DESIGNER TERESA BECK SPARED NO EXPENSE WHEN RENOVATING HER PERSONAL BATHROOM IN COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE, STARTING WITH A STANDOUT SLAB FOR HER WALLS FROM LOUISVILLE TILE AT ATLAS CONCORDE USA, AND FINISHING WITH A CUSTOM COLOR MTI TUB FROM PDI. THE RESULT IS AN INDULGENT RETREAT THAT BRINGS HER ABSOLUTE JOY EVERY TIME SHE STEPS INSIDE.
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Over the course of 40 issues of Nashville Interiors magazine, we have seen a true evolution of design and development in Middle Tennessee. Trends come and go … and come back again. Neighborhoods become unaffordable for the people who helped make them desirable. Designers who were once new to the practice become some of our most well-established and respected in the field.
And of course, some things haven’t changed at all. Like the importance of having a beautiful space to unwind in. A sanctuary to escape the reality of the world beyond our four favorite walls. This issue’s cover feature focuses on the evolution of the career of Teresa Beck, owner of Tbektu Design + Development, and her creation of a bathroom oasis during the height of COVID. From self-taught to award-winning, Beck has worked for decades to be able to reward herself now with a space that truly renews her spirit when she steps inside.
Another project spotlight in this issue can be an escape for all of us. Just over an hour outside Nashville, in Beersheba Springs, Cullen Douglass is building a series of tree lofts — using the stunning architectural designs of Chad Polk — that offer the people who stay there a place to connect with nature and their families, without the distractions of work and life back home in Nashville.
And if you want an escape from reality in your own home, but in a different way, why not hire renowned chef Sean Brock to curate an experience for you? Now offering private experiences at venues beyond his established restaurants, the award-winning chef is embracing a new way of making memories for his clients through food and music.
This season it is all about saying goodbye to the cicadas and saying hello to living a life that carves out room for peace and beauty amid all the hard work.
Hollie Deese, Publisher
Nashville Interiors
PUBLISHER | SENIOR EDITOR
Hollie Deese
SALES DIRECTOR
Pam Harper DESIGN
Cat Kahnle
AD DESIGN
Tracey Starck
COPY EDITOR Jennifer Goode Stevens GoodeEdits.com
ARTS EDITOR
Robert Jones
CONTRIBUTORS
Cooper Alan, Reed Brown, Nicole Childrey
William DeShazer, Emily Dioro, Mick Jacob, Justin March, Journey More, Jacob Patrick Andrew Reed, Anthony Romano
Nashville Interiors is the premier building and interior design guide for 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
ON THE COVER
When designer Teresa Beck went to work on her own bathroom during the pandemic, she knew all the right people in the industry to turn to help make her dream oasis come to life. With help from Gina Hewlitt at Louisville Tile and Mary Soeder at PDI Kitchen, Bathrooms & Lighting, she was able to get everything she wanted, including an artistic slab from Atlas Concorde USA and colorful tub from MTI.
(Cover photo by Reed Brown)
PHOTO BY ANTHONY ROMANO
Nashville Interiors CONTRIBUTORS
WILLIAM DESHAZER | PHOTOGRAPHER
William DeShazer is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Nashville. He spent 12 years working at various newspapers, including Memphis’ Commercial Appeal and the Chicago Tribune He’s a regular contributor to The New York Times, ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared in magazines from National Geographic, Plate, Golfweek, ESPN The Magazine, O –The Oprah Magazine and Runner’s World. His interior photography has been used by Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Whisky Advocate magazine and Davis Jewelers. William has been recognized by Photographer of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, he photographed the artist David Onri Anderson. William is enjoying time with his wife and baby.
ANTHONY ROMANO | PHOTOGRAPHER
Anthony Romano is a Nashville-based portrait photographer with a desire to bring out the best in everyone who steps in front of his lens. The Pittsburgh native brings a balance of raw authenticity and polished finesse to every shoot all while having fun throughout the entire process. As his career has progressed, Anthony has cultivated his own unique style of shooting. Working in studio and on location, he brings a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling through imagery. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, he photographed the cover designer Teresa Beck at Louisville Tile.
CAT KAHNLE | ART DIRECTOR
Originally from the Southeast, Cat has lived in New York City, San Francisco, Nashville and currently in Atlanta. Throughout her career she has worked for publications such as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Country Living, Oprah and Good Housekeeping. For the past several years she has been a freelance art director for Edible Nashville magazine, Edible Northeast Florida magazine, Nashville Interiors, Carolina Traveler and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle magazine, and she has drawn maps and illustrations for many chambers of commerce and farmers markets. She is currently illustrating a series of children’s books about a girl and her dog.
REED BROWN | PHOTOGRAPHER
Reed Brown is a Nashville-based commercial photographer who started his career shooting for the automotive and boating industries in the 1980s. His love for architectural photography began around 2003. Reed’s client list includes Nissan, Ford Performance, Coca-Cola, Eddie Bauer, Bosch, Jack Daniel’s, Aladdin, Gibson Brands, Tractor Supply Co., Averitt, Castle Homes, Page | Duke, Roux, Nashville Interiors, Legend Homes, Grove Park Construction, JFY Designs, Julie Davis interiors and Trace Construction. For this issue, Reed shot the cover and interiors for the cover feature. Married with two children and a granddaughter, his spare time is spent at home in Mount Juliet around motorcycles and family.
