’s a whole new year in our continuously evolving Nashville — let’s celebrate what’s to come while honoring all the beautiful ways we got here.

Hollie Deese, Publisher

INTERIOR DESIGN ART • ANTIQUES RESTORATION SERVICES

BY APPOINTMENT sales@clairandco.com www.clairandco.com 8 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

Kristy@kristycohn.com www.kristycohn.com

LUXURY CUSTOM HOMES

METROPOLITAN CONSTRUCTION 212 OVERLOOK CIR SUITE 207 BRENTWOOD, TN 37207 | 615.815.0087 NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 9 INFO@METCONST.COM | METCONST.COM

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LIVE HERE 615.210.0599 | CKEVINCOFFEY.COM

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PHOTO: KRISTEN MAYFIELD; BUILDER: FOCUS BUILDERS

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Nashville Interiors

OWNER/PUBLISHER Hollie Deese SALES DIRECTOR Pam Harper DESIGN Tracey Starck

2024 Vol. 39

CONTRIBUTORS Cooper Alan Leslie Brown William DeShazer Justin March Joe Morris Anthony Romano Sean Robertson

COPY EDITOR Jennifer Goode Stevens, GoodeEdits.com ARTS EDITOR Robert Jones 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, 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 Nashville’s design community keeps growing and evolving, but one thing that doesn’t seem to change is its shared sense of camaraderie and support. Featured on this issue’s cover are three businesses that are taking collaboration to the next level by setting up a referral system to help their clients’ projects run more efficiently. From left, Dustin Carpenter of Bath & Kitchen Idea Center by Winsupply of Franklin, Benjamin Prutianov of EuroStone and Jacob Wright of Electronic Express stand in front of the Franke display at Winsupply. Photo by Justin March, assisted by Cooper Alan. 14 VOL. 14 | | NASHVILLE NASHVILLE INTERIORS INTERIORS 2024 | 2024 Vol.39 39

Builder: Leverick Homes Designer: Both Minds Design Photography: Allison Elefante

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DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN SHOWROOM COMING 2024 LUXURY WINDOWS + DOORS

TO INQUIRE 615-829-2168 | TCOGHLAN@HUSKEYTRUSS.COM H U S K E Y B U I L D I N G S U P P LY 424 LEWISBURG PIKE, FRANKLIN, TN 37064

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Nashville CONTRIBUTORS Interiors COOPER ALAN | PHOTOGRAPHER Cooper Alan is a Nashville-based photographer who has been shooting for more than 10 years, helping his clients’ visions become reality — for corporate brands, small businesses and individual creatives. In addition to photography, Alan has spent many years pursuing the arts through filmmaking, music, sound design and painting. If he is not on his own set, you’ll find Alan assisting other local photographers and filmmakers. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, Alan’s first with the magazine, he assisted photographer Justin March in capturing the images of the team at EuroStone, Electronic Express and Bath & Kitchen Idea Center by Winsupply for the cover and coordinating feature story.

LESLIE BROWN | PHOTOGRAPHER Leslie Brown is a seasoned lifestyle photographer who began her career in portrait photography more than 25 years ago. She specializes in using artistry, styling and light to create inspiring imagery for editorial, architecture, interiors and branding photography. Brown has been published in Cottage Journal, American Farmhouse Style, Coastal Lifestyle Magazine, Eden & Vine and Country Home. Her work has been published in the book Home Stories by Kim Leggett. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, Brown photographed the Ellis home built by Castle in the Voce neighborhood. When not working, she enjoys life at the beach and keeping up with her four grandchildren.

JUSTIN MARCH | PHOTOGRAPHER Justin March is a Nashville-based photographer specializing in capturing interior design and architecture. He has a passion for discovering the place where the interior design of a space and the photography of that design can become synonymous, keeping in mind that most will not have the opportunity to view the design firsthand, but rather through a photograph. March has had his work featured in Rue and Luxe Interiors + Design magazines, among other publications. Originally from Chicago, March began his creative pursuits in the music industry as a recording engineer and producer working with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Cold War Kids and Madi Diaz. For this issue, his first with Nashville Interiors, March shot the cover and coordinating feature story. He enjoys going to films at Belcourt Theatre, traveling (whether for a shoot or leisure) and visiting museums. WILLIAM DESHAZER | PHOTOGRAPHER William DeShazer is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Nashville. He spent 12 years working at various newspapers, including Memphis’ Commercial Appeal and the Chicago Tribune. He’s a regular contributor to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared in magazines from 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 iconic sculpture artist Alan LeQuire in his studio and the brothers heading up the third generation of their family business, Huskey Truss & Building Supply. 18 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS 2024 Vol. 39 18 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZEKE RUELAS VISIT OUR ANTIQUE SHOWROOM AND DESIGN STUDIO AT

THE NASHVILLE DESIGN COLLECTIVE 510 MERRITT AVENUE / SUITE 105 / NASHVILLE, TN @ROBINRAINSINTERIORDESIGN AND @ROBINRAINSANTIQUES ROBINRAINS.COM

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At Haus of Black, we are your comprehesive solution to transforming your spaces from concept to construction. Led by Nashville native Dillon Black, our team offers a seamless blend of drafting, design, and construction in both residential and commercial areas. We take pride in creating spaces that blend style and function. Our work is showcased throughout homes and businesses - even Bridgestone Arena.

ck a l B . r M Photog r aphy by : A lyss a R os e , 1 | He at her Hug hes 2, 4 | Br itt any B el l, 3

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BUILDING A LUXURY HOME SHOULD BE A LUXURY EXPERIENCE

Luxury Homes Starting in the Upper $1 Millions

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Nashville CONTENTS Interiors

50 FINDS 28 FEATURED Our favorite home and design products we are manifesting for the new year.

34 Three businesses align to empower themselves POWER PLAY

while better serving their customers.

56 OF STANDARDS 50 GENERATIONS Two brothers do honor to the family business their grandfather started.

ON A HILL 57 HOUSE A couple trade in their downtown condo for a slice of Tennessee heaven.

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Visit our new showroom in Franklin 256 Seaboard Lane, Ste. C-103, Franklin, TN 37067 Open Tuesday - Saturday | www.NashvilleLamps.com

87 THAN LIFE 66 LARGER One of Nashville’s most renowned artists continues to evolve in preparation for a retrospective show in 2025.

& GARDEN SHOW SPOTLIGHT 74 ANTIQUES Interviews with Ajiri Aki, founder of Madame de la Maison, and Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company.

