This October I had the opportunity to tour the Southern Living Idea House and it did not disappoint! As you will see from the pictures, no details were left out both on the inside and the outside of this amazing new build.
Quick Facts:
~67 acres of land in Leipers Fork TN, 35 minutes south of Nashville
~5600 sq. ft.
~3 or 4 bedroom/ 4 and 2 half bath
~breakfast nook
~floor/wall/ceiling wood paneled executive office
~dog wash/feeding station
~gym
~music lounge (it's Tennessee, of course!)
~billiards room
~lots of deep porch spaces with phantom screens for extended outdoor living
~pool/spa with Caribbean soaking shelf
~raised vegetable beds
~outdoor greenhouse
~party barn with complete kitchen and pizza oven
Read on if you want to take a bit more detailed of a tour with me.
The entry of the Southern Living Home greets visitors with a deep seated porch in Zuri decking and right away the soaring ceilings and wall of windows in the back beckon you to come immediately into the heart of the house. I stood there for a few minutes just soaking the space in. I immediately noticed the ample amount of natural light from the abundance of windows, which, incidentally continues on throughout the house. From that vantage point I noted the painted ceiling beams contrasting with the tongue and grove wood ceiling lining the A frame; the expansive kitchen with beautifully honed Imperial Danby marble and simple but grand arched plaster hood spanning the range wall; the welcoming seating area surrounding the fireplace; and the richly painted plank flooring from Duchateau transitioning from herringbone in the entry to parallel in the family/kitchen area. And that barely scratches the surface. Check it out in the photos below!
From there I ventured to the left wing which took me through the impressive all-wood paneled study with floor to ceiling windows facing each other (I would definitely work from there!). Beyond that was the primary bedroom and bath. The bedroom and bath were both simple and serene; neutral palleted with plenty of natural light, white walls and wood accents. I particularly liked the details of the Arctic White marble in various cuts throughout the bathroom. The final part of this section of the house was the coffee bar and walk through closet with a seated vanity at a picture window overlooking the beautiful grounds. Even the ceiling had a special treatment in the closet!
The next part of my tour took me back through the heart of the house, past the elevator and to the right wing. Here, I walked through the well appointed gym (or possible 4th bedroom) then through the yoga porch and into the beautiful laundry room complete with wood counters, a black penny-tiled dog shower, black and white marble tiled floor and lovely blue-green colored walls, trim and ceiling (For those who are as in love with the color as I am- it's Sherwin-Williams Portsmouth). The far door in the laundry leads to the mudroom with plenty of built-ins (which is on the side of the house with a porte-cochere adjoining the garage) with the black and white marble tile continuing to flow in there. The powder room and pantry are part of this space as well with the marble tiles seamlessly connecting them all. For the main powder room the bold choice of a brownish red was chosen (SW Rockwood Red) for the walls and a stand alone bath sink with brass legs creates it's own statement in this dramatic space.
The mudroom contains stairs that go directly to the two children ensuites on the top floor. Each one had an impressive A-line ceiling with a fun central light fixture and accent beams like throughout the rest of the house. Both rooms had ample built-ins for storage, homework and displaying favorite items. One of my favorite take aways was that one of the rooms had fabric covered cork around the entire perimeter, allowing for hanging anything from artwork to posters to memorabilia.
The next part of the tour took me down to the finished walkout basement- complete with a sitting area, fireplace and billiard's and music room. The powder bath in this part of the house was a favorite. There was not a drop of paint in this room- not even the ceiling. It had richly stained board and batten walls top to bottom with honed limestone flooring from The Tile Shop and a dramatic floating vanity. It had simple lines and finishes but the effect of the all-wood walls and dark vanity gave it a masculine feel without being too heavy.
My final leg on this home tour took me outside to explore. There I found the potting shed: 'Mary's Folly' and the Party Barn along with not only a pool, fire pit and raised garden beds, but several hundred square feet of outdoor living space equipped by Phantom with automated screens to maximize indoor/outdoor living.
While there were so many favorites in this house, if I had to pick 1 room it would be the Breakfast Room. The room is the perfect balance of dreamy, European-inspired and practical. The walls are a hand-painted, pastoral landscape wallpaper that envelopes you on all sides. The trim and cabinets are all painted in the ultra soft sage-y green of Sherwin Williams Meander. There is a sweet window bench seat spanning the window wall with a 19th Century English table and chairs from Chairish which adds character that only something that's been passed through many hands can do. Another wall has an arched alcove with practical appliances such as an espresso machine, toaster, sink and even dishwasher and refrigerator drawers. The arch is filled in with dramatically deep green tiles and a floating shelf with a brass rail to hold glasses, mugs or anything you want close at hand. It is a well done room that I could picture myself spending quite a bit of time in.
It's difficult to encapsulate how well thought out and appointed this house was. Details matter. And they truly thought of everything to make this house livable. There were so many people who worked on it to make it a success for the owners- to- be and that reiterates to myself just how important having a cohesive team is in what we do. I came away inspired to incorporate some of the ideas for both current and future projects. The tour is going on through December 17, 2023 so if you are in the neighborhood- check it out and let us know what you think! It is well worth it.
Now it's your turn. Did you see anything in this house you can incorporate in your own home? What was your favorite part? If you're interested in learning more about the house- visit the Southern Living website!
Lisa