VIP at Home: Passport to Style

Story by Amelia Bowen

Photography by Harris Visual Media

Long before the home became a reflection of the Cunninghams’ travels, treasured collections and personal style, it had already become one of Bowling Green’s most recognizable Tudor residences. Rather than rewriting its story, Robann and Donny Cunningham chose to add a new chapter, honoring the home’s architectural legacy while thoughtfully layering it with influences gathered from around the world. Designed in the 1930s by architect James Maurice Ingram, the charming Covington Street residence reflects the distinctive Tudor Revival style that helped define many American neighborhoods during the early twentieth century. Ingram, who was born in Paducah and attended Notre Dame, left a lasting mark on Bowling Green through both his residential and institutional work. As the Cunninghams began researching the home’s history, they quickly realized they weren’t simply purchasing a beautiful house. They were becoming caretakers of a piece of Bowling Green’s architectural story. “We really wanted to honor his legacy and the rich history of the home,” Robann says. “We wanted to stay true to the bones of the home and what we thought the original designers and architects would have envisioned for it at this point in its life.” That philosophy became the foundation for every decision that followed. Rather than opening walls or dramatically altering the home’s character, the Cunninghams embraced its original architecture, allowing the home’s craftsmanship, rich millwork and defining Tudor details to remain the focal point. While the home was already structurally beautiful, its existing aesthetic was highly traditional. “The home was already beautiful,” Lisa Marshall, co-owner of interior design firm Embellish, recalls. “Everything was black and white, which gave us a beautiful canvas to creatively layer color, pattern and personality.” The real transformation would not come from gutting the historic layout, but through a thoughtful layering of furnishings, art and styling. While the home’s history established the foundation, its personality was shaped far beyond Bowling Green. A lifelong appreciation for travel, art and design had deeply influenced Robann’s perspective, but she didn’t necessarily start the project with a fully formed master plan. Shortly after the initial walkthrough, Robann traveled to London for a milestone birthday. While staying at the Soho Hotel, acclaimed British designer Kit Kemp’s fearless use of color, layered patterns and collected interiors left a lasting impression. As inspiration struck, Robann’s phone quickly filled with messages to Lisa Marshall and Natalie Hughes, her designers at Embellish, with each message capturing another wallpaper, another room or another unexpected combination of colors and patterns. “She just started sending us all these incredible images,” Lisa recalls. “It was so adventurous and inspiring. We immediately started embracing the mix of pattern, color and texture.” When Robann returned from London with a clearer vision, the Embellish team immediately recognized the opportunity to push beyond the home’s original black-and-white palette. “Once we recognized what her vision was, we got really excited,” Lisa says. “She loves art. She loves color. She loves pattern. We just started running with it.” The experience introduced the Cunninghams to what Robann describes as British maximalism, an aesthetic that embraces vibrant wallpapers, richly layered textiles, meaningful artwork and thoughtfully curated collections. “It’s one of those projects that doesn’t really fit into any traditional design category,” Natalie says. Instead of adhering to one aesthetic, the home layers Tudor architecture with British maximalism, European influences, Japanese intentionality and collected treasures from around the world. It is a design direction that feels layered and lived in rather than strictly categorized. Robann spent three years teaching English in Japan during her twenties, cultivating an appreciation for the authenticity and purposefulness found in Japanese design. Years later, family travels through Africa, Europe and Asia inspired antique rugs, handcrafted pottery and collected treasures that now live comfortably alongside English-inspired wallpapers, contemporary furnishings and original artwork. “I like what I like,” Robann says with a laugh. “I’m not a serious collector. I just choose pieces that mean something to me.” Some of the home’s most meaningful artwork wasn’t purchased at all. During a family trip to Paris, Robann, Donny and their children participated in a painting class led by a local artist inside her atelier. The abstract pastel works they created together now hang throughout the home, thoughtfully framed and incorporated into the design. “I feel like it’s serendipity that we did that art before we even had this house,” Robann says. “Now it fits so beautifully.” Other pieces tell equally personal stories. An antique green Moroccan bowl anchors the dining room table. Oil paintings discovered during a family celebration in Franklin, Tennessee, found their way into the sunroom, while treasured keepsakes collected over decades of travel are layered throughout the space. Together, they create an environment that feels collected over time. Bringing those stories together required a deep creative partnership. Having previously partnered with Robann and her sister on the design of their women’s boutique, Sorella, Lisa and Natalie were a natural choice to translate this personal journey into the family’s home. The collaboration became a true meeting of minds, built on mutual trust and creative freedom. “They were the perfect mix of flexible and decisive,” Robann says of the design duo. “They entertained all of my crazy ideas, but they also knew when to say, ‘This works because of the color story,’ or ‘This doesn’t fit the vision.’ They knew when to run with an idea and when to rein it in.” Lisa and Natalie found the process equally rewarding. “When we find a client who gives us a little free rein and loves color, that’s something that excites us,” Lisa says. Natalie agrees, noting the strength of a true creative partnership. “We love working collaboratively with our clients. When they trust us enough to give us a little more freedom, that’s when the best work comes out.” This collaborative philosophy reveals itself in nearly every corner of the home. Throughout the project, the designers focused on details many visitors might never consciously notice but would undoubtedly feel. “There are just a lot of details we really tried to take into consideration,” Natalie says. In one son’s bedroom, insect-inspired drawer pulls pair with nature-themed artwork, while a shared bedroom designed for the couple’s younger children incorporates artwork celebrating both a boy and a girl. Antique Chinese chairs anchor the dining room, while a painting by an Aboriginal artist in Australia adds color and depth to the sunroom. Color serves as another connecting thread. Shades of blue, Robann’s favorite color, appear throughout the interiors in varying tones, creating continuity while allowing each room to maintain its own distinct personality. Bold wallpapers, richly patterned textiles and collected artwork create moments of surprise around every corner, yet the home never feels overwhelming. Together, Robann and the Embellish team envisioned a home that felt warm, welcoming and expressive. It is a place equally suited for quiet family moments, social gatherings or hosting events that celebrate fashion, creativity and community. That same sense of thoughtful curation extends well beyond the walls of the home. Before purchasing the Covington Street residence, Robann and her sister, Rebecca, had already begun building something meaningful in Bowling Green through Sorella, the women’s boutique they cofounded in 2025. Inspired by family travels throughout Italy, the sisters envisioned a space rooted in timeless European style, quality craftsmanship and pieces chosen to last beyond a single season. “We don’t follow trends,” Robann says. “The Sorella woman is someone who knows who she is. She’s confident. She wants pieces that are made well and that she’ll enjoy season after season.” That philosophy carried seamlessly from the boutique into the home. Rather than decorating according to what’s popular, Robann approached each room much like she curates Sorella’s collections, selecting pieces because they felt authentic to her family’s story. The result is a home where every object has purpose and every space reflects the people who live there. For Robann, the decision to establish those roots in Bowling Green was just as intentional. Although she and Rebecca grew up in Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green had long been part of their family’s story after Rebecca married a Bowling Green native more than two decades ago. Through countless visits, Robann came to admire the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and the way its residents genuinely champion locally owned businesses. “When we decided to start this new venture together, we knew we wanted to bring it to Bowling Green,” she says. “We chose Bowling Green because of the community and because we knew so many women who were traveling to Nashville frequently to shop.” Purchasing the Tudor home transformed those visits into something deeper. Today, the family’s children keep bicycles in the garage so they can ride to their cousins’ house just a few blocks away. What began as a business venture has become a place where holidays are celebrated, weekends stretch a little longer and lifelong memories continue to take shape. “It gave us the opportunity to really put down roots and feel an even deeper connection to this place,” Robann says. Walking through the home today, Robann sees more than carefully curated interiors or treasured keepsakes. She sees a place where past and present exist in harmony. The home’s Tudor architecture remains unmistakably intact, while every room tells a story unique to the family now caring for it. “I feel very grounded,” Robann says. “I feel like we’ve done a good job of honoring the history and legacy of the home while looking at it through a refreshed lens.” That sense of stewardship reflects a belief that homes should evolve thoughtfully, collecting memories rather than replacing them. For the Cunninghams, this home represents far more than beautiful design. It represents family dinners, cousins riding bicycles through the neighborhood, holidays spent together and a growing connection to a community they intentionally chose to call home. Just as importantly, the home reflects the same philosophy that guides both Sorella and Embellish: choosing pieces with purpose, valuing craftsmanship over trends and creating spaces that feel deeply personal to the people who inhabit them. Rather than rewriting the story of one of Bowling Green’s most recognizable Tudor homes, the Cunninghams and the team at Embellish have added a thoughtful new chapter— one inspired by travel, shaped through collaboration, rooted in history and ultimately defined by family.

VENDOR LIST:

Embellish Home: Furniture, Rugs, Bedding, Lighting, Art & Accessories

Anthropologie: Wallpaper • David Alexander: Wallpaper Installation

Guyer Shutter Company: Window Treatments (Blinds)

No structural renovations or material changes were made to the home. The original flooring, tile, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures and architectural elements were preserved.