MEMBERS ONLY 79 FOR The Malin opens its first location outside of New York — and its largest — in Wedgewood-Houston.

HISTORY 86 HIGHLIGHTING New developments pay homage to old Nashville. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 23

BESPOKE FURNITURE DESIGNS, TAILORED TO YOUR SPACE.

We craft custom furniture with beautiful, sustainably sourced wood from around the world right here in Music City.

Contact us to start the piece that makes your space stand out. (615) 945-1710 • 1903 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN 37211 sales@sawdustandwhiskey.com •@sawdustandwhiskey

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AV / Lighting Design / Control

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INTERIORS

FEATURED FINDS ALL THE THINGS WE CAN’T SAY NO TO RIGHT NOW

The Cosmopolitan Collection from MTI Baths has always offered a high-style line of freestanding tubs and distinctive sinks — including their latest debut of chic, one-piece shower bases that have a sleek aesthetic, with no grout lines to maintain. MTI Baths offers three styles of bases: Lado, with an end drain and curved matching drain cover; Centrar, which offers a center drain and cover; and Artesa, with a covered trough end drain. Available in two organic textures and four color options — white, gray, black and sand — the shower bases are shallow for a neat recess into the floor for a seamless look. Available at mtibaths.com.

Sea-inspired lighting by Creativemary draws its inspiration from the wonders of the water. These lights mimic the allure of coastal landscapes to bring to life lighting that dances and reflects into a room. For an added touch, designs are created in intricate, organic shapes that add an elegant, never-ending summer vibe to your home. Available at creativemary.com.pt.

The modern design of the Kai Coffee Table by MyFace offers ultimate customization options guaranteed to match any furniture. The selections of colorful marble and lacquered finishes come together to create a statement piece with a variety of table top options, as well as several colors for the legs in lacquered and plating finishes. Available at myface.eu.

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TAT E We specialize in creating distinguished works of art.

Tate is middle Tennessee’s premier architectural surfaces fabricator and installer. Our team has the experience required to be trusted with your special projects. Visit our showroom and let our designers help bring the “wow” factor to your space.

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TE A M WO RK M A K E S YO U R D R E A M W O R K

NCIPAL DE

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Established in 2005, we are a full-service design firm creating spaces that are a true reflection of each client, guiding each individual to tap into their own personal style.

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Interiors tailored to your life and style.

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DESIGN BUILD FURNISH

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Meet our dynamic group of professional designers, equipped to help you bring your next dream project —big or small —to life. Each member of our team brings a unique skill set that ensures our client’s vision becomes a reality. S •

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POWER

PLAY

THREE BUSINESSES ALIGN TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES WHILE BETTER SERVING THEIR CUSTOMERS

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN MARCH, ASSISTED BY COOPER ALAN

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Jacob Wright, Ben Prutianov and Dustin Carpenter

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The newly remodeled Winsupply showroom

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hat started out as a casual conversation turned into a handshake deal sealed with a whiskey toast as Dustin Carpenter of Bath & Kitchen Idea Center at Winsupply, Jacob Wright of Electronic Express and Ben Prutianov of EuroStone decided that they could each grow best individually in 2024 by working together. “We’re trying to disrupt the market from the usual way things are done,” Prutianov says. Each has something to offer that the others don’t, and they hope their new partnership will benefit not only their businesses, but also their customers in terms of time, money and expertise. The goal is to capitalize on all three networks to build a business alliance that appeals to builders and designers who want to cut down on stops and middlemen. “They can go into the Electronic Express showroom to pick appliances, but they can also pick a sink or pick a faucet and get that from me, through Jacob,” Carpenter says. Ultimately, they are selling convenience and the chance for fewer hiccups on install day as they communicate with each other about delays, measurements and more. By working together, they hope to provide a higher level of service and number of options to their customers, offering the choices of larger operations without losing their small-town appeal and personal touch. “We’re going to try to empower each other to get to the next level,” Prutianov says. “Jacob is strong in the appliances, Dustin’s strong in plumbing and HVAC, and I’m strong in cabinets and countertops. We’re trying to be a power team.”

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Dustin Carpenter and Tracey Schumacker

Dustin Carpenter, Bath & Kitchen Idea Center at Winsupply Hendersonville native Dustin Carpenter had just stopped traveling the Southeast doing sales for another company in 2017 when he connected with Earl Semadeni, owner of Winsupply in Franklin. He was 32 and knew a great opportunity when he saw it. “You don’t get those options very often to come in, run a showroom and purchase stock in the company to be a part owner,” he says. February 2018, he came on board at Winsupply and has ushered in some growth and change over the past few years, remodeling the showroom and growing more partnerships. Back then, the showroom “wasn’t creative,” he says. “It wasn’t fun. So I really just started asking all the reps what brands we needed. I was driving out to houses under construction and introducing myself to builders. Then, slowly, it turned into other stuff, and we’re looking to really expand heavily next year.” He recently brought on Tracey Schumacker as a showroom consultant to further bridge that gap for designers and build a concierge experience for clients. “Not everybody buys from the same person the same way, so having two different personalities — basically having someone with a softer approach than me — is important,” he says. “We want you to walk in and feel like you’ve been here before.” As for the collaboration with EuroStone and Electronic Express, Carpenter recognizes they are all working with the same people, just offering different services. It makes sense 38 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

to combine talents and resources to make every customer a happier customer. The Franklin showroom underwent a remodel in 2023, filling in the gaps with more brands that can’t be found at big box stores, seeking out items that have a story behind them. One of those is Franke, a Switzerland-based brand with more than 110 years in the industry. They offer stainless steel, fireclay and granite sinks for commercial and residential purposes. ke also offers faucets, garbage disposals, sink accessories and a comprehensive water filtration system for hot and chilled water. With a focus on premium quality and intuitive design, Franke offers home solutions that go beyond simple products. “We just want people to know we’re here,” Carpenter says. “I don’t necessarily want people to go to Bath & Kitchen Idea Center at Winsupply. I want people to go see Dustin and Tracey because we love what we do.” For 2024, Carpenter wants to work on being a better partner to the design community. Part of their showroom expansion included a conference room for designers to use when they bring their clients in, to present a pitch or plan a project together. They will even order lunch if they know you are coming. “We’ve spent so long focusing on builders to get that base business, so we want people to know we’re in Williamson County and they don’t have to drive past us and go to Nashville,” he says.