Nashville Interiors CONTRIBUTORS
TRACEY STARCK | GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Tracey Starck is a graphic designer who has designed ads and editorial layouts for several local publications, including Nashville Arts magazine, Your Williamson magazine, the Nashville Scene and Nashville Interiors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts at the University of Texas–Austin and worked as a graphic designer there for years before moving to Nashville. Tracey has donated her design skills to animal rescue organizations such as the Austin Humane Society and Austin Greyhound Adoption. She has also provided a home to shelter cats and a few retired racing greyhounds.
JENNIFER GOODE STEVENS | COPY EDITOR
Jennifer Goode Stevens has been a professional editor for more than 30 years, working on newspapers, magazines, websites, public relations, advertising and the occasional book — fiction or non. A transplant from Virginia, she’s now been in Middle Tennessee longer than anywhere else and has enjoyed watching the area grow and change. She works full-time for Vanderbilt University, teaches water aerobics at the Clarksville Area YMCA, tries to grow more vegetables and flowers than weeds, and works to keep up with her husband, two busy teenagers and one lazy dog.
ROBERT JONES | ARTS EDITOR
Robert Jones is a London-born fine artist who has been based in Nashville since 2010. He is the owner of Overton Arts, a picture framing, installation and arts consultation company in the Germantown neighborhood. An active member of the arts community who is regularly involved in organizing community-focused arts initiatives in the city, Robert is on the board of the North Nashville Arts Coalition. He is currently enjoying time with his wife and new baby.
NICOLE CHILDREY | WRITER
Nicole Childrey is a writer, editor and digital content strategist/manager with more than two decades of experience. From 2011 to 2019, Nicole worked full-time as a freelance content producer and social media manager, with clients ranging from marketing companies to hyperlocal publications, Realtors, record labels and small Nashville businesses. Before that she spent seven years on staff at Nashville daily The Tennessean and five years on staff at emerging-music publishing/events company CMJ in New York. Her writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, SPIN, the Nashville Scene, Billboard, USA Today, Modern Drummer, NYLON, on MTV.com and a host of other outlets. She has also been part of the in-house creative agency at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, directing online output for the organization as the pandemic turned their business inside out. For this issue of Nashville Interiors, Nicole traveled to Beersheba Springs to write about the stunning tree lofts owned by Cullen Douglass.
After
A
56 COLLABORATION: JEFFREY DUNGAN X TEXTURES NASHVILLE
One of Nashville’s most renowned artists continues to evolve in preparation for a retrospective show in 2025. 61 ROOM TO BREATHE
MYSTERIOUSLY DRIVEN SPIRITUALITY
70
DESIGN, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND PRECISION
A new community in Williamson County, Taliaferro, offers new homes on acre-plus lots. 64
A family business, Weiss Watch Company, evolves over time in a former record label print shop in Wedgewood-Houston.
76
In this issue’s artist spotlight, Nashville’s David Onri Anderson incorporates mythology and creativity into intensely personal paintings.
HIS PLACE, OR YOURS?
Renowned chef Sean Brock wants to curate your private food and music experiences in one of his local restaurants and bars, or in your own backyard.
The Home Edit for Beginners
LOCAL MASTER ORGANIZERS CLEA SHEARER AND JOANNA TEPLIN TACKLE KID AND TEEN CLEANING
FROM STAFF REPORTS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE HOME EDIT
On Sept. 3, Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will publish Let’s Put That Away! My First Book of Organizing by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, co-founders of the Nashville-based organizing and lifestyle brand The Home Edit. The book is illustrated by Hsinping Pan, animator and illustrator for clients including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney.
Clarkson Potter, an imprint at Penguin Random House, will publish The Home Edit for Teens: How to Edit Your Space, Express Your Style, and Get Things Done! on the same day. The Home Edit for Teens is a playbook to help modern young adults own their style, their confidence and their life. Being organized means they’ll never scramble to find their favorite sweatshirt again, and forgetting assignments will be a thing of the past. Plus, with Shearer and Teplin’s signature approach to organizing, it will help make space for teens to have fun and enjoy the process.
Shearer was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has always loved to organize and has a keen eye for design, which led her to study at the Parsons School of Design. Before meeting Teplin and starting The Home Edit, she worked in social media and PR with an emphasis on fashion and entertainment. Teplin grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and attended college at the University of California-Santa Barbara. After graduating, she moved to San Francisco, where she developed a love for cards and stationery and even created a boutique greeting card line.
When the two met and started The Home Edit in 2015, they had the goal of reinventing traditional organizing and merging it with design and interior styling for a specific and signature look that is now known across the globe. They are beloved in the home-organizing space, with a huge following among celebrities and home-organizing enthusiasts alike, thanks to their Emmy-nominated Netflix show Get Organized with The Home Edit
They are daytime TV mainstays and go-to lifestyle consultants, and the duo have previously published New York Times bestselling books The Home Edit, The Home Edit Life and Stay Organized. Both women now live in Nashville with their families.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand into the world of children’s publishing,” Teplin says. “Our new books are about more than just organizing — they are about learning life lessons that shape character, instill values and spark creativity.”
Shearer adds, “The Home Edit inspires empowerment and capability, so by encouraging these habits early on, we’re equipping young readers with essential life skills that emphasize the fun in functional.”
The board book is available for pre-order. On-sale dates for the next title, a picture book in The Home Edit for Kids series, will soon be announced NI
Let’s Put That Away! My First Book of Organizing
Written by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin
Illustrated by Hsinping Pan
On sale Sept. 3, 2024 | $8.99
The Home Edit for Teens: How to Edit Your Space, Express Your Style, And Get Things Done!
