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Tour Grammy-Winning Singer-Songwriter Chris Tomlin’s Serene Cabin in Tennessee
Talk about a soulful refuge from the frenetic pace of life.
Sometimes a house moves you to tears in all the best ways possible. At least that was the case for Chris and Lauren Tomlin, who say they literally cried when they spied a pre-Civil War cabin during a country drive around Franklin, Tennessee. Thing is, it wasn’t for sale. So the couple left a note in the mailbox, and just a few months later it was theirs. It’s likely they had a way with words: Chris is a Grammy-winning Christian singer-songwriter, after all, whose most recent album, Chris Tomlin and Friends, includes guest appearances by Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line. Fittingly, Chris, a history buff, named his property Peacefield, inspired by the name John Adams gave his historic Massachusetts home in the 1700s.
Once the family got accustomed to the property—which was built around a rough-hewn settler’s log cabin from before the Civil War—they enlisted architect Wade Weissmann to modernize it in a way that felt anything but, well, modern. “Wade specializes in maintaining the integrity of old homes,” says Lauren, adding that he kept her “on the rails.” “At some point I wanted to do a vaulted ceiling and he was like, ‘That’s great but it’s going to feel like an addition.’”
Lauren also invoked the talents of Nashville designer Rachel Halvorson. “Rachel has an incredible capacity for blending the old with the new,” says Lauren. That blend is best showcased against a backdrop of neutrals, which Rachel insists is the key to a country house. “There is a sense of ease to houses like this—fussy patterns and bold colors don’t really work because they can be distracting,” she says. The finished project feels like one giant exhale for the busy family of five (which includes daughters Ashlyn, Madi, and Elle). “I used to laugh when Lauren and Chris told me the property moved them to tears,” says Rachel, “but now I understand. The wholeness you feel when you’re there is nothing short of spiritual.”
Rachel Barrett is the Editor-in-Chief of Country Living. She can't pass up a vintage seascape, drives an '89 Woody Wagoneer (that is, when it'll start), and hopes to buy you a lemonade at a future Country Living Fair.
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