The Electronic Express showroom

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Jacob Wright, Electronic Express Jacob Wright has been with Electronic Express for two years as a contractor sales manager at the location on Harding Industrial Drive. His time in the industry, however, spans almost 30 years — going back to when he was 15 and working at an appliance store in Carthage. He loves the local sensibility he has when working with his customers, but he has loved being able to offer them the resources that come with a big operation like Electronic Express. “The great thing about working with Electronic Express is that they have 23 storefront locations, so they have large warehouses where they keep the appliances for retail,” he says. “That means most of the time when you buy something from them, it’s already in stock. It’s great for builders who are doing custom kitchens. A lot of companies don’t warehouse anything, so they have to order it — which can mean a four- to six-week turnaround.” By teaming up with Carpenter and Prutianov, he hopes to connect with more designers and spread the word that Electronic Express is more than electronics. “More than half our business is done in appliances,” he says. “It’s one of the biggest issues that I’ve had to overcome in my two years here. This partnership is a way to show our products in several locations — to get them in front of as many people as we can.” Wright is one of a team of three growing the design studio showroom, ensuring that someone is always on hand to help the customer or follow through on a job if he is out working with other clients. Today, appliances from Electronic Express are in Winsupply and EuroStone, opening up their customers to Electronic Express’ capabilities. And Wright is working on a builder division to increase awareness in the community about the higher-end brands they carry. “Working with them puts our name in front of the customer without having to go to the showroom,” Wright says. “And the same works for them — if someone comes in and sees me for appliances, and I notice that they need help with the rest of the kitchen, I can tell them I have a custom cabinet guy and someone to help with custom countertops or plumbing.” 40 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

The EuroStone showroom in Murfreesboro

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“Not every customer’s a contractor, and they don’t know where to start.” — Ben Prutianov

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Ben Prutianov, left, is owner of EuroStone, which worked on the renovation, pictured far left, of a club at Bridgestone Arena.

Ben Prutianov, EuroStone Ben Prutianov moved to Middle Tennessee from Russia with his family in 1990, sponsored by a church in Murfreesboro. As soon as he was out of high school, he worked with his father building houses until the market crashed in 2008. “Then my dad fired me and said, ‘You have to go figure it out.’ So I looked on Craigslist for jobs and found one making $30 an hour to do granite installation.” He went to the job interview, which is where he learned he could make “UP TO” $30 an hour, depending on skill. He promptly offered one of the guys there $25 an hour to teach him, and within six months he had the hang of it. He was an installer for about nine years, then a production manager and is now the owner of EuroStone, a custom cabinet and countertop showroom in Murfreesboro that caters to a growing roster of residential and commercial clients. His business has grown organically, but quickly, because of the relationships he has built and his commitment to marketing. He reaches out to new designers and takes opportunities as they come, like his recent work renovating a club in Bridgestone Arena downtown. Prutianov had a scholarship for architecture and had dreams of doing design, so his ideas go a long way when he talks to

builders and designers, offering suggestions that might not have occurred to them. Today he has 26 employees and more than 30 subcontractors, and he recently completed a $160,000 renovation on the showroom that has been open for six years. Now it accurately showcases the high-end products he offers. When it comes to his plans to work with Wright and Carpenter in 2024, he knows a rising tide can lift all boats, especially in Nashville with the amount of new build and renovation projects available. “I really believe in collaborations. You can do a lot of accomplishments by yourself, but unless you do a collaboration with somebody, you limit yourself on how big you can get,” he says. Plus, the customer gets a package deal with better pricing and significantly less hassle. “Not every customer’s a contractor, and they don’t know where to start,” he says. By working with Winsupply and Electronic Express, Prutianov is giving them a leg up from the beginning. “Now you have somebody that can answer all the questions and check all the boxes that you need. I’m trying to make a power team who can do it all.” NI

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 43

CIDAaccredited program since 1978 Longest accredited interior design program in the South

Design Your Path. Transform Your World. At Belmont University’s O’More College of Architecture & Design, students discover a learning environment that not only provides a rigorous, quality education, but is enhanced by a service-oriented, Christ-centered foundation. Caring faculty relationships and alumni mentors guide students to determine a path to serve others through human-centered, evidence-based design curriculum. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, a booming hub of industries including health care, hospitality, real estate, entertainment, business and more. Students have an opportunity to study in a creative community with endless opportunity. Students are uniquely positioned to design a path to transform their community and the world.

Learn more at BELMONT.EDU/OMORE 44 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

NASHVILLE, TN

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celebrating 36 years in business

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From Imagination to Installation

MYERS FLOORING OF NASHVILLE THE DESIGN DISTRICT

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To schedule an appointment call

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Cabinet Designer: Kym Alayne Heaton | Photographer: HomePixMedia

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BUILDING, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT

GENERATIONS OF STANDARDS TWO BROTHERS DO HONOR TO THE FAMILY BUSINESS THEIR GRANDFATHER STARTED BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER

ustin and Taylor Huskey have a big job on their hands. Not only does their family business Huskey Truss & Building Supply work with some of the most respected builders in Nashville — providing lumber and other supplies for their high-profile projects — it also has a reputation to uphold. It’s one that was passed on by their father, Jim, and Jim’s father, Cecil, before him. That reputation is one of doing honorable business with humility and compassion, and always with an eye to quality. “The business was always a conversation at home. It’s just what we did,” Austin says. “We were always talking about work around the dinner table. Their grandfather Cecil’s brother Clay was a builder in the 1940s who stored his excess lumber and supplies on a street in Berry Hill. People began noticing the building materials and sought out Clay to buy them. “Eventually he decided maybe this would be easier than building houses,” Austin says. “Then he brought my granddad in.” Clay was very entrepreneurial, though. After a few years, he wanted to move on — so Cecil bought him out. “I love that story, because as much as everybody talks about fiveyear plans and 10-year plans and business plans — and they’re very important — so much of success is just being aware enough when you stumble into an opportunity.” Cecil’s three sons grew up on the lumberyard as their dad grew the business, all working on it significantly throughout their childhood. After he graduated high school, Jim played football for a bit at Austin Peay State University before returning to the family business. He really showed a knack for it. “He grew up in it,” Austin says. “It was second nature, and he really dug in with my granddad.”

