INSPIRED DESIGN Encompassed in a distinctive style, interior designer Jamie Beckwith s home charms guests with its spacious, free-flowing floor plan and unique elements. BY ROBIN HUIRAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY SANFORD MYERS 74 NASHVILLE HOME AND GARDEN March 2008
Soaring Gothic windows arching nearly 20 feet from floor to ceiling and tiered, wrought-iron and candle chandeliers provide the great room an austere Old World feel balanced by soft furnishings, such as Italian Fortuna silk and skirted, chenille sofas, a cut-velvet bench and grass-cloth carpet. Opposite page: Hand-hewn walnut stairs curve alongside a handmade, wrought-iron banister from the seamless travertine tile flooring covering the foyer, which is lent the timeless tone pervading the home by aged stucco walls, a classic grand piano and an early 19th-century French tapestry.
IIn the same way that Nashville interior designer Jamie Beckwith, of Beckwith Interiors, creates her clients designs, when developing ideas for her home in Franklin s LaurelBrooke community, she looked for inspiration in the architecture. With massive, Gothic cathedral windows and peaked, slate roof, the English elegance of her family s residence clearly called for classic stylings. Yet for the home s Old World design, generated by décor such as heavy wrought-iron fixtures, hand-hewn walnut floors and personalized heraldic artwork, elements both avant-garde and familial lend the design a personality reflective of the young family living there. From wall and ceiling embellishments born of the Beckwiths history to resilient fabrics covering comfy furniture and a large, feminine abstract painting favored by Beckwith, traces of the family consisting of husband, Larry; and children, Jackson, Presley and Sawyer infuse the 13,000-squarefoot, six-bed, 10-bath manor. I think mixing is really great you have some of the older pieces, but can still stay fresh, Beckwith says. In the great room, surprising accents such as an abstract by Nashville artist Anton Weiss; a heavy, grass-cloth carpet; resilient cut velvet, chenille and crewel furnishings; wroughtiron chandeliers; a fleur de lis-patterned wall partition; and a massive cut-stone fireplace adorned with personal flourishes enliven the area s formality, which emerges from dramatic, Gothic windows arching toward 20-foot ceilings. We carved some old heraldry-type shields on the fireplace and, while some shields mean warmth or bravery, there s one in particular called a Barry Shield. Not long after our house was completed, my husband lost his father and that was his name, Beckwith says. And the tapestry above the mantel is one of my most favorite things in the house. It s a Flemish piece from the late 17th century. I love the age; I love the color; in fact, a lot of the room s colors came from the tapestry. Incorporating similar colors and textures not only provides the great room with continuity, but it like blending time periods is a basic tenant of Beckwith s design philosophy. As a designer, I love to have a cohesive feel throughout a house, where something flows from room to room and you don t feel startled walking into a room. In her home, this feat is accomplished with the flooring the great room s handhewn walnut beams coupled with South American terra-cotta tile extend throughout the house. 76 NASHVILLE HOME AND GARDEN March 2008
Intermingled textures and surfaces create intimacy in the dining room when fanciful chairs covered in alligator skin and crewel embroidery and a woodlandinspired iron and crystal chandelier mix with a stately E. J. Victor walnut table. Supple, grommet-topped silk stripe drapes hung from handmade iron fixtures border religious-themed artwork imported from New Orleans. OPPOSITE PAGE ABOVE: Hand-hewn walnut beam and South American terra-cotta tile flooring courses through the home s most dynamic spaces, uniting the family room furnished with contemporary armchairs and braided leather ottoman, breakfast area and oakpaneled leisure nook beyond. A wrought-iron staircase spirals upward to the second-floor balcony. OPPOSITE PAGE BELOW: Antique glass French doors inscribed with the words boulangerie and patisserie, meaning bakery and pastry shop, divide the functional kitchen, outfitted with a honed granite and copper-topped center island, and the family-oriented breakfast area, which sports a 14-foot plank farm table. Combining flooring