This Designer Has Spent 10 Years Decorating Her 1933 Tennessee Home—And She's Still Not Done

For Caroline Levenson, landing in Knoxville's historic Sequoyah Hills area was no accident. It all started nearly 20 years ago, when Ryan, her now husband, first toured her around his hometown. 'He drove me through to try and sell me on moving to Knoxville, but what he really did was sell me on the neighborhood back then,' laughs the designer. 'I grew up in Charleston with old houses, so I was drawn to the established homes, mature trees, parks, and walking trails.' Five years on, when a tiny, condemned cottage in Sequoyah Hills became available, the couple scooped it up, renovating it and eventually bringing their first child home there. Then, a few years later, the anticipation of their son's arrival inspired a search for more space. 'We loved the pocket of the neighborhood we were in—walkable to The Plaid Apron [a local restaurant], the library, the elementary school, and the church where the kids went to preschool,' notes Caroline. 'So not only were we picky enough to stay in this neighborhood, but we really narrowed it down to about three streets that we kept our eyes on.' Credit: Bess McKinney As luck would have it, they were on the way out of town when they noticed a moving container in front of a 1933 Garrison Colonial on one of their favorite streets. 'We saw the house as soon as we got back and wrote an offer before it went on the market,' she says. 'I like having rooms be their own rooms. If you open everything up, there's no place to transition. You don't have any walls to put furniture, your cabinetry, or art on.' — Caroline Levenson A philosophy of restraint guided the initial necessary renovations. The couple opened up the kitchen and dining room (preserving the separate spaces via arched casings inspired by the original entryway), relocated the laundry room upstairs, and updated the baths while keeping the existing Tennessee marble. 'We loved it and really didn't change the bones much at all,' Caroline says. 'It felt important to us to honor the way this home was designed to live.' Laundry room. Shared bathroom. Laundry room. Credit: Bess McKinney Shared bathroom. Credit: Bess McKinney Function was also top of mind for the designer and former engineer. 'It has to work first, and then it has to be beautiful,' she says. This practical mindset shows up everywhere, like selecting velvet (an old-school performance fabric) for sofas, choosing extra-thick wool carpeting (just right for rowdy kids turning cartwheels) for the basement playroom, and keeping rooms distinct to allow for transitions. 'For case goods, I lean on antique or vintage pieces that can be used anywhere if you decide to change up your layout—things that can multitask,' says Caroline. Credit: Bess McKinney As for the decorative layers, she initially took a blank slate approach, calling for lots of neutrals when they first moved in. 'We were at the phase in our lives when everything [the kids had] was colorful—primary-colored toys everywhere—so our eyes were already on overload,' she says. As they've grown up, so has the house. Now, the guest room is filled with bright yellows and greens that pull from the landscape and bedrooms are coded to her kids' personalities. In their decade of living there, the 2,700-square-foot home has evolved alongside the family of four. 'It has never been about a single moment of completion,' Caroline says. 'It's been a gradual layering over time, responding to how we live, how our children have grown, and what the house itself seems to want.' Growing in Style Credit: Bess McKinney For her daughter Eliza's room, Caroline enlisted the then 6-year-old's help, pairing Jasper Textiles' Isle Flower wallpaper with trim painted in Sherwin-Williams' Hushed Auburn (SW 9080). An antique pine bed with a mini canopy nods to her own childhood home. A Cheerful Retreat Credit: Bess McKinney In the guest room, the designer preserved the exposed chimney when adding drywall (painted Sherwin-Williams' Status Bronze, SW 7034). She also repurposed furnishings from one of her local show house projects, including an upholstered bed and draperies in Soane's Scrolling Fern Frond print. 'We just wanted a really cozy space for when guests come,' she says. Clean Canvas Credit: Adam Ford Credit: Adam Ford 'When your kitchen's a mess, your brain's a mess,' says Caroline, who drenched the room in Benjamin Moore's Fossil (AF-65). 'I wanted it to be a peaceful space that was visually light and airy.' For the hardworking elements, she relied on soapstone countertops and GE appliances. 'It's okay if it shows a little wear. [The kitchen] is supposed to be lived in,' says the designer about the countertops. 'A few scratches are not the end of the world.' Room To Play Credit: Bess McKinney Walls color-blocked with Benjamin Moore's Segovia Red (1288) and White Dove (OC-17) highlight her son Bodie's favorite hue, while stripes on stripes, plus a casual flag and an original Peter Max drawing, incorporate plenty of character. 'I wanted it to feel fun—not to take it too seriously—and to create a space for him to grow into,' says Caroline. Good Transitions Credit: Bess McKinney Credit: Bess McKinney The stairwell, swathed in Howe at 36 Bourne Street's Cypress Paper in Cocoa, creates a welcoming entry into a downstairs playroom, which features a crafting nook that's painted in Benjamin Moore's Flint (AF-560).