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From left, Austin and Taylor Huskey

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BUILDING, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT

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And when Cecil suddenly died of a massive heart attack in his early 60s, Jim, then in his late 20s, took over. His brother Arnold joined him, and they continued to grow Huskey Building Supply together, with the help of a handful of employees Austin, 36, and Taylor, 33, have a brother and three sisters. All of them spent time throughout their childhood and beyond working at the lumberyard, but when Jim retired last year at age 78, Austin and Taylor were the ones who stepped fully into the family business. “To get to the third generation with as little drama as we’ve had is a real blessing,” Austin says. “As trying as relationships can be sometimes, it’s just really smooth. There’s a lot of mutual respect between the three of us; we’re all giving it our whole heart. We disagree sometimes, sure, but we work really, really well together.” When Jim took over the business, they had moved it from the Berry Hill yard — chewed up by the development of 440 — to a one-acre location off of Trousdale and created a hardware store alongside the lumberyard. But when they moved to a 17acre property in Franklin in the mid-1990s, Jim decided to go back to basics. “When we landed here, Dad made the conscious decision to pivot out of the retail space and focus on the builders,” Austin says. “That was such a monumental decision on his part, and it really has led us to where we are today.” Today the long-term relationships built with their clients over decades speak to the longevity of the company. Huskey serves everyone from custom luxury builders to larger developers like Drees, and they work on everything from fast food chains and gas stations to hotels, custom luxury homes and multi-unit townhomes. Jim struggled through the 2008 housing crash like many others, and he was advised that if he didn’t start laying people off, he would be laying everybody off. So he doublemortgaged his home and cashed in some retirement savings to keep things going. “It was as bad as it could have got,” Austin says. “But God’s good. We made it, and we learned a lot in the process.” Austin officially joined the business in 2012, and Taylor shortly after, but the two of them had actually started full-time as teenagers, working 40-hour weeks during summers and after school. “Dad had basically said, ‘All right. You need to get a job, and here it is,” Austin says.

Left, A project designed by August House Co. and built by Volunteer State Development includes supplies from Huskey. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 53

BUILDING, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT

A home from Richland Building Partners includes supplies from Huskey. Photo courtesy of Apex Creative

When the brothers were in college after the recession, they really began to take notice of what it would take to grow the business financially so their parents could do more than just get by. They took what they had learned from their father about purchasing a fluctuating commodity like lumber and expanded on it. Taylor handles the sales side of the business, leading 14 outside sales reps while bringing in new business. Austin handles logistics and product. But they both know it is the nearly 250 employees who work for them that drive the company’s success. 54 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

“It’s not Taylor and Austin’s show where we make all the calls,” Taylor says. “We’ve got a really good group of guys and gals who put their whole heart into it every day, and it is a culture that cares about each other. There is a drive to be better today than we were yesterday, and you can see it all over the place. Our dad did a really good job about building the company culture to be a team: It was never his way or the highway. He always wanted everybody’s involvement.” And the brothers have seen the benefit of buying into the team culture their dad instilled. “Austin’s really been leading the charge, helping everybody understand that we really want to get better — that’s not lip service,” Taylor says. “It’s very cool to see everybody buy into that. Now all these small, good ideas are stacking, and we’re starting to see momentum in the company.”

as their geographic reach gets larger. Huntsville isn’t far, and it has taken over Birmingham as the largest market in Alabama. The brothers each have small children of their own now. They’re too young to work in the yard, for now. Maybe when they are 13. “We will give them the option, for sure,” Taylor says. “I don’t know that I would do it exactly like my dad did it, but I think it will be … um … it’ll be something that is there if they express interest. But if they don’t want to be involved, they certainly don’t have to.” But more than likely, decades down the road, those kids will be talking with pride about the way their dads handled this time of growth in the family business. Just like their dad already is

The brothers plan to continue growth through three revenue streams: millwork (doors, windows, trim), lumber, and manufactured components (wall panels, roof trusses, floor trusses). It’s niche enough to specialize in, but it’s very scalable

“He’s proud of us and proud to see the company continue in the family,” Taylor says of their father. “He had people knocking on his door, calling him all the time, trying to get him to sell. So for him to see it go to us and … continue to bless his grandkids and the brother and sisters who aren’t involved — it’s a blessing.” NI

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BUILDING, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

HOUSE ON A HILL A COUPLE TRADE IN THEIR DOWNTOWN CONDO FOR A SLICE OF TENNESSEE HEAVEN

eorge and Sheila Ellis loved living in downtown Nashville. Originally from Cincinnati, the couple had moved numerous times for work, and the condo was perfect for them during that time. They could entertain friends from out of town, be at the airport in 20 minutes or walk to concerts at Ascend. But after they retired, they wanted something that was a little bit quieter, a little bit bigger and better suited for entertaining their two grandsons, 8 and 12. “After COVID hit, we realized it was a really small place and there’s not much to do,” Sheila says. “The boys were getting bigger, and there wasn’t really enough room to hang out and do things. It was kind of loud from the street outside, and we started noticing when we would travel, we’d always sleep better everywhere else than at our condo.” They began looking, informally, but after about a year got more serious about their search. They wanted to build something with a view, but not too far from downtown Nashville. Eventually, they stumbled on a lot in the Você neighborhood — the former property of singer Eddy Arnold that is known for its natural beauty. The worked with developer Shannon Pollard, Arnold’s grandson, to find the right builder. They landed on Alan and Heather Looney of Castle Homes after hearing glowing reviews from a few people they had built homes for. “We were told that they would take care of us if we needed something, that they would

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY LESLIE BROWN

absolutely take us into consideration both through the design process and the build process and even after it’s built,” Sheila says. “And that is what we found with them.” The Ellises had built a few homes, so they were not new to the process. For their forever home, they wanted to incorporate the things they loved from their travels and past homes, but they also encouraged Heather to push them to do things they wouldn’t normally do when it came to the design. “Our creativity was spurred by the homeowner,” Heather Looney says. “They’ve been all over the world, and they had a lot of different ideas … special colors that they loved. I just had to push them a little bit further, and we had a ball.” Architect Nick Dryden worked with the Looneys through the challenges of COVID to deliver a build that is a beautiful combination of all of their ideas, while working within the limitations of the hillside lot in the best way. “The design is a real collaboration between the builder and us and the architect,” Sheila says. “And I just love it. It’s like a tree house: There’s glass all around, so there’s nowhere in this house that there’s not a view — and it’s such a pretty view all year ’round. I just love that.” Despite moving in the end of March 2023, Sheila was spending extended times in Cincinnati helping with family issues, so it has only been about four months that she has been in her new home full time. She and George are happily settling into a routine that includes walks at nearby Radnor Lake State Park.

George and Sheila Ellis worked with architect Nick Dryden and builders Heather and Alan Looney of Castle Homes to create their dream home in the trees after they downsized from a downtown condo.

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Heather Looney sourced the handblown glass pendants over the island from Beacon Custom, a company from the Czech Republic. The glass inserts on the hood were designed by Jacoby Ironworks.