that appears in other parts of the house with the tile gives an Old World feel. Even though it s stone and wood, it s very durable and soft on your feet when you re moving or cooking, Beckwith describes. And utility is essential, as the innovative flooring covers the kitchen, breakfast area, family room and leisure nook. Considered the home s centerpiece, the kitchen expresses Gothic charm with dark walnut cabinetry and red granite countertops. More casually honed granite and copper top the center island, which guests and the children enjoy while sitting upon funky bongo stools. The Old World feel extends through antique, curved glass doors formerly belonging to a French café and engraved with French expressions into the breakfast area. Outfitted with a 14-foot, wooden plank farm table and leather and upholstered high-back chairs, the oft-used area takes on a really cool vibe thanks to a handmade, two-tiered wrought-iron chandelier suspended from the 20-foot ceiling. Bordering the family-oriented space is Beckwith s favorite room the leisure nook, which features golden, oak walls inset with leather panels; 10-foot, coffered ceilings; and hand-painted, wooden window and door casings. It s such a cozy space to sit and relax with a good book and a glass of wine, but still not feel removed from the family, she says, adding that her favorite artwork a figurative abstract by Ursula Mahler purchased through Gallery One in Belle Meade calls this space home. Whereas the leisure nook s dark ceiling lends intimacy, ceiling treatments in several other spaces supply distinctive decoration. March 2008 NASHVILLE HOME AND GARDEN 77
Clockwise from top: Flowing from the ceiling, iridescent damask panels crown the fourposter queen bed with a regal canopy that harmonizes with silk linens and pillows. Situated in the middle of the guest room, the bed lacks a definitive head or foot, enabling visitors to choose either side to rest their heads. Tone-on-tone linen covering the nursery walls, comprising the curtains and draping down from a wooden bed crown to surround a wrought-iron crib, not only provides a soft, soothing environment, but along with Belgian wool carpet holds the temperature and creates a sound barrier for the room. Femininity infuses the bedroom of Presley Beckwith with soft coral, gray and yellow antique damask, by Fabrics by Zoffany, draping across the pretty, fabric-covered window well and swagging down upon antique, carved oak head- and footboards. Cozy armchairs, soft pillows and sumptuous silk linens finish the room. 78 NASHVILLE HOME AND GARDEN March 2008
From the groin-vaulted ceiling, which supports dual wooden chandeliers, to the velvet drapes and silk roman shades; and from the handmade, silk bed linens covering a king sleigh bed to the sumptuous woolen carpet, soothing colors pervade the master suite to provide the Beckwiths a restful respite. BELOW: Modern embellishments, such as a Jacuzzi tub, silver chandelier and beveled mirrors adorning his-and-her vanities, complement the master bath s classic character, which arises from a Gothic entry and travertine tile floors inset with a stone medallion. So many people forget about the ceiling. It s a place, whether using an element that says wow or a simple pattern, where you can really be creative, Beckwith notes. In the master suite, a groin-vaulted ceiling trimmed in metallic English stenciling supports two silver-leafed wooden and linen chandeliers, which float above the handmade, taupe silk duvet covering the king sleigh bed. And, albeit unique, a wall-to-wall ceiling mural in the library maintains the home s Old World theme while providing highly personal panache. We thought an antique map fit in really well with the photos we have of our travels, which is a big thing for my husband and family, so we added special names and places that we could pinpoint, she explains. It s probably one of the most unique things in the house, but I definitely think that other people could do some sort of similar treatment. The uninterrupted flow, elegant style and personal, decorative elements in interior designer Jamie Beckwith s home provide it with a unique look and feel that she and her family truly enjoy. The hand-painted walls and ceilings, intricate flooring, impressive windows and numerous living areas help to make the Beckwith home a spacious, yet charming, one-of-a-kind dwelling. March 2008 NASHVILLE HOME AND GARDEN 79