Nashville Interiors Spring/Summer 2020 by Nashville Interiors

C E L E B R AT I N G

YEARS

SPRING/SUMMER 2020

A SHINING LIGHT CIRCA LIGHTING OPENS ITS SHOWROOM DOORS IN NASHVILLE JUST AS WE ARE IN NEED OF INSPIRATION. THEY REMIND US THAT IN THE RIGHT LIGHT OUR HOMES ARE HAVENS OF HOPE, LOVE AND COMFORT.

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From imagination Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got you covered!

to Installation Congratulations! Myers Flooring would like to congratulate Nashville Interiors magazine on their 20th anniversary. We are proud to be a part of an outstanding publication that shines a spotlight on the beautiful interiors of Nashville. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to another 20 years! MYERS FLOORING OF NASHVILLE The Design District | 2919 Sidco Dr. | Nashville, TN 37204 Main 615-777-3344 | Fax 615-777-3345 www. myersflooringofnashville.com

Action for

Hospitality

Thank you, Nashville With your help, we have awarded over 130 grants totaling over $150k to hospitality workers from independent restaurants.

But we still need you. We prequalified 4,000+ workers who fit our criteria. We can do so much more.

“I received the email confirmation of the $1,000 grant I will receive from y’all soon. I am six months pregnant in a vastly different world than it was just three months ago. With all the uncertainty, anxiety and stress, it was just a breath of joy to open the email with such good news! I just wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude for the generosity shown to me.”

Visit TNActionForHospitality.com/donate to help. 6 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Welcome

’ll be honest – I started and stopped this letter many times before I hit file. Which is basically a metaphor about how I have felt the past few months, and most likely, how a lot of you have felt too. A burst of creativity or spark of drive to somehow improve on everything while life was put on pause just as quickly turned to inaction as decisions became harder to make with a future so uncertain. But then I was able to come back to this issue after some weeks of reflection, and I got to revisit the content we had been working on in a whole new light, before everything changed. Like the long-lasting friendship between Abigail Breslin and Emily Bache, better known as The Wanderlust Girls. Wardrobe stylists and fashion bloggers, the pair met in seventh grade and have been best friends for 20 years. After moving to Madison a few years ago, Abigail helped Emily through an unexpected cancer diagnosis that hammered home just how important they were to each other – and readied them to tackle 2020 with a renewed fervor after surviving the worst year of their lives. It also made me look at the minuscule paper creations artist Jessica Saylor makes for her business Tiny Towns in a much more meaningful way as we watch beloved mainstays shut their doors, perhaps permanently. By capturing a business as paper art, she is documenting all the work and emotion someone puts into a dream that can be gone in an instant. But the art is a reminder of what was once achieved. And we couldn’t welcome Circa Lighting to town at a more needed time, after weeks of life indoors we see now just how important the right light is for our mindset, our workflow and our sanity. Our feature focusing on different spaces where families gather hammers home how Circa helps create a mood that certainly feels like it means more than ever. This season we hope you are finding refuge in your own homes, connecting with family and using spaces in a whole new way as we all hold on tight to what is really important.

Hollie Deese Publisher

Pamela Monaghan

TENNESSEE

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SPRING/SUMMER 2020 Be sure to check out the online edition of Nashville Interiors regularly for fresh content between issues: builder and architect spotlights, extra exclusive photos we couldn’t fit in print, and style tips and trends from local designers.

PUBLISHER | SENIOR EDITOR Hollie Deese SALES DIRECTOR Pam Harper ART DIRECTOR Karen Cronin, Cronin Creative ADVERTISING DESIGN Jennifer Rapp Tracey Starck COPY EDITOR Jennifer Goode Stevens, GoodeEdits.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hannah Capps Solomon Davis William DeShazer Allison Elefante Jodi Fialkowski Ashton Paige Nick McGinn Semi Song Julia Steele PRINTING Catalog Kings, Nashville, TN

SOCIAL Follow Nashville Interiors on social media for updates when new content is posted online, behind-the-scenes peeks from photo shoots and partner spotlights. ON THE COVER As we have all been sheltering in place for months, it has become very clear just how important lighting can be in shaping the mood and feel of a space. Circa Lighting helped create just the right feel for our cover and two other homes in this issue, and their new showroom at the Nashville

Nashville Interiors is the premier interior design and lifestyle showcase 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, contact Pam Harper at pam@nashvilleinteriors.com. To request content reprints, suggest story ideas or notify us about website or social media issues, contact Hollie Deese at hollie@nashvilleinteriors.com.

Design Collective is ready to help transform more homes. Read more on page 60. (Photo by Allison Elefante/Ruby and Peach Photography. Interior furnishings/styling by Modern Remains. Renovation from Chandelier Development.) 8 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

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Nashville CONTRIBUTORS Interiors SOLOMON DAVIS is an American artist based in Frankin, Tennessee. A professional photographer for the past 11 years, Davis has funneled his passion for all things artistic into his photography. Among his inspirations are international travel, architecture and music.

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 Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared in magazines from National Geographic, Golfweek, ESPN The Magazine, O – The Oprah Magazine and Runner’s World. His interior photography has been used by Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Whiskey Advocates Magazine and Davis Jewelers. William has been recognized by Photographer of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association. He shot the Spring 2019 cover of Nashville Interiors and this issue photographed artist Ed Nash at home. When not taking pictures, William is either writing music or exploring locally and beyond with his wife.

