CREATIVE LICENSE

A Nashville ranch's palette feels personal and harmonious with the outdoors.

- Elyse Moody

LIVING ROOM

Built-ins painted in Domingue Architectural Finishes mineral paint in Primrose (insets) and Fine Paints of Europe GC822 (trim) flank the original marble mantel. Flush mount: Remains Lighting Company. Chandelier: Room. Curtains: custom, in Lee Jofa fabric. Rug: custom, Erden.

Stern wanted to host parties, not just dinners. Paneling painted in Farrow & Ball Skylight lets her hang art salon-style. Nearby are a dining table slash pool table and a piano. Wall plaster: Brique, Domingue Architectural Finishes. Chairs: Rose Tarlow.

Every artist needs light and color.

A historic ranch in the Forest Hills section of Nashville was missing those key elements when painter Elizabeth Stern bought it in 2020, but it had other unique charms. For starters, it had barely been touched since it was built in 1950—a renovator’s dream. Then there was the property, more than eight acres (yes, within city limits), including a poolhouse and barn—structures now more difficult to build thanks to zoning restrictions. Stern saw an opportunity and knew a good design team could help her transform it. So she called on local architecture firm Pfeffer Torode, and the project’s lead architect, Erin Cypress, brought in interior designer Liz Bonesio to tackle the job. Over the next two years, the three concocted a plan to fill the ranch with color and personality, and bring the light of day into its darker recesses.