Provence Meets Paris

Builder: Matt Brown, Raines Brothers, Inc.

Architect: Jay Caughman, Caughman + Caughman Architects

Interior designer: Laura Hertle, Laura Hertle Designs

In this home, builder Matt Brown of Raines Brothers, Inc. and architect Jay Caughman of Caughman + Caughman Architects worked to seamlessly marry rustic French provincial with classic Parisian style. This home’s unique interior design was brought to life by designer Laura Hertle  and captures the owners’ love of authentic French architecture and design. All the while, breathtaking lake views dance in the background, as nearly every room in the house has a window toward the water.

By Katie Faulkner

Photography by Philip Slowiak

Upon entering, you’re greeted with the traditionally elevated aesthetic of a Parisian residence. Overhead, a coffered ceiling crowns warm brown and beige velvet furniture. And the perfectly- proportioned coffee table is a 19th-century French antique. But it is the custom-cast fireplace that draws focus in this room. After researching antique French fireplaces, Hertle and the homeowner designed a one-of-a-kind fireplace. The elegant architectural elements of this room are set against a gentle dove white tint, easing the transition into the more rustic style of connecting rooms.

“All we do are custom homes and everything in this home is custom. We were so happy to work with these clients and incorporate really unique finds wherever we could.”

– Matt Brown, Raines Brothers, Inc.

Decadent Dining

Inspired by the vision of the homeowners and Hertle, the pièce de résistance of this home is, in many ways, the dining room. Caughman, Brown, and Hertle all speak about the views captured in this stately, stone alcove. “With the windows we really tried to replicate antique French windows with a dark iron muntin bar in the frame,” Caughman says. The walls are a painstakingly chosen combination of the perfect stone and mortar colors. After landing on limestone, Hertle and the homeowners added a personal touch by having the stone mason blend in some peach-colored stones the owners had collected from Jerusalem (above). Overhead, a Swarovski crystal chandelier adds a contemporary twist and touch of sparkle. See more from Raines Brothers, Inc. at rainesbrothersinc.com.

Appliances, plumbing, and lighting fixtures: Ferguson

Custom woodwork: Raines Brothers, Inc.

In choosing a light earth tone, the kitchen continues the rustic French provincial style that is so perfectly accomplished by course wooden beams and the focal point of the room, a masterfully crafted custom-cast limestone hood. The top portion of the hood is colored by ground copper flakes for a metallic finish. Soapstone countertops and white bronze Tabarka tile round out the room’s established, pastoral style. “The homeowner knew she wanted a light-colored kitchen, but we wanted to stay away from stark white,” Hertle explains.

The adjacent keeping room is a carefully integrated feature. Caughman explains, “That is a space which they originally hadn’t asked for. But I really wanted them to have somewhere cozier to spend their time. With 12-foot ceilings in the great room, I wanted them to be able to sit and talk where they didn’t have to feel like they were having a conversation in a racket ball court!” The room’s provincial feel is carried through with a pecky cypress mantle, custom-built by Raines Brothers, Inc. “We replicated that from a picture the homeowner brought us,” Brown says.

(above) Nearby, the wet bar is stunning, with sparkling, backlit onyx countertops, contemporary hardware, and glass-front, cremone-bolted cabinets.

The room’s provincial feel is carried through with a pecky cypress mantle, custom-built by Raines Brothers, Inc.

ARTFUL ARCHITECTURE

Surrounded by windows, the four-seasons room offers a space to entertain or relax. “It needed to be livable for the owners while still being able to entertain 60 people. And this room is great for that,” Caughman says. With the main wall consisting of accordion-style windowed doors, the entire room can open up to be an airy porch. 

Art: Gallery 1401  |  Countertops, tile, and marble: Stone Source Inc.

Also on the main level, this posh powder room makes a bold statement with wall-to-wall Calacatta marble. Custom-cut baseboards and crown moulding create an uninterrupted milky marble façade. This brilliant backdrop allows a fully restored vintage chandelier and easel-propped artwork to shine.

“This room was so thoughtfully planned, from the unique ceiling to the fact that it steps down to feel lower, like an actual cellar would.”

– Jay Caughman, Caughman + Caughman Architects

A work of art in its own right, the wine cellar features an arched ceiling crafted from a vintage wooden barrel repurposed from an old cotton gin. “It works perfectly with the arched design of that room,” Brown explains. Caughman continues, “This room was so thoughtfully planned, from the unique ceiling to the fact that it steps down to feel lower, like an actual cellar would.”

The peaceful color scheme from the master bedroom carries over into the bathroom’s ceiling to cast a spa-like blue hue over the white and marble palette. The fully encased glass shower reinforces the spa experience with a heated marble bench and steam vents in the honeycomb-patterned marble floor. A Victoria and Albert soaker tub is positioned between the windows, with a view of the gently crashing waves on the lakeshore. The soothing color scheme of this palatial room is punched up with tiny hints of silver and gold luster in the starburst-patterned curtains, spherical glass light pendant, mixed metal hardware, and subtlety shimmering veins in the honed white marble.

The soothing color scheme of this palatial room is punched up with tiny hints of silver and gold luster in the starburst-patterned curtains, spherical glass light pendant, mixed metal hardware, and subtlety shimmering veins in the honed white marble.

Windows and doors: Window & Door Gallery

A tranquil escape, the master suite is elegantly accented by Parisian wall moulding trimmed in dual gold tones and a pale Tiffany blue shade. French doors lead to a curved terrace facing the lake. Sumptuous white bedding and richly burled, antique furniture maintain an opulent atmosphere. “The detail of this room took a lot of time,” Hertle says. Besides the accuracy of planning the wall moulding, the window’s cornice is a custom-carved piece of wood, fitted, mounted, and painted by Brown’s team to match the gold wall details. “I think that piece turned out beautifully and works well in that room,” Brown says.

Other Suppliers:  Beams: James & Company

Kitchen hood and fireplace: Architectural Elements

Shower and wine room glass enclosures: Independent Glass Co.

Stone: Chattanooga Stone Center

Wooden armoire (in kitchen): Newsom Woodworks