And four months have given her time to really appreciate certain spaces within their home. “The kitchen is awesome,” she says. “There is a 13-foot countertop, all the space you could ever want to have. And the cooktop is a little different for me — there is a griddle in the middle, which is kind of neat. I’ve never had anything like that before, so I am really enjoying cooking more than I did in the other place. Everything is laid out in a much more convenient manner. And I think it’s really pretty.” One standout design element is the pendant lighting over the island, which is handblown glass from Beacon Custom in the Czech Republic that Looney picked up at a design show. “Those are amazing,” Looney says. “Our whole team goes about every third year to the International Building Show in Utah, and they have absolutely stunning lights.” 58 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

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Lighting throughout was sourced at Graham’s Living, with tile from Traditions in Tile & Stone and Artistic Tile. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 61

“It really gives us a nice, happy, warm kind of feeling when you come home.” — Sheila Ellis

Sheila also loves the look of glass strips set into a range hood — something she had seen when they lived in Arizona. So Jacoby Ironworks drew something up and made it happen. One of the design elements Looney pushed Sheila to try was dark ceilings in a few spaces, which she had never done before. “I wanted it to look woodsy and to feel cozy,” Sheila says. “We really like contemporary homes, but not to the point of being ‘modern.’ I think that can be a little too stiff. And I think the darker colors, especially the ceiling, add to the overall warmth and feeling of the home, especially being up in the trees. So you see the trees right outside, and then you’ve got this natural wood on the floor. With the ceilings it just really pulls it all together.” But Sheila says the true “knockout” room is the all-seasons room with wood ceilings and floors and a sliding-glass pocket door that can separate it from the rest of the house when needed. Patio doors lead to the infinity-edge pool built by Watermark Pool & Spa, and they can be pushed all the way back to make the room part of the outdoors. “We have a TV here, so if it’s a football day there’ll be football on — and we can all be on the sofa,” Sheila says. Their sofa is modeled after a large curved one they’d all been able to pile onto at one of their family vacation spots. The Ellises splurged on lighting throughout, helped by Graham’s Living, including pendants that can be seen outside at night. 62 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

“This is a dark sky community, so you can’t do a whole lot outside,” Sheila says. Phillip Jeffries wallpaper makes an impact throughout; using it was another series of design decisions that pushed Sheila out of her comfort zone. “I was never a wallpaper person,” she says. “But wow.” The wallpaper in the all-seasons room is a dark, textured cork, which also acts to absorb sound a bit. In the hallway, there is paper that looks like beautiful mountain scenery that can be seen from outside. “It really gives us a nice, happy, warm kind of feeling when you come home,” she says. There is wallpaper in the office, in one of the guest rooms and even on the ceiling of the laundry room. Most dramatically, the upstairs hallway is a long stretch of blue with a silver wave running like a root through it. It makes an impact as soon as you drive up, resembling a large piece of art. “No matter what the style is, whether it’s traditional, contemporary, transitional, log home, you have to be able to read your client and how far you can push them,” Looney says. “I could not be more proud of this home and the deep relationship that the homeowners and our Castle team designed and built together. What challenges us, strengthens us.” NI

RESOURCES Watermark Pool & Spa Graham’s Living: Lighting and hardware Beacon Custom from the Czech Republic: Handblown glass island pendants Nashville Fireplace: Custom burners Inspired Closets Reliable Glass & Mirror Prodigy: Ambient lighting City Electric Supply: Ambient lighting Pella: Windows and custom front door Jacoby Ironworks: Steelwork Century Entertainment & Furnishings: Custom cabinetry Traditions in Tile & Stone Artistic Tile Sitac Marble and Granite Surfaces: Supplier and fabrication Phillip Jeffries: Wall coverings Rozanne Jackson for The Iron Gate: Appointed furnishings and draperies Outdoor sculpture by artist Mark Carroll, who resides in Cave Creek, Arizona. The Ellises visited his studio when at their vacation home in Wickenburg

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peacockalley.com

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LARGER THAN LIFE

ONE OF NASHVILLE’S MOST REVERED ARTISTS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER

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ashville native Alan LeQuire grew up in a mixed household — as in his mom was a painter and his father was a scientist. All of their friends were artists and scientists, too, so it made for an interesting mix for him and his three siblings growing up.

He wasn’t impressed with the radical leanings of the French Academy — anti-figurative, antitradition — which was considered the gold standard of art education. And the few days he spent at Beaux-Arts de Paris depressed him because it was so far from what he wanted to learn.

“There were a lot of great arguments,” he says.

“But I managed to find some great teachers over there, so I still got a lot out of being there, just going to museums and traveling,” he says. “That sort of formed the basis of solidifying my ideas about what I wanted to pursue.”

Because his mother taught and made art, tools for creating were everywhere. She had a studio and would keep LeQuire and his siblings occupied by giving them projects to work on. He had a natural artistic talent, but the science side pulled LeQuire as well. He studied pre-med at Vanderbilt University, but he says he came to a fork in the road his senior year when he went to France as part of the curriculum for his French minor and decided he was going to pursue art.

Sculptor Alan LeQuire among his Dream Forest at his Charlotte Avenue studio

“I had apprenticed with several sculptors, and I really felt like I had to get academic training. But it was a mystery because academic training didn’t really exist, so part of the personal quest for me was to find out what remained of it in Europe,” LeQuire says.

He says his big moment of clarity was meeting Giacomo Manzù in Italy and falling in love with his way of sculpting the female body. “I felt he was doing something completely new and different with that subject matter,” he says. When he returned from Europe, he went to graduate school at the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, where they had a foundry program and a graduate course program based on working from live models — as he did in Italy and France. He continued to draw, make prints, sculpt and cast in bronze. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 67

LeQuire excels at figurative work in clay and bronze.

His first commissions came from his parents’ connections, doing portrait busts for the medical school at Vanderbilt, then a mother and child bronze commissioned by Mildred Stahlman, a colleague of his father’s at Vanderbilt, for the neonatal wing of the hospital. “It was a major commission for me at the very beginning of my career,” he says. “They placed it right in front of the window where you looked at the babies, and she had one breast exposed. They got a lot of complaints, and so I think they put it in a closet.”

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Next, he created young David playing the lyre for the Blair School of Music. In a very traditional way, LeQuire built a career in the arts based on patronage. “My career was built by these individual people who responded to something in my work and wanted to support me,” he says. “I’m so thankful for them.” LeQuire can look back at those early works, though, and see the skill, the influence from Manzù when he was fresh back home from Italy. “And I kind of wish for that in my work today,” he says.