Written
by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin
On sale Sept. 3, 2024 | $19.99
OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURE
“There’s only one piece of artwork, because to me, the artwork is the valley”
— Cullen Douglass
C“They love it up here — as you can tell,” Douglass says. He and the dogs are starting the weekend early, perching in the sun on the wraparound deck of Greeter Loft, one of four cabins Douglass built overlooking a wide, wild expanse of the Cumberland Plateau.
Douglass loves it up here, too, though he doesn’t get to spend as many nights as he’d like in the modern but homey rental properties he’s dubbed The Tree Lofts. All four are booked tonight, so he’s had to schedule a stay at a friend’s place.
Stepping from the cabin’s back doors up to a valley view that seems to stretch across six states, it isn’t hard to see why The Tree Lofts became an enticing Tennessee vacation option — for playful pups and for their people.
TRASH HEAPS TURNED TREE LOFTS
A Nashville native and longtime financial adviser, Douglass didn’t set out to found a mountain town retreat mini-community. But with the four Tree Lofts booked regularly and more cabins in the works, he seems to have hiked into a side hustle that’s becoming a lot more.
The catalyst was Top of the Rock, the first and biggest Tree Loft property, with four bedrooms, three baths and a two-story wall of view-accommodating windows.
Douglass and his wife, Kristen, envisioned the cabin as a driving-distance getaway for their family of five and started building the property at the start of the pandemic. They’d purchased four acres of Beersheba Springs land that held loads of potential. At the time, it also held a literal trash dump.
“The locals in the ’70s didn’t have trash service, so this is where they brought it,” says Douglass, tracing the paths that now lead up to Top of the Rock and back to the overlook. Decades and acres of garbage covered trails, trees, even caves, before he and a crew of machines came to dig in, dig out and reimagine the property.
That reimagination was a team effort, with architect Chad Polk of Nashville’s CDP Architecture leading the building’s design and Kristen Douglass offering key conceptual direction.
“I thought I was gonna put a onebedroom cabin here,” Douglass says, laughing. “My wife’s like, ‘The hell you are. We got three kids.’”
The finished Top of the Rock strikes a comfortable balance: spacious but cozy, minimalist but earthy, high-end but livedin, cohesive but eclectic. Polk responded to Douglass’ desire to let nature take the lead in the architectural design, and the property owner brought that same sensibility to the interiors, pairing a floorto-ceiling patinated copper fireplace surround with a sleek, sputnik-style chandelier — adding a few eye-grabbing details, but mostly letting the outdoors shine.
“There’s only one piece of artwork, because to me, the artwork is this,” Douglass says, gesturing toward the valley.
Cullen and Kristen Douglass, and architect Chad Polk, have collaborated on a cluster of rental cabins near Beersheba Springs that bring the beauty of the outdoors inside with carefully chosen materials and fixtures and strategically placed windows that capture the views.
A LOFTY VISION
The expanded plan for Top of the Rock grew into a bigger vision for the whole property—and now a wide expanse of acreage across the valley.
In 2022, with five adjacent acres acquired, Douglass brought Polk back to work on the three-bedroom Cumberland Plateau A-Frame and the twobedroom Greeter Loft and Stone Door Loft. Those opened for booking in January 2023, each having taken design cues from the woodsy hilltop surroundings and coming through with distinct style.
In the Stone Door, lower-level sleeping spaces let guests feel like they’re curled up below deck on a wooden ship, windows peeking out onto the trees like portholes. Cumberland Plateau gives laid-back ‘70s vibes, with hoop and Acapulco chairs that vinyl hounds can pull up to a vintage Marantz receiver and record player (with records to pore over and play).
Both blend into the landscape with dark timber siding, carefully charred through the traditional Japanese yakisugi (or shou sugi ban) technique.
By early 2024, Douglass had 550 more surrounding acres under contract, and he and Polk were drawing up plans to start building the next three Tree Lofts by summer, with a goal of finishing construction by the end of the calendar year and continuing from there.
“We’re gonna eventually build hiking trails through here, maybe biking trails,” Douglass says. “It’s like a play land for me. It’s what I love.”
Each Tree Loft has its own distinct character, with architecture design by Chad Polk and interiors by owner Cullen Douglass.
With its sweeping valley views, the property inspired an outdoors-in approach to design at the Tree Lofts: grand windows, broad decks.
BUILDING MEMORIES AND A LEGACY
The next phase looks like Polk’s play land, too, with architectural concepts that take the “outdoors in” inspiration even more literally. He and Douglass pinpointed perches on a bluff overlooking the current properties, and the three new cabin designs make the most of the surroundings in a serious way — with one directly incorporating a 20-foot bluff wall.
“You’ll come off the bluff and go into the main room, and you’re gonna see the view,” Douglass says. “You go down a level with the kitchen and the family room, and you’re gonna be in the tops of the trees. You go down to the bottom level, and you’re gonna be in the forest.”
From top to bottom, the inspiration grew out of the ground, very intentionally.
“Chad had his whole team up here to spend the night,” Douglass says. “I’m like, ‘Go stay in the house for a night. I want your people to breathe it and feel it before you draw, you know? I want this to be your place.’”
And the broader intent, as The Tree Lofts community continues to expand, is to extend that “your place” feeling to every guest, in every Tree Loft, for every stay. Douglass thinks about the memories he’s helping encourage — including the ones he’s building with his kids — and the legacy he’ll leave for his family, the community and all the folks who’ve come to visit.
“My hope is that people come and discover it and it’s not, like, ‘check the box,’” he says. “They want to come back — it holds a special place for them and their family and their dogs.”NI
The Tree Lofts
Thetreelofts.com
Beersheba Springs, TN
Rates range from $250 to $650/night.