ALLISON ELEFANTE is a Nashville-based interior and architectural photographer, and her company, Ruby and Peach Photo, has become a mainstay with local designers, builders and artists in the industry. She is classically trained in photography and graduated from the Art Institute 14 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

of Philadelphia. Allison developed a passion for interiors over the last several years and is genuinely excited when she walks into the rooms of her clients. Her natural eye for design boosts her creativity. She is building her business as she helps others do the same by fueling their online media presence. Her work is widely published on social media and in local magazines. When she isn’t behind the camera she enjoys time at home with her husband and three young children.

PAMELA MONAGHAN is a freelance photographer and owner of Wynd & Paisley Photography. She has a bachelor of arts from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she met her husband. Her love of photography began at age 13 when her mom, an amateur photographer, taught her on film. Her work has been featured in multiple magazines, including Your Sumner and The Pink Bride, and she also runs a blog called Girls Gone Mild. She lives on several acres in Portland, Tennessee, with her husband, three children and four Dalmatians.

JULIA STEELE is a freelance photographer and photography professor based in Nashville. She has experience in many fields of photography, but architectural and interior photography are by far her favorite specialty. Her formal training is from Savannah College of Art and Design, where she received her BFA in photography in 2006, and from the University of Georgia, where she received her MFA in photography in 2011. Julia also shows her photographs and teaches photography at Belmont University and Middle Tennessee State University. She lives in East Nashville with her husband and children.

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Nashville CONTENTS Interiors

26 SEASONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST 26 THE All the things we decided we need while sheltering at home.

BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP 33 AWardrobe stylists Wanderlust Girls navigate a Madison renovation together.

DREAM REALIZED 47 AA boutique owner and her family spread out on 60 acres in Robertson County. 20 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

NOTTE 56 BELLA A luxury bedding brand grows out of a garage and into a family business.

SHINES 60 ASeeLIGHT how Circa Lighting is able to transform gorgeous houses into warm homes with the flip of a switch.

Susan Gregory 61 5 . 2 0 7 . 5 6 0 0 Home in photo is available for purchase

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Nashville CONTENTS Interiors

91 78 TO EXCELLENCE 70 COMMITMENT Frenchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabinets celebrates 20 years serving Nashville with custom creations.

TIME FLIP 74 FIRST Nashville newbies turn a Cleveland Park cottage into a record-breaking sale.

STYLE 78 INVETERATE Denise Simmons put her special brandy of spunk and sophistication into an East Nashville upgrade.

SPOTLIGHT: TINY TOWNS 86 ARTIST Jessica Saylor creates minuscule miniatures of local homes and landmarks, preserving the architecture in paper.

SPOTLIGHT: MAGGIE SANGER 91 ARTIST A Hume-Fogg graduate transforms walls, ceilings, floors and stairs with graphic paint. 22 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

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INTERIORS

SEASON’S BEST OUR SUMMER WISH LIST OF ALL THE THINGS WE DECIDED WE JUST HAD TO HAVE WHILE SHELTERING AT HOME.

This Little Dutch Pure & Nature Rainbow Stacker looks beautiful in the most modern of nurseries, and toddlers actually love to play with it, too, with eight Montessoriinspired arches that make all kinds of tunnels and towers. $25

The classic Electrum Dining Table by Jonathan Adler features a swirling constellation of polished brass and polished nickel rods that supports the marble tabletop. It comfortably sits six, making it perfect for family dinners, and doubles up as a chic games table. $3,650

The Galliano wall lamp from DelightFULL is made of iron with a matte black exterior and a gold powder paint interior finishing, which produces a unique effect when you see light being cast through its pipes. $549

Altrafloor has introduced six new designs influenced by the eclectic glamour of the ’70s, when vinyl flooring was a staple and funky floors were anything but dull. We love the variety of style and the contemporary nod to the era when disco was born. $69 per square meter

26 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

For the ultimate James Bond lifestyle, Montreal-based CellArt designs and manufactures exclusive wine spaces, including in-home wine cellars, tasting rooms, wine accessories and art pieces, creating the ultimate in-home playground for wine enthusiasts. For more information, visit cellart.com.

The Gozney Roccbox is a restaurant grade portable pizza oven that not only provides perfect crust, it also brings plenty of style to outdoor cooking areas. $499

The fan-shaped leaves of the Ginkgo Biloba tree are synonymous with refined elegance, so when used in interior design they create the perfect blend of art, botanicals and elegance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like in this Gilded Ginko Lamp from the French Bedroom Company. $288

Outdoor Festoon Canopy lighting from Lights4Fun is designed for all weather and available in a variety of lengths, too, perfect for swagging over patios and decks for plenty of mood lighting this season. $16.99 NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 27

Our products include: Custom Bedding, Window Covering, Wall Covering, Lighting, Accessories, Upholstery, Fine Furniture, Accessories, Rugs, and more - all brought to you in the comfort of your home! Call 615-469-7334 or visit our website for your complimentary initial consultation!

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INTERIORS

WARDROBE STYLISTS, FASHION BLOGGERS AND LIFELONG FRIENDS NAVIGATE NASHVILLE TOGETHER

Beautiful

aFriendship

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 33

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER

or the past 20 years, Emily Bache and Abigail Breslin have been through some of life’s most emotional moments together — from middle school to moves, growing a business together and surviving quarantine apart. In the same seventh grade gym class, they began talking when Breslin boldly pointed out to the incredibly shy Bache that she could see the fish pattern on her underwear through her shorts. “I was so embarrassed, but then we became best friends after that,” Bache says. “We were so different in the right ways, but so the same in the right ways. And that’s kind of how it’s been through our entire lives and how we’ve remained friends for so long.” Their transition from seventh grade buddies to fashion bloggers and wardrobe stylists evolved over time — they both loved fashion, though growing up in Massachusetts their peers were in Abercrombie & Fitch and Patagonia. 34 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Left, Breslin and Bache’s fashion and home decor style are one and the same – bold and graphic. Left, they painted a piano to match the boots and had an old chair reupholstered in their signature black and white by Old Hickory Sewing & Upholstery.

“So we would get dressed up and walk down the street,” Breslin says. “There was nowhere to go, but we would walk down the street.” “We’re very good at hyping each other up,” Bache jokes. A blog begins Oddly, they went to separate colleges, which was traumatic for their collective wardrobe. They wore the same size in everything, shoes and all, and because they had always shared everything neither had any complete outfits. So they started a blog to share each other’s looks and joke about when the clothes could be reunited. “It was brand new, and we thought that if anybody would share a blog, we would,” Breslin says. At first their blog was called Lovely Wanderlust, which didn’t last long because their style is just … not lovely. Plus, Bache thought for the longest time she was just writing to Breslin and no other people were looking at it.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 35

36 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

“I didn’t know what a blog actually was,” Emily jokes. But their candor and friendship had grown a following just as they were graduating and able to get back together.They hired someone to clean up the look of the website, doubled down on what they had started and in 2010 looked up every designer showing at New York Fashion Week.They emailed the designers’ PR companies, introduced themselves and pitched what they wanted to cover for the blog. They ended up covering 60 shows that year. “It was terrible,” Breslin jokes.“It was too aggressive.” But the hard work they put in that show was a launching pad for everything that was to follow. They got hired for small gigs here and there based off their own personal style, and in June 2011 they reached out to some businesses who were using Groupon to see if they could use their services in exchange for coverage on their blog. “One was for a burlesque bikini bootcamp class. Now, we don’t really love to work out that much, but get dressed up and learn a dance? Absolutely,” Bache says. Having just seen the movie “Burlesque,” they showed up in full gear — thigh-high boots, fishnet stockings, corsets, boas and glitter everywhere. But no one else was dressed up.This was no dance class — it was a fullon workout. “Thank God there’s two of us because it was mortifying,” Bache says.“But we stayed and we did the whole class in these six-inch heels. It was so much fun.” Plus, it turned out that someone else in the class was the head designer for Playboy’s clothing line. She loved style and two weeks later flew them to Chicago to work on styling an ad campaign.They had never done it before but figured it out on the fly — and it turned out really well.

Left, they took out walls to open up the living room and dining area in the Madison home-turned-Wanderlust headquarters, and filled it with candelabras, rich fabrics and an overall modern macabre feel. Above, their scrapbook from middle school.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 37

bigail Breslin

38 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

mily bache

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 39

“One [Groupon] was for a burlesque bikini bootcamp class. Now, we don’t really love to work out that much, but get dressed up and learn a dance? Absolutely.” — Emily Bache “She also told us we could get paid better if we become a company,” Breslin says. “And so we hung up the phone, walked across the street to the bank and asked, ‘How do we become a company?’”

Above, Tim Burton meets disco cowboy when it comes to styling.

That was in the East Village in 2011, and they stayed on the East Coast until 2017 when they moved to Nashville together. Ready for a change, they knew they could blog from anywhere. As for styling, their look naturally lends itself to the music scene, but they have taken on a wide range of clients. Moving to Nashville They bought a home in Madison together, a fixerupper that needed a complete renovation. Luckily Bache’s dad owns a construction company in Massachusetts and was able to help them with a lot of the projects. It was not without some hiccups. “The night before he first came down, he had told us to just rip up the carpet and get it out and he would start working on the flooring,” Bache says. “So we ripped out all the carpet. We were so proud. It took all night. We got one of those Bagsters and got it all

40 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

in there and we take a photo to send to him and he’s like, ‘How are you going to get that bag filled with carpet out the door?’” Bache and Breslin ended up doing most of the work themselves — taking down walls, replacing a closet with a Murphy bed and painting everything inside and out. Now the home is also WanderLust headquarters, often used in photo shoots and styling sessions. Their fashion is reflective of their design aesthetic, which is very Tim Burton and kind of Shakespearean. Swords and skulls are dominate in the décor, which they describe as morbidly romantic. “Sure, there’s lots of skeletons and bones, but they look pretty,” Bache says. An unbreakable bond As the WanderLust Girls, Breslin and Bache have more than 20,000 followers on Instagram. But when it comes down to what is real and behind the scenes, it always comes down to the two of them and the true strength of their decades-long bond.

Above, Jeff Harrison of Art Engin Nashville created their coffin table â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the top even lifts up to hide puzzle pieces or table settings. The painting above the couch is by Mattie Wolf. Left, Bache created the black rose piece in her bedroom.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 41

At the end of 2018, Emily noticed a bump on her hip and assumed it happened while they were doing the home renovations. She went to the doctor for a regular physical and mentioned the bump just as an aside. He sent Emily to a consultation for a biopsy and before the doctor even did the procedure informed her she had lymphoma. “I was by myself in the room, no warning, no anything,” she remembers. “It was awful.” The biopsy revealed it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma, stage three. Treatment was immediate and intense — 12 rounds of chemotherapy every two weeks. Her mom would fly in for the chemo, but it was Breslin who was there to help her through everything else. “Abigail was here and she just, she had to shower me,” Bache says. “It was that bad that I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even walk to the mailbox.” But eventually Breslin was able to help Bache walk to the mailbox — “That was our daily outing, to the end of the driveway,” Breslin says. Breslin also maintained the blog in a way that honored Bache’s wishes: to not post anything negative, to not talk about the cancer, and to not post photos of her without her hair, eyelashes and eyebrows, all lost to chemo. In fact, they didn’t actually post about the illness until Emily was cancer-free. Instead they posted old photos, causing some people to unfollow them or not understand what was going on. That was an added frustration during treatment. “I didn’t look like myself and I didn’t feel like myself,” Bache says. “And so it was tough to post that on the internet. It all happened so fast. It’s like all of the sudden you’re you and then you’re just … it’s gone.” Her treatment ended in June 2019, though she still sometimes doesn’t have a lot of energy and admits her anxiety about the cancer returning is high. Every three months she gets blood drawn and then every six months, a PET scan. For 2020, the girls are on a whole new mission, and getting through 2019 has them prepared for whatever else might come their way. Abigail moved out about eight months ago, and they are each dating men who understand their friendship will always be a priority. But after 20 years, her relationship with Breslin is stronger than it has ever been. “I mean, I needed her,” Bache says. “It wasn’t just, ‘I’m going to rely on you.’ I mean I couldn’t do anything without her. It was definitely the worst possible year, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without having someone like her here who knows me so well.” “We’re like a 90-year-old couple,” Abigail says. NI

