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For Andrew Bettis, a room with a view is a priceless commodity. The pilot-turned-private-jet-company-owner had just purchased a unit in midtown's upscale Adelicia building when he heard a corner condo on the 15th floor was coming up for sale. 'Literally, a week after I signed the closing papers on my one-bedroom condo, my realtor found out a two-bedroom condo was available,” says Bettis. He thought about it for a few weeksbut by then had some competition. It was the view that finally convinced him to go for it.
'[It's] amazing during the day, but when I came up here at night, it was spectacular,” he says, motioning to the wall of windows behind him overlooking all of Nashville and beyond.
The nearly 2,000-square-foot condo is steeped in understated luxury, with that glossy grand piano dominating one corner of the living room and customized lounge furniture with warm textures taking over another. Metallics throughout the room catch the light that streams in from floor-to-ceiling windows, adding to its simple but striking appearance.
Bettis, a Memphis native, made the move to Nashville last summer to grow his company, AB Jets. At any given time, he can monitor the jets currently in the air via a small screen positioned above his fridge. Bettis can keep an eye on arrival times, altitude measurements, and scheduled landings. That flight monitor and a grand piano were the only décor requests he had when he hired Rebekah Woodard of Atlas Interiors; for everything else, she was given carte blanche.
Woodard juxtaposed contemporary pieces with antiques to 'make it feel lived in and warm,” she says. She also paid several tributes to aviation: a vintage yellow propeller and luggage as well as modern Phillip Jeffries wall coverings with hand-painted rivets that are reminiscent of airplane hardware. (Bettis' father was in the industry, too, having worked at American Airlines for 38 years.)
There is a duality to Woodard's designhard, clean lines and metals sit beside softness, freshness, and lush comfort. She wanted to give her client a haven, a place he wouldn't want to leave. 'He's on the road all the time,” she says. 'I wanted him to walk in and be home.”
Bettis looks forward to getting to know Nashville, for now, though, he plans on sitting back and enjoying the view. And maybe taking a little time out to check the monitors, too.
Suzanne Corey