A PERSONAL RETREAT
AFTER DECADES OF DESIGN FOR HER CLIENTS, TERESA BECK CREATES A SANCTUARY ALL HER OWN
BY HOLLIE DEESE
“As a little girl, I remember flipping through a magazine and seeing this gold swan faucet and thinking, ‘Oh my god, that’s so gorgeous,’” she says, laughing. “But I also remember deciding that I was going to do interior design one day.”
— Teresa Beck
Some people are lucky enough to always know what they are supposed to do. But not everyone has the drive, stamina and strength to make those dreams a reality.
Designer Teresa Beck is one of those rare people who is doing exactly what she dreamed of, despite any obstacle that has come her way. The result is a life she designed and built herself, and it is as stunning as any design project she has completed.
“As a little girl, I remember flipping through a magazine and seeing this gold swan faucet and thinking, ‘Oh my god, that’s so gorgeous,’” she says, laughing. “But I also remember deciding that I was going to do interior design one day.”
And she planned on doing exactly that, until life’s first detour. Beck, a native of Columbia, Tennessee, got married right out of high school and quickly had two children. Her career wasn’t going down the path she had envisioned, and soon she realized her marriage wasn’t either.
“When my oldest son was a toddler, I set about enrolling for online interior design classes to prepare myself for the possibility that I may one day need to support my children and myself on my own,” she says. “I could not, at the time, afford college and childcare.”
The online studies took about two years to complete and receive certification, and in addition Beck ordered books and learned everything she could about architecture, drafting, foundation plans, design and construction plans. Over the years she has accumulated more than 400 hours in continuing education and professional development credits.
After her divorce, she had a few friends willing to trust her with smaller design jobs while she did other work to support her children. But she knew that to thrive she needed to move.
“I realized that, back then, Columbia was too small to support an interior design business, and most folks had not learned the value of hiring a designer at that time,” she says.
Beck began researching cities that had better possibilities for interior designers, and she settled on Phoenix. She borrowed $300 from her brother for an airline ticket and flew out to look for a job, insisting she had a good feeling about it when he questioned her plan.
Teresa Beck, left, has been a member of ASID since 1996 and a member of NKBA since 2007.
Above: Beck, Gina Hewett of Louisville Tile and Mary Soeder of PDI
Right: Selections at Louisville Tile
“We think that we need to do more for the rest of the family, when we ought to have the best that we possibly afford, and provide the best experience that we possibly can, for ourselves — especially in a private space like the bathroom.” — Teresa Beck
“When I changed planes in Dallas, I introduced myself to the woman sitting beside me and told her what I was doing,” Beck says. “She … was an interior designer in Phoenix, and by the time I got off the plane I had a legal pad page full of design firms with specific names to contact.”
She landed interviews with three firms, but on the way to one of them she was involved in a car wreck. Using a pay phone, she called the commercial design firm to alert them she would be a few minutes late, and why. At the end of the interview, they offered her a job, saying anybody who came that far, was in a wreck and still showed up could probably handle just about anything.
Two weeks later she had a yard sale and moved with her boys, dog, bird and most of their belongings to Arizona. For the next two years, her experience at David and Associates Ltd. gave her the foundation to understand the business side of design in a totally different environment than Columbia. It also exposed Beck to different materials and sources and expanded her design sensibilities.
“It made me understand the value of stepping out onto the ‘skinny branches,’” she says.
Beck returned to Tennessee in 1984, became the state’s 28th registered designer and opened Interiors Inc. She operated that first design business until 2000, when she had her first grandchild and thought she was ready to retire. After a five-year hiatus, though, she opened Tbektu Design + Development, which is thriving today.
Building an oasis
During COVID in 2020, Beck was spending a lot more time at home. Looking around, she decided it was time to do something special for herself, and she created a bathroom retreat that was a pure reflection of all her years of learning and hard work.
“I got to work on a project of my very own, under the same trying times that everyone else and all my clients were going through, at a time when we really, really wanted and needed that special space where all of those trying times could fade away,” Beck says. “I really wanted my bathroom to have a spa feeling; I wanted to feel like when I went in there, all of the pandemic junk was gone.”
The bathroom is full of luxury touches like a full-body air dryer and medicine cabinets that lift up instead of out. Here, you can also see the entrance to the outdoor shower.
Now, every time Beck sits on her Mongolian wool chair or dries off with the body dryer after showering outside, she gets a retreat from reality in a space where she can escape, unwind and just be.
“We oftentimes need to remind ourselves that we deserve a space like that,” Beck says. “We think that we need to do more for the rest of the family, when we ought to have the best that we possibly afford, and provide the
best experience that we possibly can, for ourselves — especially in a private space like the bathroom.”
Beck has worked with numerous vendors and tradespeople, including Gina Hewlett with Louisville Tile, over the past 40 years as she designed spaces for other people. Hewlett has been with Louisville Tile for 12 years and had worked with Beck on a number of projects before she helped her with her personal bathroom.
“They have a wealth of information,” Beck says. “They know their products inside and out, and they are so supportive and willing to help. They even help in the design process because if I haven’t zeroed in on a certain product that I think would be great, but I have in my mind what that looks like, they steer me in the right direction.”
Privately owned Louisville Tile has been around for 60 years serving commercial and residential clients, and it has relationships with vendors and suppliers that make work a lot easier for designers like Beck.
“Designers come to us because we’re knowledgeable,” Hewlett says. “We have integrity. We’re here to help them make their vision come true, and we have the support from the vendors that we use. If you do business with us and something goes sideways, Louisville Tile is going to bend over backwards and be there for you — whatever it takes to solve the issue. Any good designer ends up being a project manager, so they want partners that are going to be there for them and find solutions.”