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NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 43

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INTERIORS

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIA STEELE

Dream Realized

FAMILY FINDS EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED ON 60 ACRES IN ROBERTSON COUNTY

When Jenna Rummel moved into her new home on 60 acres in Greenbrier last year, it was the fulfillment of a dream they had for a while. Well, it had first been her husband, Jonathan’s, dream, but it quickly became hers too. “We’ve always wanted acreage. Jonathan always said 60 acres, and I would always say,‘What about

five acres?’” Jenna jokes.“I feel like now I want 60 acres.” As owner of Chic Artique, a home décor store with new and salvaged items, Jenna had been renting a shop in Hendersonville for their custom furniture builds. But she had always wanted to have the space to do that on her own property. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 47

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Jenna Rummel’s home is a reflection of the style you will find at her Goodlettsville shop, Chic Artique.

“It would simplify our lives so much,” she says. So when the home became available and they were touring the land, they found there was a huge barn that had once held the Robertson County square dance — a party barn. Jonathan knew he could turn that barn into a shop for Jenna to work and that Jenna could turn the home into something special for them and their two kids: Gracie, 12, and Xander, 19. That is exactly what they have done. They’ve moved their wood shop out of the rented space and into the party barn — after removing the stage and bringing in their tools. They’ve done some renovations on the home, too, replacing light fixtures and builder-grade doors with salvaged ones like the ones she carries in her shop. “We’re in the process of making it ours,” she says. Documenting some of the changes on social media, Jenna got the biggest reaction when she painted the orange hardwood floors in her daughter’s room white — aiming for more visual interest and consistency NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 49

The home is filled with plenty of places to have conversations, and a feeling of warmth and family ties it all together.

in the different flooring throughout the house. She’s in the process of changing it to make things flow. “The man at Sherwin-Williams thought I had lost my mind,” Jenna says. “He said, ‘You can’t do this.’ And I was like, ‘Just sell me some porch paint. I’m going to do it.’ And when I posted that, people just went crazy. They were like, ‘Oh, I would love to do this’ or ‘I’d be too scared.’ The paint gave it sort of a look like it had been added on later, like an attic room that had been finished out, and just gave it a lot more character. The orange was so dated, and the white was such a fun solution to that.” In renovating the kitchen, Jenna kept the tiled floors and granite countertops but put in all new appliances and changed out the island for a custom furniture piece that is more in line with her style. And she turned the eat-in kitchen space into a cozy seating area. “That’s been a really fun space for us because the house has no blinds, and you’ve got views every direction,” she says. “And I think that’s probably what we’ve enjoyed most about it. It’s just the porch and the connection to nature.” 50 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Jenna isn’t afraid to try things others might shy away from, like painting wood floors white or repurposing old salvage materials into new fixtures.

Among all of their home renovations, in March they expanded the store, too, building out the space next to Chic Artique for Chic Boutique — to add fashion, jewelry and gifts to her home décor business. “We always wanted to expand next door and we always wanted our shop on our property, and both opportunities came at the same time,” she says. “When it’s something you want for a really long time, you’ve got to take the opportunity.” By the end of the year she hopes to have renovated the study in the home, as well as updated all of the bathrooms with furniture Jonathan is building. “We’ve got it all planned out,” she says. Also being planned is a series of small homes built by the creek that runs through the property, which she and her family have enjoyed exploring together — without their phones. “We have this fabulous creek down the hill from our property, but we can’t see it from the house. So we want to build cottages for our family and friends to come in and for us to enjoy on the weekend rather than driving two hours away. So that is huge — to make the creek accessible to everyday living,” she says. NI NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 51

Her family is known for their custom headboards, wired for lights so end tables can be freed up for other things.

The couple named their house like the British do, calling it the Acorn House, with touches of acorns all over, from large stone ones found at the Antiques & Garden Show out front to acorns in the driveway and by the pool, which was designed by Waterworks.

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Making homes beautiful for over 50 years. furniture accessories design Ashlee Dozier Nash Owner/ Design Consultant

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INTERIORS

A Splendid Night

FAMILY LUXURY BEDDING BRAND BELLA NOTTE GROWS FROM GARAGE

BY HOLLIE DEESE

aylor Batlin was used to her fashion designer mom Kathleen McCoy experimenting with rolls of fabrics, silks and linens and really anything luxe, in her career with Jessica McClintock back in the ’90s. McCoy began her own jacket line, but when she began taking those same fabrics and trying them out on home textiles and bedding, something clicked.

