For years, susan and bill varner had been keeping an eye on idyllic land on the Tennessee River. Formerly farmland, Arcadia Peninsula had been divided into a small number of unique estate lots in Knoxville, Tennessee. “We used to boat by the tract of land; Bill really wanted to build there,” says Susan Varner. “The land has views of both the river and the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as access to the river—all within a quiet neighborhood.”
When they finally got the chance, they purchased one of the three larger 7-acre lots with a plan to build a stately home. They already had a team lined up to design what they hoped would be a warm, contemporary version of an old English country manor. Both Johnson Architecture and June Chamberlain Interiors had collaborated with the Varners on previous homes in Atlanta and East Tennessee. With the trusted team in place, the Varners met with the professionals to explain their concept, using a single inspiration photo as the jumping-off point. “I showed them a magazine photo of a stone dining room in a European home,” Varner explains. “I don’t know why, but the room drew me in and made me feel like home. I wanted to replicate that feeling. They [the designer and architect] can crawl into my brain and come out on the other side when I can’t articulate what I want. The beauty of this team is that they all work together and respect each other throughout the collaborative process of building a home.”
“The main architectural story of the home is the push-and-pull of strong elements, such as the stone used on both the exterior and the interior, combined with softly curved elements, such as the plaster barrel ceiling in the great room,” says designer June Chamberlain, who worked in concert with senior designer Lisa Uihlein to design and furnish this home. “I nodded to the soft-versus-strong architecture in the interior design. While the Varners had an inspiration photo but not a particular style in mind, we let the look evolve, combining new elements and furnishings with a few antiques and some art deco pieces.”
Principal architect Daryl Johnson, along with project architect Brian Pittman, organized the home’s design around a central gallery to provide the feel of an English manor. After stepping into a rotunda-shaped foyer, a series of four sections of hallways, or chambers, lead off of the east and west sides of the foyer to comprise the central halls, which culminate in garages at each end of the long hallways. Since the homeowners love different forms of art and sculpture, the architects thought the long hallways could serve as an immersive art gallery to display collected paintings. “Each chamber is fronted in glass so you can see the art as you arrive at the front of the home,” says Johnson. “Indirect light from skylights in the gallery ensures the artwork is protected.”
To further capture the concept of an English manor, they designed a deep, arched entryway that leads into the foyer and the great room beyond. The great room features a vaulted barrel ceiling and flanking fireplaces at each end of the room. “The rest of the home steps down in scale,” Johnson says. “The material selections were critical to achieving the look the homeowners wanted. Tumbled limestone, smooth cast limestone and copper accenting on the exterior reflect the countryside.”
The tumbled and cast limestone continue into the great room. “Our vision was that the great room would look like it was the original home that had been added onto over time,” Johnson adds. An opening off the great room leads to the kitchen, while a second one points the way to the private areas of the home.
At the back of the home facing the river and mountain views, a den, called the summer room by the homeowners, features a vaulted ceiling lined with timbers. “It feels like an open-air space—a former porch enclosed at a later time,” says Chamberlain. White barrel chairs cozy up to a third fireplace in the this room, where the Varners take advantage of 270-degree views of a landscape that gently slopes down to the river.
Step outside and a patio surrounding an infinity-edge pool connects to the river beyond. The architect ensured unobstructed views by creatively using the elevation to advantage and positioning the infinity edge of the pool so viewers could easily engage with the river and mountains without the interruption of deck railings. “While the front of the home features the art gallery, it was important that the back of the home be equally as beautiful,” Chamberlain says about the outdoor living space that is a natural draw to the homeowners and visitors alike. “The star of the show is the outdoor setting. It feels like the French Riviera.”
Inside, the home’s interiors are just what the homeowners wanted—clean, uncluttered and unfussy. “Natural stone walls and floors mix with white plaster and metal windows to speak of a manor style. Fortunately, we were able to source these materials easily from Atlanta vendors,” Chamberlain says.
While the palette is neutral, Chamberlain created visual tension through the interplay of darkly stained French oak flooring and white stone walls. She also added soft curves in lighting and furnishings to counteract the clean architectural lines. “I like to nod to the architecture in my designs,” she says. The result is interiors that are appealing and balanced. “Since ease of entertaining was one of our goals, I created many different seating areas throughout the home so the Varners’ huge family could gather,” she adds.
The push-and-pull of the design continues in the kitchen, where dark surfaces like rift-sawn oak cabinetry and warm wood floors balance light quartzite countertops and walls painted in Benjamin Moore “China White.” The design is soft and strong, warm but mixed with coolness, with smooth versus textured surfaces. “The contrasting elements work well together,” Chamberlain says.
Varner loves to bake and often preps in the back kitchen, keeping the mess out of the main kitchen. She also handles other tasks in the functional scullery, such as arranging cut flowers for display in the main rooms.
While Varner enjoys her own office, complete with pink swivel chairs, she has another favorite spot: a breakfast nook that is nestled into a bay window with floor-to-ceiling glass on the back of the home. “That’s where I spend the most time,” she says. “I can see the pool, mountains and river from the bay window. The view keeps me grounded and feeling peaceful.” She also loves the woodwork and stone. “All of the natural products hearken back to Mother Earth,” she adds.
Chamberlain paid special attention to creating a bespoke look for the client. She worked with Virginia artist Paul Clements to design and fabricate custom chandeliers throughout the home. She also designed a curved sofa and coffee tables for the great room, a breakfast room table and a leather coffee table for the summer room. She mixed these artisanal pieces with new furniture and a few antiques for a collected-over-time look. Other specialty contractors, including kitchen and bath designer Kelly Carlisle Design and cabinetmaker Elite Millworks, along with builder Schaad Residential Construction, rounded out the overall design and construction services.
For her part, the homeowner expressed an interest in participating in each design decision. She touched fabrics to make sure they were comfortable and sat on chairs along with Chamberlain to assess how they would work in the home. Chamberlain scouted special finds for the interiors, such as the bow-front wooden desk she found for Bill Varner’s office on 1stDibs, which was previously used in a Disney movie.
Although it is always a bit challenging to design a home for a client in another state, Chamberlain is up to the job. “I design many commercial and residential properties for clients in other states, including Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, and even Turks and Caicos. Despite the distance, the Varners were wonderful to work with, so there was nothing hard about this job,” Chamberlain says. “Susan wanted to be part of the process and made it fun. I loved every part of this project. What is most important—in this project and all projects—is that in the end I have a happy client.”
The Varners continue to expand their artwork collection to enhance the central gallery’s walls. They have added pieces picked up from Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta, including from the late Todd Murphy; a few purchases from Scottish fine art photographer David Yarrow (one of their favorites); and a couple of compositions curated from Varner’s sister, who is a contemporary painter.
The end result of the architectural and design collaboration was just what the Varners were hoping for. The classical millwork and rustic elements of wood and stone create a warm and welcoming feeling while simultaneously providing a stately, grand statement. “Sometimes it’s hard to create rooms that feel inviting, but June was able to do just that,” says Varner. “It all came together to create such an amazing space. I give all the credit to the architects and designers. It felt like home from the first day we moved in.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
While the palette is neutral, Chamberlain created visual tension through the interplay of darkly stained French oak flooring and white stone walls. She also added soft curves in lighting and furnishings to counteract the clean architectural lines.