Birth of Athena LeQuire’s biggest commission was about to come from another supporter, Anne Roos, who was on the Nashville Park Board. She had spearheaded the fundraising to build a statue of Athena for the Parthenon, and she wanted LeQuire. The statue was commissioned in 1982, and it challenged the artist in every way. First, he developed a fear of heights while on that project. Even scarier, he was expected to lead a team and have a schedule. “I didn’t know how to do any of that stuff and was terrible at it,” he says. “I’d never done it before, so I couldn’t really estimate how much time this would take, or that would take. I kind of worked myself into a frenzy early on and with the stress, and I really hurt my back and went to the hospital.” Those days in the hospital made him realize he had to change his way of working. “I made the decision that I was going to let the project dictate its own schedule and not worry about it. And Anne Roos allowed me to do that.” Athena was commissioned at the end of 1982 and unveiled in 1990.

“My career was built by these individual people who responded to something in my work and wanted to support me. I’m so thankful for them.” — Alan LeQuire

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In May 2003, he opened his studio on Charlotte Avenue, where he remains today. It was right about the time that he finished Musica, the large-scale naked figures dancing around the Demonbreun roundabout, a monument to signify Nashville’s connection as Music City, and the connection to Music Row. “I didn’t have any clue that it would be so controversial, but I should have known,” he says. LeQuire says that today he is “sort of retired” in that he doesn’t have to take commissions anymore, and he is excited about doing stuff that he wants to do. One of those projects has been Dream Forest, which, ironically enough, comes from his early experiences and memories in the Parthenon — and even earlier experiences in the woods near where he grew up.

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“I had a series of dreams when I was in my 40s that were me, sort of wandering through an old-growth forest,” he says. “But all the trees were humanoid, sculptural objects with a living presence. I saw the multilayered surface texture, with names and words, and that comes from looking at the Parthenon marbles when I was a kid, because they had graffiti on them — ancient graffiti that the British Museum made sure to include, but they also had contemporary Tennessee graffiti because, in Nashville in the ’60s, kids would still scratch their names in stuff. And that was all in my dream.”

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LeQuire says he felt this warmth and welcoming emotional presence from the trees that was like being visited by his ancestors. “I was really excited by it, and I apparently talked about it a little bit too much because my friends were insistent that I had to actually sculpt these things or shut up about it.”NI

OVER 500 PIECES OF ART IN STOCK 305 Indian Lake Blvd., Suite 110, Hendersonville 615-822-3199 baylorboneinteriors.com

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A wine company headquartered in Nashville, sourcing wine from a family owned vineyard in California. We specialize in custom runs for both commercial and residential. We can put wine into traditional bottles, cans and kegs. Currently serving the markets of TN, GA, and FL. miracleonewinecompany.com Charley McPherson 615.707.9862

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BRAND, NEW Ajiri Aki helps people create the best and most complete representation of themselves to present to the world BY JOE MORRIS SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHY

Ajiri Aki has seen a lot of the world. It’s influenced how she sees herself — and how she views the concept of a personal brand. Aki now lives in Paris, where she founded Madame de la Maison, an entertaining and lifestyle brand, in 2018. But her path didn’t begin there. She was born in Nigeria, grew up in Austin, Texas, and after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, she ran as fast as she could to New York City to begin a career in fashion. After stints as a stylist’s assistant working for publications including W, Rolling Stone, Nylon and Interview Magazine, she became associate men’s fashion editor at DNR (WWD), senior accessories and celebrity sittings editor at Suede magazine, where she styled many celebrities, including Boy George, Pharrell Williams, Kerry Washington and Jimmy Fallon. A master of arts degree in decorative arts, design history, and material culture from Bard College in New York followed, deepening her obsession with objects. During this time, she interned and volunteered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute working on major exhibitions about Paul Poiret, Chanel and Anglomania. She also served as an associate curator at The Museum of the City of New York for an exhibition about Black style from the 1920s to the present. After a brief stint in Paris researching and writing about Jean Patou, Coco Chanel’s rival in the 1920s and ’30s, Aki returned 74 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

to New York to launch a fashion video production company where she worked with brands such as Neiman Marcus, Hermès, Diane von Furstenberg, Rodarte, Marchesa and Jason Wu. After her marriage, she returned to Paris. In 2015, Aki co-authored her first book, the New York Times bestselling Where’s Karl?: A Fashion-Forward Parody (Clarkson Potter),

which received rave reviews, and went on a book tour sponsored by Karl Lagerfeld.

What question(s) are you asked most by audiences at shows like this?

Madame de la Maison followed, which found a niche specializing in French antiques and tabletop linens with an online shop and rental services. The company has been featured in Vogue, Domino, Remodelista, Grazia and Metropolitan Magazine (the Euro-Star magazine), among many other outlets. Aki has also been thrilled to collaborate with brands including Tory Burch, Christofle and Joie. Aki was included in The New Parisienne (Abrams, 2020), a book highlighting 50 women who are changing the definition of what it means to be Parisienne. In March 2021, she was chosen as one of seven women to be featured in a short film for LinkedIn for International Women’s Day 2021.

They want to know what my favorite finds are and the pieces that I regret selling — and not keeping for myself. They are very curious how I decide what to keep and sell or how I restrain from keeping everything.

Before her appearance at the 34th Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville, she spent some time with Nashville Interiors to talk brands, branding and how to get started creating your very own vision of you.

Most of the brands come to me because they are interested in how to respect or incorporate the past while being modern, innovative or moving forward. I enjoy showing them through my vast archive of objects as well as our collaboration about how that is possible. I also get the opportunity to learn about various industries, materials and manufacturers. NI

If someone wants to build their personal brand, what’s a good starting place? Or a good starting piece?

How can someone in Tennessee bring a little Paris into their life? Buy some French antiques or even French-inspired antiques! Almost every French home is a mix of the past and the present. You collaborate with well-known brands. What do you learn from them, and what lessons do you impart?

Get clear on your inspirations and influences. You can’t be everything to everyone. Make a mood board and spend a lot of time going through design and history books. The research will speak to your creativity, and ideas will flow.