“She had all this linen to make jackets, but her buyers were really interested in choosing polar fleece,” Batlin says. “So she had a bunch of linen lying around, and she decided to make up some bedding. My brother and I were young at the time and she wanted beautiful, elegant, luxurious bedding, but that could still be washed at home.” So in Bella Notte’s garage-turned-design-studio, McCoy made bedding from that luxe linen, but she also had a bit of silk and velvet she wanted to incorporate. Unfortunately, the colors were off. So McCoy found a local small-batch dyer to help her achieve a uniform look among the disparate fabrics without sacrificing comfort or adding chemicals. “I think probably back then she found him in the Yellow Pages,” Batlin says. “He is just a very creative person, as well, and she was really interested in being able to create this bedding, from garment to dyeing. It’s a huge art, and I think they were kindred spirits in wanting to make something fresh and new.” Still working with that same dyer, they custom-dye small batches of product to order, and an in-house textile designer creates all their prints. Bella Notte’s core fabrics are silk, velvet, linen, silk charmeuse, cotton velvet and tencel, which is a sustainable fiber made from wood pulp. The line is available locally at The Iron Gate. As a child, Batlin loved helping her mom and always knew she wanted to join Bella Notte after college. “I would start going to market with her when I was really young,” she says. “I don’t know how much of

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a salesperson I was, but I loved going with her and helping to put the beds together and dress the beds and talk to anyone that would come up about the attributes of Bella.” Batlin joined the company in 2008 after graduating, and she became a partner in 2018. She is excited to lead the company into the future, always striving for more sustainability and ethical practices, with the same grit she remembers her mom having in the garage when she was 11. And she feels more lucky than ever before, now that home and family have taken on an especially poignant meaning this year. “It’s really great to work together,” Batlin says. “Obviously we just trust each other so much, and each other’s aesthetic. We’re really lucky because we’re really similar but we also have different strengths, and so it’s just a cohesive relationship. It’s wonderful.” NI

The mother, Kathleen McCoy, and daughter, Taylor Batlin, team behind luxury bedding brand Bella Notte, are committed to sustainability and small-batch fabric dyeing for a luxe look that is a showstopping star of any bedroom.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 57

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to beautiful interiors...and exteriors. The Land Trust for Tennessee protects farmland, forests, parks, historic sites, and open space across the state. Help protect the places we call home. Visit LandTrustTN.org | (615) 244 - LAND Photo: Andrew Kornylak

INTERIORS

In the Chandelier Development foyer featured on the cover Modern Remains chose an Aiden Chandelier by Chapman & Myers in gilded iron finish and Christopher buffet lamp by J. Randall Powers in hand-rubbed antique brass finish from Circa Lighting. In the home of Alan and Heather Looney of Castle Homes an architectural staircase gets some light from a Merlat table lamp from Aerin for Circa.

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON ELEFANTE

Ambient Light

TIME AT HOME REINFORCES HOW

IMPORTANT THE RIGHT GLOW CAN BE

he thing about lighting is you can instantly tell when it is good, and you can really tell when it’s bad. And after months at home, we are probably all pretty tuned in to which kind of lighting we have. Lauren Moore, Evan Millard and Betsy Trabue of Modern Remains design studio love to play off the architecture of a space when considering light and fixtures. For a recent project on West End with Chandelier development, they turned to new-in-town

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Circa Lighting to help create just the right vibe, in totally different spaces. “Lighting and natural light was one element that really drew us to this particular location,” Millard says of the home. “First, being able to celebrate natural light, and then getting a chance to celebrate light from a decorative standpoint as well.” In the foyer they chose a light fixture to compliment the front door, and the fixture’s shape became the

Above, Modern Remains used Circa Lightingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hackney floor Lamp by J. Randall Powers and a Camille Chandelier by Suzanne, both in a hand-rubbed antique brass finish. Across, they made gathering around the fireplace a bit more formal with a pair of Montreuil floor lamps by Aerin in gild finish with linen shades, also from Circa. 62 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 63

jumping off point for them. They selected an antique chest and layered in a mirror, artwork and plants to create the aesthetic they were after.

Above, Heather Looney of Castle Homes chose Circa Lighting’s Paper Moon hanging shade from Barbara Berry to make a largescale impact without distracting from the design. Right, a small lamp is all that is needed to make a statement in Chandelier’s black and gold kitchen.

“I think lighting, ultimately, affects the way we feel,” Moore says. “When you’re in a space that has great natural light, in the morning it gives you energy and in the evening it has that effect of setting your body with the rhythms of the world.” And then you come in and add decorative lighting to add to the ambiance. “I think it’s just a nice way to create an interior that evokes emotion,” Moore says. Millard agrees. “As designers, we are always looking for ways to incorporate selections of wonderful pieces throughout each of our designs,” he says. “And in this case with Circa Lighting, we really believe in the way that they source, the way that they manufacture and their quality.” Millard also loves Circa’s source talent and ability to introduce great pieces that are always innovative and forward-thinking as well as functional. In a room they designed right off the kitchen in West End, the fixture selections helped to bounce light around — making

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that space feel much larger than it really was. “As we’re all at home more, and especially during this time, I’ve personally realized how important it is to have a gathering space close to the kitchen because I feel like I’m always in the kitchen at home with my kids,” Moore says. “And so thinking about this particular space right there off the kitchen, you could have a cup of tea in the afternoon or kids could be hanging out on the sofa while you’re preparing a meal. It just allows connectivity at home.” Lighting is also a really easy way to refresh a space, and changing it out has a huge effect on the feel. Rachel Halverson recently helped the homeowners of a Pfeffer Torode build with design and lighting after originally working with them a decade ago. “Back then they told me they were going to build their dream house and they would need my help,” she says. They have two boys and two dogs, so they wanted everything to be super durable. They used all outdoor fabrics, even inside on the sofas in the main room, so it all is easy to clean and stainproof. “We didn’t sacrifice the design for the functionality of it, which is exciting,” Halverson says. But lighting, Halverson says, is maybe the most important element of the design. “I think lighting and paint colors are the two major things that you can do to update your house. The right lighting is so key.” Of course with so many options it can be hard to choose. If the floorplan is open, Halverson says, it is important to think about the flow of the light fixtures throughout the whole house. “If you walk in and you see straight through the living room to the kitchen, to the screen porch, and then you’ve got an entry hall, right off the bat you are going to be seeing all those major light fixtures at the same time,” Halverson says. “And so I pick just one that I want to be the showstopper, because I think too many of those is too distracting.”

