Chad Mellon
For those who adore the natural fecundity of the Southern landscape, with its glistening emerald leaves and soaring songbirds, a home whose architecture celebrates that is a must.
Such was the case when bestselling self-help author Rory Vaden (Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success) and his wife, AJ, sought a modern structure that creates the sensation of floating among the treetops.
“When you’re in the house, the effect is that you’re outside because there are so many windows,” Rory says. “It’s this sensation of being in a forest.”
Built on an undeveloped, sloping hillside, the landscape features a slice of wilderness in sought-after Green Hills.
“We wanted to have the luxury of only being 15 minutes from downtown, 10 minutes from 12South, five minutes from Maryland Farms,” AJ says. “But when you are here, you wouldn’t even know civilization was nearby. When we sit in my office, which is on the top floor of the house, it is like being in a treehouse—all you can see are the top halves of the trees.”
“There’s a lot of wildlife, too,” Rory says. “Deer, turkey, groundhogs, birds.”
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Chad Mellon
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Chad Mellon
Nashville architect Ryan Thewes designed this 5,592-square-foot, single-family home to conform to the earth’s contours by way of three-and-a-half split levels, a modern design not often seen in the area. He honed this approach while working for two former apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright, along with a contemporary master of organic architecture, Bart Prince.
Large, gallery-like rooms featuring walls of windows radiate around a central natural stone column that Thewes calls the “spine of the house.” A mono-stringer staircase, designed by Eric Carroll of L.E. Carroll Welding, soars from level to level alongside this stone “spine” as an airy mode of transport that works like practical sculpture.
Hammond and Brandt Builders enhanced the home’s already sleek lines by layering in Thewes’ design details: recessed baseboards, doors without trim, a cantilevered dining room wrapped in windows.
Chad Mellon
Then there is the feat of German engineering that is the kitchen, its spaceship-like sleekness courtesy of Poggenpohl Kitchens. There, guests can be entertained with nary a sight of a blender, knife block, mixer, or microwave, which was exactly what AJ wanted.
“Everything is hidden by white matte panels,” AJ says. “You can’t tell where the fridge or the dishwasher is.”
As busy entrepreneurs who manage the Nashville agency Brand Builders Group, the couple wanted stress reduction baked into the home’s design.
“We wanted it to feel like a spa, incorporating stone and water features,” Rory says.
Chad Mellon
Their vision has been realized, inside and out. The pool—at four feet deep and 65 feet long—allows for Rory’s stress-busting laps, complete with an underwater speaker system. The pool’s dimensions also offer a congenial bonus: “It’s literally a standing social hour,” AJ says.
Other indoor-outdoor features include a dining room with accordion doors that lead to a Florida room, which then opens to the pool area. This creates a corridor for al fresco dining. Such planned details add up to an away-from-it-all experience.
Then there is an experience that was not planned.
“One of the most beautiful aspects, which we didn’t anticipate, is when it rains, it literally feels like you are in the middle of a waterfall,” AJ says. “The water cascades off the roof and all around the house.”
And that’s how you achieve heaven on a city slope—through smart architecture.