Some homes are designed around a palette. Others around a floorplan, a view, or a lifestyle. This condo by Anderson Design Studio feels instead as though it was composed — layered carefully through rhythm, tone, texture and mood much like a favorite record collection built over decades.
Located inside the Four Seasons Residences Nashville, the condo began as what designer Katie Stix, partner at Anderson Design Studio, describes as “kind of like a white shell,” transforming nearly everything beyond the existing kitchen through furniture, art, wallcoverings and custom architectural interventions.
The client arrived with an extensive art collection and a willingness to take risks — something Stix says immediately shaped the direction of the project.
“He wanted it to be colorful and have this artistic structure to it,” she says. “He wasn’t afraid.”
That confidence is felt immediately in the home’s richly layered office and listening room, where custom walnut shelving wraps the space floor-to-ceiling housing books, vinyl and collectible objects. Saturated cobalt ceilings and hand-painted graphic detailing inject energy into the room while balancing the warmth of the millwork.
Record covers from Paul Simon, Neil Young, Tom Waits and the B-52s punctuate the shelving almost like framed artwork, reinforcing the residence’s strong connection to music culture and analog ritual.
“We did custom bookshelves in the library, and he’s got his record players,” Stix says. “He had some really cool pieces that kind of sparked the design.”
Rather than treating art and furniture as decorative layers added after construction, Stix allowed the client’s collection to actively direct the atmosphere of the home. Works by artists including Banksy and David Hockney mingle with sculptural furnishings, textured wallcoverings and highly tactile materials, creating spaces that feel deeply personal rather than overly polished.
“I love it when the homeowner comes with an art collection,” Stix says. “They’ve got personality, they’ve got ideas. And the designer has to figure out how to work with it instead of saying, ‘I don’t care.’”
That sense of individuality carries into the primary suite, where plaster walls, walnut trim detailing and a dramatic teal upholstered headboard create a calming but expressive backdrop. Velvet textiles, sculptural lighting and tonal layering soften the architecture while maintaining the project’s strong visual clarity.
Stix leans heavily into materiality throughout the space. Boucle, suede, velvet, wool, ribbed glass and richly figured stone create an environment where surfaces constantly shift with changing light.
The project also embraces a thoughtful mix of investment pieces and more approachable selections, something Stix sees as essential to creating spaces that feel authentic rather than overly precious.
“That’s the mix, right?” she says. “There’s a $40,000 table, but then you’re using something unexpected somewhere else. That balance is important.”
In the primary bath, the project takes a more graphic and dramatic turn. Boldly-veined stone contrasts against warm walnut cabinetry while fluted translucent surfaces diffuse natural light across the room. An amber soaking tub — amazingly sourced from Home Depot — glows against patterned drapery, becoming one of the home’s most unforgettable moments.
“We wanted to refract a lot of the light,” Stix says of the metallic wallcovering and reflective surfaces layered throughout the bathroom. “We kept the tile, but made it feel completely custom and different from what it was before.”
The residence moves fluidly between gallery-like restraint and the warmth of a lived-in music room, balancing collectible design with an ease that never feels overly curated.
And the result feels immersive, collected and unmistakably personal — one where art, furniture and music are not simply accessories, but part of a larger emotional language shaping the experience of the home itself.
