Robin Rains Creates a Tranquil Setting for World Travelers

The owners of this Green Hills residence were faced with a real dilemma when a 200-year-old tree fell during a storm and demolished most of the structure. But after consulting friend and architect Kem Hinton, they decided to completely gut and renovate their 1930s home. They enlisted Salem Forsythe of Innovative Building Specialties to keep the historic presence yet make it more accessible so that they could age in place. That was also when they contacted interior designer Robin Rains.

An avid antiques collector, the wife knew Robin and had bought pieces from her at Leiper’s Creek Gallery. The two hit it off, and they began the three-year process of planning, cataloging and, finally, installing everything in the new and renovated spaces. What might sound like a challenge — the couple’s conflicting tastes — Robin found rewarding. He favors contemporary, uncluttered, clean design, whereas she is drawn to opulence, tradition, a more-is-more kind of style. Fortunately, they respected each other’s preferences, embraced their contrasting styles and found common ground. Now, simple architectural details and steel windows make the perfect backdrop for the art, antiques and treasures on display.

“The couple has traveled extensively, so the rooms aren’t decorated, as much as they are reservoirs for cherished things collected over a lifetime,” explains Robin. French limestone floors and white walls let the art — paintings, etchings and oils — shine, and antique dressers ground groupings of items — mirrors, sculpture and books, a move that keeps the rooms from looking busy. In places, quiet moments, like a painting by Kit Reuther, are balanced out with a “busy moment,” such as blue-and-white porcelain. In fact, it is the collections that unify the rooms, rather than a color scheme. The end result is that every space is comfortable, inviting and beautiful, yet convenient for daily living.

“It’s a world traveler’s home [and] tells their story of where they’ve been and what they love,” says Robin. “This house will only get better with time. It speaks volumes about who lives there. That’s what we, as designers, strive to do. It’s our job to listen, cultivate and, ultimately, tell their story. I feel like we really achieved that here.”

Everything in Its Place

The new kitchen, while not huge, is extremely practical. Since the wife’s passion for collecting extends to china, glassware and serving pieces, Robin and Katie Woods, then at Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design, cataloged each item, and cabinets and drawers were built to house everything perfectly. Above the La Cornue range is a custom plaster hood, and the blue-and-white painted checkerboard floor reminds the owner of Italy, one of her favorite places.

Zen Moment

The wife specifically requested a “meditation room,” a beautiful place to rest and rejuvenate, to nourish her soul. Robin transformed the formerly dark spot into a cocoon, painting the walls white and draping the windows in matching sheer fabric. A built-in bookcase was added to hold family photographs and display collections — antique Himalayan singing bowls, pottery and vintage footstools. “It’s one of my favorite spaces,” says Robin. “While it may sound like a more-is-more space, the bookcase housing the collections keeps it tidy and neat.”

Cozy Retreat

The couple, both avid readers, retire to the upstairs library at night to relax. Once a bedroom, all four walls are now wrapped in bookcases. Art rails were installed so that the owners can rotate their pieces. Robin sourced the 1970s Roche Bobois sofa and the tortoise midcentury cocktail table in France, while the owners found the Eames chairs on a trip to New York City. The dark blue walls and leather furniture add to the coziness of the small room.

Room With a View

The limestone flooring continues into a sunroom added to the back of the house, where a glass wall of steel windows looks out onto a new courtyard, garden and pool. The husband wanted a space for casual dinners, and the long table is surrounded by a fun mix of chairs and a banquette from Robin’s shop. Elsewhere in the room, a 17th-century Italian chest surrounded by a grouping of baskets and a geometric Tulum rug create interest but keep it clean so that the focus remains on the garden.

Photographs by Leslee Mitchell