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On Wednesday, June 5, a group of 200 of the state's most prominent community members gathered at the home of Patti and Brian Smallwood for the exclusive Swan Ball Patrons Party. Leading up to the 51st Annual Swan Ball at Cheekwood on June 8, this lavish, tented affair will be donned in all-white, from the flowers to the table décor during the elegant seated dinner.
But the only thing guests will truly be paying attention to is the Smallwood home itself. A 12,000-square foot study in modern architecture, the jaw-dropping hilltop residence was just recently completed this springand was built by Brian Smallwood with help from his own architecture firm, Inform Smallwood + Nickle, LLC.
Perched along a high ridge of land that originally belonged to Patti Smallwood's family, the house seems to rise out of the hilltop, blending gracefully with the natural elements that surround it. Rising upward, the crest of the house, which features 22 different roof lines, culminates with a three-story, sandstone-wrapped tower. For Brian Smallwood, this is a dream house, one that is inspired by his days growing up in a contemporary beach house in California. But it also seamlessly incorporates the elements of the more traditional homes that Patti grew up in.
'There are a lot of components to this house that I pulled out of those houses,” says Brian. 'One of the things you get with hyper contemporary is that homes like that can become really disorienting. This flows really easily because it's based on a traditional structure even though it's a contemporary vocabulary. Which I think is a nice blend between the two of us.”
The Smallwoods embarked on this project five years ago after purchasing 55 acres of land from Patti's parents. This particular hilltop was one of three spaces they considered building on, but, says Brian 'we spent a lot of time riding and walking these hills and this really was the perfect place.”
And that is what is likely the most inviting aspect of the home: its livability. Every corner seems to provide areas to relax and retreat, like Brian's office, where he installed four custom-built, 400-pound steel bookshelves to hold his massive library of books, or the secreted third floor, which is essentially a glassed-in entertainment room complete with a piano, a terrace, a bar, and a working fireplace (it's only accessible via a hidden elevator). For the boys, the second floor is a sanctuary; each has their own room and those glass walkways give them an almost tree house-like privacy.
Of course, guests of the Patrons Party in June will only get a few hours to glimpse over the details. But, says Swan Ball co-chair Julie Walker, that's one of the goals of the event.
'The Swan Ball chairs are always looking for what they call the ‘swan appeal,'” says Walker. 'It's something that people don't normally get to see, but it is going to be a take-their-breath-away experience.”
Resources:
Architect: Brian Smallwood, InForm Smallwood + Nickle LLC
Contractor: Brian Denney, Progress 3 Construction
Entry/Atrium marble floor plus tiling throughout the home: Ann Sacks; Renaissance Tile
Interior Millwork: Cumberland Architectural Millwork, Inc.
Landscaping: Jill Fortuna, Landscape Architect
Landscaping installation and management: Rock Creek Landscaping
A few of the Smallwoods' favorite Nashville interior design resources:
Art/Sculpture: Bennett Gallery
Furniture:
Accessories:
Artifacts (615-354-1267)
Lighting:
Photography: