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October 27, 2023

Top White Paint Colors for Exterior
a professional paint color consultant breaks down her most used whites

With endless amounts of paint colors, brands and finishes, selecting the perfect hue for your project can feel like a daunting decision. Especially when choosing an exterior color, the decision is one that can easily make you second guess yourself. There are endless details that will affect the look of your home’s paint color, from topography to the neighbor’s house to your trim color. Someone else’s perfect shade may look completely different on your home, so it’s always best to consult the experts!

Factors to Consider

An even more daunting task is picking the perfect hue of white. A bright, classic white home will never go out of style, but the countless undertones and shades sure do make the decision a difficult one if you’re not a professional paint colorist. Rowan Hall lead designer, Alfie Rowan, shared that when she arrives for a paint consultation, she immediately studies the surroundings of the home. She takes note of the roof color, landscaping, backdrop, stone, brick, and even the position of the sun. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Our Knoxville interior design firm staffs professional color consultants who know how to choose the perfect color for your home. They know their paint decks and finishes, have their favorites, and can walk you through the best options for your specific project. To schedule a consultation with a Rowan Hall Interiors paint color specialist, call our office at 865-585-2945 or contact us here today

Our Most-Used Whites

Rowan Hall color consultant, Sylvia, and lead designer, Alfie, put their heads together to narrow down four of their favorite whites for an exterior paint job. They’re letting us into their expert brains, breaking down their picks and pointing you in the right direction for your new white home.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008)

Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is a warm, bright white with beige undertones. It has just enough warmth to soften it without leaning too far into cream territory. Free of yellow tones, it looks clean without being overly reflective or sterile. Alabaster is immensely popular and versatile. Sherwin Williams’ 2016 Color of the Year, it can be used to brighten both interiors and exteriors with a classic neutral shade.Left: Home Bunch;  Right Top and Bottom: Brick and Batten

Sherwin Williams Snowbound (SW 7004)

Sherwin Williams Snowbound (SW 7004) straddles the line between a crisp off-white and a soft true white. With its taupe undertones, it’s slightly cooler and brighter than Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) while still sharinging its level of versatility. Delightful against dark colors, it pairs perfectly with blacks, maintaining high contrast without appearing too stark. It coordinates well with cool grays and colors with green, blue, and greige hues, just cool enough to compliment them while also looking at home amongst truly neutral palettes. Receiving natural light as an exterior color, Snowbound will appear brighter and whiter outside than in interior spaces, where slight undertones of pink or greige may be visible depending on adjacent colors. With just a touch of pigment to soften it, it never leans too warm or too cool, avoiding ever appearing yellow or blue.

Top: Brick and Batten;  Bottom Left: Color Wheel by Rugh Design;  Bottom Right: Living Letter Home

Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW 7042)

Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a cozy, creamy off-white. Warm and inviting, Shoji White sports beige undertones with just a touch of gray to neutralize it. Against dark charcoals and blacks, it appears more white than cream, while lighter pairings bring out its softer side. Its buff tone is derived from an orange pigment, so it avoids being a yellow-tinged white despite its warmth. This also results in a stunning contrast against cool colors such as light, airy blues. Shoji White has certainly earned its spot on Sherwin Williams’ Top 50 Colors list alongside our other white recommendations, Alabaster (SW 7008), Snowbound(SW 7004), and Eider White (SW 7014).Top Left: Southern Living;  Bottom Left: Whitney Parkinson Design; Right: Mod and Mood

 Sherwin Williams Eider White (SW 7014)

Sherwin Williams Eider White (SW 7014) is a cooler off-white option with soft gray undertones. Perfect for those who want to avoid both creams and whites that look overly stark in direct sunlight, Eider White is reliable in its brightness and versatility. Though it is slightly cool, Eider White is fundamentally neutral, and therefore pairs agreeably with just about any other color.Top Left: homedit;  Bottom Left: Sherwin Williams #swcolorlove Gallery;  Top Right: Making Home Base, Chelsea Coulston;  Bottom Right: Rugh Design

Let’s Get Started!

Even with these picks from a well-trained eye, there are endless factors still to consider. Will you change your trim color or repaint your windows? Do your neighbors have white homes that will affect the brightness of the color you choose? Do you have brick or stone with difficult undertones to match? 

Selecting a white paint color is never a quick pick! Our color consultants are here to help, near and far. If you live in Knoxville, Farragut or any of the surrounding counties we serve, one of our professional colorists can come to you. We will point out things you may not have considered, narrow down your options, and give our best recommendations for your project. Call our office at 865-585-2945 or contact us here today. 

Not local to Knoxville, Tennessee? That’s okay! We are happy to consult with you virtually to help make the best possible choice for your home. Give us a call to organize a meeting today. 

Need more help gaining a vision for your project? Sometimes you know what you want but you’re not sure how to get there, and our Knoxville interior design team is here to help! Schedule a discovery call or consultation with us to start bringing your dreams to life.

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October 13, 2023

Aspen Luxe Basement Renovation
Part II

Fall is upon us, which means soon we’ll be looking for excuses to stay in and hibernate with the people we love most. What better excuse than a brand new, beautifully remodeled bonus room basement that the whole family can enjoy? In our last blog featuring this Aspen Luxe project, we broke down how we teamed up with Preferred Construction to give an unfinished basement functionality and style. Today, we’re diving into the furnishings and finishing touches we added to make this space extraordinary.

Our Maryville, Tennessee clients love their mid-century home that sits nestled in the windy roads of East Tennessee. They wished for a space to cuddle up as a family for movie nights, entertain friends, or host slumber parties. Our Knoxville interior design team put their brilliant heads together to create a space that would be functional and beautiful for this family. 

Rowan Hall’s vision combined elements of mid-century design with notes of rustic influence inspired by the home’s Smoky Mountain surroundings. Combined with the fresh, sophisticated feel of Rowan Hall Interiors design, the end result is what we call “Aspen Luxe.” 

Personalized Design

Because this space is underground and lacking windows, an important part of the design was bringing in the outdoors and making the space feel more grand. Painting the ceilings white made them feel higher, while the walls were painted a bright shade of light gray. Large artwork adds a focal point to the space, giving the same feel that a window would create. We chose artwork in neutral tones ranging from cool to warm, and the pieces bring in the feeling of nature in an abstract way. 

This basement bonus room design needed to serve the entire family, and a welcoming, cozy feel was high on our clients’ wishlist. We customized these amazing sofas with performance fabric, and the best part–they easily transform into stylish sleeper sofas. Alfie Rowan, lead designer and founder of Rowan Hall, discovered these at High Point Market earlier this year. She immediately thought of this project and knew they would be perfect for our clients. One of many perks of working with experienced interior designers is knowing that we’ve done our research, tested countless products, and narrowed down the perfect picks for your lifestyle.

Livable Luxury

In addition to performance fabric on the sofas, we chose other durable Kryptons for a fun accent chair and kitchen barstools. These materials will be perfect for little hands or messy adults, making clean-up as easy as can be. The textured wool rug in the living area will hide dirt and stains, so our clients can kick back and relax with ease. 

Knoxville interior designer, Alfie Rowan, custom living area and basement remodel with custom kitchen design, Farragut TN custom draperies and home renovation, interior finish selection

Each piece in the space was thoughtfully chosen by our Knoxville interior design team to fit the lifestyle of our clients and the specifics of this project. We chose low-profile furnishings to make the ceilings feel taller. We selected a lightweight coffee table and ottoman for easy rearranging when the sofas need to transform. We picked furniture with organic shapes and mid-century influence to be the foundation of our Aspen Luxe design. 

Finishing TouchesKnoxville interior designer, Alfie Rowan, custom living area and basement remodel with custom kitchen design, Farragut TN custom draperies and home renovation, interior finish selection

Finally, we filled the space with hand-selected accessories and decorative touches that really make it feel like a home. Throw pillows, trays, baskets, vases and coasters are the little details that bring a space to life. We brought in pops of warm neutrals and cool grays in the pillows, added some fun personality with a unique planter, and brought in touches of greenery to bring in the outdoors. 

In the end, our clients loved coming home to a new basement bonus room full of hand-picked pieces for their family. Rowan Hall’s expert interior designers ensured that every detail of this renovation was cohesive and well thought out. Read how we worked with Preferred Construction to design the remodel of this space here, and contact us today for help designing your home project. From beginning to end, we’ll ensure each and every detail is a beautiful reflection of style, luxury and comfort.

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September 29, 2023

Welcome to Farragut!
An interior designer's guide to the place she calls "home"

Almost 30 years ago, Knoxville natives Alfie and Mitch Rowan chose to raise their family in Farragut, Tennessee. Decades later, their children have fled the nest, they’ve spent over 20 years growing Rowan Hall Interiors, and they still call Farragut “home.” Who better to weigh in on the Knoxville suburb than them?!

Farragut is one of East Tennessee’s favorite places to raise a family. The top schools, safe neighborhoods and convenient location make it a premier choice for parents looking for a small-town atmosphere for their children to grow up. Rowan Hall’s office sits within the Farragut city limits where our interior design team is lucky enough to serve this great community.

Ghosts of Decades Past

The Knoxville suburb’s history dates back to the Civil War, but it wasn’t officially incorporated until 1980. The homes and neighborhoods do tend to reflect that late 1900s style. Dark, dated kitchens from the 90s and 80s floral wallpaper aren’t uncommon in Farragut homes. The good news is that most of these homes have excellent bones and quality craftsmanship due to the neighborhoods’ high building standards. You may not fall in love with a 30-year-old home at first glance, but, lucky for you, we know a Farragut interior design firm with plenty of experience turning an outdated home into a place you love! 

Farragut Kitchen renovation – BEFORE

Farragut Kitchen renovation – AFTER

Throughout the years, our Farragut clients have welcomed Rowan Hall’s team of interior designers into their homes to breathe more modern life. We’ve created classic and timeless kitchens, cool and contemporary bonus rooms, and light, airy great rooms. We get to know our clients’ lifestyles and design preferences and give them spaces that welcome and inspire.

An office too depressing to work in is wasted space, and a bedroom that doesn’t feel like an oasis isn’t serving anyone well. We love when our clients trust Rowan Hall to give their homes new life and create spaces that function for their families. If your Farragut or Knoxville-area home doesn’t feel like you, our team of experienced interior designers is ready to give your place a facelift. We’ll work with what you have, design custom pieces that fit your lifestyle, and hand-select fabric and artwork that will inspire you for years to come. Schedule an initial consultation today and get to know our principal designer, Alfie Rowan. She’ll provide insight and expertise in this 2-hour working meeting, and by the end, you’ll be ready for a Rowan Hall refresh to make your home shine!

Fresh and Functional

Farragut basement bonus room – BEFORE

Farragut basement bonus room – AFTER

One Farragut home has been the subject of several Rowan Hall renovations throughout the years. We began in their very brown kitchen, gave their basement bonus room a fresh new feel, said “goodbye” to a wood-paneled office from decade’s past, and touched just about every room in between. Now these clients enjoy a home that reflects their own personal style and will evolve with them for years to come.

If you’re looking to buy a home in Farragut, Alfie’s advice is to not get hung up on the outdated details. Fall in love with a neighborhood, find a home with solid bones and room for your family to grow, and understand that the vision may come later. If you can’t envision the potential, give us a call! We can provide design plans, visual renderings, and inspiration to make you excited about your new home. Better yet, we’ll put those plans into action while you sit back and enjoy your new town.

Our Farragut Favorites

Alfie and Mitch are no strangers to the good eats and sweet treats around Farragut, and our team of designers knows the best spot on every street! Check out our Rowan Hall-approved restaurants and shops throughout Farragut below. When you’re feeling adventurous, explore our Knoxville favorites or peruse Loudon County’s hidden treasures. Your central location means you get to experience it all!

Good Eats

Cava – Kasia’s favorite! If you see a team wearing blue shirts, it might be the Rowan Hall squad after an install day!

Elkmont Station – The ladies of Rowan Hall love a small plate dinner! Specifically, the pimento cheese fritters and oyster stew from Elkmont Station.

Connors Steak and Seafood – Our go-to for team meetings and work-day lunches, and we’re never disappointed! Connors is always a crowd-pleaser.

Seasons – Their menu is–you guessed it–seasonal, so get the summer tomato salad while you can! You can’t go wrong with this Farragut favorite anytime of year.

Sweet Treats

VGs bakery – No need to slave over baked goods in the kitchen when VG’s talented crew does it for you! The best sweet tooth satisfaction in Farragut, and their goodies are made from scratch with fresh ingredients (so the calories don’t count!)

Click the button below to begin dreaming up your Farragut home today!

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September 15, 2023

Tampa Vacation Home
Multi-Functional Basement Remodel

How does a team of Knoxville Interior Designers get hired to update an entire vacation home in Tampa, Florida? Having amazing clients who wouldn’t dream of moving into a new home without their favorite Rowan Hall ladies!

After completing a full-service interior renovation of the family’s Knoxville residence, our clients invited Rowan Hall to give their new vacation home a fresh new look. We gave an inside look at the primary bedroom of this Tampa vacation home, and now we’re heading down to the basement to break down how we created the ultimate hangout spot.

