Story by Emily Robertson | Photography by Darren Harris • Harris Visual Media

When Larry and Sandy Mays decided they wanted to update their home of 20 years located in the Bent Tree neighborhood of Bowling Green, Sandy knew she wanted a completely new look for the house. There was already so much to love about the actual home. It’s in a great location, with the perfect layout and a beautiful backyard and view. The Mayses just wanted to give it a fresh new look. Sandy turned to long time friend and designer Gail Brooks. Brooks collaborated with Lisa Marshall and Natalie Hughes from Embellish Home to collectively work their magic.

“As the Mayses started remodeling their kitchen and bathrooms with Gail, one thing led to another and they decided they wanted to update the furnishing as well,” Hughes says. “The former décor was done probably 12 years ago and it had a darker feel, so the client said she wanted a light and airy update.”

For the 2,850 square foot home that has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, Embellish Home worked for six months to take the home from a traditional look to a more transitional style.

“Transitional design is the mixing of modern and traditional,” Hughes says. “It uses a combination of both styles through the furniture, finishes and materials that you choose. We used these concepts throughout the house to create a classic and timeless style for the whole home.”

The Mayses are retired and spend more of their time in the home, so they knew they wanted a calming, clean space that could feel like a retreat.

“Sandy kept saying ‘I want it to be beautiful and calming,’” Hughes says. “We went for something different for this new chapter in their lives. We also wanted to keep things simple for them. For colors, we focused on lots of warm white and some spa-like blues, sea foam, light green and teal. As we chose textiles, we tried to focus on textures that were soft and comfortable as well as beautiful.”

Marshall says that she loves the cohesiveness and flow throughout the home, even with each room having its own personality. The inspiration for her favorite room, the piano room, started with the rug. It is styled with a beautiful, blue sofa.

“I love that we added a pop of fun in the small space,” Marshall says. “With the combination of the blue sofa and the comfortable swivel chairs, it really creates a cozy, intimate space for guests to sit and talk.”

Hughes’ favorite space in the home is the dining room, which offers lots of space for hosting and provides a welcoming area for guests.

“I love the dining table,” Hughes says. “It is a round table that seats eight and the wood is a gorgeous latte color. We selected linen slipcovered dining chairs to go around the table. It just looks like a place you can sit and talk and enjoy a meal together, with lots of room for everyone.”

Hughes says that the homeowners didn’t have much furniture they wanted to carry over from their previous décor. However, for individuals wanting to try a more transitional style, it is easy to take pieces you already have and marry in new items.

“You can get a different look, just by lightening things up. Paint is the least expensive and best place to start. Just taking down dark draperies, updating a few light fixtures or even just changing light bulbs to a bright, warm bulb can make a huge impact,” Hughes says. “If you have your grandmother’s coffee table, you can keep that and let it shine as the center of the room, but bring in a new rug or sofa for an updated look. The team at Embellish Home isn’t here to make you throw everything out; we want to work around those special pieces you have to make your house truly feel like your home.”

Both Marshall and Hughes say the Mayses were dream clients to work with and were a perfect match for what Embellish Home strives for with every client: for them to really love their home.

“We want to help people design the home of their dreams,” Hughes says. “We don’t want to just give you a typical furniture store experience. We want our clients to enjoy the process and trust that the end result will be exactly what they envisioned. The Mayses were so wonderful to work with! They made it so fun to create this unique new space for them.”

THIS TRANSITIONAL REFRESH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF THESE WONDERFUL BUSINESSES:

Design and Décor – Embellish Home
Paint – Sherwin Williams
Flooring – Sullivan’s Flooring
Cabinetry – Brooks Cabinets