There’s a Graffiti-Covered Bust in This Nashville Home, and It Works
Of Origin Design Studios balanced luxe, moody design with real livability in this Green Hills home. Take a look inside. Image: Garett Buell
Modern design can be tricky. Taken too far, a sleek, minimalist space can start to feel sterile — more like an art gallery, where everything is meant to be looked at rather than touched. But with the right eye and intention, it can carefully toe the line.
Finding that perfect balance is exactly what the team at Of Origin Design Studios achieved in this Green Hills home in Nashville, creating a modern house interior for a client and his young son that feels high-end without sacrificing comfort or fun details.
Justin Orton, owner and principal designer, and Kierstin Casella, design director, were brought in to work on the furnishings and decor for this custom Build Nashville home.
“[The homeowner] wanted [the home] to feel comfortable for his son. We wanted to avoid too many breakable objects or sharp corners,” explains Justin. The client also has an appreciation for designer goods and luxury, and he wanted to blend that with touches of dark, moody style.
Elements like the suspended stairs and futuristic light fixtures nod to a trendy hotel, while bold art, timeless pieces, and unexpected touches appear in every room, including a graffiti-covered bust.
With its soaring ceilings, the home could easily feel a bit imposing. Instead, the furniture adds warmth, texture, and a sense of comfort against the clean, stark finishes, especially in the living room.
Justin explains, “The structure of the fireplace is floor-to-ceiling with bold stone. We thought about how we could both avoid competing with it and ensure it didn’t completely dominate the space. We were intentional about symmetry in the art and furniture.”
The tables flanking the fireplace were among the first pieces found for the project, and they were paired with abstract art and iconic Kelly Wearstler lamps. In the rest of the room, the furniture feels loungey, like somewhere you’d sink into at the end of a long day. It’s a welcome sense of relaxation amidst a palette of black and white.
Throughout the living area, certain elements serve as throughlines, connecting one space to the next. “The hallway bookcases echo the lines in the railing overlooking the living room. Each piece in the home needs to work together,” says Kierstin.
The dining table was the starting point for the main dining area. The client had a clear vision for benches to go with it — an element he loved from his previous home — but every bench Justin and Kierstin came across felt too rustic for the aesthetic.
“We turned to a custom craftsman we work with in Nashville, and he had these benches made with a gold inlay detail to complement the table. They matched the stain perfectly,” says Justin.
The rug in the dining area plays with the lines of the light fixture in the kitchen, and, as Kierstin explains, “We like the repetition of materials and curves and lines. There were a lot of opportunities for playing with geometry in this house.”
The finishes within the kitchen were the work of the Build Nashville team, and Justin and Kierstin came in to help bring the custom breakfast area to life. Both teams collaborated on the banquette and found the Kravet fabric and channel-style back as a jumping-off point. “The oval steel table with a pedestal base, the artwork, and the slats on the ceiling — it all came together,” says Justin.
In the home theater, wall panels were needed to absorb theater sound, and custom panels were designed to add practicality and style to the space.
The bookcases offer one of the clearest glimpses of the homeowner’s personality. “The whole bookcase feels like a representation of the clients,” says Kierstin. “With all of our projects, we surprise the [homeowner] with all of these styling pieces at the end. It’s like an Easter egg hunt. We’re listening throughout the project — what can we find that will hit home with them? What’s representative of them?”
Justin adds, “[The client] has a sense of humor about things, so we got to pick whimsical, fun things (like the astronaut!) as a little bit of a wink in addition to the serious, stylish things. We’re always trying to keep it from being too stuffy.”
The primary bedroom is both glamorous and masculine, with edgy accents of gray and mustard. “This space was inspired by menswear,” says Kierstin. “The Kravet drapery fabric has a menswear feel. The linen on the bedding has a welted, piped edge. The pillows have a tweed stripe. Everything is intentional, but subtle.”
In the terracotta guest bedroom, the client wanted to add color to the black, white, and gray palette. The art, light fixture, and bench introduce sculptural elements, and the marble oversized nightstands have a funky, unique shape. Fun fact: the nightstands have drawers and built-in power hidden inside!
The son’s bedroom was an opportunity to create a playful space while staying within the core black-and-white theme. It’s a space that can grow with him. “We wanted his room to tie into the rest of the house while also being comfortable for a kid. It’s whimsical but feels high contrast, modern, and simple … with soft touches,” says Kierstin.
The client decided early on that he wanted an “indoor” fire pit, which guided the seating layout for the screened-in porch space — the curved furniture silhouettes continue outside around the pool. Justin says, “Even when you go outside, it still connects to the other spaces.”
Justin and Kierstin look back on the project with a fondness for the client and his appreciation for all of the meaning they incorporated into the space. “We referenced his life story. We got that he has this playful, whimsical side and a sense of humor in addition to appreciating a luxe, modern feel,” says Justin.
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Heather Bien
A Virginia native and professional writer of over 10 years, Heather is passionate about home decor, cooking and entertaining, travel, ballet, and coffee. You can find more of Heather's work in Southern Living, Martha Stewart, The Knot, Apartment Therapy, and Virginia Living.