Houzz Tour: Color Lights the Way in a Tennessee Home
A 1960s rancher takes on a new attitude with a second story and vivid hues
Jennifer Christgau-Aquino
May 12, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record collector and die hard home renovator who loves to turn antiques modern (a piano yellow, an iron bed hot pink….)
Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record... More
Interior designer Emily Lister’s client loves bright colors. Lime green, hot pink, fluorescent orange — she isn’t afraid of any shade. And therein lay Lister’s challenge: how to channel that affinity for neon hues without turning the remodel of her client’s home into an Easter egg.
Photos by Alyssa Rosenheck
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Outside Nashville, Tennessee
Size: Five bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Designer: Emily Lister of E.L. Interiors
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Outside Nashville, Tennessee
Size: Five bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Designer: Emily Lister of E.L. Interiors
Before Photo
BEFORE: Six years ago, the homeowners bought a 1960s ranch house in their dream neighborhood. But the rooms had low ceilings, felt dark and featured outdated colors, such as this avocado-green carpet. Four years and two children later, they were ready to expand the house and revamp the interior.
AFTER: The home now has four bedrooms and a playroom upstairs, and a master suite, kitchen, living room, dining room, recreational space-TV room and half bath downstairs. And its colors run the spectrum, balanced by a crisp background of white.
This geometric wallpaper is a bold choice for an entry, but Lister made it work, being careful about how she used color elsewhere.
She painted the living room off the entry, above, a bright white to let the wallpaper be the showstopper. In that room, she picked up hues in the wallpaper with turquoise chairs and a contrasting orange rug. She kept the rest of the room fairly neutral with brown leather chairs and a white couch. That way the wallpaper doesn’t compete for attention.
Wallpaper: Cole & Sons
She painted the living room off the entry, above, a bright white to let the wallpaper be the showstopper. In that room, she picked up hues in the wallpaper with turquoise chairs and a contrasting orange rug. She kept the rest of the room fairly neutral with brown leather chairs and a white couch. That way the wallpaper doesn’t compete for attention.
Wallpaper: Cole & Sons
She didn’t want the room to disappear, though, and chose to use molding to give the room dimension. The built-in bookshelves help divert attention away from the off-center fireplace. The white paneling helps it blend into the wall.
Across the entryway from the living room is an office. Lister painted the ceiling orange but kept the rest of the room white, accenting it with a turquoise chandelier.
Chandalier: Arteriors
Chandalier: Arteriors
Before Photo
BEFORE: The U-shaped kitchen felt closed off and dark.
Lister suggested opening it up to a dining nook and sitting room. The ceilings were raised 2 feet and coffered, which distracts from the fact that the lights are a few inches off-center due to some ductwork that couldn’t be moved.
The homeowners didn’t want an all-white kitchen, so they went bold with a lime-green laser-cut stained glass mosaic tile as a backsplash.
The cooktop and hood now sit in place of the window and sink in the former layout. A more linear layout with a central island allowed the homeowners create a more social space with a TV room and a small eating area.
Tile: Mission Tile; lights: Arteriors
The homeowners didn’t want an all-white kitchen, so they went bold with a lime-green laser-cut stained glass mosaic tile as a backsplash.
The cooktop and hood now sit in place of the window and sink in the former layout. A more linear layout with a central island allowed the homeowners create a more social space with a TV room and a small eating area.
Tile: Mission Tile; lights: Arteriors
The cabinets behind the island pick up the lime green from the backsplash.
The rest of the kitchen is fairly neutral to allow the tile and cabinets to pop. The island is 9 feet long by 4 feet wide and features Cambria quartz countertops.
The powder room off the kitchen always gets a big reaction from guests. A floating white vanity anchors the bold floral wallpaper and bright blue mirror frame.
Mirror: Home Goods; wallpaper: Prestigious Wall Coverings
Mirror: Home Goods; wallpaper: Prestigious Wall Coverings
On the first floor, the couple have a 200-square-foot master suite featuring bright orange in the closet, pillows and curtains.
That orange appears in the carpet in the bathroom. This was one of the more challenging rooms in the house to design because the homeowners wanted to squeeze a lot in a tight space, Lister says.
Lister designed the vanity and had it fabricated.
Lister designed the vanity and had it fabricated.
To do both a shower and bathtub, the two spaces had to overlap so that the seat to the shower straddles the bathtub.
The homeowners wanted a master suite separate from their children’s bedrooms, so they put the kids’ rooms upstairs.
The second story now features four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Their son’s room has a comic-book theme.
The second story now features four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Their son’s room has a comic-book theme.
Their daughter’s room was inspired by the ikat fabric on the window coverings.
They share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom with penny-tiled walls and an orange ceiling. Lister chose orange because it complements both bedrooms.
The wall-hung vanity allows the kids to stash stools underneath.
Although the color choices are bold throughout the house, Lister feels that their intensity isn’t overwhelming.
“I wanted to help her bring in the pop and bring it all together so that it didn’t look crazy, but purposeful,” she says.
Browse more homes: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
The wall-hung vanity allows the kids to stash stools underneath.
Although the color choices are bold throughout the house, Lister feels that their intensity isn’t overwhelming.
“I wanted to help her bring in the pop and bring it all together so that it didn’t look crazy, but purposeful,” she says.
Browse more homes: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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ab-so-lute-ly looooooove!!! The colors are so bright but she balanced them all with neutral colors so well that it's not at all glaring. Beautiful and happy!
Love Love Love this boldy beautiful and polished-looking home. It's so playful and love the use of colours and pattern. It's done in a sophisticated way, which I love. Bravo!