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Emerging from Italy and Greece, where the sun kisses olive trees and seashores, Mediterranean-style villas are the embodiment of la dolce vita. They go boldly where other homes fear to tread, which is evident in the luxurious Brentwood villa of Clint Higham and Matt Donahoe.
The 10,075-square-foot home was built for Higham in 2008, before he met Donahoe. At the time they lived on opposite sides of the country, with Donahoe in Santa Monica and Higham in Nashville. Graceful columns and high archways fill the home's interior. Comforts abound, including a wine cellar with a 4,000-plus bottle capacity, a gourmet kitchen, and a walk-in closet that could double as a menswear boutique.
Its staircase chandelier alone is a symbol of life's zest. Hanging from a dome ceiling with walnut coffering, it is a 17-foot, three-tiered sparkler handmade from smoky quartz crystal. It is one of myriad custom details seen more often in the Medicis' Renaissance palazzos than in modern-day Middle Tennessee. The large outdoor living space include balconies, loggias, and a saltwater, heated swimming pool with a spa. A roof made of Ludowici Barrel tiles from Italy looks centuries old.
The exterior was originally yellow stucco, but has been stucco-ed anew in a chic gray. This is one of countless transformations the couple has made to give the home what Donahoe says is an approachable, yet unique, style.
'Its first incarnation was a very high-end, almost literal interpretation of a Mediterranean home,” Donahoe says. 'We started with the kitchen, and it became a domino effect.”
For example, the couple wanted the French oak floors, which run almost entirely throughout the house, to look as though they had faded naturally over the years, so they had them lime-washed.
'It brings the high and low together, which I think is what makes a home feel livable,” Donahoe says.
They also worked with Francois & Co. to seek out French plasterwork, stone fireplaces, and a pewter bar countertop. This is a house for which there is not just one pièce de résistance, but many, including a 3,800-pound bathtub that was hand-carved in Italy from one piece of Belgian bluestone.
'It had to be craned in through the roof,” Donahoe says. 'Clint was like, ‘You need to dial it down with these crazy things that require so much installation.' But we're happy with the way it looks. It has a unique feel.”
The pool is a Shangri-La for entertaining, as it features an outdoor kitchen, sound system, full bathroom, and two dining areas, all surrounded by two acres of verdant greenery.
'We're so down-to-earth, Clint and I,” Donahoe says. 'But we have an opportunity with this amazing home, so, that's why we entertainto maximize the life we do have. And we love design. That's the cornerstone.”
Photos by Nick McGinn Photography.