“I think where people go wrong is when they try to mix too many styles together, and it doesn’t feel like the same house,” she says. Ultimately, Halverson says your lighting should help your home become the place you want to be, almost a calling card to let people know who you are as soon as they walk in. “It should be that place that you’re yourself and that when people come over they immediately get who you are,” Halverson says. NI

Nick McGinn

For the Pfeffer Torode project it was an antique dining room fixture with crystals that became the showstopping piece, and then she built from that.

Designer Rachel Halverson always considers all the lighting you will see at the same time when choosing fixtures for a home, and landing on one showpiece. In this home from Pfeffer Torode, the showpiece Halverson chose from Circa is above the eating area.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 65

CIRCA LIGHTING’s Nashville showroom opened in the Nashville Design Collective, 510 Merritt Ave., earlier this year. As the premier source for Visual Comfort, Tech Lighting and Monte Carlo Fans, Circa Lighting offers a diverse collection of handcrafted interior and exterior lighting by some of the most influential names in design. Call 615.922.5222 to make an appontment.

Looney used Circa Lighting’s large-scale Halle hanging lantern from Ian K. Fowler in her outdoor seating area.

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BUILDING, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Business Spotlight

STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE

FRENCH’S CABINETS CELEBRATING 20 YEARS WITH A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

Among Nashville’s growth, and its recent pause for COVID-19, it has

never satisfied, either upon install or a year down the road after some use.

become clear just how important

Naturally, she started her own cabinet business.

small, local businesses are to the fabric of this community. And Barbara French, owner of French’s Cabinets, has quietly been a part of Nashville’s success for decades.

A native Oklahoman, French moved to Nashville in 1987 because of a songwriting contract with Word Music. She began selling real estate to supplement what she made writing, and after she got married, she connected with a builder and began working with him on high-end custom homes. But one thing always frustrated her about the process – the cabinets. She ended up using a different person each time but was just

Barbara French moved to Nashville for a songwriting contract. Today, she is celebrating 20 years creating luxury custom cabinets for Middle Tennessee homes.

70 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

“The focus of starting the business was to do things with excellence, every step of the process,” she says. “And managing expectations by sitting with the client and going through the quote process in detail so they know exactly what they are getting.” French says her business has changed a lot over the past 20 years, but the core has remained the same – striving for an excellence in design and customer service. “Early on, our goal was to educate people,” French says. “We spend the first amount of time educating them, showing them examples of full overlay, half overlay, cabinet construction, door construction, and the benefits of each one. And

then helping them choose based upon their budget.” In September, their 20th anniversary month, they will be showing off a remodeled office and showroom with displays for RUTT HandCrafted Cabinetry, a premium luxury cabinet line new to French’s. “The thing I love the most is just seeing a

award for business

beautiful finished product that a customer’s

ethics, which is not

happy with,” French says. “It’s hard to beat that

awarded lightly and

high, whether it’s a complete transformation

was bolstered by the

from something really old, ugly and outdated

support of her team.

or new construction that helps them get their dream kitchen.”

“They are really the backbone, and

French is always following ever-changing

I couldn’t do this

cabinet trends, from the decorative trim from

without them,” she

a decade ago to the clean lines of today’s

says of her employees.

contemporary kitchens.

“Each one takes

“My own home is more traditional, but I have

ownership in the

to say, some of the kitchens we’ve done are just breathtaking,” she says. “They’re like architectural works of art. It’s the most extreme

company, and that’s

FRENCH’S CABINETS

hard to find. I’ve been

7108 Crossroads Blvd. #304, Brentwood

really blessed to find

615.371.8385

fluctuation that I’ve seen in cabinetry design

great people like that.”

in 20 years. We went from a little simpler to a

And now French is excited about where post-

little bit more ornate, but now the pendulum has

pandemic business is headed.

swung to extreme contemporary with laminate, and shiny finishes and slab doors. And they’re beautiful.”

“I’m thrilled to be celebrating 20 years in business and still going strong despite the pandemic. People still need beautiful and

About 75% of their business is repeat or referral,

functional kitchens and baths. With all the

confirmation they are doing the kind of job

time spent at home, people have had time to

people talk about in a good way. And in 2018

think about what they would like to change;

they won the Better Business Bureau Torch

remodeling projects are brewing!” NI NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 71

JR Builders, LLC – Building Trust with Quality Work WHAT WE DO Full custom building in the residential and small commercial environment. WORKING TOGETHER We offer an end-to-end client experience that includes seamless communication, budgeting, staffing, on-site organization, and solid, quality handiwork during the building process. WHY CHOOSE US? We work with architects and designers to produce beautiful, functional structures. Call us today and bring our project management skills and extensive construction experience to your next project.

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72 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

“French’s Cabinet Gallery & Nashville Interiors Celebrating 20Years in Business!”

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BUILDING, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

E A ST NAS HVILLE RE NOVATIONS

FIRST-TIME FLIP RENOVATION HITS RECORD SQUARE FOOTAGE PRICE FOR ITS NEIGHBORHOOD

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JODI FIALKOWSKI AND HANNAH CAPPS

hen Marisa and Clint Biddle moved their family of eight from New York to Nashville, they weren’t just changing locations – they were changing careers. Selling their landscape company back home, they knew their real passion was in home renovations. And they were determined to make it in their new city.

neighborhood they knew nothing about, but it hit her only prerequisite that the house have character, something with personality she could build on. And they both liked that it was across from Cleveland Park, despite that fact it was in complete disrepair when they first saw it.

