My Houzz: Kid-Friendly Touches in a New Nashville Home
Custom storage adds toddler-friendly function to this couple’s airy open-concept house in Tennessee
Hayley and Barton Simmons prioritized kid-friendly decor in designing the interior of their newly built Nashville house. The couple, both writers, have taken their young children into consideration with every purchase or addition.
“Since my kids love to roll around and play on the floor with my husband or spread out every single toy they own, I opted against a coffee table in order to make this space more practical for our current situation,” says Hayley, pictured in the living room with Barton and daughters Talley, left, and Scout.
In lieu of a coffee table, a soft faux-fur pouf doubles as a footrest and a beanbag for their toddler to jump on. The couple also invested in slipcovered furniture. “If it gets dirty, all you have to do is pop it in the wash, and you’re good to go,” she says.
The couple added the built-in bookcase to the left of the fireplace after moving in to provide storage for their daughters’ toys.
Rug: Myers Flooring of Nashville; Louis slipcovered sofa: Cisco Brothers; Banks swivel chairs in gray jute: Four Hands; Corbett collection side table: Nuevo
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“Since my kids love to roll around and play on the floor with my husband or spread out every single toy they own, I opted against a coffee table in order to make this space more practical for our current situation,” says Hayley, pictured in the living room with Barton and daughters Talley, left, and Scout.
In lieu of a coffee table, a soft faux-fur pouf doubles as a footrest and a beanbag for their toddler to jump on. The couple also invested in slipcovered furniture. “If it gets dirty, all you have to do is pop it in the wash, and you’re good to go,” she says.
The couple added the built-in bookcase to the left of the fireplace after moving in to provide storage for their daughters’ toys.
Rug: Myers Flooring of Nashville; Louis slipcovered sofa: Cisco Brothers; Banks swivel chairs in gray jute: Four Hands; Corbett collection side table: Nuevo
Find a cabinetmaker for your project
“According to the builder, the door to the coat closet was reclaimed from an old train station many years ago, which makes the intricate detailing and pretty beveled glass that much more interesting,” Hayley says.
The family spends much of its time in the open-plan living room and kitchen. “My husband and kids will be playing on the floor in the living room in the evenings, and I have a front-row view of that sweet scene while I’m cooking dinner in the kitchen,” Hayley says.
Riviera bar stools: Serena & Lily; rug: Apple & Oak
Riviera bar stools: Serena & Lily; rug: Apple & Oak
In the breakfast nook, a custom wraparound bench with a hinged lid provides storage as well as a place for the family to gather. “The grate was existing when we bought the house. It was tricky when we built the breakfast nook built-ins because we had to build around the grate,” Hayley says. The builder made a creative solution by putting hinges on the bench top so we can swing open the bench to change the filter on the grate.”
Hayley’s ideal aesthetic revolves around “a handful of key elements: white walls, black and dark blue accents, faux fur, tons of natural texture, and even more greenery,” she says. “I love the way greenery can easily warm up any space in an instant.”
Hayley added a large beveled mirror to the exposed brick wall to make the room appear larger.
Table: ReCreations Home; pendant light and bench: Redo Home + Design; mirror: HomeGoods; “Waikiki No. 6” print: Max Wanger; browse artwork
How to Hang a Heavy Mirror
Hayley’s ideal aesthetic revolves around “a handful of key elements: white walls, black and dark blue accents, faux fur, tons of natural texture, and even more greenery,” she says. “I love the way greenery can easily warm up any space in an instant.”
Hayley added a large beveled mirror to the exposed brick wall to make the room appear larger.
Table: ReCreations Home; pendant light and bench: Redo Home + Design; mirror: HomeGoods; “Waikiki No. 6” print: Max Wanger; browse artwork
How to Hang a Heavy Mirror
The family’s mudroom features classic beadboard wainscoting with hooks for coats and bags, a bench, and cubbies both above and below with baskets for storing the kids’ shoes and other seasonal outdoor accessories.
“The mudroom is a total lifesaver for us, and honestly I have no idea how we lived without one before,” Hayley says. “The hooks are real railroad spikes from an old railroad track in Nashville, so they are super durable and can hold so many things.
“The mudroom is ideal for coats and boots in the winter, and I always have a diaper bag hanging around up there year-round,” Hayley adds.
How to Design a Marvelous Mudroom
“The mudroom is a total lifesaver for us, and honestly I have no idea how we lived without one before,” Hayley says. “The hooks are real railroad spikes from an old railroad track in Nashville, so they are super durable and can hold so many things.
“The mudroom is ideal for coats and boots in the winter, and I always have a diaper bag hanging around up there year-round,” Hayley adds.
How to Design a Marvelous Mudroom
The kitchen has a window that looks directly into this sunroom, so the kids can play in here and Hayley can keep an eye on them. The sunroom also features an industrial garage door that opens up to a wooden deck.
Baskets and bins allow Scout to quickly and easily put away her playthings.
Fitz chairs in Dorrell Gaucho Chalk: Four Hands
Baskets and bins allow Scout to quickly and easily put away her playthings.
Fitz chairs in Dorrell Gaucho Chalk: Four Hands
The deck was originally very small and unscreened, so the couple made it a priority project when they moved in. “There was literally only a slab of wood out there; it wasn’t worthy of even being called a patio,” Hayley says. Screening in the patio made sense to the couple so that the family could keep the garage door open and not have to worry about bugs getting inside the home.
The cost of the project was about $15,000, and Hayley says it was worth every penny. “Once finished, we hung lights around the ceiling, added some modern rattan chairs and a cute little paint table for our toddler,” she adds. “It’s the perfect place for us to all unwind at night.”
The cost of the project was about $15,000, and Hayley says it was worth every penny. “Once finished, we hung lights around the ceiling, added some modern rattan chairs and a cute little paint table for our toddler,” she adds. “It’s the perfect place for us to all unwind at night.”
A large reclaimed-wood sliding door closes off the sunroom from the hallway.
The master bedroom features a soothing neutral color palette with calming blue accents. Since this room is right off the kitchen, Hayley can put away laundry while her toddler colors in the breakfast nook.
Maxime upholstered bed frame: Bernhardt via Sprintz; midcentury-style three-drawer dresser: West Elm; “shibori”-look wall art: Target
Maxime upholstered bed frame: Bernhardt via Sprintz; midcentury-style three-drawer dresser: West Elm; “shibori”-look wall art: Target
The color palette in Scout’s bedroom echoes the neutrals throughout the house while adding hits of bright hues with such playful accents as the pink scalloped nightstand and the yarn pompom garland.
Kendall bed and chenille jute rug: Pottery Barn Kids; Scallop kids accent table: Target
See how to make a colorful pompom garland
Kendall bed and chenille jute rug: Pottery Barn Kids; Scallop kids accent table: Target
See how to make a colorful pompom garland
Scout’s bedroom also includes a canopy for imaginative play. Eccentric animal portraits add a touch of whimsy.
Pompom bed canopy: Target
Pompom bed canopy: Target
A dedicated play space upstairs features soft seating options and a kid-size table and chair set.
Cantor sofa with nailhead trim: Bernhardt via Sprintz; elephant art: HomeGoods
Cantor sofa with nailhead trim: Bernhardt via Sprintz; elephant art: HomeGoods
The couple kept the existing exterior color scheme, with its clean white siding and bright red front door.
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Hayley and Barton Simmons and their two daughters, Scout, 3, and Talley, 10 months
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 2,800 square feet (260 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Year built: 2015