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In the quiet town of Kingston Springs, just 20 miles from the heart of Nashville, lies the perfect escape: a 126-acre, farm-like retreat designed by notable architect Bobby McAlpine and interior design partner Ray Booth. The two-dwelling property, consisting of a barn and a cottage, is close enough to visit every weekend but brilliantly crafted to feel like you're in a different world.
The duo is no stranger to 'dreamy commissions,” as McAlpine calls the project; their Montgomery-based practice, McAlpine Tankersley, now in its 32nd year, has been recognized all over the globe for its innovative designs. They also have offices in Nashville, New York, and Atlanta.
Inside and out, the sophisticated space is layered for activity and meets every need, from an elegant dinner party to a weekend of fishing. The barn is equipped to hold farm equipment, mud bikes, off-road vehicles, and other toysthe property has three to four miles of professionally graded trails accessible by car, ATV, UTV, horse, or foot as well as a skeet shooting area, hot tub, and pasture for horses.
No luxury has been spared indoors, either. Booth took the concept of family togetherness that was cultivated by McAlpine's design and translated its spirit into a seamless whole. The barn's acid-stained and sealed concrete floors covering the entire downstairs living area beautifully accent the rustic features and rich, warm interior. A unique swinging sofa, leather chairs, and old-fashioned wood-burning stove invite guests to fully relax.
The space also has a large sliding barn door with Rocky Mountain hardware that opens to a cook's kitchen with two sets of Sub-Zero refrigerators, a Viking six-burner gas cooktop, and a pair of wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. Finishing off the downstairs, the master bedroom has his-and-her bathroom vanities and both an indoor Heart Redwood shower and private outdoor shower. Upstairs, an open-air loft provides a full panoramic view of the Tennessee hills, and a bunkroom with beds custom made by Herndon & Merry Iron Works can sleep up to 16.
The guest cottage is what McAlpine calls a 'life, condensed” space with a large, main living area and several alcoves. It features reclaimed wide plank oak floors throughout, a wood-burning stone fireplace, a patio dining area with a wall of windows overlooking a pond, and a private bath and bedroom area.
Perhaps his favorite feat of all, though, was designing the cottage to sit on the edge of a pond.
'It's terribly romantic,” he says. 'We built a pond on a hilltop that's entirely manmade, but in the end it looks very natural. It's something I have always wanted to do.”
And, of course, the two-acre lake is stocked with catfish, bass, bream, and crappy galore.
'I wouldn't call it roughing it,” McAlpine says of experiencing the property. 'It's very luxurious, but it does take you back to nature.”
The result is exactly what the firm had hoped for: a home that is rustic and inviting and refined and modern but, above all, a place to create family togetherness.
Photos by Showcase Photographers and Elevated Lens Photography.