This East Nashville ranch-style home has us blushing…in the very best way. Designer Lauren DeBello was tasked with a few key things: bring the space up to date, maximize the narrow floor plan, relocate the laundry closet and water heater, and bring in as much natural light as possible. They decided to go bold with color, landing on the prettiest blush Zellige tile in the kitchen. The result is an elegant, desert-inspired palette with the loveliest details. Lauren tells us more.
Tell us about this home. Where is it located? How did the neighborhood influence the design?
This home is a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom ranch-style home in East Nashville. East Nashville is known for being a hip, more artistic and eclectic part of town, so we knew we wanted to make the home stand out.
Pink is obviously a bold choice. We’d love to know more about the client!
My client purchased the home about 15 years ago before Nashville had its massive growth spurt. Shortly after she purchased the home, she accepted a new job in California and decided to rent it out while she was away. When she returned to Nashville, it had become a completely different city. The housing market changed so much, allowing her to renovate and create her dream home.
Let’s talk scope of work on a space like this. Could you “walk us” through the kitchen and share a few of your favorite details?
Throughout the course of this renovation, we added new wide plank oak flooring, added new interior and exterior doors, added a window in the kitchen, relocated the laundry space and water heater, selected new lighting, added open shelving and a new backsplash, replaced the cabinetry, hardware and countertops, created a custom island and brightened the space with white paint. We also renovated one of the bathrooms and added a new deck to the back yard.
My absolute favorite details in this kitchen are the blush Zellige tile and the custom kitchen island. My client was not afraid of color, and the risk definitely paid off! The tile gives such incredible movement and texture to the space. The island was created by a talented local carpenter, Kyle, of Broken Compass Woodworking. He brought our vision to life and helped to maximize the surface area in a narrow kitchen.
What were some of the biggest challenges?
Like most homes in Nashville, the floorplan of this home is much longer than it is wide. The laundry / water heater closet was very deep and utilized a great deal of the square footage. The client loves to entertain and envisioned having a large kitchen with an island, but this was not possible with the current layout. In order to make the kitchen larger, we ultimately decided to give the laundry and water heater their own respective spaces across from each other at the far end of the home, near the exterior doors.
How long did the project take, and what did the client say when they saw the finished space?
From the first design meeting to the final installation, the project took 8 months. The majority of work took place in 2021, while there were issues in the supply chain, so we had to wait a significant period of time for appliances and materials to arrive. The client was so patient, despite all the delays, and was thrilled with the way it turned out. She said she loves the kitchen, and it keeps getting better and better every day.