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Shaun Burroughs describes his new home in Green Hills as “Mountain Modern,” a décor based in the prairie style started by Frank Lloyd Wright.
“We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, but we bake in a special blend of details and accents to make it our own,” says the co-founder of Build Nashville.
That special blend of details includes varying heights of rooflines with large overhangs, giving the home a clean, bold look. On the exterior of the home, the material palette is a mix of brick, stucco, wood, and a modern take on board and batten. Differing shapes and sizes of windows and doors help to modernize the elevation and sets Build Nashville homes apart from typical prairie-style houses.
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A modern twist on a grand staircase creates the perfect first focal point as one enters the home. The horizontal lines of its white oak treads mixed with streamlined metal railings stretching to the second floor—where the staircase leads symmetrically into two parts of the house—makes for a breathtaking entry. A custom multi-pendant chandelier hangs like stars above and the custom-crafted sliding doors with gold accents open at the top with a peek into the family’s media room. Without a doubt, this impressive staircase is Burroughs’ favorite part of his new home.
Consistent with the style, contrasting colors of dark and light paint and stain give the interior of this fabulously sleek and airy home that yin and yang effect. It’s contemporary—minimal, but with bold trim and details, bright white walls and ceilings, white-washed, Scandinavian-style white oak floors, and dark cabinetry and countertops. Burroughs and his wife Judy agree that they like a modern kitchen mixed with some glam.
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“We were going for clean yet sassy here, and we really like the way it turned out,” he says. Judy made a special request during the building process—the cooktop stove, which faces a wall of windows and is drenched in sunlight.
“I love it,” she smiles.
Burroughs is native to the area, growing up in Germantown and Mt. Juliet. He and his business partner Jamie Duncan started Build Nashville in 2014 and have built more than 250 homes in Nashville since then. When it comes to finding locales for their signature style, Burroughs says he likes to look for lots where a modern home will work on the property as well as the street. He strives to be conscious that a modern home may not always be appropriate to the lot or the neighborhood.
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In the case of his own home he hit the jackpot—the lot was made for Mountain Modern. Elevated from the road and tree-lined along one side, it’s practically perched on the edge of the woods (yet only a mile from the grocery store).
His company motto is “We build your home as if our family were going to live there,” and in this case they actually do. Burroughs’ design and carpentry skills are on full display throughout the house, and he took pride in putting personal details throughout its 5,111 square feet of space.
“I’m an old trim carpenter at heart, so I had fun creating the custom walnut headboard in our master, the ceiling accents in the dining and living rooms, and of course, the fireplace elevation,” he says. “The best part about building modern houses is that there aren’t any rules—it’s the Wild West, and really, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”