No Working Allowed

The previous owners of this home used their basement as a home office, but vacation homes are not meant for working! Our clients intend to use their second home as a weekend getaway and a place to rejuvenate with their family. We decided that bonus room for relaxing and extra accommodations would serve them better, so we started planning for this multifunctional space!

This space had a leg-up on other basements due to the three windows letting in natural light. There was also a bathroom, which meant it could be used as an extra bedroom. The clients agreed that that would suit their needs. Having an extra bed meant more visitors could come, including their aging parents.

Although we agreed to include a bed in this space, we didn’t want to eliminate any other potential use for this space. It could also be a great hangout spot for the clients’ young adult children or a quiet place to read. Therefore, we opted for a comfortable, space-saving Murphy bed that could stay folded in the wall when not in use. The piece is flanked by shelving and can be pulled out easily for a comfortable sleeping spot when visitors come to stay.

A Place to Unwind

Comfort was key in this space, so we brought in a custom sofa in performance fabric and upholstered ottoman for lounging. The lightweight ottoman was a better option for rearranging than a heavy coffee table, and the fun striped fabric we chose gives a pop of color to this neutral room. 

More vibrant colors and bold patterns were incorporated in the throw pillows and custom draperies. We wanted the space to feel youthful and modern. A mix of patterns in shades of aqua and lime green give that fun flair our clients were looking for. Geometric style lamps and an epoxy side table add more style to this otherwise neutral room.

The rug we chose also gives a neutral base for the fun patterns to pop. A rug makes any room cozier and will also dampen the noise in this case. Layers of texture and color make this once dreary basement an inviting space for the whole family. 

Room for All

Although our clients didn’t need this space to function as a home office, it would still make a great place to work from home! The beauty of this basement is that the options are endless! Rest and relax, curl up with a book, have a movie night, or pull out the Murphy bed for a good night’s sleep. This flex room is cozy and inviting enough for all of it!

Even if you don’t have a spare room in your second home for us to play with like these clients do, you probably could use some multifunctional solutions in your own home! Our team of design experts can come up with simple solutions to make your life much easier and your home much more livable for you. Give us a call to get started planning your home project today!

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September 1, 2023

Welcome to Loudon County!
An interior designer's guide to an East Tennessee move

Wind River, Tennessee National, Rarity Bay… Loudon County might just be the golf community capital of the world. They call it the Lakeway to the Smokies, and the picturesque water views explain why. Whether you’re looking for a stunning backdrop for a vacation home, or you’re ready for retirement in East Tennessee’s prime location, Rowan Hall will help make your new home as beautiful on the inside as its surroundings on the outside.

Why Loudon County?

Loudon County is an outdoor lover’s dream nestled just southwest of Knox County. Golf courses, marinas and hiking trails abound from Lenoir City to Vonore. Tellico, Watts Bar and Fort Loudon Lakes provide the waterfront views that are drawing out-of-towners from all over. Golf Communities are popular here, and gated communities are perfect for retirees building or renovating a home for their new season of life. 

The low cost of living in this East Tennessee county is drawing retirees from all over. According to PayScale, the housing market in Loudon County is 40% less than the national average, meaning our clients get more house for less money. This creates the ability to engage our Knoxville interior design firm to make their new home a luxurious place to land. 

A Blast from the Past

The communities and neighborhoods in Loudon County really took off during the 90s and early 2000s, which is evident in the design of a lot of the homes. If you’re looking to buy in this area, but the homes are feeling dated and out of style, Rowan Hall’s expert interior design team knows how to make simple, cost effective upgrades to bring your home into the current decade. 

If you’re looking to take advantage of the affordable land in Loudon County with a custom home build, our team can step in to work with you and your chosen builder to help make every minute decision along the way. We’ll help give you a cohesive home where every detail has been carefully considered by the experts. Learn more about custom home and remodel design here. 

Lakeside Living Great Room Fireplace Before and After

In 2022, our clients purchased a waterfront home in Tellico Village, and they relocated from California to the growing Loudon County community. Their new home didn’t suit their design style, so we helped bring it into the current decade with an interior renovation that fits their new surroundings. We erased years from the design of this house and filled the home with beautiful pieces that give them the effortless luxury they deserve. Read more about this project here. 

Where to Land

In Loudon County, there’s truly an option for everyone. Private neighborhoods are at every turn, and each one has unique amenities to offer. 

