A Nashville Dining Room Cloaked in Colorful Harmony

A variety of eras, textures, patterns, and hues comes together with unexpected poise in a dining room rich with intrigue and warmth.
Wesley Stanley’s approach to this distinctive Nashville dining room captures the essence of her design firm’s moniker: Hunt + Gather. The result is a carefully curated treasure trove of traditional fixtures, hip flourishes, and old-fashioned flair that feels timeless and truly one-of-a-kind. “I am exhilarated by the thrill of the hunt and inspired by unique finds,” says Wesley. “Layers are the key. They tell your story: colors that inspire you, pieces you’ve inherited, or art you’ve collected. Your home is like a tapestry of you.”

To achieve that personal aura in Libby and Patrick Burke’s new abode, Wesley diverged from off-white walls, opting for an eye-catching backdrop. Meg Braff’s Arbour wallpaper fit the vision with sprawling steel blue branches that contrast with the crisp, clean wainscoting. Infusing a warm note of color and a lush texture, Wesley went with another daring choice for window treatments. “The combination of the dusty blue in the wallpaper and the velvet just seemed to sing together,” she says.

A stately wooden table grounds the setting, softened by an oval shape. “It was the perfect nod to tradition with a bit of a vintage edge in its brass inlay detailing and capped legs,” Wesley says. Across the tableau, heirloom family wares sparkle under the glow of a crystal and burnished gold chandelier. Its transparency enhances the room’s mix rather than obstructing it.

With little space for decorative accents, Wesley decided a large work of art would make the greatest impact and commissioned a custom abstract.  “With the drapery and wallpaper swatches in hand, the artist set to work creating what would be the icing on the cake for this room,” Wesley says. The contemporary painting’s kaleidoscopic spectrum ties the space’s palette together with panache. 

Echoing her company’s name, Wesley attributes this room’s allure to the meticulous search for special elements that harmonize beautifully. “We knew the wallpaper would pack a big punch in such a small space and that each detail had to be carefully selected,” she says. “A room should be surprising but thoughtful. I think we achieved that with this space. It’s colorful, classic, and sophisticated in an unexpected way.”

Text by Elizabeth Bonner Czapski 
Styling by Sidney Bragiel
Photography by Jim Bathie 

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