“This project was a delight. They have energetic young kids, two giant rescue dogs running around, life flying through the air — and a beautiful home. I got to come in and have fun!”
Listening to Nashville designer Mary Kathryn Wells describe the process of working with this family and their traditional home in Nashville’s typically buttoned-up Belle Meade neighborhood, you genuinely believe she did, in fact, have fun.
Then, when you see the photos — the fun is undeniable. You can feel the personality and vibrant energy in every swatch of color and bold line of paint. Take a look inside this wildly creative home redesign!
This was an opportunity for Mary Kathryn to take on her first top-to-bottom, whole-house project. “They didn’t have anything. It was Costco crash pads and an old rug,” she tells us. ” They said, ‘We love buying art. We hate buying furniture.’”
That one proclamation was enough for Mary Kathryn to run wild with the design. She looked at this creative, art-driven, lively family and thought, why shouldn’t we let art guide each decision?
And that’s what they did.
Art Comes Naturally Here
Of course, there was an incredible art collection to start with. In Mary Kathryn’s words, collecting art comes naturally to her clients. They had a keen sense of the art that spoke to their tastes and had many paintings and sculptures ready to find a home. Works also included sentimental pieces, like a marble sculpture and a ballerina, both carved by talented family members.
And art runs in their genes—the wife, Caroline Sprouse, is a talented artist who captures portraits in a bright, colorful, folk art-inspired style.
Throughout their collected works and Caroline’s own art, a common theme was clear — color. “This couple is so much fun, and they love color,” says Mary Kathryn. “They go to Mardi Gras every year. They like a traditional element, but they don’t want it stuffy. They want fun, creative, and functional.”
Mary Kathryn had an idea to draw in even more art based on one of the most practical and kid-friendly applications — painting the walls! They turned to one of their favorite artists, Nashville-based mixed media artist Myles Maillie.
They invited Myles to paint several of the home’s spaces, offering him a level of trust that would shock most homeowners. “We didn’t know what he was going to do ahead of time, explains Mary Kathryn. “He showed up, and we let him go to town. Truly, we had no idea what he was going to do!”
The result included technicolor yellow, periwinkle, and green organic shapes stretching up to a ceiling like seagrass, cheerful blobs bursting from a powder room, and a black-and-white dot pattern that almost reads like a neutral.
Vibrance Meets Elegance in the Grandparents’ Room
The wall painting that resembles grass is the backdrop for a room the couple affectionately calls the Grandparents’ Room. This space previously had a stunning sofa punctuated by a plastic play kitchen and Little Tikes, and the couple’s goal was to make it elegant — a formal sitting room reimagined for an active young family.
In this room, Mary Kathryn pulled together several items originally found elsewhere, including the settee, chairs, and drapery. Against the vibrant backdrop, they’re given a new life and a chance to shine.
The furniture is all beautifully neutral and sophisticated, a perfect and unexpected way to make the art and the walls work together. “The penguin lamps and pillows were the bridge between the neutrality of the furniture and the colors of paint,” explains Mary Kathryn.
Bold patterns are thrown in as accents, in addition to inherited art, a grandfather’s bust, and a framed collection of heirloom lapel pins that had previously been living a lowly existence in a Ziploc bag.
Embracing Antiques in Every Chapter of Life
Families of young children sometimes shy away from antiques out of concern for how well they’ll stand up to little hands. But, as an antique dealer once said, “If a piece has been around for a hundred years, there’s a good chance it’ll stand up to another hundred!” That’s the philosophy the homeowners decided to adopt when incorporating eye-catching, ornate antiques.
“They had a few beautiful pieces,” says Mary Kathryn, “but they were in a chapter of life where they’d thought, What do we even do with this?” The answer was: present them in a new way!
They sourced several antiques, including two game tables, merging artistry and practicality. Additionally, they possess a New Orleans touch. Gilded, elaborate, and rich, these pieces contrast the playful art in a fresh way.
“They love these gorgeous antique pieces and the way they stand out against the fun art,” says Mary Kathryn.
A Family Room Designed for Living
Mary Kathryn began her design career after two decades of work with the public school system, instilling a firm belief that every household member deserves to be seen and reflected in their space. “That includes the spouse who isn’t actively involved in the design decisions and the kids,” she tells us. “In this house, the kids are 50% of the family. They deserve to be seen!”
But that doesn’t mean turning spaces into a preschool. Her approach to this family room was to create a space where the kids could jump on the sofa and burn energy without making everyone nervous they would break something. It’s also a place where the adults can relax without feeling as if they’ve stepped into a child’s playroom.
Throughout this room (as well as several other areas of the home), navy blue was used as a neutral. “I like to have a color that can be used as a neutral to create cohesion across spaces,” the designer informs us. We used this navy throughout the entry, the main living space, and the bedroom. It’s the grounding piece.”
A wool rug was added to stand up to the wear and tear of kids and dogs, easily hiding the inevitable stain or two.
Old and New in the Breakfast Nook
The breakfast nook is often one of the most utilized spaces in a house with children, and Mary Kathryn wanted to continue incorporating design elements that felt unique to the couple.
The New Orleans oyster-inspired window treatments were implemented before Mary Kathryn joined the project, and she ran with them. She added wallpaper and fabric that played with the bright tones of Myles Maillie’s work but made one critical move — everything was laminated to be completely wipeable.
The tables and chairs were already in the breakfast nook, as were heirloom crystal sconces. Mary Kathryn added several of the couples’ works of art and framed a collection of kid-created objects. “It’s three-dimensional and little, and it’s just charmingly weird!” she tells us.
An antique chandelier with custom shades adds a bit of gravitas to this everyday space while also bringing in Caroline’s favorite color — purple.
Creating Calm with Prints
Shades of violet make another appearance in the bedroom, where there’s a sense of tranquility despite multiple prints and a vibrant palette. The bedroom’s foundation is neutral, giving Mary Kathryn the freedom to play with more unusual elements.
“We wanted to make it casual but also sophisticated and elegant,” she says. “They love blue and purple, and those were used throughout the room.”
In the primary bedroom, Mary Kathryn again pulled items from other rooms, including the statement-making blue lamp bases, which were previously in a home office. Given the room’s scale, she created vignettes to break up the space and help it feel cozy. One of those vignettes even celebrates the use of more affordable pieces. “The striped chairs are from Target! They didn’t need to be the world’s most durable chairs because they’re not going to be used a ton, but they create a styled space in the room, and they look custom,” says Mary Kathryn.
The wallpaper on the ceiling creates interest and a feeling of movement, as does the two-tone paint on the wall. On the bed, shades of navy and purple feel relaxing and modern.
At the end of the day, Mary Kathryn believes in doing what you want because it’s your home. Her clients embraced that idea, merging art and function to create a colorful home where family comes first!
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