Tellico Village

Tellico interior designer, Loudon county interior designer, Knoxville, Farragut, Rarity Bay, Wind River, custom draperies, interior finish selection, paint color consultationvia tellicolake.com

Retirees beginning their next chapter may choose Tellico Village, a 55+ community with 3 golf courses, 4,800 acres and countless activities to stay busy. This community is made up of 8 different neighborhoods throughout Loudon County, home to more than nine thousand residents. 

The homes here vary from townhomes to large properties, meaning there’s a place for everyone. If you fall in love with a home in Tellico Village, the Rowan Hall team can help make it your own. You’ll have a hard time keeping visitors away from beautiful East Tennessee, and we’ll make sure your home (and guest room) is ready!

Rarity Bay

If nine thousand residents sounds overwhelming, Rarity Bay is a gated golf community up the road that around nine hundred folks call home. The Smoky Mountain and Tellico Lake views are breathtaking at every bend, and the amenities at Rarity Bay are designed to keep you enjoying the great outdoors. A country club, tennis and pickleball facilities, and equestrian center are only a handful of the world-class facilities in this Vonore, Tennessee neighborhood. 

A French Country style of home is the standard in Rarity Bay, so many of our clients call our expert interior design team ASAP. Whether you fall in love with an existing home or an empty lot, you’ll want an experienced team to take the lead on design, so you can enjoy your new town! There’s so much to experience at “the Bay.” The last thing you’ll want to be doing is picking out hardware and paint finishes! 

Lenoir City

Tellico interior designer, Loudon county interior designer, Knoxville, Farragut, Rarity Bay, Wind River, custom draperies, interior finish selection, paint color consultationvia tellicolake.com/windriver

A quick drive from Rowan Hall’s office in Farragut, Tennessee, Lenoir City is conveniently located without the bustling Knoxville traffic. Golf neighborhoods, Tennessee National and Wind River, feel private and secluded with their marinas, lakeside restaurants and premier golf courses. However, Knoxville is a short 30 minutes away, creating convenience for those not wishing to be too far from the shops at Turkey Creek and restaurants of Farragut.

If you find your home in the Lake Capital of the South, you deserve a cozy oasis designed just for you. Whatever your lifestyle, the Rowan Hall team wants to get to know you and curate spaces in your home that feel like you! By the end of your initial consultation, we’ll know what depth of sofa you’ll love and what material your barstools need to be. We won’t call ourselves psychic, but by the end of it you might start to wonder!

Our Loudon County Favorites

Since you’re hiring Rowan Hall’s design team to take care of all the details within your home, you’ll have time to get out and enjoy Loudon County! After a lifetime of living right up the road, Alfie knows all the hidden gems, and these are some Rowan Hall fan favorites. Who better to get recommendations from than a few ladies with impeccable taste?!

Good Eats

Calhouns – A local, lakeside classic that never disappoints! We go for the views and the soft pretzels.

Aubrey’s – Another local staple that we love at any of their locations! Alfie’s boys had many Aubrey’s pregame meals generously donated when they played high school ball at Knoxville Catholic. We think they must feed every sports team in Knoxville!

El Senor Rancho – You can never go wrong with chips and salsa at the closest Mexican restaurant. Alfie loves their fajitas!

Little Italy – A Tellico Village staple! The locals love this unsuspecting hole-in-the-wall, and we totally understand why.

Toqua Sports Bar and Grill – Alfie and Mitch love to drive out to this Tellico Village lakeside spot that overlooks the Toqua Golf Course putting green. It’s worth their drive from Farragut to unwind after a busy week.

Caffeine Kicks

Coffee Culture – The best cappuccino in Loudon County! Alfie loves to have meetings here or get her caffeine fix on the way to our Tellico projects.

Sweet Treats

Master Donuts – The best apple fritters you’ve ever eaten and a little TOO convenient on our way to Tellico Village appointments!

Tic Toc Ice Cream Parlor – Downtown Loudon’s tastiest treat! An adorable ice cream shop that will send you back to the glory days.

Have we convinced you that this is the place to be? Once you’ve taken the jump to move to beautiful East Tennessee, you’ll need a Loudon County interior designer to make your new house a home. Whether your dated new digs require a remodel, or you don’t want to bring your old furnishings into your beautiful new home, the Rowan Hall team can help usher you into the next chapter with style. 

Click the button below to get started with Rowan Hall today!

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