Designer Profiles

Alyssa Spyridon Founder and Creative Director, Relic Home and Relic Creative

Alyssa Spyridon was destined to work in interiors. Her designer mother was a passionate antique collector and contributed four antique rugs when Alyssa bought her East Nashville home. A visitor bought one of them, and she “became obsessed” when searching for a replacement. She started posting her finds on social media, and the interest that sparked made her realize that she had tapped into a market. In 2016, she founded Relic Home, sourcing vintage and antique rugs internationally — most imported from North Africa and the Middle East — and has since built strong relationships with rug dealers and pickers worldwide.

Alyssa’s expertise and reputation grew, and she now has a nationwide roster of clients. Relic Home’s rugs have appeared in Lonny, InStyle, CherryBombe and ArchitecturalDigest. She now has her own rug designs manufactured in India, has produced limited-edition projects with her creative friends and launched a line of blankets and bamboo plates this year.

Alyssa believes strongly in investing in quality, hand-knotted wool rugs, adding, “Fine rugs are works of art that hide dirt and live underneath our feet. Does it get better than that?” Alyssa filled us in on her creative upbringing, her successes and Relic Creative, her other business that creates wildly inventive pop-up bars.

CAREER PATH My career unfolded really organically with both Relic Home and Relic Creative. I don’t have a degree in design, but I grew up with a mother who was a self-taught interior designer and contractor. We lived in many renovated historic homes. When I was in elementary school, she owned a Southeast Asian import furniture store, and while I was in middle school, she owned a contemporary/modern store. I grew up working in her shops. I was always intentional about my own spaces, but I never intended to work in the world of interiors. I guess the writing was on the wall — haha! — but I couldn’t see it for a long time. Relic Home was established in January 2016. What started as a quick search to replace a rug turned into an obsessive hobby, which then turned into a full-time gig.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS The first pop-up that I was hired to work on (and what Relic Creative was born out of) was a Christmas pop-up at Hidden Bar at Noelle Nashville in 2018. I enlisted the help of my friend Emily Davis to fabricate a faux taxidermy polar bear for that. That project created a lot of opportunities for us to grow and take on more creative installations and experiences. We specialize in designing and installing semipermanent themed sets for bar spaces, mostly working with hotels.

JOB PERKS We are fortunate to have creative and well-known clients. Because of this, we’ve had our work and our products featured in many beautiful magazines by way of our cool client base, including Architectural Digest, this year. That one was exciting!

JOB CHALLENGES With Relic Home, I’d have to say retail production. Producing and designing our own line of products (rugs, blankets and bamboo plates) has been quite the challenge. We’ve experienced a few curveballs, but it’s been very awesome and rewarding. With Relic Creative, the most challenging thing is that the installations are semipermanent. They typically stay up anywhere from three weeks to three-plus months, so they have to be durable and long-lasting, yet they can’t create a lot of damage to the existing space. That part is always tricky. BIGGEST INFLUENCE Traveling. It shifts your perspective and exposes you to so much.

SHOP LOCAL GasLamp Antiques and GasLamp Too for local finds. Ebb and Iv Vintage on Instagram; she’s local and has the best pieces. Otherwise, Relic Home! I love to source unique items for myself, my shop and my clients.

BEST ADVICE Start with your own space. Follow your intuition! And don’t be afraid to do something you’ve never done before.

GET INSPIRED My daughter, Goldy, and my friends. Spending time with my creative community is really inspiring. At any given point, I’m in a room with friends [who] are musicians, photographers, chefs, ceramicists, painters, stylists, designers, etc. The list is long! I feel so lucky to spend my time with such cool, loving and supportive people.

PROUD MOMENT With Relic Home, I think it’d have to be our newest rug collection, which we just launched called Scenic. With Relic Creative, I’d have to say our Home Alone-themed pop-up bar last Christmas. We re-created the house from Home Alone at Hidden Bar. It was so nostalgic for our team and for all of the people [who] got to experience it. Also, the Versace Mansion-themed Halloween pop-up last year at L27. That was incredibly fun. We got to really stretch and flex our creative muscles on those projects.

IN ANOTHER LIFE Running an animal sanctuary or owning and running a tiny hotel and event space on the water somewhere.

IN THE WORKS As usual, we plan to have our annual holiday market at our Relic Home space. We also have several fun hotel projects for the holiday season with Relic Creative. Stay tuned, Nashville!

FUTURE PLANS We are currently revamping our Relic Home space in East Nashville to be able to welcome folks sans appointment very soon!

