22 Apr Home in Nashville, heart in New Orleans
It’s funny how I met Kit Landry, whose home I’m featuring this time. I saw a car with two women stopped in front of my former house, just looking, so curiosity was killing me. I went out and said hello, and did they need something?
Turns out, they were admiring our painted brick! Kit and her husband had moved to our neighborhood and wanted to paint their home a similar color and she had her designer friend from New Orleans, Meg Bradley, (megjbradley@gmail.com) with her, so they came in, I shared the paint color, and now we’re friends! When I visited her house a street over, I loved her taste and wanted to feature her home on the blog.
Like me, Kit loves neutrals but unlike me, Kit has tons of fabulous art filling her home from galleries in her native New Orleans, like these canvases by her friend Adele Sypesteyn. Her home is filled with pieces by Adele. The olive jars are also such a New Orleans touch. Love them. This room is so tranquil and sophisticated.
A bronze sculpture by Tom Corbin gazes at the paintings. Corbin’s work appears in 22 showrooms and galleries around the world, and is in the homes of individual collectors that include Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks.
His pieces have also been used in movies, including “It’s Complicated, ” and “True Lies.” Fun facts!
The stunning centerpiece is a ceramic bowl that was crafted by her friend Meg’s sister, Evelyn Jordan. Kit told me the bowl was actually used for serving pasta at a wedding. Love that!
Kit’s favorite piece of art in her entire home is a painting by Niek van der Plas.
It’s the only real color in the dining room so it pops on the white walls, which by the way, are “Neutral Ground” by Sherwin Williams. She uses this color throughout the house on the walls, ceilings, baseboards and molding. Kit says it changes as the light changes throughout the day.
The black and white ink abstracts that fill this foyer wall are by David Tully. Kit says to her they have a zen like quality.
And as you walk into the living room, you’re met by an imposing limestone piece done by Tennessee sculptor Mike Andrews.
Kit and her husband found this handsome piece while taking in the American Artisan Festival in Centennial Park. In the living room, you’ll find more art, including another sculpture by Tom Corbin.
The abstract painting above this beautiful antique cabinet from Kit’s family is also by her friend, Adele Sypesteyn.
No surprise that there’s more fantastic art along with family keepsakes in the den. Over the mantle is a piece by Mario Villa.
And on the coffee table is a plaster head made by one of Kit’s four children.
Sentimental treasures are scattered throughout this lovely home and that truly is what makes a house a home, in my humble opinion. So many gorgeous homes are sterile, without real personality to reflect the lives lived by the people who occupy them. That’s not the case here.
The interesting piece over the white couch is by a contemporary of Adele Sypesteyn’s, Jean Geraci. Her work can be found at Robinson Gallery in New Orleans.
And you won’t find a television in this den. How refreshing! It’s wired for one, but instead, the Landrys have a wall of bookshelves.
I must point out these shelves hold memories of a lifetime; dozens of family photo albums that document a full life that included time spent in Hawaii in the early years of their marriage. Which brings me to my favorite painting in the house because of its tropical theme.
Kit says she loves sitting at her kitchen table to enjoy this colorful painting which transports her to a tropical island. It’s like you can feel the tradewinds blowing.
I adore these ladies, painted by Ann Roberts Morley, who’s now deceased. (annfrantic.com) This was purchased in Destin. I think if I could own any of the paintings in Kit’s house, this would be the one I’d want because it makes me smile.
Kit and her husband Ed made many changes to this house when they purchased it, making it more open by removing many doors on the main floor and heavy drapes, along with taking mullions off windows and changing all doorknobs, plus painting the entire house the same color.
What I feel in the home is a calm and tranquil feeling. Good things take time and finding good craftsmen to do the job is a job in itself. It all takes alot of what Kit has inscribed on the bench gracing her front porch.
My thanks and gratitude to Kit for sharing her beautiful home with me so I can share it with you.
Thanks for reading Stylish Retreats. Hope you’ll share with your friends who love to get a peek inside some gorgeous homes in Nashville and beyond!
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