How I Curate My Space: Lauren Sullivan’s Antique-Filled Tennessee Manor
Designer and curator LAUREN SULLIVAN opens the doors to her Tennessee hilltop home, where antique finds, sentimental objects and clever inside-outside design provide space for endless family fun. By NATASHA BIRD
High on a Tennessee hilltop, where the landscape is the real protagonist and, come dusk, the sunlight phases through to a deeply gorgeous golden hour, the home of designer and curator Lauren Sullivan is nestled between the trees.
Designer at Well by Design and founder of handpicked vintage destination Well Found, Sullivan has hinged an entire business on the idea that homes should feel unique, layered and personal. Her carefully sourced collection of English, French and Italian furniture and objects d’art has developed a devoted following among interiors obsessives. And her own home echoes her brand’s philosophy.
“We first saw the property in December of 2019,” says Sullivan. “At the time, it was really just a couple of empty, grassy lots on top of a hill. There was no house yet – just the view and the land.”
“The views were what immediately drew us in,” she explains. “You feel a bit removed from everything, especially in the mornings when there’s fog and the mountains start to disappear in the distance. It has a feeling to it that’s hard to explain until you’re standing here.”
The house itself took more than four years to complete, because Sullivan was set on creating something homely and lived-in, rather than stock or soulless.
CHRISTOFLEMyriade large stainless steel, gold-tone, oak and glass candle holder
HUNTING SEASONSet of three whipstitched leather trays
LOUISE ROESpina beechwood stool
LOBMEYRCrystal glass vase
“Our home is full of those memories, and I love the connection that creates
”
Her sentimentality and sense of biography have been important tools in selecting pieces for the interior. Vintage runners have been pieced together to create a patterned stair carpet; antique art hangs alongside variously assembled family objects; lighting is soft and atmospheric, rather than directional. “Every space needs a mix of old and new, whether that’s a vintage piece I found while traveling or something that previously belonged to a family member,” she says. “Our home is full of those memories, and I love the connection that creates.”
Even today, Sullivan resists the temptation to ‘finish’ every inch of the house. “There’s a room upstairs, off one of the guest bedrooms, with the prettiest harlequin-painted floor that’s still sitting empty,” she says. “I always imagined it as a cozy lounge space for guests, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“The way the light shifts throughout the house is honestly my favorite thing
”
RALPH LAUREN HOMEGarrett canvas, leather and gold-tone tray
JIA JIA HOMESet of two onyx vases
COMPLETEDWORKSSqueezed pearl-like embellished glazed ceramic vase
Thanks to that aforementioned dusk glow and the remoteness of the location, the atmosphere changes entirely after dark. Sullivan is devoted to sconces – the living room has several – which betrays some of her ambition for the house’s later hours to feel like a lovely cocoon. “The sunsets are nothing short of spectacular – and no two are ever alike,” she says. “The way the light shifts throughout the house is honestly my favorite thing. When there’s a full moon, you can often see it lighting up the entryway at night – and that’s been eerily beautiful too.”
TEKLASet of three striped organic cotton-terry towels
LOEWE PERFUMESBeetroot medium scented candle, 610g
CHRISTOFLEUni walnut and stainless steel tissue box
Entertaining was central to the way the house was designed, particularly given Sullivan’s large family. She ensured that gatherings could easily spill between indoors and out. The pool area is equipped with outdoor speakers, plenty of seating options and, nearby, what her loved ones call the “pool bath”: a fully tiled powder room designed to withstand wet feet and summer chaos.
A pass-through window connects the coffee bar to the covered porch, allowing drinks and food to move outside during parties, plus additional fridge drawers, dishwashers and basement bar facilities make game nights an easy, regular staple.
Her approach to art is similar to her interiors aesthetic. Resisting the urge to fill empty walls with insignificant things. “Art feels really personal,” she says. She sources antique paintings much in the same way she looks for vintage furniture, placing them alongside framed family portraits and photos of their dogs. “I’ve commissioned a few modern pieces over the years too, so I guess I like a mixture when it comes to art.”
“Every space needs a mix of old and new, whether that’s a vintage piece I found while traveling or something that previously belonged to a family member
”
In the basement game room hangs a neon sign based on her grandfather’s handwriting. “He’s 93 now and still doing so well,” Sullivan says. “There’s something really special about having a piece of him woven into the house in that way.” The sign hangs beside the pool table. She describes her grandfather as “a bit of a pool shark.”
Given the chance, she would rethink the greenhouse temperature controls, add more pantry storage and swap out some of the appliance drawers in the coffee bar for more practical cabinetry, but all in good time, for a house that has already been years in the making.
Much like Sullivan’s search for antique pieces, the most intriguing homes are rarely ever finished.
L'OBJETPrism gold-tone and glass cocktail set
L'OBJETNeptune set of two gold-plated porcelain dessert plates
LAGUNA~BBerlingot large Murano glass
LOBMEYRRothschild Stars set of two crystal champagne cup
RELATED READING
How I Curate My Space: Inside Madelynn Hudson’s Calm, Mid-Century Retreat