Text by Bethany Adams
Interior designer Minnette Jackson describes her design aesthetic as “classic with a twist”—and one look at her family’s home in Nashville, Tennessee, backs that up. “We moved into this house in our late twenties after living in New York City,” she says, noting that she and her husband had plenty of pieces to incorporate into their new home. “We are lucky to have inherited several nice pieces from both of our families, and I am always collecting things I find pretty or interesting.”
The house became the perfect place to show off their collected treasures, and Minnette’s trained eye was exactly what was needed to pull everything together into a home that’s equal parts elegance and comfort. That balance is perfectly embodied in the living room, which needed to serve both as a space for entertaining and a cozy spot for the family to hang out.
“I craved a color that was rich but not overwhelming, and I found it in this dark glossy green,” Minnette says. “During the day, when the light comes in at the right time, the room glows with life; at night it is a cozy spot where light dances quietly off the walls.” Ivory upholstery and rich wood furniture offset what Minnette refers to as the “luxe factor of the walls” while fabric protectant and performance fabrics keep the space suitable for everyday use, and finishing details make the design truly special. Floor lamps found at a Parisian flea market and a pair of vintage mirrors contribute to the room’s symmetry while adding character and history.
While the kitchen wasn’t renovated after the move-in, Minnette notes that there was a significant need for a facelift, as the cabinets featured a textured adobe orange. Now, the serene shade of blue she selected complements a marble backsplash and dark countertops that provide a grounding element to the airy palette. “I removed an overly carved piece above the sink and replaced it with a simple arch, removed a kitchen desk and replaced it with a standard-height cabinet for more storage, painted everything, and put in new hardware and a new backsplash,” Minnette says.
Because the Jacksons enjoy entertaining, the dining room features a table that accommodates eight vintage-style chairs in a soft blue. “Our dining room has one wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and in the summer and fall it makes for a beautiful backdrop for dining as it looks out onto our patio,” Minnette says. Her favorite piece in the room, the mirror over the buffet, was picked up at a flea market during a birthday trip to Paris, and Minnette mixed and matched the lighting, pairing a contemporary chandelier with vintage sconces.
When the entertaining is over, the primary bedroom serves as a welcoming escape from all the excitement. “A combination of watery blues, luxe bedding, and only the smallest amount of soft pattern creates a place we love to sink into at the end of the day,” Minnette says. In place of prints, subtle texture in elements such as the silk window treatments and nightstands inject layered warmth to balance the airy ambience, and the new herringbone wood floors bear a custom stain that further contributes to that warmth. Personal touches, such as a rug purchased on a trip to Turkey and a pair of vintage alabaster lamps, lend the space aged character.
Assembled with a keen eye and a careful hand, the many treasured and collected pieces in the Jacksons’ Nashville home come together in an understated elegance that makes relaxing at home feel luxurious. “Most rooms have gone through numerous transformations, and now our home is in a place that reflects our interests and my penchant for interiors that are both elegant and livable,” Minnette says. Add to that a healthy dose of storied style, and this personalized space is the perfect recipe for a relaxing haven of a home.