THE MACC | 1017 Antebellum Circle | Hendersonville TN NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 75

EXPRESS YOURSELF Carrier and Company creates wraparound spaces that reflect a client’s full personality BY JOE MORRIS SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHY

Since meeting at Fashion Institute of Technology, Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller have built a philosophy when it comes to how and what make rooms in a property — and the property overall — special. After working for several interior design firms, they began Carrier and Company Interiors in 2005. From their home base in New York City, they continue to expand their vision. The two say they like to create rooms that offer a confident mix of timeless and contemporary design — familiar and fresh at once. Their guiding philosophy connects client with place in a manner that reflects the distinct and singular nature of both. From bohemian glamour to country charm, from modern luxe to the timeless and ineffable, from the historically informed to the tailored and refined.

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Their latest monograph, Defining Chic: Carrier and Company Interiors (Rizzoli), showcases homes that express their clients’ personalities and dreams through the practical filters of lifestyle and location, while revealing the design principles behind them. They also work with leading furnishing manufacturers to bring their unique visions of homes and interiors to a wider audience. Carrier and Company Collections can be found at: Century Furniture (upholstery and case goods); Visual Comfort (decorative lighting); Lee Jofa (fabric and wallpaper); Loloi (area rugs); and Soicher Marin (custom framed art). Carrier also has received accolades from the world’s most prominent publications, including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Town & Country, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda, Luxe Interiors + Design, Milieu and World of Interiors. They sat down with Nashville Interiors before their appearance at the 34th Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville to talk about how they help people get started on their interior journeys. If someone wants their home or surroundings to better reflect their personality, where’s a good starting place? Art is a wonderful place to start for self-expression in your home. The range of mediums and price points make it an accessible and creative way to reflect your personal style in a variety of ways.

When partnering with furniture manufacturers, what are some “musts” that you want for each piece and/or collection? For our furniture collections with Century, the upholstery must be comfortable, first and foremost. And for all our products, whether case pieces at Century, our line of lighting at Circa or rugs at Loloi, the craftsmanship and quality of construction must be perfect. Moreover, we strive to design and produce pieces that capture the essence of our work — pieces we would use and love in our own projects and homes. When you begin a makeover of a property, where do you start? We start by asking ALL the questions and getting into details with our clients to better understand their needs and how they truly live. Once we have a clear understanding of how our clients intend to use the homes we’re being tasked to make over, we start by creating furniture plans and gathering inspirational imagery to share with clients, to ensure that we are all on the right path and visually aligned. What would be your dream recreation or restoration project? Our dream would be to work on a boutique hotel — preferably a restoration of a historical property. We have loved working on historically significant homes and compounds, and we would love to do this at a scale that allows many people to enjoy it. NI

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Introducing our YouTube Channel. Come to our channel for inspiration. You’ll tour homes, meet artisans and learn about our local community of businesses! 78 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

VENUE

For Members Only THE MALIN OPENS ITS FIRST — AND LARGEST — LOCATION OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK IN WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN ROBERTSON

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“We’re in the hospitality business, so we carefully tailor each location of The Malin to fit the needs of the neighborhood and professional community.” — Ciaran McGuigan, CEO of The Malin

he Malin, a high-end coworking club geared to serving the professional community, has opened in the everevolving Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Its first workspace outside New York City — and the fourth and largest location in the brand’s portfolio — is in the Nashville Warehouse Co. at 1131 Fourth Ave. S.

Buns, Dicey’s Tavern and Athlos. Members can also get onsite strategic team coaching from The Happy Hour, a mental wellness and coaching studio. Members can also reserve the Nashville Warehouse Co.’s Outfield — an acre of community park space — for events.

The new Nashville location is the brand’s most ambitious opening to date, and it follows The Malin’s first three locations in New York City — Soho, Williamsburg and the West Village. Encompassing 16,000 square feet, the Nashville space accommodates 48 dedicated desks, seven private offices, five meeting rooms and two libraries, resulting in a premium work environment tailored to provide form and function for its members.

An Evolving Neighborhood, a Refined Design

“This is by far our most brilliant workspace to date,” says Ciaran McGuigan, CEO of The Malin. “We’re in the hospitality business, so we carefully tailor each location of The Malin to fit the needs of the neighborhood and professional community.” Committed to providing an environment equipped with personalized services and high-touch amenities, The Malin provides its members the comforts of a home and the resources of an office, plus concierge-level services recruited from the country’s leading hospitality brands. For example, members have access to special discounts and perks at neighboring hotspots, including Hero Doughnuts & 80 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

Wedgewood-Houston is undergoing a wide-ranging multiphase neighborhood restoration and development project led by AJ Capital Partners. Just a few blocks south of Nashville’s downtown, WeHo offers a range of retail, residential and office spaces for a diverse mix of tenants, including highend hospitality businesses and global brands such as Soho House Nashville, Apple Music, Live Nation, Red Bull and, soon, the famed NYC French restaurant Pastis. And the Nashville Warehouse Co. campus, a 5.2-acre site, is a big part of this growth. With a variety of lifestyle resources like public pedestrian spaces, an acre of communal green space, on-site parking and a fitness center, the building is also the city’s first mass timber building, with striking pine ceilings and beams framing the spaces throughout. From there, a rich, earthy palette is brought to life within The Malin through colorful walls in deep pigments of Benjamin Moore paint and Schumacher wallpapers. The look is completed with custom contemporary and vintage furnishings.

Nashville’s latest entry into the luxury co-working space, The Malin, incorporates elevated design along with the amenities. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 81

Bespoke millwork in dark walnut and white oak, signature to the brand, is featured throughout the floor, with complementing reeded wood and glass accents, as well as zellige tile backdrops and poured crystal dividers. Echoing the natural wood ceilings, limestone, travertine and marble — Giallo Siena, Irish Green, Onice Breccia and Aresbecator Orobico — adorn surfaces to bring elevated warmth. Eclectic furnishings within the open spaces feature supple leathers and soft velvets in bold colors and prints. The saturated color scheme is rooted in strong natural hues — deep olives, rusts, salmons and mustards. The interiors evoke a luxury hotel more than they do a workspace, and they’re intended to provide members with an aspirational backdrop for their work and their guests. “Not only are we providing the highest level of hospitality, we’re doing it in a refined and beautiful space that contributes to a productive workflow,” McGuigan says. And he’s planning to add more. The Malin’s second Nashville location is going into the historic Voorhees Building on Eighth Avenue. They have partnered with real estate developer SomeraRoad to cultivate a live-work-play-stay neighborhood they’re calling Paseo South Gulch — anchored by four new mixed-use towers and two historic buildings that are going through adaptive reuse.

The WeHo location of The Malin has 48 dedicated desks, seven private offices, five meeting rooms and two libraries.

