1913 Tennessee Home Gets Decked Out for the Holidays
Gorgeous garlands, fresh greens and pretty wreaths add seasonal flair to an architect’s home in Nashville
Architect Tracey Ford, owner of and principal at EOA Architects, owns a beautiful 1913 Victorian cottage in Nashville, Tennessee. Since purchasing the home in 2002, Ford has had her share of highs and lows. In May 2016, Ford was doing laundry and heard a pop, and she went into her laundry room to find flames shooting out of the dryer. The house was severely fire-damaged, but no one was hurt. Ford designed the rebuilt home, which was constructed by Bootstrap Architecture + Construction and took roughly a year to complete. She was able to move back into her home in July 2017.
Recently, her home was part of the Lockeland Springs Tour of Homes in East Nashville. To help decorate the home for the tour, friends and family traveled from out of town, including Ed Miller, owner of Floral Events by Jem, who drove from Versailles, Kentucky. Miller added wreaths to the columns and a red-and-gold-themed Christmas tree to the front porch.
Recently, her home was part of the Lockeland Springs Tour of Homes in East Nashville. To help decorate the home for the tour, friends and family traveled from out of town, including Ed Miller, owner of Floral Events by Jem, who drove from Versailles, Kentucky. Miller added wreaths to the columns and a red-and-gold-themed Christmas tree to the front porch.
Ford lost all of her Christmas decorations and ornaments in the fire, and wanted to invest in several items that she could reuse every year. Miller suggested purchasing high-quality “permanent” garlands that could be reused every holiday season, including the one seen here on the living room mantel. Seasonal accents such as collected pine cones and twigs, and twinkle lights, were added.
A black ribbon and black and gold jewelry add holiday flair to the corner mannequin.
A black ribbon and black and gold jewelry add holiday flair to the corner mannequin.
In the entryway, one of Miller’s custom floral arrangements sits on the dining table, and a decorated Christmas tree is tucked into the corner.
This dining room Christmas tree, the only tree in the house, stands about 8 feet tall. Red, black, white and gold ornaments complement the existing color scheme in Ford’s home (see nonseasonal photos here). An Art Deco-style skirt is wrapped around the base of the tree; it plays off the geometric pattern on the curtains.
The dining table has been decorated with garland, string lights and festive place mats from a Nashville shop, Hester & Cook. The animal-image plates give the table a whimsical feel.
Dapper Animal salad plates: West Elm
Dapper Animal salad plates: West Elm
Ford’s bedroom mantel got a similar treatment to the mantel in her living room. Large pine cones have been added, as well as oversize ornaments in both neutral and red-orange hues to match her bedspread. The garland gives the room extra warmth and coziness without making it feel overdone.
Small holiday touches in Ford’s walk-in closet include a vignette of wrapped presents. A wreath hanging against the window makes a pretty focal point.
Miller made sure that each space in Ford’s home was decorated with intention. Another beautifully draped garland with pine cones frames the top of a bathroom window.
Small bouquets have been added to surfaces in rooms that aren’t big enough for a large floral arrangement.
Ford has a love of dinosaurs and, in her words, “[Miller] made sure that a few of my major dinos were also decorated with small wreaths,” as seen here on a bookshelf.
Upstairs, side tables in the hallway have been decorated with a seasonal floral arrangement and shimmering silver mini trees. The red gerbera daisies in the arrangement tie into the color of the leather love seat and the hints of red in the framed artwork.
Gold votives have been scattered throughout the home to add warm accents. Pictured here is another one of Miller’s seasonal floral arrangements; this one uses orange gerbera daisies. “The holiday touches reinforce the gold tones found in my home, and adding a touch of live greenery gives it that holiday feel,” Ford says.
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Who lives here: Tracey Ford of EOA Architects
Location: Lockeland Springs neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 2,300 square feet (213.6 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1913