BY HOLLY HOFFMAN PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL MEIGS

Mark Simmons

Interior Designer, Mark Simmons Interiors

After 30-plus years in the interior design world, Mark Simmons is widely recognized for the classic, timeless interiors he creates for clients in Nashville and beyond. The Glasgow, Kentucky, native attended Western Kentucky University before graduating from the O’More College of Design, then located in Franklin. It was there that he first began to understand and appreciate the relationship between interior design and architecture. Mark launched his career and continued to hone his talent at William Hamilton & Associates, first as an intern and then as a full-time designer. In 1991, he launched his eponymous firm and rapidly became known for creating spaces that are elegant, yet warm and inviting.

While known for his designs with a European flair, Mark has always believed that establishing a personal relationship with each client is the best way to create spaces that truly reflect the individual’s personality and lifestyle. No matter their style, his clients know that the end result will be an interior that will stand the test of time. His work has been featured in Southern Living, Southern Home and the Andrew Martin Interior Design Review, as well as numerous local publications. He has twice been awarded the Southeast Designer of the Year by the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

Mark’s passion for interior design is evident from his expansive portfolio of successful projects, but his true joy in life is his family. He and his wife, Sissy, love having everyone together for weekly family dinners, and he works with them, too. Daughter Alli Simmons Roberts and daughter-in-law Abby Simmons are members of his firm, along with Deb Tallent, who he worked with at Hamilton. We caught up with Mark to talk about his early days, where he finds inspiration and what he’s currently up to.

CAREER PATH My mom had a custom frame gallery, and my exposure to art and interiors began there. While my hometown of Glasgow, Kentucky, had an interior designer or two, I ventured from there to Nashville to explore design as a career path. This led me to O’More College of Design, where I received my education in interior architecture.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS When I was at O’More finishing up my education, I mustered up the courage to approach Bill Hamilton, a well-known and sought-after designer in Nashville, to inquire if he was looking for an intern. To my surprise and luck, he hired me. This really jump-started my career, exposing me to some of the most beautiful projects happening at that time, with lots of fun stories and memories to accompany.

JOB PERKS The people. Over the years, I have been so blessed by the people I get to work with every day: my wonderful clients, who have turned into great friends; my hardworking team, some that have been with me since day one; and the talented craftsmen and women who bring my designs to life.

JOB CHALLENGES Currently, the hardest part of the job is managing delivery of products. We take pride in delivering exceptional design in a timely manner and hope the supply chain can be repaired soon to keep our projects on typical (much shorter) timelines.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE I learned so much from Bill Hamilton about the business of design, buying antiques, quality furnishings and about the balance between beauty and comfort in interiors. I have held onto those principles my entire career.

SHOP LOCAL With the growth of Nashville, there are now a number of great sources for interior designers. My tried-and-true sources are Vintage Millworks, Corzine & Co., Leiper’s Creek Gallery, Jeff’s Fine Rugs & Tapestries, Canterbury Cottage Antiques [and] Preservation Station. And our exceptional local craftsmen are the real heroes. BEST ADVICE Learn all you can about construction and architecture. Get an education in the fundamentals of design. Sales experience and psychology classes are also very beneficial in this profession.

GET INSPIRED Traveling to new places always fuels my creativity. Whether it is going into an art gallery and seeing a new artist or visiting the local museums to be inspired by history, there is always something to excite me.

PROUD MOMENT Any job that ends with the client saying, “Wow! This is even better than I expected!”

IN ANOTHER LIFE For sure, something in the hospitality industry. A boutique hotel would be the perfect combination of hospitality and interiors. Creating beautiful spaces and planning experiences that entertain and pamper guests while they visit would be great fun. I love to host a party; event planning would be another possibility. We loved planning our children’s weddings.

IN THE WORKS At home, we are preparing to upholster the walls of our guest room. There are 1,001 projects in the queue there! At the office, we have everything from wallpapering one client’s dining room in hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper to other jobs that are whole-home designs. What I am enjoying and thankful for the most is the variety of projects, [from] contemporary to traditional, in town and out of town. Keeps things exciting and fresh to have the variety of projects coming into the office.

FUTURE PLANS My biggest dream is to continue doing the work I love for as long as the phone keeps ringing. Currently, I am excited about a board position I accepted with the Preservation Society of Nashville. My hope for this new venture is to bring attention and support to those individuals and groups working to preserve our city’s iconic structures before it is too late.