“Being so new to the flipping industry and real estate investing, we were not really sure how to acquire properties that were off the market,” she says. They got connected with a real estate wholesaler who found them what seemed like an ideal property.

They won the bid for the property, and Nashville Design Company was formed. They had experience renovating their first three homes and felt confident in what they could do, even though they knew very little about real estate in Nashville.

It was a quick decision to take a chance on a

Clint handles the construction side of Nashville Design

“Of course I just loved the charm of it,” she says of the 1930s cottage.

NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 75

Marisa Biddle says she showed great restraint in the design of this home, but after seeing the reactions of people to the graphic punch of wallpaper in the bedroom and black fixtures against allwhite cabinetry in the bathroom, she is excited to push the eye candy even further the next time.

76 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Company. “He basically helps execute a lot of my ideas that anyone else would give me a hard time about,” she says. “He has worked with me for long enough to trust my design instincts. He also is really good at managing subcontractors and timelines.” Meanwhile, Marisa takes on the design. For this project, the result was a mix of prints, saturated colors and eclectic fixtures and features. “I would say this was me, but kind of restrained,” she jokes. “Now on my second one, I might even be pushing the envelope a little bit more, because that was most definitely the part of the house that people just loved, the eye candy of at all.” It’s not an easy time to flip in Nashville, from finding a property at a price that makes sense to finding the crews and subcontractors who aren’t already busy. And they certainly learned some hard lessons along the way — lessons they can use to avoid mistakes in the future. Marisa’s strength is in mixing masculine and feminine features, and that is where the focus of this home started. “I don’t follow a lot of rules, and most of what I do is based on gut feeling. And somehow, 99 percent of the time, it works itself out.” In this case it certainly did. The day it hit the market, it had 17 showings. By noon it was sold at a record-setting price for the square footage in that neighborhood. “I made a commitment in the beginning of the process that if I was going to flip properties and they were going to look cookie cutter, that wasn’t anything I was interested in doing,” she says.

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012. It took two years for them to come home, and while waiting they got pregnant with their youngest. “It ended up working out that the twins came home on a medical visa the day after our baby was born,” she says. The large family only makes their cheering section that much louder, as the kids were their biggest encouragers throughout the process. “Kids get really excited seeing a design unfold and watching things become beautiful. And they were just ecstatic to come to the house when it was completely designed – they were just beaming with pride.” NI

Above, the master features achitectural add-ons like the columns in the corner flanking the mirror. Below, Marisa’s six children were excited to cheer their parents on and are proud of the end result.

Their next project is on Blue Ridge Drive not too far from the first, and they are excited about using the experience they gained from this project – and the encouragement of their kids – to do even better. “I feel like we are ambitious people, and obviously that has been demonstrated in our ambition to have children,” Marisa jokes. After having three children, they were in the process of adopting twins from the NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 77

Clockwise from above left, Denise Simons extended the porch and overhang of the home and added cable rail and turnbuckles for a handrail. In the kitchen, LED lights change colors to set the mood. In the living room, the metallic, shimmering wall covering is hand-dyed grasscloth.

78 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

BUILDING, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

E A ST NAS HVILLE RE NOVATIONS

RUSKIN REFUGE A 1950s EAST NASHVILLE COTTAGE IS REINVIGORATED AND CUSTOMIZED

fter Denise Simons hosted Sean and Kim Feeney in her East Nashville Airbnb tiny house, complete with pool and indoor/ outdoor living space, they were so impressed with what she had done they asked if she could help them redesign an old house they owned just three blocks away. The 1950s cottage was dated, but it was the house Sean had grown up in, so it had a lot of meaning to them. Everything about it appealed to Simons immediately, including the dated features. “What I liked about the project is that it was a family home that he grew up in. And then the house sat vacant for a couple of years. So it still had green shag carpet in

BY HOLLIE DEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOLOMON DAVIS

it when I walked in it for the first time,” she says. The home had 8-foot ceilings in every room, so Simons had a draftsman knock them out to gain access to the attic space, raising the ceiling height to 22 feet. And since this was the home they were going to live in and not one they were thinking about selling, Simons turned the four-bedroom, two-bath home into something with better flow — two master suites, each with its own en suite bathroom, walk-in shower, soaker tub and 12-foot-by-12-foot closets. The idea of turning a four-bedroom into a twobedroom would make most listing agents cringe, but it is one of Simons’ steadfast design philosophies to design for how you live, not for resale. NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 79

Clockwise from above, the silver chest was the client’s old piece Simons topped with Silestone in Raven, and added a stone sink with waterfall faucet from Southeastern Salvage; the master bath gets a pop of color from the cafe window treatment in Citrine Gate; the master bedroom features walls in Blue Sage and a crystal orb chandelier.

“I look at a home as a place of refuge, a place of comfort, a place of joy,” Simons says. “A place where you live real life, where you get phone calls from your family of joy that someone’s been born or sadness that someone has died. It’s the everyday sit, stand, lie down. I mean, you are living, truly living. And I want your home to be an experience.” On one end of the house is the living room and kitchen, dining room in the middle and on the other end is Sean’s man suite, with a combination sofa and queen Murphy bed. That bathroom is painted Obsidian, so it looks like

80 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

black velvet, and the silver-leafed chest operating as the vanity was something that already belonged to Kim. It was something she loved but had resigned herself to giving up because she could not imagine anywhere in the house it would work. But Simons immediately thought of the bathroom. Combined with a slate countertop and backsplash and stone sink with waterfall faucet from Southeastern Salvage, it was a slam dunk. And something the homeowner would likely not have thought of without help. “That’s the kind of stuff I love to do,” Simons says.

