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As Cheryl and Scott Underwood have discovered, a home is the flower of a seed planted long before. Their relationship, sparked at a concert, now bears ravishing blooms by way of a house on Woodmont Boulevard.
During a concert, Scottthen a drummer for the band Trainspotted Cheryl in the second row. Their meet cute-romance developed into marriage, children, and a move to Nashville. Early on, Scott discovered that Cheryl, a photographer and stylist, also had a flair for interior design.
'When we were first dating, I was remodeling a house in Colorado,” he says. 'I had put a lot of work into it, and she started looking around and making suggestions. I was like, ‘Wait. Who's this new girl making suggestions?' My ego was bruised. But, after a while, I started following her suggestions.”
Cheryl doesn't simply pick out drapes. At their current home, she chose the flooring, light fixtures, fireplaces, kitchen countertops, and furniture. She also worked with a top-notch team that included architect Preston Shea of P.Shea Design, Vintage South Development, SiteWorks, Lighthouse Outdoor Lighting, and Hewitt Garden and Design Center.
Cheryl says the five-bedroom home reminds her of her native Southern California's Spanish Mission architecture, combined with Southern style. On the façade, a gracefully curved wall encloses a courtyard, and a chimney hints at the silhouette of a belfry that would be seen on a Spanish Mission church.
'You'd almost think there was a steeple in the house and a bell hiding somewhere,” Cheryl says.
Rather than whitewashed adobe, the exterior features painted white brick. The walls of the dining room, office, and front hall are traced with picture frame molding, a hallmark of historic homes that Vintage South Development incorporated. The floors throughout are comprised of reclaimed oak, treated with gray lye. It allows old nail marks and the wood's grain to be seen while imparting translucent color that blends with the interior's gray and white tones.
'I like neutrals that make everything feel fresh and clean and light,” Cheryl says.
The great room features a kitchen with gray cabinetry and white marble counters. A long table anchors the room, and comfortable Restoration Hardware furniture sets next to the fireplace. It is where the couple and their four children relax beneath a halo-style chandelier by lighting designer Alan Mizrahi.
Creative lighting is fundamental here: Sparkling chandeliers and clear pendants imbue every room with a cozy glow. Some fixtures are from high-end purveyors, such as Arteriors Lighting, while others are from Restoration Hardware, like a flush-mount chandelier in the master bedroom closet. 'I like to glam things up here and there, just a tad,” Cheryl says.
Cheryl asked Nathan Lyons, the founder of Vintage South Development, to vault the ceilings in the upstairs rooms, both to allow for large light fixtures and to create a sense of spaciousness. Scott dreamt up the concept for a heated pool with a black bottom that makes the water appear indigo. Water trickles in from bowl fountains and junipers, and weeping blue atlas cedar trees provide a natural screen.
Inspired by her own home, Cheryl now works professionally on others. 'It's fun,” she says. 'And it keeps life interesting.”
Photos by Showcase Photographers.