BY HOLLY HOFFMAN PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL MEIGS

1616 WEST END AVENUE UNIT: 2802, NASHVILLE, TN

Corner 3bed+Study move in ready unit with incredible expansive views of the city in Nashville’s newest luxury high-rise condo building. Enjoy full access to 34th-floor amenities including a fitness center, resort-style pool, steam, sauna, golf simulator, dog park and 24hr concierge. This unit comes with two assigned covered parking spots & Subzero-Wolf kitchen appliances & motorized shades. Hotel amenities including room service, valet parking, housekeeping & laundry. $10k credit at Tailored Living towards building out your closets! LIST PRICE $2,795,000

The property you’ve been waiting for. This home is just over 1 mile from Geodis Park and just under 2 miles from Fifth + Broad. Fine downtown living with space to call your own. This home was designed by the impeccable Rebecca Sha Designs. You’ll see the features you’ve come to expect from them throughout the home like the waterfall edge island, under railing lighting and more. Full rooftop deck, and balcony off the primary suite. Beautiful kitchen with a large pantry for all your gadgets. There is a basement apartment perfect for a rental or in-law suite. The apartment is plumbed for a kitchenette and the builder can install that as an upgrade. The builder can also install a garage port for secure parking as another upgrade option. LIST PRICE $895,000

11 GARDEN STREET, NASHVILLE, TN

Pictured above: Mark Deutschmann, Newell Anderson, Danielle Helling, Crystal Atkinson, Caroline Dean, Callie Hughes, Deborah Vahle, Anna Dorris, Devin Mueller, Giovanna Burchell, Maggie K. Hall, Latina Davis, Shelbi Aimonetti

Abi Spear, Lauren McCloud and Jesse Brown

Principals, Design Object

For Abi Spear, Lauren McCloud and Jesse Brown, interior design wasn’t originally in their career plans, but a recognition of what it can be and what it can do for a physical space and for the people who use it led each of them to the field and to each other. The three former Hastings Architecture designers bring a range of perspectives and backgrounds — Abi hails from Yorkshire, England; Jesse is from Columbus, Ohio; and Lauren is a Nashville native — to the local design community.

They saw a niche in the profession that they could fill and began working on projects of all sizes, from small residential to luxury corporate. And they now offer services in every step of the process, from visioning, planning and concepting to rendering, modeling and construction administration and everything in between. Some of their current projects include local sommelier Alex Burch’s soon-coming restaurant, Bad Idea; Cooper Steel’s Nashville headquarters; Fourth Capital Bank in Franklin; and several private homes around the area.

Despite being a brand new firm, Design Object’s principals are anything but unseasoned; Abi, Lauren and Jesse are highly experienced and talented, and they’re making a big name for themselves. They graciously took time out of their busy schedules to share a bit about how they got into interior design, what they would be doing if not designing and more.

CAREER PATH Lauren: I started at O’More College of Architecture & Design as a fashion design major and decided to switch to interior design. There is a balance of technicality and creativity to interior design that always appealed to me.

Abi: My mum’s side of the family are all in the world of art or design. For me, it was a process of elimination; I tried my hand at graphic design, landscape architecture and architecture before going to university. I discovered interior design and instantly knew it was the right fit, not only because of the creativity of it, but also the fact that interiors can incorporate all types of design and the tangible scale and level of detail.

Jesse: Coming from a family of scientific minds, I wasn’t exposed to architecture or design until high school. I had always admired architecture and was interested in the psychology of healing spaces, which led me into interior design. I love the intimate human scale and the effects that space, color, light and texture can have on someone.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS We still consider now to be a part of our humble beginnings as a new company! One of our first clients as Design Object was for a residential renovation we were referred to from a colleague. Those clients have been huge cheerleaders of ours, and we are thrilled they’ll be getting to move into their freshly renovated home at the end of this month.

JOB PERKS We enjoy having the flexibility of taking on any scale of project. Having the opportunity to help a client achieve their dream, whether [they’re] a commercial developer or a new business owner, is the most fulfilling part of what we do.

JOB CHALLENGES Lead times! COVID had a huge impact on [the] supply chain that is very much still being felt by everyone in the industry.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE Our community is one of our biggest sources of influence and inspiration, from other local small business owners, makers and creatives to the larger design firms with similar humble beginnings to our own. SHOP LOCAL We love working with artisans who have taken a chance on what they’re passionate about and pour their craft back into the local community.

BEST ADVICE Consider what type of design you’re interested in. The paths and expertise vary from residential, small-scale commercial to luxury commercial. Find someone who does what you’re interested in, and don’t be afraid to reach out.

GET INSPIRED Shout out to Nashville Design Week for bringing a cross section of industries together and providing a major source of inspiration.

PROUD MOMENT Launching Design Object! We had a shared vision for what a small, female-owned design firm would look like, and taking that leap was a moment we were proud of. We wanted the ability to work on an array of project types and sizes, and we made it happen.

IN ANOTHER LIFE Abi: A painter in a villa on the Italian coast.

Lauren: I would be rock climbing the Italian coast cliffs up to Abi’s villa.