“What is it that you love or you just can’t get rid of? Let’s reuse it in a different way. If people allow me, because I’m a visionary, I see the end result. Then I work backwards. And I really do specialize in the end user.” And in this case, that included Poppy, their dog. “They didn’t want any wood flooring. They wanted all tile, so all of the tile flooring is done with planks that are the faux wood,” she says. Simons loves mixing reclaimed with modern, so in the kitchen is a door from an old factory on a big barn slider, and outside on the “she shed” are some trim and corbels Simons picked up from Woodstock Vintage Lumber before their devastating fire earlier this year. “I also have this really cool 1960s door, a rounded door with funky lead glass — it’s an artist’s door we painted Peach Darling, and it is so cool,” she says of the custom outbuilding.

CREATING DRAMA Throughout the main house Simons has cohesively mixed metallic gold with silver, including a metallic silver wallpaper, which makes for a sophisticated look that extends outside with the exterior colors done in PPG Bark, Walnut and Cedar. All of the finishes are in a black iron, and the railings for the outdoor steps are cable rails with turnbuckles. She closed in the side door and added space to the kitchen, creating two Pella doors in the front instead of one. “It’s just dramatic, but warm,” she says. Simons also used LED lights along the newly raised ceilings to create a modern chic vibe with a touch of the beach. Programmed with three settings, they can be turquoise, orange sparkle or pink – Simons’ favorite.

Clockwise from left, the metal barn door near the back entry is 73” x 92” and is near art Simons bought that happily matched a sun the client already had; a stone sink from Southeastern Salvage features a waterfall faucet; and the tiny house garden she shed is a signature of Simons, and features an arched door from Preservation Station painted Peach Darling, with a mantel and corbels from Woodstock Vintage Limber they picked up the very last week before their fire.

“It’s just a cool vibe,” she says. NI NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 81

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NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 85

A R T, A R T I S A N S A N D A N T I Q U E S

Artist JESSICA SAYLOR Spotlight OF TINY TOWNS

rowing up in Nashville, Jessica Saylor was

“I used photographs and a bunch of different

always influenced by the homes and buildings

objects. Some things I created out of paper,

around her, never realizing she would one

some things were ready-made,” she says. “I

day preserve memories of many of them in

had my sister stand next to me with the boxes

minuscule packages.

closed. And as I read the speech, she opened up

Saylor’s senior superlative when graduating

STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE PORTRAIT BY SEMI SONG

each box.”

St. Cecilia Academy was “Most likely to paint

Behind them was a projector displaying an

a masterpiece.” As a student at the University

image of each box as it opened so everyone

of Tennessee-Knoxville, she immersed herself in

could see. The effect was emotional and

art classes — dabbling in everything from hand

memorable — and really, really big to have come

embroidery to powder embossing, grinding and

from things that were so small.

melting plastic.

From that experience, Saylor fell in love with

It was when her sister got married about five

miniatures, and paper was a medium she could

years ago, though, that she began building her “tiny towns.” As maid of honor, she knew she

afford to work with. Her focus on houses and iconic buildings around town came about

had to give a speech. And in an effort to divert

because the influences are endless.

attention off of herself that day, she created

“I’ve always loved architecture, and there’s just

seven dioramas in 4-inch-by-3-inch craft boxes

so many different possibilities — I mean there’s

she got at Michaels, each displaying a moment

houses everywhere and buildings everywhere,”

from their childhood.

she says.

86 | NASHVILLE INTERIORS | SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Her commissions began with family and friends

away, having a respectful reminder — even

and grew to include local businesses, which

something so small as a miniature model — can

grew more popular once her first client — Mas

mean so much.

Tacos in East Nashville — posted a pic of her

“I think something that really touched me about

miniature masterpiece on Instagram. Then Hattie B’s reached out, and she created two for them. “I feel like I have so many ideas of what I want

that email was that the art that I create can be a reminder of people’s accomplishments and their memories,” she says. NI

to do,” she says, keeping a list on a whiteboard of local buildings she wants to document in miniature before they are gone. “There was a building on Division Street that they just tore down. But before they did, I went down and took photos of it.” If you follow her on Instagram @tiny_towns, you can even catch glimpses of her painstaking process in her stories, something paper artists can sometimes keep to themselves. For her, it is a part of the final product. “I just think that the more transparent you are with your art, the more authentic and the more that people know you’re actually spending the time to do it,” she says. “And for me, this is almost like a therapy.” She spends at least 20 hours on a project, though she has never set a timer because she stops and starts, never finishing a piece in one sitting. That would just be too tedious working in details so small. “I have to be in the right mindset, because you don’t have creative juices flowing all the time,” says Saylor, who does a lot of planning on the front end before paper even comes into the picture. “When I receive photos from clients, I will stare at the photo and take it apart in my mind and kind of look at it piece by piece before I even start to sketch it out,” she says. Saylor knows documenting people’s special spaces can have a true impact. Her sister still has the dioramas that started it all — and yes, she cried — and she recently got an email from Sandra Shelton, owner for 30 years of the nowclosed Pangaea in Hillsboro Village, that she keeps the piece Saylor created of the store on her bedroom dresser. And in today’s climate, when something that took a lifetime of work can suddenly be taken NASHVILLEINTERIORS.COM | 87

T R A N S FO R M T H E WO R L D

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

STUDY INTERIOR DESIGN AT BELMONT BELMONT.EDU/OMORE