Hewlett loves when a designer brings tile into the conversation early on because it has so many more options in size, color, design and texture than do the counters or the flooring.
“The old thought process was to pick out your countertops and then come see me for your backsplash, but I have found people regret that because there are only a handful of options for countertop material compared to tile,” she says. “Then you can just make your countertop work with that, and let the tile be the star of the room.”
And that is exactly what they did in Beck’s bathroom. Hewlett knew Beck wanted to make porcelain wall slabs the centerpiece of the room’s design, and she directed her to the Atlas Concorde USA design center in Franklin. There Beck chose the slab that was the starting point and driving force for the whole design.
“Everything is based off the slab,” Beck says. “I didn’t want anything to compete with it, with the exception of my blue tub. I like to do a surprise punch of something somewhere, whether it be in a texture or color or whatever. But that’s why the rest of the tile that’s on the floor and the other walls in
Teresa Beck let porcelain wall tile from Louisville Tile, by way of Atlas Concorde USA, be the driving force behind the design of her bathroom retreat—and the project required eight whole slabs of it.
the bathroom is much more toned down. I just didn’t want anything to compete with that gorgeous porcelain slab.”
Mary Soeder with PDI Kitchen, Bath and Lighting worked with Beck on fixtures for this project. And while the walls are an obvious star in the design, it’s hard to ignore the importance of the blue MTI bathtub that sits center stage.
“I was excited when she told me she wanted to do a color,” Soeder says of the bold choice. “I love working on designers’ personal spaces — whether it’s a whole house, a bathroom, a kitchen, even just a wet bar — because I feel like they get to exercise all those things that they want a client to do. A client can be hesitant, but in a designer’s personal house, they’re like, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
That is exactly the attitude Beck had throughout this project, Soeder says, from the wall slabs to the blue bathtub, which she thinks has a benefit beyond pushing the boundaries of design.
“I also think it gives them a little more confidence for the next client who wants to do it,” Soeder says. “It adds to your portfolio of eye-catching things that you do. And once it all comes together, layer by layer, you see that it is perfect.” NI
Designer Loyalty Program
Designers are at the heart of our business. We value your partnership and are excited to launch our new loyalty program.
WIN A LUXURIOUS GETAWAY
• Register at RelyOnPDI.com by creating an account.
• Once registered, use your release number on all orders to accumulate totals.
• Winners will be based on dollars spent from March 1 through Dec. 31, 2024.
• Winners will be announced in January 2025, and the rewards trip will take place in March. Register here Register Here
Teresa Beck has spent the past 40 years working on projects for a number of clients. She opened Interiors Inc., her first design business, in April 1984, and it operated until 2000. After a four- to five-year hiatus, she opened Tbektu in 2005, and it is still going strong.
HOT PICKS for a Design Lift
Make sure your vacation smells like a vacation with the Bougie Beach Golden Hour 2 oz. Soy Travel Candle and Spray Starter Set
Harmonizing the zest of citrus fruits, the allure of blossoms, and the warmth of exotic spices, all candles are hand-poured in St. Augustine, Florida, and feature a zinc-free cotton wick to ensure a smooth, clean burn. $22 at bougiebeachcandle.com
nobilia has once again pushed the boundaries of design and innovation with the Xtra Ceramic Worktop 783 in Venato Nero reproduction. This worktop not only promises exceptional performance in the kitchen, but also adds a touch of timeless elegance to any living space. Inspired by dark marble, this worktop can be beautifully integrated as a contrasting element or elegantly tonein-tone with black surfaces. The look is adorned with golden accents, creating captivating contrasts when paired with highgloss magnolia fronts. Prices available at Great Kitchens, Nashville. nobiliakitchenfurniture.com
Designer Sarah Sherman Samuel’s collaboration with Lulu and Georgia will have us outside all summer with her premier outdoor collection. Featuring rugs, furniture and décor to create a modern, artful backyard escape, the collection is just what we need to get into a summer mindset. Pieces range from $268 to $2,598. luluandgeorgia.com
ICONIC HOME: Interiors, Advice, and Stories from 50 Amazing Black Designers is a collection of works showcasing inspiring interiors and fascinating personal stories written by June Reese, vice president of Black Interior Designers Inc., and features 50 industry stars, including Justina Blakeney, Faith Blakeney, Adair Curtis, Jason Bolden and Bridgid Coulter. These designers have become known for creating dynamic private homes for celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, John Travolta and Stevie Wonder. In ICONIC HOME, you’ll get a behind-thescenes look at their design tips, inspiration, expertise and thoughts on what it means to be a designer of color working in today’s industry. $50, where books are sold.
The Timeless Collection by Onare showcases the epitome of luxury design and craftsmanship in high-quality and bespoke furniture with a collection that includes a closet, a beauty bar, a desk, an island and a closet rack — all crafted with impeccable attention to detail and a commitment to timeless design meant to last generations. With high technology and state-of-the-art manufacturing, certified solid wood is the primary raw material, and it comes in a wide range of finishes for maximum furniture customization. Custom project prices available upon request. onare.com
For a pop of color in a monochrome form, look no further than the All Round Mini lamp by Victor Foxtrot. These table lamps have a sculptural shape that works great as a statement piece in any room, with fabric lampshades designed by Raf Simons for Kvadrat with a matte gold foil on the inside to create a soft, cozy atmosphere. $1,343 at lightology.com Also victorfoxtrot.de
Filled with 125 redtipped matches, the letterpress “Spark Joy” matchbook from Nathan & Co., should do just that every time you use one to light your favorite candle. $15 at nathanandco.com
Architect Jeffrey Dungan’s new collection with Textures Nashville has a palette of timeless finishes that reflect the tones and depth of his portfolio of work.
