My Tour of the 2021 Southern Living Idea House
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of touring the 2021 Southern Living Idea House. Every year I look forward to the publication of the Idea House issue, and this year’s home was built right here in Louisville, Kentucky!! It was a gorgeous day, and I had the pleasure of the company of my son, Kyle, on the tour!
This year’s home, built by Jason Black and Jimmy King of Artisan Signature Homes, was designed by architect Brandon Ingram from Atlanta and interior designer Sarah Bartholomew of Nashville. Landscape design was by Josh Meyers from Louisville.
The gorgeous home overlooking the Ohio River, exudes timeless Southern charm in a comfortable, welcoming, and relaxed style throughout.
The concept for the house is the Forever Home — a home that adapts to new situations and accommodates the many stages of life a family experiences. The home is designed with central areas for gathering and entertaining, as well as plenty of spaces for getting away to work, play, or enjoy a quiet moment to yourself.
I don’t know about you, but I have certainly come to appreciate quiet moments in quiet spaces to myself over the past 18 months!
Uses of Paint Color in the 2021 Southern Living Idea House
The home’s color palette is full of soft white and warm neutrals in the central areas of the home. In addition to these neutral areas, Sarah mixes in layers of rich texture and colorful patterns throughout to create inviting and cheerful spaces.
The main areas of the home are painted Sherwin Williams Cotton (SW 9581). This soft white provides a crisp backdrop for the neutral textures and splashes of color throughout the home. Similar to Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) and Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17), it’s a very warm and livable white that doesn’t lean too yellow or creamy.
The house also has surprising touches of color throughout. The most surprising and fun is the lively green studio off the kitchen area. What a fun use of Sherwin William’s vibrant green, Leaflet (SW 9674), covering all of the trim and wrapping onto the ceiling.
In the kitchen and scullery, the beadboard backsplash and shelving are painted a vibrant sapphire blue to accent the white Wellborn cabinets.
However, in my opinion, the star of the show is this amazing blue patterned flooring in the kitchen area!
Stunning Flooring
The home has some really gorgeous painted and stained wood flooring throughout. Again, Sarah uses the amazing power of paint to create some beautiful surfaces.
But, as I mentioned above , my absolute favorite is the painted floor in the kitchen and pantry areas.
This beautiful pattern was inspired by a floor in the late horticulturist Bunny Mellon’s home. I’ve been a fan of this design for some time now, and have a feeling it just might make it’s way into the Hume home somewhere sometime soon!
Another fun and surprising use of color on the floor is in the powder room off the back hall. This painted checkerboard pattern brings out the colors in the Roman shade on the window.
The wood floor in the foyer is stained in a beautiful checkerboard pattern painted on the diagonal, and this same floor is repeated in the bathroom of the owner’s suite.
Painted Trim
The main bedroom trim, painted in Sherwin Williams Silver Lake (SW 9633), adds just the right amount of soft, serene color to the owner’s suite and frames the beautiful views to the back yard.
Wallpaper and Paint Treatments on the Walls
This handsome brown grasscloth wallpaper in the library creates a cozy spot to read or study.
This paneled wood look is created with wallpaper in the game room upstairs.
The dining room’s traditional wall covering adds soft, beautiful pattern without overpowering.
If wallpaper isn’t in your budget, the idea house includes some great stencil and paint techniques to achieve similar looks to wallpaper.
For example, this crosshatch paint technique is used in the front powder room.
The crosshatch pattern is created with Sherwin Williams Cotton (SW 9581) and Soft Sage (SW 9647). This is a great way to add texture to your walls in lieu of more expensive textured wallpaper such as grasscloth.
Or, you could go crazy with stencils for major impact in a bedroom!
As in … all over every surface crazy!
What a great idea for a room with odd angles of walls and ceilings!
Even the bulletin board gets in on the action! I love this idea to camouflage the bulletin board.
And, don’t forget to carry it onto the adjoining bathroom ceiling.
Colorful Contemporary Art Combined with Traditional Southern Decor
One of my favorite ways to decorate and keep more traditionally styled rooms fresh is to add pops of color in contemporary art. The idea house does this beautifully throughout the home.
You’ll find several pieces of art by Nashville artist Kayce Hughes throughout.
This colorful art is in the sunny guest room located on the main floor of the home.
The room features an amazing coffee bar for guests.
Outdoor Living Space
The back porch and backyard of the Southern Living Idea House are amazing, complete with a tree swing and gazebo overlooking the Ohio River.
Thanks so much for joining me on the tour of the 2021 Southern Living Idea House. For a complete list of all sources and colors throughout the home you can click here.
What a beautiful home, Sarah Bartholomew and Artisan Homes!
Thank you for a lovely tour of this amazing New Old Kentucky Home!!
