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April 2009

March 2010 • www.nashvillelifestyles.com WINVIP PACKAGE ANDTICKETS TO SEE

Blake Sheltondetails on pg. 15

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TICKE TSfriday night

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60 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM

BY STEPHANIE STEWART • PHOTOS BY RON MANVILLE

A Separate PeaceNathan and Stephanie Chapman create a romantic

oasis with the help of Lori Paranjape

at home

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NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM 61

usic producer and songwriter Nathan Chapman andhis wife Stephanie, herself a singer and songwriter,

love their Brentwood home. However, their busy lives (Chapmanjust picked up a Grammy as producer of Taylor Swift’s Fearlessalbum) prevented them from truly decorating as they wished.That all changed the day Stephanie Chapman dropped intoRedo Home & Design in Franklin and started chatting casuallywith interior designer Lori Paranjape about what to do withher bedroom. Soon she had a plan—and Paranjape working tocreate the private hideaway the couple longed for.

Paranjape says Stephanie possesses a great eye for designherself, and that helped the process. “I’m an amateur designerlike most normal, sane girls,” counters Stephanie. “I look at toomany magazines, and I know what I like, but Lori can just flipthrough a sample fan book and instantly come up with theright color or fabric. It’s fun to have participated a little bit inredesigning my room, but it’s better to have gone away and havethe reveal at the end, when Lori and Redo were finished.”

Paranjape and Stephanie Chapman clearly work welltogether. Stephanie says she came into the shop with a singlepillow she hoped to make part of the decor.

“As a magazine junkie, I had this idea I could manage thealterations with a few pieces but no plan—it’s ridiculous. Youcan’t make a serious change with a pillow or a little paintor some candles. This was the first time I’d had someoneprofessional help me—I can’t tell you how wonderful it was—and let me say, what I paid was incredibly reasonable.”

“This was not snooty design where I tell the client what shewants,” laughs Paranjape, but behind the humor is a real senseof the rapport between designer and client.

The job, as both women describe it, was a two-way street.When Paranjape first visited, the bedroom had “good bones”—plenty of windows for light, including French doors leadingonto the spacious back porch; recessed lighting—part of arenovation of the 1950s former duplex done by the previousowners; and gorgeous white oak floors.

The room lacked privacy—it had no drapes and the cedarprivacy fence hadn’t been added yet. Worse, it was furnishedwith only a bed and dresser, plus a dog crate for the couple’sCavalier King Charles spaniel. The busy couple simply hadn’thad time on their own to cultivate the space’s great potential.

The room was created in steps. First, Paranjape metwith Stephanie Chapman at Redo to determine her taste andwhat she wanted from her bedroom. “She asked for it to beglamorous; she wanted ‘beautiful’ and ‘a retreat from theworld.’ She also needed a place that was romantic and sexy, aswell as relaxing.”

Then Paranjape came to the house, saw the space anddetermined what the Chapmans absolutely wanted and needed,and what they had that might be used in another way. “Wewere laying out ideas that fit what she was looking for,” saysParanjape. “And it’s always an exciting next meeting if I’vedone my job at this point. I’ve got swatches, and we’re layingeverything she’s asked for on the table in front of her.” Fromthere, the discussion proceeded to fabrics, finishes and specificpieces, with Stephanie giving clear signals about what she loved.

The day after that discussion, Stephanie left town, telling

Paranjape to “just do what you do,” and giving her a budget,because she’d won Stephanie’s trust implicitly.

While Stephanie was gone, Paranjape set her talented teamto work, commissioning custom draperies and linens from LisaVenable and working with painter Debbie Baugher. TimHodge, the “perfect delivery guy,” brought everything tothe house at once, when it was prepared, with the finalarrangements supervised by Paranjape and her business partnerin Redo, Mitzi Maynard. Together, they also made a selectionof decor items to add polish and finish.

“I always bring more than I need at the end, because younever know exactly what you’re going to want until you seethings together,” says Paranjape.

m

“I love this house. It’sshameful not to take it

to the next level.”—Stephanie Chapman

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62 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM

at home

Lori Paranjape

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The finished version is all StephanieChapman asked for, and it also retains amasculine sensibility that makes sure it’swelcoming for husband Nathan. “It’s anelegant, beautiful room,” he says. “But aguy can be comfortable in it, and that’swhat matters.”

The final vision uses a color palette thatParanjape calls “a play on neutrals”—creating depth and richness from shadesof beige, camel, soft bronze and silver.They covered the windows with widedraperies with a hint of Indian pattern,then layered the bed in a reversiblecoverlet of caramel faux-silk and beige-gold chenille with a faint silver shimmer.Layers of pillows in shams made byVenable cover the bed, and a quilted“ballgown” bedskirt finishes it off.

Stephanie’s dresser has been repaintedwith a lacquer finish. There are his-and-hers lamps and bedside tables thatdefine the space clearly, and Stephaniehas made sure her husband’s flatscreen is there on the wall for late-nightviewing. An adorable café-au-lait loveseatoffers the luxury of a bedroom couchfor reading or relaxing. A small vintagetelephone table, still a little shabby-chic, sits by the loveseat, covered withspaniel-related photos and knick-knacks.

Nathan came home and saw it first,immediately calling Paranjape to saythanks. When Stephanie saw it, shecalled and raved. “It was wonderful,”she says. “And it hasn’t been messysince.” Perhaps the most telling response?Nathan instantly started talking withParanjape about taking on their frontroom next.

“I love this house. It’s shameful notto take it to the next level,” says StephanieChapman. We can’t wait to see thefinished version.

For more information: Redo Home& Design, 300 Public Square, Franklin,(615) 790-3989

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