JEFFREY DUNGAN ARCHITECTS x TEXTURES NASHVILLE
TWO RESPECTED COMPANIES
COMBINE FORCES ON A NEW FLOORING COLLECTION
STAFF REPORTS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARIS
KENJAR
Earlier this year, flooring company Textures Nashville announced a new collection designed in partnership with celebrated architect Jeffrey Dungan, founder of Jeffrey Dungan Architects.
Launched during the Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville in January, the Jeffrey Dungan Architectural Collection (J.D.A.C.) is a collaborative effort to produce a palette of timeless finishes reflective of the tones and depth of the vast portfolio of Dungan’s vision.
“I have worked with Textures Nashville for years and am thrilled about this collection that reflects important aspects of my design aesthetic,” says Dungan, who developed his love for art, drawing and design while growing up on his family farm in rural Alabama.
Since those early days, Dungan has been honored with numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects, as well as the 2017 Southeast Architect of the Year by Veranda magazine and ADAC. The Southeast Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art named him a Shutze fellow in 2015, and the Rocky Mountain chapter awarded him a Jacques Benedict award in 2023. In 2018 and 2019 he received the prestigious Palladio Award, a premier national award for classical architecture.
His new collection with Textures holds seven new offerings, allowing the architecture and design market to tailor these exquisite finishes to their projects’ unique requirements.
“It’s been incredible seeing this collection come to life, and I look forward to seeing how designers and clients will weave these finishes into their projects,” Dungan says.
Crafted through the Textures Curated proprietary process, the collection offers clients and designers a versatile range of wood options with earth-tone-inspired finishes suitable for various applications, including flooring, paneling and architectural millwork.
“It’s been incredible seeing this collection come to life, and I look forward to seeing how designers and clients will weave these finishes into their projects.”
— Jeffrey Dungan
The Textures Curated process provides flexibility for clients to specify flooring or product specifications within a comprehensive scope of work. The finished-to-order process ensures that each project benefits from the true colors of the Dungan collection.
“We are very excited about this collaboration with Jeff,” says Scott Moore, vice president of business development at Textures. “His enthusiasm for natural materials and dedication to detail has allowed us to capture a palette that is very organic and versatile.” NI
Dungan’s collection is available at Textures Nashville, located in the Nashville Design Collective in Wedgewood-Houston.
ROOM TO BREATHE
A NEW COMMUNITY IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY OFFERS HOMES ON ACRE-PLUS LOTS
STAFF REPORTS | RENDERINGS BY BINKLEY DESIGNED
Offering freedom in space and design, Carbine and Associates is developing and building Taliaferro, a new Williamson County neighborhood in the College Grove area. It’s on 198 acres, with 27 well-crafted homes for homestead living on acre-plus lots with room for a pool or a barn.
Named after the nearby road, Taliaferro is one of the latest communities from Brentwood-based Carbine and Associates. The Carbine team has been building custom homes throughout the Nashville and Williamson County area for more than four decades, including the HGTV® Smart Home, Traditional Home/ O’More Designer Show House and the House for Hope Designer Show House — resulting in an over $100,000 donation to area children’s charities.
“Taliaferro offers an exciting opportunity because of freedom in the size of the home and the ability to create a house without typical restrictions,” says James Carbine, company founder and president. “The neighborhood is on a step system for sewer, so bedroom count doesn’t matter. And you can add a pool, greenhouse or outbuildings without restrictions as well.”
The streetscape will be fresh and distinctive, says Carbine partner and Vice President of Operations Daryl Walny.
Lot reservations for Taliaferro are being accepted by project Realtor Kristen Carbine with LCT Team - Parks. Call 615-289-9554 or visit TaliaferroTN.com for more information.
“With 147 acres of open, green space, the neighborhood has been designed around a scenic, winding street. The road follows the ridge, and the homes will have diverse and fresh architecture creating a beautiful streetscape,” Walny says. “The property also has Nelson Creek which runs through in the heart of it, and we’re excited homeowners will be able to enjoy it for generations. Our design team is creating a gorgeous array of new homes.”
Walny said the homes will start at $1.6 million, and Carbine will have six market homes hitting the market soon. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late summer 2024. Taliaferro is near Eagleville, Arrington and the new Peacock Hill Nature Park that just opened in Williamson County. The neighborhood is zoned for College Grove Elementary, Page Middle and Page High schools. NI
The plat map for Taliaferro. A new neighborhood in Williamson County, has 27 homes planned with planned with acre-plus lots. The neighborhood is being developed and built by Brentwood-based builder Carbine & Associates.
COLTON™
Design,Craftsmanship & Precision
A FAMILY BUSINESS EVOLVES OVER TIME IN WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON
BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB PATRICK AND ANDREW REED
In a small workshop tucked into an old record label printing shop in Wedgewood-Houston, Cameron Weiss and his wife, Whitney, have been steadily building heirloom quality watches, a family business and a loyal following with Weiss Watch Company.
Founded in 2013 in Southern California, but now based in Nashville, Weiss is the largest mechanical watchmaking company in the United States — and it’s run by just the two of them.
“When we decided that we wanted to leave L.A., we were looking at creative communities in addition to a better worklife balance,” says Whitney, who is originally from Dallas. (Cameron is from San Diego.)
“Our commute was awful, and we knew we would have to change something if we wanted to spend time together as a family at all.”
They also needed more space to accommodate their business’ growth and found Nashville hit all the right notes for creativity, opportunity and community.
