Living in Music City USA, Nashville- We are blessed with so many talented musicians and songwriters. Everywhere you go there is live music, a band, or a concert.

And it is not just country music.  Nashville has a little bit of everything. Every year there are two festivals held here that people fly in from all over to attend.  In honor of  CMA and Bonnaroo festivals (clogging up our traffic), I have designed a room inspired by a song. Like anyone, music to me transports me to a time or place. As a Designer, sometimes it is to a room. That might be like when a writer looks for punctuation, or a banker is turning money all the same direction. For me when I go to a restaurant, for example, I am looking at the lighting, wall color, or tile. I am thinking about the space and how it is designed. So naturally, when I hear certain songs, I create the room they are in – in my head. Here is my interpretation of Johnny Cash’s – Walk the Line.

Walk the line reminds me of all the lines, plaids, and checks that have appeared  lately in textiles, rugs, and furniture. I thought it would be a good challenge to design a room with a mixture of these elements.  

Line is the most basic element of art. And when line takes center stage, it shines. The key to balancing lines are to have different types and thicknesses. Having a skinny plaid next to an over-scaled chevron line balances each other. A bold racing stripe running down a chair paired next to a lighter, tribal lined rug.  Scale play an important role too. The lines on the chair’s pillow are much smaller in scale, making those patterns play off each other.

Bold and subtle work together as well. Choosing a very linear table with strong metal lines that appear to be holding it up. Then to the dotted curtains and studs along the sofa arm that seem to tip toe, but hold the line.

“I keep the ends out for the tie that binds

Because you’re mine, I walk the line”

-Johnny Cash