Tour an Equestrian’s Eclectic Nashville Pied-à-Terre
In a leafy and historic neighborhood of Nashville, one young equestrian—who splits her time between Florida and Tennessee—has found her perfect pied-à-terre. That’s in large part thanks to Jason Arnold, the Nashville-based interior designer known for creating a sense of balance in his consistently refined interiors. “Young, fresh, timeless, and classic was what she wanted,” Arnold recalls of his client. “She has a dog, and she comes home [right] after riding, so making sure everything was durable was also important.”
What made the whole thing work, the designer adds, is that the client trusted him to do what he does best—mix up old and new, inherited and purchased, elegant and fun. Though his client didn’t have the exact words to describe what she wanted, Arnold intuited she was drawn to a layered look. And he delivered. In the living room, the Hickory Chair reupholstered by Rubelli fabric is new, while the Mini Skirt drinks table by Bunny Williams Home is a classic. The Lucite tables are vintage, and the Visual Comfort brass-and-leather-wrapped floor lamp, with a triangle shade, is an antique.
The furnishings give that room and all the others a fresh feeling of having been collected over time. “I threw in several items throughout the home that were handed down from her grandmother, who had amazing taste and style,” Arnold adds. In the guest bedroom, geometric and almost floral Zak + Fox wallcoverings offset the owner’s grandmother’s dresser and a vibrant blue bedspread. There’s a quirky Pierre Paulin tongue chair in the den and a very grown-up Phillip Jeffries wallcovering to temper the small space. In the dining room, Arnold took a Broad Beach pendant wrapped in rope and placed it above a custom—if Lilliputian—dining table that seats just six.
“She’s not a huge entertainer, but friends come and hang out, and she does work at the dining room table sometimes,” Arnold says. “The chandelier provides this honey glow that makes everyone look gorgeous.” For the primary bedroom, he had a Birmingham manufacturer create a custom four-poster iron bed, placed it atop an Antrim geometric rug, then filled out the space with Lee Industries armchairs reupholstered in royal blue Weitzner fabric. They finished the room with a custom dresser that looks like something the equestrian’s grandmother passed down, as does the Bhawana nightstand which Arnold sourced from Global Views.
Framed prints, urns, curious lamps, and unexpected curios sit on nearly every surface in the bedroom and throughout the two-bedroom apartment. These one of a kind objets give the owner something new to marvel at every time she walks in the door, Arnold notes, especially since she’s only there part-time.
“I love smaller spaces, and when you have a great base, then layering all these pieces can really tell the story,” Arnold says. “I think this home tells the story of a well-traveled, eclectic, interesting young woman with sophisticated taste, but who is also playful and enjoys being surrounded by beautiful things. The strong architectural bones allow for that, and I love the way it turned out.” It’s eclectic and unbridled, just like its owner.
1/9Jason Arnold made the cozy den seem larger by incorporating small-scale furnishings with unusual shapes. The wallcovering is by Phillip Jeffries, the shades are from United Supply, the sofa is from RH, the lamp is from Hay, and the area rug is from Tufenkian.
Art: © 2022 Jim Dine / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York2/9Arnold filled the living room with era-spanning furnishings that don’t adhere to any particular style. “It’s true that there is a lot of programming in the living room, but it’s still all about balance and editing,” the designer says. “You can see the balance of negative space contrasted with a lot of furniture and objects, but it still doesn’t lead to a maximalist look. I want it to look collected but not cluttered.” The sofa is by Hickory Chair, reupholstered with Rubelli fabric; the mini skirt drinks table is from Bunny Williams Home; and the are rug is from Crescent Myers, topped with a vintage rug.
3/9The multifunctional dining room is small enough to use as an office, but has a table that can seat a close-knit group of six for dinner. The chairs are from Robin Rains, the sconces are from Hector Finch, the pendant light is from Broad Beach, and the wallcovering is by Phillip Jeffries.
4/9A breakfast nook occupies one corner of the living room, giving the space a semi-casual vibe. The banquette is fabricated by Grant Trick and reupholstered by Castel, and the powder-coated banquette table and leather ottoman are by Arnold.
5/9The small but functional kitchen’s simple white palette and wood finishes are offset by a Delft-inspired tile backsplash.
6/9The owner’s bedroom contrasts rich chocolates with creamy whites, lit by the natural light filtered through gauzy curtains. “The bedspread is very graphic and almost looks like puzzle pieces,” Arnold says. “It hides a multitude of sins.” The custom bed frame is by Ironworks, the headboard is by Kirk Long, done in Travis & Co. fabric. The quilt, in Larsen fabric, and curtains, in Pindler fabric, are by The Curtain Call. The vintage Bhawana nightstand is sourced from Global Views.
7/9Arnold didn’t have to do much to the bathrooms to make the owner feel at home. For her private vanity, he only changed the mirror to a vintage find, which now hangs in front of a window, providing exquisite natural lighting.
8/9“The guest room has a British feel to it,” Arnolds says. “The wallcovering pattern looks like a thistle, and we pulled those beautiful, deep, rich, colors to the bed spread.” The Kirk Long bed frame is upholstered in Schumacher fabric; the dresser belonged to the homeowner’s grandmother’s collection. The wallcovering is by Zak+Fox, while the Curtain Call drapes were fashioned out of Fabricut fabric.
9/9Most of the millwork throughout the apartment was retained in previous renovations. The original archway frames a soaking tub surrounded by marble tiles and the previous owner’s scenic wallpaper.