“People have a lot of respect for what others can do here in a way that’s really collaborative and beautiful,” she says.
“People have a lot of respect for what others can do here in a way that’s really collaborative and beautiful.”
—
Whitney Weiss
Their showroom is a comfortable mix of work and life. When you walk in, you see that shop dog Farrah has a place of pride to sleep in up front. Then there’s a display case that holds a number of inspiration pieces and a collection of Weiss oneoffs and prototypes. In the back corner, Cameron designs and builds every watch by hand from start to finish, merging timeless techniques with modern technology. Arranged throughout the space are various machines used for making all the elements of the timepieces.
“We were able to find a space that was almost perfect for the machines we were looking for,” Whitney says. “We had some pivots that we had to make in the past couple of years — parts that were getting harder for us to make or harder for us to work with other companies. So we started doing the cases in our workshop.”
The cases are the largest pieces they manufacture, and having the machines in the shop make it possible for them to be productive without relying on someone else to make them to their specifications in the timeframe they need.
“The thing is, you can’t just call someone up and say, ‘Hey, I need cases.’ We were working with a company that does a lot of aerospace parts and a lot of government contracts,” she says. “They were producing our cases until about a year and a half or so ago, and then we started with machines ourselves. It’s very cool and romantic, but if we’re actually trying to create a product that we can sell, we need something efficient.”
Cameron was trained to use all the machines, and he runs them himself — another rarity in their field. There is an art to coaxing large metal machines through making watches’ tiniest pinions and parts. Each element needs to be precise; if it isn’t, it’s discarded and melted.
But his dedication and skill are not surprising. A graduate of the Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking School in Miami, Weiss trained at prestigious Swiss watch companies Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, and he went to Switzerland for further training before opening Weiss with Whitney.
People can be incredibly passionate about watches and collecting them. There is a huge crossover among car fans and watch fans, which Whitney attributes to an overall respect for design and art and mechanics.
“We noticed in 2010 and 2011 that people were starting to get more interested in watches again … and interested in the craft,” she says, “but there wasn’t really anyone making a watch for that consumer. A little bit is educating them and keeping the price attainable enough to get someone into a mechanical watch and learning more about the craft and the art behind it.”
Even so, she says, a lot of their customers are people working in tech. They absolutely have an Apple watch, but they want something different to wear when they dress up for an event.
Weiss Watches start at $2,000 without customization. Across, top, the 38mm Automatic Standard Issue Field Watch. Bottom, the 42mm Standard Issue Dive Watch.
“They want a nice watch that is utilitarian, but also about art, and they care about how it’s made and how it’s produced and the story behind it,” she says.
Cameron’s YouTube series “The Watchmaker’s Workshop” helps people understand more about how timepieces are made; each episode focuses on one aspect of watchmaking.
The Weisses’ two young children come to the shop often; they’re interested how everything works. That’s how Cameron got into watches: A relative asked him to fix one when he was a young child. By the time he graduated high school, he was asking for a set of watch tools for an apprenticeship program with six other students.
Cameron does all of the design, from bands to dials to colors — a creative part of what can otherwise be a
tedious and repetitive process. Each timepiece can be customized, and a message can be engraved on the caseback to create a gift that tells more than just the time, with precision.
“We have a lot of clients who will send us pictures from their baby’s birth or at their wedding, and … it’s an honor to get to be a part of that special moment of theirs,” Whitney says. “That’s the romantic side of what we do.” NI
MYSTERIOUSLY DRIVEN SPIRITUALITY
NASHVILLE ARTIST DAVID ONRI ANDERSON INCORPORATES MYTHOLOGY, CREATIVITY INTO INTENSELY PERSONAL PAINTINGS
BY ROBERT JONES PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DESHAZER
TThere’s an irony in the fact that David Onri Anderson’s grounding in the Southern artistic tradition is part of what helps him stand out in Nashville’s art scene.
“It felt like I didn’t get exposed to a lot of international art growing up in Nashville,” Anderson says. “My parents were artists, so I was exposed to art through them, but I kind of grew up just liking folk art. I really liked Howard Finster and Mose Tolliver.”
Anderson has been an active contributor to the city’s cultural landscape for many years, through his own work and through the platform he has provided to artists at his gallery, Electric Shed. That hasn’t made the Nashville market any easier for him to navigate, he says.
“Most of my sales come from working with galleries and collectors outside of Nashville. I have had success working with galleries, but I have to be careful to find the right relationship. SEEKERS
“A lot of galleries just want the same image over and over again in different colors and sizes. It’s clear that they don’t care about your artistic development.”
While marketability is something that all professional artists have to consider, what has always driven Anderson as an artist has been his internal creative process.
“Art is like my therapy,” he says. “I feel like art can’t be directed. I follow my intuition, and I just sort of see what happens.
“I’m drawn to myths throughout history, I will find these stories that really resonate inside of me — elements will stand out, and they grow their own meanings based on my experiences. As I work on the painting, the story continues to change as I notice things that make it more interesting to me.”
These personal stories provide a window into Anderson’s whimsical mind. The bold symbology in his images invites viewers to invent their own narratives.
Sometimes his work can blur the line between creativity and spirituality. After a period of personal reflection during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson created a series of paintings that he hasn’t yet decided whether to present to a public audience.
“Some of my favorite artists, like William Blake and Gustav Klimt, have talked about how they would conjure angels or spirits to help guide their creative process. This is something I’ve also discovered in more contemporary new age spirituality,” Anderson says. “Through meditation, I made this weird contact with what I call interdimensional beings: They would show me stuff, and I would just make paintings about it.
