Known as Music City, Nashville is where the world of music meets southern comfort. This is a land where the tunes are country along with jazz, blues, and rock and where the food can be grits and gravy as well as a grilled lobster. Though it’s home to such high-profile artists as Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, and Nicole Kidman, it’s a downhome kind of place—one where you’re just as apt to see these celebs on the street as on the stage.
We caught up with Interior Designer Kathy Anderson, IIDA, Owner and Principal Designer of Anderson Design Studio. She has designed some of Nashville’s iconic staples including backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House, backstage at the Ryman and Ole Red & Nashville Underground on Broadway. Here she gives us the skivvy on her home town.
What are your favorite home décor shops in your city?
For modern and minimalist accessories I like Wilder at 1212 4th Ave. N.
For cool, vintage and more organic items, I like OAK Nashville. It’s located at 4200 Charlotte Ave.
For the unique and weird, I like to shop Gas Lamp Antiques and Mall at 100 Powell Ave.
Is there a museum that embodies the interior design of the city?
Yes, The Frist Art Museum is amazing and their collections are top notch. It’s located in a historic U.S. Post Office so the space alone is worth seeing. I’m also super excited about the new Tennessee State Museum.
What places inspire you in your city?
It’s really the people and the energy of the city that inspire me. Just strolling the shops and restaurants of the Gulch is always fun. The music on lower Broadway also inspires me. Nashville Underground is one of my favorite places to hear great music and experience an incredible rooftop view. It has an LED-lit dance floor on one outdoor patio and a green roof on the upper patio. Great people watching!
Any neighborhoods that are up and coming?
Nashville is exploding and especially neighborhoods within 20 minutes of downtown. I love the little neighborhood of Woodbine; cute little houses and safe. Personally, I love being right in the middle of everything by living right downtown. Last night I walked up the block to Live on the Green Music festival and heard some great music and then walked over to the Sounds Stadium to watch a little baseball and play some ping pong.
Are there any secret things that you love to do in your city?
I love that Nashville has so much green space and places to hike like our beautiful park Percy Warner. I also love the greenway. From downtown I can grab a bike and ride the greenway along the river or over to the Farmer’s Market in Germantown.
What is different about your city?
I feel we are in a dramatic time of incredible growth and we all know how special it is to live in Nashville right now. I feel the creative people are as respected and important as the business people and we realize we are making a good team!
What can you find in your city that you can’t find anywhere else?
Music on every corner, incredible music!! You can go out any night in Nashville and hear great music, dance and have a great time. It’s a tourist town and people come here to have a good time, therefore everybody always seems happy and excited to be here.
Is your city a good place to be a creative person?
Yes, it’s a great place to be a creative person. Nashville was built on creativity! This is not only songwriters and artists, but fine art, architecture, interior design, hatmakers, woodworkers and other creatives.
What are your dream projects?
I love creating spaces for the public to experience; restaurants, bars, retail stores, hotels, etc.
My dream project is to design the interior of a hotel from the ground up. I want to do a rock and roll type hotel, edgy and fun.