Alderwood Adventures: 2025 Flower Magazine Designer Showhouse
Proudly set on six acres among the old-world style, mansion lined streets of the historic Belle Meade neighborhood, this immense and impressive property boasts riding trails, a barn, a pool and cabana bar, a wine cellar that can house 3,000 wine bottles, oh and a $24.5 million (unfurnished list price), 22,000 square foot, 6 bed, 9 bath estate.
The Flower Magazine Designer Showhouse was finely crafted and transformed by 23 renowned interior designers from Nashville, Tennessee and beyond. Each designer pushed the boundaries of design, ensuring a large crowd of designers, design enthusiasts, and those that are naturally curious would attend the showhouse which benefitted The Next Door Recovery.
While we could spend all day unraveling the nuances and techniques in all 23 rooms, by each of the 23 individual designers and their multitude of fabrics, finishes, sources, and details we know y'all are ultimately here to see pretty pictures and "ooh" and "ahh" over the finished product of the rooms, and we absolutely do not blame you! We are going to quickly dish on all the highlights our five most FAVORITE rooms, but we totally won't judge if you just want to check out the gallery at the end of the article.
First on the list is the expansive and well designed living-room by Tara Shaw. This room made our top five because Tara and her team did a great job keeping the quiet palette of the room neutral but not bland. With the rise of the modern farmhouse and organic modern trends, so often we see rooms covered in neutrals with no real depth or dimension to them, the rooms are essentially just big beige grey or white boxes *insert exasperation here*. Thankfully, that is not the case with this living-room, bursting at it's seams with character, details, and refinement, this living-room absolutely stopped us in our tracks!
Immediately as we entered, we locked "eyes" with the unexpected, and honestly, rather shocking sconces that flanked either side of the most incredible antique Italian bone-inlay cabinet. We next noticed the hand painted wallpaper that encompassed the entire room, without being overbearing. The room was filled with furniture that radiated coziness and comfort and a generous mix of tactile materials that brought in textural contrast in lieu of color.
We also loved how many ways the design allowed for the room to be utilized for different quantities of guests and different styles of gatherings. For instance, there were four different conversation spaces, multiple entry points allowing for the potential to host gatherings outside, and multiple areas for small gatherings or more intimate conversations. Unexpected selections, textural contrast, and an abundance of fine details really made this room stand out in our memory!
For room number two, we have the incredibly detailed yet simultaneously relaxing study, designed by the Flower Magazine Showhouse Design Chair, Corey Damen Jenkins. The study lies immediately to the left of the main entry, making it one of the first things you see when entering the home, adding additional pressure for the designer to make a great first impression.
This room so fully embodied the designer's goal theme, described by Corey as "Town and Country", insinuating a more "sophisticated and fashion forward lady of the home" while the country aspect was to relay the message of a more "laid-back and chill" husband. The study so effortlessly blended feminine and masculine elements together to create the intended design theme. Ballroom like draperies juxtaposed with an antler chandelier, a bold floral rug set parallel to a moody equestrian wallpapered ceiling, and a mix of plush upholstery adjacent to heavy leather armchairs all worked together to brilliantly achieve both form and function for the room.
If you have been keeping up with us here at Alderwood Interiors, you already know what we are going to say next. The pattern play, classic details and seamless blending of modern and timeless pieces, all coordinated to create one incredibly well designed study space that also doubles as an immediate welcome into a truely grandiose estate designed for entertaining. We could not have loved this study anymore!
Moving further into the interior of the expansive home we were absolutely entranced by the one of the most intricate and detail oriented rooms we have ever had the blessing of walking into!
Space number three on our list is a joint space which encompasses the salon and wet bar, both of which were designed by the highly accomplished Mark D. Sikes.
For many years we have read his books, studied his work and even hungrily devoured any print features of his work, pouring over the details in the photos of private homes he has worked in while dissecting his craftsmanship to fine tune our own processes. To experience his work in person, to fully immerse ourselves in his space, felt as though we were truly navigating through a living work of art!
Our pictures pale in comparison to the incredible sense of comfort that oozes from every corner of this space. Anyway enough fangirling, let's talk about the details!
Inspired by a recent trip to Tangier, Morocco, Mark wanted the fully tented salon to feel as though the guest was "in an emerald". Once again this room, like the living room, is designed to offer a dramatic backdrop for entertaining both inside or outside, large and small gatherings of guests, as well as accommodating formal and infomal events. A space so incredibly functional is an often overlooked blessing, until the need for such a space arises, and we LOVE that the salon was absolutely brimming with seating options, FOURTEEN seats to be exact!
