Designer Showhouse: Eclectic home makeover benefits Junior League of Chattanooga

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Designer Showhouse: Eclectic home makeover benefits JLC

The home at 526 S. Crest Road once belonged to Carl and Minette Dixon, founders of Lake Winnepesaukah. The 7,500-square-foot home rests on a six-acre estate that also includes a greenhouse, pool house and a pool overlooking the incredible Chattanooga Valley scenery below. Graceful trees, stone walls and fresh landscaping highlight the gentle slope of the lawn, giving the property a true estate quality. On the side lawn, an antique swing set from the amusement park's earlier days pays homage to the original owners.

Mediterranean-inspired architecture marks the white stucco exterior with geometric reliefs, and its second story rises behind a row of rounded arches framing the loggia and porte-cochere on the front corner of the house. On the opposite side, a covered porch overlooks the pool, nestled into the lower level of the lawn.

While maintaining the beauty of the home's early 20th century architecture and footprint, 14 experienced regional designers have transformed 11 rooms of the historic Missionary Ridge home for this year's Junior League of Chattanooga fundraiser. Replacing Tour du Jour and the Holiday Home Tour, the club's largest annual fundraisers, the Designer Showhouse will be open to the public this month through ticket purchases and special events like a marketplace offering goods from the featured designers and other area vendors.

Proceeds from tickets and the events will support the JLC, whose mission includes giving 94 percent of its total funds raised back to the community through programs and projects.

The selected designers blended modern and vintage elements in designs that bring high style to functional rooms. The foyer, kitchen, living room, dining room, breakfast room and library have been outfitted for the tour along with all five bedrooms.

"The sprawling Mediterranean style is reminiscent of the early Hollywood homes from the same period," says Kevin Vaughn of K. Vaughn Interiors, who designed the master suite. "Homes were a destination during that period, collected and refined, traditional yet incredibly modern, luxuriant, unexpected, and never mass produced.

"I chose the Hollywood Regency style for the master suite, which evolved during the golden age of filmmaking, because the architectural elements throughout the home beckoned to luxury, glitz and glamour of a bygone era that is still very much relevant in the millennia," he adds.

Dramatic and luxuriant, the master bedroom features a Lexington four-poster bed with a custom upholstered canopy from K. Vaughn Interiors. Vintage pieces like Karges Napoleon-style fireside chairs, acquired through 1stDibs, align with the flashy charm of the home's architecture. Custom bedside lamps from The Refactory give the room a pleasant symmetry, while the Greek Market Industries wool flokati rug is creatively angled under the foot of the bed. Vintage parts and found objects intermingle in the ceiling fixture of K. Vaughn's own design.

"I'm most drawn to this style of interior decoration because it is a balanced blend of classical and modern elements, simple shapes, vibrant colors, tactile finishes and dramatic gestures of glamour," he says. "Homes of the period were chic and swank, furnishings arranged purely for conversation. Collected objects from around the world adorned lacquered tabletops, Neoclassic elements were all the rage, gilded mirrors cast reflections, and Chinoiserie added a touch of fancy."

It's a sure sign of the home's period and luxury that the floor plan includes a devoted library, which Tiffany Anich of Southerly Abode elevated with a hip, Midcentury flair. Comfortable but sophisticated furniture allows the room to be multipurpose while frazada and African mud cloth pillows on the sectional sofa combine with Midcentury brass accents to lend a bit of boho flair, says Anich. Vintage elements, hanging plants and mixed textiles maintain a casual, eclectic atmosphere.

"It's a space that I would like to curl up in," Anich says, "kick off your shoes, grab a cocktail, listen to some tunes or read a book."

Standing out from the fun geometric print of the area rug, a Midcentury cocktail table provides storage within its clean lines. Anich creates contrast with bold navy walls balanced by white drapes and the painted white built-in bookshelves. Here and in other rooms, the home's naturally large windows let in light to accommodate the bold colors of the designers' choosing.

Even the kitchen ties into the glamour of the home's architecture with tall cabinets acting like mini galleries on either end of a short wall of cabinets. "I love that glass-front cabinets can be used in such a practical way," says Jackie Howard of Scarlett's Cabinetry. "The combination of dinner plates, glassware and properly contained food can all be so practical and look awesome."

Howard tackled tough pre-existing site challenges to merge period influence with fresh elements. Plank-style cabinets are designed to look like a painted wooden wall that might have been original, but the top section of the cabinets is nonfunctioning and covers the soffit of a load-bearing space above the appliances. Howard conquered the restriction of preselected appliances and an island cooktop by placing the sink within easy reach. "It makes it so family and friends can get into the refrigerator to grab a drink, sit at the island bar and visit with the 'cook' of the kitchen without getting in the way," she explains.

While the tall, glass-front cabinets lighten up the room, the space is grounded by a large, smoky gray cast-iron sink. Modern hardware and lighting give a touch of edginess, and cabinets function with a storage capacity that meets present-day expectations. Meanwhile, Caesarstone quartz countertops in Statuario Nuvo look like timeless white marble, without requiring all the upkeep.

Marbled blue-and-white fabric inspired the dining room design by Laurel Powell. Royal-blue mohair cloth is surprisingly durable but stylish on the dining chairs, and dupioni silk covers the walls, bringing movement and intimacy to the space. "The texture on the walls and the sheen in the light allows the silk to appear as if it were various shades of silver, charcoal and gray to create an ombré effect unifying the space," Powell says.

Her rich color scheme, a modern interpretation of blue-and-white china, minimizes the large scale of the room, enhancing the mood and offering a sense of closeness. The room is set for a dinner party, but includes a writing nook to broaden the space's function. Antique and Midcentury furniture work together in Powell's contemporary design, and an old built-in cabinet functions as a bar. "My grandmothers, since I was young, always inspired me to set a beautiful table for guests, so I am using vintage tableware mixed with new pieces along with some pieces of my own collection to create a unique table setting," she says.

She commissioned an oil painting by local artist Liz Nichols as a prominent feature in the room. "Art is a crucial element in any well-designed space. Art enriches a room and creates meaning and memories for its occupants," says Powell.

Like Powell's commissioned painting, interior design itself is a work of art, and through the creative dedication of the full list of featured designers, the home has been given meaning and become a three-dimensional artistic work ready to inspire waves of visitors.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit the JLC Designer Showhouse and see all 11 beautifully redecorated spaces in person. To purchase tickets or for more information on the house and events, visit jlcshowhouse.com.