Jesse: Sounds like I’d be in Italy.

IN THE WORKS A mixture of hospitality, retail, multifamily and corporate, which is the dream. We are really excited to be able to share these projects in the near future.

FUTURE PLANS Our dream for the future is to be one of the go-to studios for conceptual, boutique, well-executed commercial interior design. In the meantime, we’ll be focusing on the magic of what makes us different and how we approach design.

BY JONATHAN SIMS PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC ENGLAND

Ben Page Landscape Architect, Page Landscape

From his earliest days playing on the farms owned by his grandparents and great-grandparents, Ben Page has been one with the land. So, his family must have been surprised when he first pursued medicine as a career. Fortunately, he changed paths and went on to receive a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. For more than 40 years, Ben has been creating award-winning designs — primarily residential landscapes — that are thoughtful, intentional and timeless. A history buff, he often combines historical references with modern sensibilities. His projects have spanned the country, and his work has appeared in VERANDA, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Architectural Digest, Flower and more.

This year, Ben launched his new eponymous firm, Page Landscape, and he continues to specialize in landscape architecture, land planning and urban design for residential, community and institutional clients. He says the only other career that would have given him as much pleasure would be to be an organic farmer. In fact, on many weekends, he and his wife, Libby, can be found at their historic farm in Giles County, where he has vegetable and cutting gardens, as well as a boxwood parterre. Ben shared some of the perks of his job, where he shops locally and the best advice he ever received.

CAREER PATH I thought I was going to be a doctor until I encountered Statistics 101 at the University of Tennessee. I had no idea what I was doing and realized that if I had to have statistics to be a doctor, I was going to have to abandon that career. Luckily, I found the field of landscape architecture, which combined my love of the outdoors and an almost unlimited opportunity to learn so many aspects of design.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS I started work right out of school for Robert Marvin & Associates in Walterboro, South Carolina. I was lucky to start my career with some of the best designers in the field at the time and jumped into some amazing projects up and down the coast, particularly, a lot of projects on Hilton Head Island and Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.

JOB PERKS I love all aspects of landscape history. Working with clients who are stewards of historic properties is particularly satisfying to me. Working on the renovation and restoration of the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion here in Tennessee was enormously meaningful, primarily because [Crissy and Bill] Haslam were so deeply involved in every aspect of the project, and they are both amazing people on every level.

JOB CHALLENGES The most challenging part of my career at the moment is to try to align the expectations of our clients with the construction costs today. It is amazing how fast construction costs have escalated in our field recently.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE Travel and access to our comprehensive design library here in our office is a constant source of inspiration. Libby and I love to travel to new destinations, and the clients and people that I have been fortunate enough to meet through the years are constantly an inspiration. I love learning about diverse cultural and art institutions.

SHOP LOCAL My favorite local resources are the amazing nurseries here — Moore & Moore Garden Center, Bates Nursery & Garden Center, GroWild, and Samara Farms, all of which continue to inspire me with their diversity and super-helpful and knowledgeable staff. I have learned so much, horticulturally, from all the people at these businesses. The other inspiration is the artisans who actually bring our designs to life: bricklayers, stone masons, iron artisans, lighting designers, engineers [and] contractors. They are all vital to the realization of the dreams our clients ask us to bring together.

BEST ADVICE The best advice I ever got from a mentor about design issues with clients was 40 years ago, when our dear friend Albert Hadley told me, after several drinks at Mortimer’s in New York City, “Give them something that they never knew they wanted.” It took me a while to figure out what he meant, but I think when you are passionate about learning and you continue to dream, good things will usually come to fruition. The other piece of sage advice was from my amazing grandmother, consummate gardener and a 19th century matriarch, who said, “Always put a 50-cent plant in a $5 hole.” Enough said!

GET INSPIRED My daily source of inspiration is the vast complexity of mother nature. We need to listen more carefully and become better stewards of all aspects of her realm.

PROUD MOMENT It would be impossible to describe a favorite project; there have been so many through the years. My hugely meaningful experience unique to this career is to return to a project and see a child playing under the shade of a tree which we planted as part of a project 30 years ago. Heaven!

IN THE WORKS Right now, I am working on the master plan for a 4,000-acre farm, which is focused on equine therapy for young people; a gorgeous new Tennessee farmhouse with an amazing vegetable garden and greenhouse; and several residential projects with superinteresting clients here in Nashville and in Charlotte, Louisville and Memphis.

FUTURE PLANS My hope for the future is that I can continue to learn and be inspired by new experiences every day, meet new and interesting people, continue to travel in this wonderful country and abroad, and be integral to the lives of our two amazing grandchildren.

BY HOLLY HOFFMAN PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL MEIGS