House Beautiful: A Nashville Delight

A Nashville Home That Glows with Color & Charm

When interior designer Minnette Jackson and her husband moved from New York City to a house in Nashville, they were sure they’d never be able to fill their newfound space.

After seven years in the home, Minnette says, “I can tell you we proved that thought wrong!”

Far from being cluttered, however, each room is now beautifully appointed with a mix of items the designer describes as “classic with a twist”: comfortable upholstery and French antiques plus contemporary art and daring doses of color and pattern.

Arriving at that point took some imagination. “I referred to it as a ‘cocoon of beige and brown’ when we moved in,” Minnette says; the house felt heavy, drab, and dated.

But the structure was sound and the layout flowed, so the designer set about giving herself a clean slate to work with.

“There were so many design directions I wanted to go that I ended up just neutralizing and brightening everything.”

The mini refresh gave her time to mull her approach while living in the space, and to source a few key pieces in the meantime.

Although most rooms went through multiple transformations, the home’s final design ended up reflecting its surroundings.

“Nashville is such a vibrant Southern city, complete with classic architecture, beautiful green hills, and a heavy dose of Southern hospitality,” Minnette says.

“It is hard to design a home there that doesn’t reflect those comforts.”

She drew from the leafy greens and bright blues of the Tennessee landscape, and took further inspiration from her and her husband’s deeply personal—and widely varied—art collection.

Although Minnette and her husband have recently relocated again—this time to Minnette’s hometown of Houston—they cherish the memories they made in Nashville.