“But I feel like if I were to share those paintings, I would kind of lose a record of these experiences, so I keep them for myself. Now I’m painting images that are based on those experiences, rather than the experiences themselves. The meanings have changed to a point where it feels like it’s in a safe place to share with others.”
These works form the basis for Anderson’s upcoming solo show, Mysteries of the Sun
Mysteries of the Sun will be the inaugural show at Pond Gallery in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Its scheduled run is May 10-June 21. NI
Discover more of Anderson’s work: @davidonri @electricshedtn davidonrianderson.com
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His Place, Or Yours?
RENOWNED CHEF SEAN BROCK WANTS TO CURATE YOUR PRIVATE FOOD AND MUSIC EXPERIENCES
BY HOLLIE DEESE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICK JACOB AND EMILY DIORIO
can even be caught spinning
For a person so dedicated to connecting ingredients with memories to make an experience out of a meal, it seems equal parts surprising and totally natural that chef Sean Brock’s next great meal could be served in the privacy of your own home.
“I hadn’t spent a lot of time in the event space, as a business, but I enjoy it every time I do it,” Brock says. “I just really wanted to start focusing more on that.”
That is why he launched “Events By Sean Brock,” a bespoke private dining, catering and events service. With unique, customizable options for every type of celebration or occasion, as well as the same cutting-edge technology and attention to detail Brock is famous for, his new service will give guests the opportunity to work alongside him and his team to curate personalized events.
“I was asked to do a couple of events recently for Vanderbilt and Belmont, and I’ve just really grown to enjoy larger events,” Brock says. “I think the older I get and the more I work in this industry, the more interested I’ve become in figuring out ways to focus mostly on creating amazing memories for people.”
It’s through this collaboration with his event guests that Brock aims to bring his restaurants’ exceptional hospitality and high touch experience into guests’ homes or venues, helping to enhance their memorable moments.
Sen Brock likes to create spaces as memorable as his menus, like the dining room at his Cleveland Park restaurant Audrey, which opened in October 2021. The design and build was done by Powell.
He
vinyl at the main bar at Bar Continental, below. Across, Brock stands outside Audrey.
Brock caught spinning vinyl at the main bar of his now-closed Bar Continental.
“We have access to the most amazing products and ingredients that are not only insanely delicious, but have incredible backstories.”
— Chef Sean Brock
“It’s a different kind of connection with the guests,” he says. “It’s a different level of intimacy. And the cool thing is, for the most part, somebody’s celebrating something. So it’s always just really great vibes. I think that’s one of the greatest privileges for somebody in the hospitality industry: If you can create an event, a dinner, a party that gives someone a dopamine rush 10 years later when they talk about it or think about it, that’s unbelievable.”
Making memories with Brock
Raised in rural Virginia, the chef and restaurateur is renowned for his involvement in the reinvigoration and elevation of respect for the Southern pantry and cuisine over the past 20 years. After leaving the Hermitage Hotel in 2006 after two years as head chef of Capitol Grille, he went to Charleston to head up McCrady’s, and then Husk.
Brock won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southeast, in 2010. He is a four-time finalist for Outstanding Chef and a three-time finalist for Rising Star Chef. His first cookbook, Heritage, is a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2015 American Cooking James Beard Award. Brock’s second book, SOUTH, was also a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for a James Beard Award.
In 2019, Brock returned to Nashville to open four ambitious food and beverage endeavors: Audrey, Bar Continental, Joyland and june. With each space, Brock presents food that creates a sense of place. And now, he’s working to bring that place to any space.
“I prefer to customize everything,” he says of his events. “I love the idea of constantly discovering new things, constantly learning. I would much rather have a conversation with you, hear what you have in mind and then start making suggestions. When you can truly collaborate with someone, it’s just such a fun thing because you learn from each other.”
Along with full buyouts and off-site catering, guests can book events in the distinct private and semi-private spaces at Audrey, june, Bar Continental and Joyland. Catering menus vary in price and cuisine, and they can be customized as a la carte or prix fixe, depending on the concept.
“We have access to the most amazing products and ingredients that are not only insanely delicious, but have incredible backstories,” he says. “There’s a narrative
Dining at Audrey can include a peek — and taste — inside the lab, where research and development is done. Across, top, Audrey is inspired by Brock’s Appalachian roots and named after his maternal grandmother.
behind these traditions and ingredients and products and recipes — and that adds to an event.”
And, according to Brock, nothing is off the table — including having him DJ the event personally, like he did recently for a wedding party at his now-closed vinyl only Bar Continental inside the Grand Hyatt. In addition to the main dining room, guests can enjoy rare records played through the highest quality audiophile equipment with friends and family in the bar.
“Music is always gonna play a big role,” he says of his events.
“People think it’s so crazy when they walk in and I’m the DJ, but I just love it so much. I get equally excited about creating music menus for people and exposing people to new music while they’re in my spaces.”
Another one of his spaces available for an event buyout is Audrey/june. There, people and their loved ones can attend
demos at various parts of the restaurant.
“So you might have a demo at the bar, or you might have a demo in the lab, or you might have a demo in our mindfulness room, or you might have a demo in my library,” Brock says.
“I built that space so that it would be more interactive for educational purposes, and not just a restaurant. I want it to be as accessible to as many people as possible because it’s such a cool space, and there’s so many neat things in there to experience.”
But whether it is in one of his restaurants or in your own home, the experience is sure to be one of a kind and totally unforgettable.
“We’re open to creating completely new things that we’ve never done before, in the spirit of curiosity,” he says. “And it’s already been a lot of fun.” NI
A light-filled, book-filled dining space at Audrey
