Annual Homes & Design Issue
Inspiration from around the globe is dotted with a timeless elegance in this stunning Cape Dutch home. Heavily influenced, in addition, by Florida’s 30A beach community, this house is rounded out with pieces and design elements from far-flung corners of the world that provide all who enter it a chance to uncover unique and engaging stories. Stacy and Wendy Beaty of Beaty Fabricating, Inc. played an integral role in making sure the details throughout the home stayed true to style while simultaneously delivering on the unexpected. “We were part of a team that had to take this Cape Dutch style that’s prevalent in South Africa and marry it to the mountains of Tennessee,” explains Wendy. “We had to do a lot of research to make sure what we were doing was true to the architecture and would blend an array of inspirations in a cohesive way.”
By Christina Cannon / Photography by Philip Slowiak
Ironwork: Beaty Fabricating, Inc. | Builder: RiverBirch Homes
After entering the home through a stone front arch – just one example of incorporating Tennessee’s natural elements – guests are greeted with an exquisite grand staircase. “The goal with this staircase was to match the simple elegance of the other architectural features in the space,” says Stacy. “Because of that, you won’t find any scrollwork, and there are very few ornate pieces in the staircase. We were also working with a more European design, so we side-mounted the rails rather than doing a standard rail that you would see in most homes here.”
To see more from Beaty Fabricating, Inc., visit beatyfabricating.com.
Open to the foyer is a quaint piano lounge that is situated next to the home’s main living space. Here, a masonry fireplace with a travertine surround and mantel commands the room and creates an intimate and cozy atmosphere. Several pieces of swivel furniture rest in this space and work to connect the lounge area with the living room. “This home mixes a lot of new and old pieces, styles, and processes,” says Wendy. “With entertaining being a top priority, family and friends can enter this home and feel a sense of solitude, and they immediately get a feeling that this isn’t any ordinary home.”
After walking left past another lounge area, which provides a unique take on the traditional breakfast nook, visitors find themselves in the kitchen. A massive 13-by-5-foot island is cloaked in marble, and instead of a trendy waterfall edge, the island features picture-framed ends to give it a classic touch – something Wendy notes was inspired by the details found in the Biltmore Estate’s marbled walls. A mohair bench and three natural hide barstools provide plenty of seating, and a LaCanche range from Burgundy, France, is another timeless piece that will be in the family for generations to come. A marble surround above the range mimics the open-front chef’s island. “The goal was to use a variety of natural elements,” adds Stacy. “There are a lot of natural materials and very few synthetic items and finishes.”
By rounding the corner just past the room’s commercial, stainless-steel refrigerator, visitors can gain access to the home’s catering kitchen, which allows messes and dirty dishes to stay out of sight and out of mind. Black window frames draw the eye toward the scenery off in the distance while simultaneously matching the cabinetry. Both the main kitchen and catering kitchen contain only lower cabinetry in yet another attempt to deliver the unexpected, and the two spaces mix wood and stone with botanicals for an earthy feel.
“The goal was to maximize the use of natural elements and limit the use of synthetic materials and finishes.”
– Stacy Beaty, Beaty Fabricating, Inc.
Interior and exterior counters: Gold Line Granite & Tile | Interior doors and trim: Interior Trim & Supply, Inc.
Following the ash and elm hardwood floors back past the living space takes guests to the master suite. “In this home, more square footage was reserved for places that are highly utilized: the bathroom and closet,” says Wendy.
Providing continuity with the kitchen, this entire room is shrouded in marble from the floors to the counters to the shower. The real wow factor, however, comes from the custom solid marble tub that rests in the center of the room and a park-style marble bench that replaces a traditional built-in bench in the shower. Forty-inch lower cabinets balance out the 12-foot ceilings that run throughout the home, and the entire space is dotted with unlacquered solid brass fixtures and pulls.
Tile: Louisville Tile
Another wow factor of the home can be found in a room most people wouldn’t expect – a powder room. This area of the home, located off the main foyer, is prefaced with a long hallway that features travel photos. Those very photos served as inspiration for a mural that encompasses the entire left wall of the bathroom. A palette of grays runs into every nook and crevice, and bright red poppies and gold accents provide a pop of color. The mural primarily depicts the Amalfi Coast with references to other travels discreetly in the background. The gold tones used sparingly in the painting are carried through the room by the plumbing and lighting fixtures, as well as the ornate rim of an oversized mirror leaned against the opposite wall.
Outside, the home’s back patio and lawn serve as another frequently used space. A seating arrangement primed for conversation sits in front of a fireplace, while an eight-person dining table can be found just steps away. Curtains allow this space to be closed off, and a small heated pool means this area can be enjoyed year-round. Two pool scuppers make for a simple but elegant water feature, and a nearby putting green with the surrounding turf rounds out the low-maintenance space. “This is really an inviting space,” elaborates Stacy. “It has all the comforts of an interior room, but they’re available outside.”
With storied pieces everywhere you turn, this home took several major influences and worked to weave a lifetime of experiences into a design that would stand the test of time. “This home was so custom, one of the biggest challenges was just making sure everyone involved was buying into the same vision,” says Stacy. “Everyone involved was a tradesman, an artist of some sort, and we’re honored that we were part of the journey.”
Appliances: AllSouth Appliance Group, Inc.
CAD drawing: Shawn Fisher Design
Custom drapes: Tracy Norton Interiors
Flooring: Joey McGilberry, Redefining Antique Wood
Floor finishing: Alabama Hardwood Floors
Front doors: Abby Iron Doors
Interior and exterior cabinetry and closets: Geren Custom Furniture and Cabinetry
Interior door finish and select outdoor furniture: Shawn Freed Construction, LLC
Landscaping: 4 Seasons Lawn and Property Maintenance, LLC
Masonry fireplaces: Engle Masonry
Painting: L+M Painting
Powder room mural: Anna Robbins
Putting green and turf: Synthetic Turf
Select furniture and lighting: Le Chateau European Interiors; REVIVAL HOME
Stone: Real Stone Veneers
Stucco: MTC Stucco
Windows: Pella Windows & Doors