The adjoining wet bar, also designed by Mark maximized the function of the salon, adding a quick place to prep, store, and display refreshments and hors d'oeuvres. It also helped that the fully lacquered room just so happened to immaculately beautiful!
We know green, cream, and gold are kind of our signature colors, so we may be biased, but fine features such as hand painted "trim" accents on the walls and ceiling, brass shelving, brass hardware, and the show stopping brass sink kept our eyes engaged throughout the entire space.
With both spaces being perfectly proportional, incredibly detailed, functional, efficient, and both packing a heavy design impact??? Color us impressed and green with envy!
Landing at the fourth spot on our list, and the first room we will discuss that is located on the second floor, the ladies sitting room, designed by Lynde Easterlin, can only really be described as an effortlessly feminine and peaceful respite of calm Southern serenity. The sitting room felt like stepping into a story book garden. Inspired by the infamous Bunny Mellon, signature blues, soft yellows, floral motifs, slipcovered furniture and warm, soft lighting really set this room apart!
From a design perspective, natural light is so important, too much light the room feels too open and exposed making it difficult to feel truly at ease in the space, too little light and the room not only feels smaller but often times can feel as though one is trapped or in a cave, triggering a discomfort that makes any human being want to exit the room as soon as possible. Thankfully whenever these cases arise, there are several tricks up a designer's sleeves that can help settle the natural human instincts in both of these instances, many of which were implemented by Lynde in this sitting room.
With only two small windows on the wall to the left and a covered balcony to the right blocking most of the natural light this room received, Lynde and her team correctly chose to lean into light furniture and color schemes. Light blue hand painted wall coverings, pale yellow slipcovered furniture, light wood tones, visually lightweight glass tables, and warm white accents combined together to maximize what limited light the room offered.
Another trick Lynde and her team employed to help really up the comfort of the room was to add in a scattering of lamps all throughout the room, four alone in the back section of the sitting area, helping disperse warm and comforting light throughout the entire space. We visited Nashville on a partly cloudy day with morning rains which should have left this room shrouded in a gloomy overcast grey. Thankfully, this room was designed with light and feminine energy in mind and even with cloudy skies, this room bubbled with soft, romantic details that enveloped us in comfort and ease. The patterns and floral motifs perfectly complimented the exterior balcony's potted garden and kept the eye moving through the space making it feel much larger in person than it was in actuality. We love when design is more than just a pretty room! Functionality and comfort matter more than anything when designing your home, and this room helps you feel as though you can take a deep breath and relax from the very first moment you enter!
Last on our top five list is the first guest room by DuVäl Reynolds. Don't get us wrong, there are 23 rooms in this house some of which ( all pictured in the gallery below) are rooms you will never see anywhere else; a bold two toned pink striped family room, and incredible east Asian inspired pool cabana, a breath-taking two story library that leads to a dramatic widow's walk. To make our top five the rooms needed to be beautiful, functional, elicit a strong feeling of comfort, and stay true to the principals and "rules of design", not just be a showstopper. DuVäl's guest room accomplishes this criteria, while also being a bold and interest filled room.
We may be biased, but this room in particular caught our eye because it was so familiar to us. A demilune table resembles Victoria's own entryway table, the antique brass easel in the corner of the room was the exact easel Victoria helped her Aunt to move a month prior, gilded frames incredibly similar to the artwork mounted above Victoria's bed at home, brass buffet lights closely resemble the brass lights on Victoria's mantle, and small gilded convex mirrors hang above the bookshelves and secretary desk in Victoria's living room just as prominently as they hung on the wall above the demilune table in this room. Walking into this guest bedroom felt like walking into a more elevated version of our own home!
The best part of this room in our opinion is the flawless execution of blending modern touches with timeless antiques to make a breathtaking room that functions just as well as it shows it's beauty. The fully muraled wall coverings, greens, pinks, brass details and the bold mohair bed exhibit an astonishing understanding of texture, color theory, and true design artistry. When the principals of design are implemented, no matter your personal style, you can guarantee a beautiful outcome!
Thank you so much for swinging by our little corner of the internet, we are so glad you are here, make sure to connect with us by subscribing to get updates like this article directly to your inbox!
Lastly, if you're not feeling satisfied by our article or if you are interested in seeing the video walkthroughs of each room, please visit the link below to see what pictures just could never convey.
Thanks again for stopping by, we hope you have a great rest of your day and if you are ready to make a change in your own home, big or as small as simply arranging a bookcase, reach out, we would love nothing more than to help you create your home!
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