Cover Story April 2024

The Perfect Mix

Design by Cindy McCord | Story by Terri Glazer | Photography by Ross Group Creative

When Debbie Dees and her husband Philip began planning to build their custom home, they put designer Cindy McCord in charge of finding all the new things for it. But not all new-new. "We mixed a lot," McCord recalls, explaining how she envisioned a design aesthetic for the home that would blend fresh pieces with time-honored, classic elements in every room. 

McCord came on board early, while architect Jeff Bramlett was still drawing plans for the Germantown home. Being part of the process from the start gave her the chance to find treasures while the home was being built by David Clark Construction. "I had so many pretty things for this house in my storage, some for two years, waiting for them to move in," says the designer.

McCord says a great relationship with her clients allowed her the freedom to make choices for the home throughout the planning and construction phases. "The key is that they trusted me." She had worked with the couple before on their previous home in Cordova, so they felt comfortable with McCord's selections.

In the entryway she paired two complementary wallpapers, a classic large-scale pattern in neutral tones for the walls and a subdued, textured one by Phillip Jeffries for the ceiling. A French-style antiqued mirror from Garner Framing Co. enhances the sense of space and reflects the natural light that enters the welcoming area through the glass-paned front doors and transoms.

Custom built-in bookshelves and cabinets anchor the living room, an important architectural element for such a large open space, says McCord. For extra interest and to highlight the shelves' contents, she added three sets of dual-arm brass sconces with matching shades from Visual Comfort. Coffered ceilings give the space a tucked-in and cozy feel without being heavy. McCord painted the entire room in the same color, Stucco by Sherwin Williams, using different finishes from eggshell to semi gloss to provide a bit of variation.

Twin sofas and a pair of generously sized armchairs provide comfortable seating. At each corner of the furniture layout McCord placed an end table with a basket. The designer says she always likes to create a "zone" for each person who will use such a space regularly to stash glasses, remotes and anything else they want handy.

Full-length drapes add a bit of pattern on a wall of windows that can fully open to combine the room with the adjacent screen porch. "It's a dream for entertaining. It doubles the room size," McCord says.

The living room flows into the kitchen, a space smaller than the one in the family's previous home. Its compact layout is fine with Dees, though, who says she is happy with everything about it, particularly the amount of storage space.

The paneled, built-in refrigerator and freezer create clean-lined harmony uninterrupted by large expanses of stainless steel. While the homeowner loves the look, she admits it was a bit confusing to her young grandchildren at first. Dees recalls with a laugh, "The first time they came over I asked one of them to get something out of the frig. They couldn't find it!"

The stainless and brass vent hood is a showstopper, custom made for the home by Metalaire Louver. Its tones pick up the warm and cool accents of the Taj Mahal quartzite McCord used for the countertops on the base cabinets as well as the island.

Just off the kitchen a scullery provides extra work and storage space in the most appealing setting. Here, the designer introduced a pretty robin's egg blue on the cabinets. Cafe curtains allow light in, but can be drawn for privacy when needed. Dees says the extra dishwasher and refrigerator in the scullery are indispensable when her family comes over, and the out-of-the-way space is great for keeping small appliances handy yet off display.

McCord envisioned the dining room with casual elegance in mind, wanting the family to be equally comfortable having a quick breakfast or Thanksgiving dinner there. Bramlett modified the original plan to make room for the large round table Dees wanted to accommodate her whole family. The alteration made way for the room's loveliest feature, a set of built-in, glass-front upper cabinets with drawers below. BylerCraft of Whiteville, TN, created the pieces, along with all the cabinetry in the home, and added the graceful trim. The soft blue-green paint pulls from the Oushak rug McCord used as the jumping-off point for the room's color palette.

 Eight of Hickory Chair's Saint Giorgio upholstered chairs fit around the Chaddock dining table. McCord loves the practicality of the handle feature on top of each chair. She decked the seat cushions out in neutral fabric and added a smart boucle for the backs in tones that pick up the rusty red of the rug. The crowning glory of the room is the light fixture, a two-tiered chandelier draped in white glass bead strands. A painting by California artist Elise Morris, sourced from Goetze Art and Design, completes the decor.

A wing off the kitchen is home to a series of utilitarian spaces that are anything but basic. McCord's expert touch is just as evident in the office, laundry room, half bath and rear entry as in the areas where one would expect to see more of the designer's influence. The laundry room combination of Schumacher's Estelle wallpaper, a dressy gold fixture from Alexandra Lauren, scads of cabinets and marble counters takes the drudgery out of wash day. The office features built-in desks for two, complete with handsome oak tops stained to match the hardwood floors, and a full wall of storage that ensures a place for everything.

Separated from the rest of the main floor by a light-filled passageway, the primary suite is a study in serenity. "I like bedrooms to be soft, kind of tranquil. Light and airy," says McCord. With a peaceful blue palette, this bedroom is a haven for relaxation. The vaulted ceiling soars, lined in white tongue and groove paneling, and holds an oversized chandelier perfectly scaled to fill the space. The upholstered headboard and elegant matching bench plus luxury bedding exude comfort. Convenience was on the designer's mind as well. The drapes on the room's large windows can be opened and closed remotely from the comfort of the bed or from any other location via a dedicated app.

The ensuite bath rivals that at any spa, with an extra roomy shower and separate soaking tub. McCord selected large rectangular marble tile for the floor and shower walls, and the finished product is stunning, thanks to extra care from the installers. Before installation, the crew laid all the tile out to make sure each piece was placed properly. This pre-planning created a balanced effect between the light and dark veined areas of the natural stone. 

Dees is especially fond of her own special spot, a vanity area off the main bathroom where she can sit to get ready for the day. McCord chose a classic wallpaper pattern in soft blues and white for an extra feminine touch. 

The home's design is the perfect example of how a client's trust in a talented designer's ability results in a comfortable and cohesive home where the transitional and traditional blend seamlessly.