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The vision for the neighborhood includes world-class retail, residential, restaurants, office space and a hotel. The Malin South Gulch aims to provide an elevated, neighborhood-first work experience just blocks from downtown, with stunning views of the Nashville skyline and bold interiors by Kingston Lafferty Design that reflect the local architecture. “We are seeking out the most relevant neighborhoods in the country and are thrilled to be opening a second Nashville location in the historic Voorhees Building,” McGuigan says. “It’s exciting to be a part of SomeraRoad’s Paseo development, and we’re really looking forward to serving the community and contributing to … this up-andcoming district.” The 12,000-square-foot space plan will accommodate 58 dedicated desks, seven private offices, four meeting rooms, three lounges and a library. Work zones are designed with distinct atmospheres, marked by high-gloss lacquer, burl wood, sumptuous carpets and signature crystal and stone. Neighboring businesses include Carter Vintage Guitars, Blind Barber, Two Hands, Barista Parlor, The Catbird Seat, Patterson House and Maíz de la Vida. Prima, the neighborhood’s first residential tower, is scheduled to open early this year. NI The Malin Wedgewood-Houston 1131 Fourth Ave. S., Suite 230 A mix of contemporary and vintage furnishings adds finish to the bespoke millwork in dark walnut and white oak, which is signature to the brand.

615-510-8333 The Malin South Gulch 700 Eighth Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37203 NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 83

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HIGHLIGHTING HISTORY NEW DEVELOPMENTS PAY HOMAGE TO OLD NASHVILLE BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE FREIHON

evelopment in Nashville is happening at such a rapid pace that many locals are left wondering if we are taking care to not lose our city’s history and vibe while we’re busy being creative and cutting-edge. The neighborhood’s history and architecture attracted Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners to set up their headquarters in Wedgewood-Houston, and the real estate company has taken a special interest in paying homage to old Nashville amid the development boom they are bringing.

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In 2020, the Graduate Nashville hotel gave a nod to Checkers and Taco Bell, which once stood nearby at 2000 and 2004 West End Ave., respectively.

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“Our approach is rooted in history,” says Lesley Florie, senior vice president of brand identity at Adventurous Journeys. “We look to the existing texture of a project to inform the future of it. It is important to AJ that we not only honor this neighborhood’s incredible texture and history, but that we also create more opportunities for this unique creative energy to continue to thrive.” Since they moved to Wedgewood-Houston in 2015, they have worked on May Hosiery Mills, Nashville Warehouse Co. and the AJ headquarters, and they have ongoing new projects in 2024. In the early 20th century, May Hosiery Mills was among the largest employers in Nashville, and it employed many Jewish refugees that the May family helped to flee Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The building itself dates back to 1908, and for much of May Hosiery’s 88 years in operation, its hundreds of employees, mostly women, manufactured a million socks a week. The factory supplied major stores nationwide and made the socks worn to the moon by NASA’s Apollo II crew. “Because of the prominence of the building, we did everything we could to maintain its integrity,” Florie says. The multi-building historic restoration brought new life to the space, while maintaining they original flooring and structure. Today, this mixeduse campus features six brick buildings set on four acres. It consists of 175,000 square feet of office, retail, and SoHo House, a boutique hotel and private members club. Nashville Warehouse Co. is the city’s first largescale mass timber project at the center of a 5.2-acre ground-up redevelopment at the corner of Fourth and Chestnut. This mixed-use campus offers 200,000 square feet of office space, public pedestrian spaces and an acre of communal green space that features an outdoor bandshell framed by the original guitar-shaped scoreboard from the now-demolished Greer Stadium, which was home of the Nashville Sounds MiLB team before they moved to First Horizon Park. The campus features on-site parking, a fitness center and a 273-unit residential building as well as The Malin (read more about The Malin on page 80).

Right, AJ Capital kept the history of the building in mind when renovating the May Hosiery building in WeHo. Across, the Big Tickets mural pays homage to Nashville’s diverse music history. 88 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

“It’s not just about the buildings themselves, but what happens around them.” — Lesley Florie Adventurous Journeys works to pay homage to old Nashville in ways that speak to the character of a location whenever they work on a redevelopment project. “It’s not just about the buildings themselves, but what happens around them,” Florie says. One of these homages is the large-scale Big Tickets mural, a 5,775-square-foot love letter to Nashville’s rich and diverse history of music making. Located in Wedgewood-Houston just past the Nashville City Cemetery along Fourth Avenue at the Nashville Warehouse Co., the mural tells the big story of Nashville’s integral role in shaping all genres of music. The collage of 62 concert stubs from actual shows involving over 120 artists is a creative collaboration of Adventurous Journeys, Studio Delger and Eastside Murals. The tickets featured in the art piece span from the early 1900s through today and include iconic moments in Nashville music history across genres, including nearby United Record Pressing on Chestnut Street. Featured artists include The Allman Brothers Band, Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Etta James, George Clinton, Guns N’ Roses, Jack White, John Prine, Loretta Lynn, Mavis Staples, Muddy Waters, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Run DMC and Stevie Wonder. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 89

The guitar-shaped scoreboard from the original Greer Stadium was rescued and repurposed at The Outfield, a communal green space.

“Big Tickets builds upon the incredible texture and artistic identity of Wedgewood-Houston, specifically celebrating some of the music history that makes this neighborhood unique,” Florie says. “Nashville’s more than country music, and we’re excited to showcase that diversity.” Another way they have paid homage to Nashville’s past is the restoration of the guitar-shaped scoreboard from Greer Stadium. Herschel Greer Stadium opened its doors in 1978, two years after Larry Schmittou and Conway Twitty partnered to bring professional baseball back to Nashville. Greer became home to the appropriately named Nashville Sounds, and it was on the grounds of Fort Negley, an American Civil War fortification in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. The scoreboard was installed before the 1993 season, and it was the largest scoreboard in Minor League Baseball. The 90 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | 2024 Vol. 39

distinctive guitar-shaped scoreboard was Greer Stadium’s claim to fame. After 36 seasons, Greer aged into being one of the oldest stadiums used by a Triple-A team, and it had fallen well below the national standard for professional use. The Sounds moved downtown in 2015. The stadium land was pulled back into Fort Negley, but the famous scoreboard — still looming behind leftcenter field — was a memory that Nashville was reluctant to let go. Restored by AJ Capital Partners in 2021, the original scoreboard sits just down the road from its original location and is now a distinctive feature of Wedgewood-Houston. In tribute to the Sounds’ original home, the bandshell and communal green space added below the scoreboard are called — what else? The Outfield. NI

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