Houzz Tour: New Design Complements Historic Charm in Tennessee
A renovation reveals the character and design opportunities in a storied Knoxville building
Before. The Ely Building had been used for everything from an architecture office to a television production studio over the years. During that time, the building’s layout was chopped up in ways that made it nearly unrecognizable from its original form. Although many of the historic elements had been stripped long ago, a few clues remained to help the design team restore the building to its original charm.
Goals. The new owners, who wanted to move from the suburbs to downtown, envisioned the building as a single-family house for their family of five. That goal, along with compromised floor framing, necessitated a large-scale internal demolition.
While that process proved to be extensive, it also revealed some important findings. “We started to get an understanding, through almost an archaeological excavation of this thing, of what it was and what it should be,” Pace says. Among other discoveries, Pace and his team were able to identify which walls were original and which ones were added later.
While that process proved to be extensive, it also revealed some important findings. “We started to get an understanding, through almost an archaeological excavation of this thing, of what it was and what it should be,” Pace says. Among other discoveries, Pace and his team were able to identify which walls were original and which ones were added later.
First Floor
Sitting area. With the new design, Pace and his team focused on creating a more open layout that embraced the natural light from the building’s bay windows and paired its historic character with modern decor.
Chairs: Saylor chair, Younger Furniture; coffee table: Comb Round, Bolia; rug: Peas, Hay
Sitting area. With the new design, Pace and his team focused on creating a more open layout that embraced the natural light from the building’s bay windows and paired its historic character with modern decor.
Chairs: Saylor chair, Younger Furniture; coffee table: Comb Round, Bolia; rug: Peas, Hay
Living room. According to Pace, the new owners of the building didn’t bring along any of the furniture from their previous home. “In moving downtown, they kind of wanted to have a clean slate,” he says. “So we were the interior designer of the project and were able to create the entire composition, which was really great.”
Sofa: James collection, Younger Furniture; chairs: Crosby midcentury armchair, West Elm; rug: Staggered Diamond wool rug, West Elm
Browse midcentury modern living room furniture
Sofa: James collection, Younger Furniture; chairs: Crosby midcentury armchair, West Elm; rug: Staggered Diamond wool rug, West Elm
Browse midcentury modern living room furniture
Kitchen. One of the places where Pace took cues from the original building was in the kitchen. Despite being two rooms away, the kitchen shares a connection with the sitting room.
“The kitchen centers on the bay window,” he says. “So when you’re looking through, the island centers exactly there. The bar top is positioned exactly in that spot.”
The room also has another subtle element: a slightly lower ceiling. This hides the ductwork but also makes the kitchen a more intimate space. “That’s something that’s functional that I also think aesthetically works pretty well,” Pace says.
Lighting: Acorn pendant lights, Northern Lighting; countertop material: Glacier White, Corian, with statuary marble backsplash
“The kitchen centers on the bay window,” he says. “So when you’re looking through, the island centers exactly there. The bar top is positioned exactly in that spot.”
The room also has another subtle element: a slightly lower ceiling. This hides the ductwork but also makes the kitchen a more intimate space. “That’s something that’s functional that I also think aesthetically works pretty well,” Pace says.
Lighting: Acorn pendant lights, Northern Lighting; countertop material: Glacier White, Corian, with statuary marble backsplash
Dining area. Throughout the home, Pace’s team worked to find elegant furnishings while remaining within the budget. The dining room’s mobile chandelier was a relatively inexpensive find.
Table: Saarinen dining table, Knoll; chairs: Slope leather dining chairs, West Elm; sideboard table: Blu Dot
Table: Saarinen dining table, Knoll; chairs: Slope leather dining chairs, West Elm; sideboard table: Blu Dot
Stairway. The rebuilding process enabled a number of design possibilities, including a new steel stairway with open risers. This, Pace says, “provides access and serves as a light monitor, bringing light through the building from the roof to the basement.”
Second Floor
Bedroom. Upstairs, a pocket door was removed and relocated to open up a bedroom and connect it with a small sitting area. The room offers both new and vintage elements. The exposed brick walls throughout the home are one of the vintage elements that show off the building’s history.
Bed: Nook king bed, Blu Dot; ottoman: West Elm
Bedroom. Upstairs, a pocket door was removed and relocated to open up a bedroom and connect it with a small sitting area. The room offers both new and vintage elements. The exposed brick walls throughout the home are one of the vintage elements that show off the building’s history.
Bed: Nook king bed, Blu Dot; ottoman: West Elm
Sitting area. On the opposite side of the bedroom, the sitting area emphasizes the home’s contemporary aesthetic, which consists of a limited color palette accented by greenery and modern art.
Chairs: Younger Furniture; ottoman: leather ottoman-pouf, CB2; rug: Peas, Hay; lighting: oversized Equator pendant light, CB2
Chairs: Younger Furniture; ottoman: leather ottoman-pouf, CB2; rug: Peas, Hay; lighting: oversized Equator pendant light, CB2
Master bathroom. In the master bath, Pace designed the doorway to reference and center on the windows in the adjacent sitting room. The result is a grand transition between rooms that feels as if it were part of the building’s original design.
“The master bathroom actually is one of those rooms where we removed a wall, and allowed those two original windows to center on the bathtub and center on the vanity,” Pace says.
Bathtub: Kipling Ovale freestanding tub, American Standard; browse freestanding tubs
Bathtub: Kipling Ovale freestanding tub, American Standard; browse freestanding tubs
Roof deck. Although it’s a work in progress, the building will soon have a scenic roof deck overlooking Knoxville’s South Market Street Historic District, a neighborhood that — not unlike the Ely Building — is finding new life as it is reimagined for the 21st century.
General contractor: Grace Construction
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General contractor: Grace Construction
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, in the South Market Street Historic District
Size: 3,416 square feet (317 square meters)
Designers: Brandon F. Pace and Daniel Jones, with interior furnishing work done by Ashley Pace, all from Sanders Pace Architecture
When architect Brandon F. Pace began renovating the historic Ely Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, he knew it was important to respect what the building was trying to tell him. Built in 1903 as the home and office of Dr. S.M. Miller, one of the city’s early physicians, the building had survived generations of tenants and been through multiple iterations.