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When the team behind Twelve Twelve asked designer Dee Bynum to stage one of their models, he knew he was up for the challenge.
As one of five local interior design firms selected to style and decorate a model condo in the 23-story building, the Bynum Design team chose everything from flooring and paint colors to wall coverings and furnishings, which they sourced from their Nashville-based shop.
'We were really trying to do something different,” says Bynum, owner of the residential design firm Bynum Design as well as D. Luxe Home interiors store. 'We wanted the outcome and design concept to be shockingor surprising in a way. We met with the owner of the building before starting,” Bynum says. 'Since we're also a design firm, we proposed to do some extra construction to the unit to make it more desirable from a design standpoint.”
Located in the heart of The Gulch, each element of the Twelve Twelve condo is thoughtfully considered. The team's strategy was to decorate the unit exactly as if they were going to move into it themselves; to that end, they wanted to capture a timeless sophistication while creating cozy corners with specific focal points and incorporating details of the high-rise's exterior into its interior for fluidity.
While they initially felt tempted to focus the design around the Nashville skyline viewvisible through the floor-to-ceiling windowsthey also wanted to make the space feel homey and comfortable.
'We decided to arrange the furniture and TV so that when you're sitting in the living room, you're looking in instead of staring outside,” Bynum explains. 'We liked the idea of bringing warmth and a sense of livability into the family room in that way.”
He describes the experience of designing a small space as 'liberating,” though he points out that they had to utilize every inch of space to its fullest potential. The team created three zones by using specific corners to build sections within the open space.
'With a smaller floor plan, you definitely have to make the most of what you've got,” Bynum notes.
While sophistication was one of the team's main goals, they were also focused on creating a welcoming atmosphere. To achieve that balance, they decided on a dark paint color to accentuate the nighttime views of the skyline.
'People always tend to think that a dark color makes a room look smaller,” says Bynum. 'But I tend to believe that dark colors recede. They can actually make a space feel so much larger.”
Along with the dark paint, they added other details to make a big impact in the entry hall. A wall of mounted mirror screens, a glamorous piece of furniture with gold handles, and a small chandelier complete the wow factor of the condo's entry. The finished product, Bynum says, is a beautiful and livable space.