Open now for tours now through December 17th and decorated for the holidays starting in November, the 2023 Southern Living Idea House showcases a harmonious blend of modernity, sustainability and the unmistakable charm of Tennessee. The 2023 Idea House is located in Thompson’s Station and spans 5,600 square feet with three bedrooms, a home gym, a songwriter’s studio, a garden folly and an outdoor entertaining area with a pool and party barn. The home was designed with a mix of styles and materials to bring together a modern take on a classic farmhouse. “We wanted this house to reflect the beauty of its surroundings and the traditions of rural Tennessee architecture, but it’s also very forward-looking, with countless ideas for thoughtful, sustainable design,” said Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “Every square inch of this house is inspiring.”
The 2023 Idea House was created and brought to life by a talented team of experts including interior designer Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio, architects Bill Holloway and Luke Sippel of Lake and Land Studio, builders Mary and Patrick Hatcliff of Hatcliff Construction, and landscape designer Butch Hamby of Southern Creations Landscaping. We had the opportunity to learn more from the interior designer Laura Hodges in our interview with her. Laura was approached by Southern Living with the opportunity to design the Idea House for 2023 and was honored to be asked. “Southern Living is an institution known for beautiful design and an elevated lifestyle. I was excited to work with the amazing architecture team at Lake & Land Studio and the fabulous builder, Hatcliff Construction to create this amazing home,” says Laura.
“This was definitely a team effort through and through! The architects at Lake & Land Studio designed a beautiful home which allowed our design team to add the finishing layers with custom cabinetry from our new collection with Unique Kitchens & Baths, fabulous furniture from a range of American-made makers like Lee Industries, vintage pieces from Chairish, original artwork from the Nashville Artist Collective and a gorgeous hand-painted mural by Lenehan Studios. We partnered with over forty furniture makers, artists, upholsterers, and design businesses to bring this home to life. We were also able to finish the home with decorative accessories from our own home decor shop, Domain by Laura Hodges Studio,” says Laura.
Laura says the biggest challenges came from the timing, budget and two-hour airplane ride to get to the house. “Luckily, we were able to partner with the amazing craftspeople from Hatcliff Construction and local artisans and fabricators to work on a quick turnaround. City Shade was our drapery fabricator and they came into the project with only weeks remaining and they managed to install the beautiful curtains and shades in record time. Lastly, the travel time was well spent planning and coordinating the project!”
“My favorite part of designing the Idea House was creating this beautiful home with such an amazing team,” she says. “One of my favorite rooms is the breakfast room where we designed a tone-on-tone mural with Lenehan Studios and she drove ten hours from Maryland to Tennessee to hand paint the entire room. We also have a lot of DIY and accessible ideas in our children’s bedroom and, of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my love for the dramatic feel of the songwriter’s studio.”
See this amazing house for yourself! A portion of the proceeds from tickets will benefit local charities Hands On Nashville, Harpeth Conservancy and Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. Visit hatcliffconstruction.com to purchase tickets and southernliving.com to learn more about the 2023 Idea House.
