Story by Gay Lyons | Photography by Ben Finch

Anne Anderson was perfectly happy in her family’s previous home, which she described as “a charming older home in Sequoyah Hills,” but her family wanted to live on the lake. She has come to love the large, open home in Louisville they purchased in 2016. “The view sold us on this house,” she said. “ It’s a peaceful place to live. The way the home sits on the lot, we have a lot of privacy. And Blount County’s great. I can get anywhere pretty quickly.”

The Andersons considered building, but “if our children were going to live here, we didn’t have  time to build,” said Anne. The couple are now empty nesters--except for four-year-old French bulldog Millie--but their daughter, an equestrienne coach at UT Martin, and son, a sophomore at Duke University who plays on the football team, visit, often bringing friends. 

“My daughter recently brought home six teammates, and we had the best time,” said Anne. “My husband was the boat driver; I was the chef.” Anne, who was an art history major in
college, was a stay at home mom while her children were young, but she said she always had “a passion for design.”

She started a blog and a website for Anne Anderson Home and says, “it took off organically.” Renovating and redecorating has been fun, she said. “It’s been like a little laboratory.” “We were able to use everything from the old house,” she continued. “It’s so much bigger, but it’s shocking how little we needed to buy.”

One new piece is a massive chest for the foyer which sits under a collection of glass plates Anne loves for their reflection. The foyer opens into the dining room, living room and office.

The round dining table and etageres complement the square dining room. Anne added the mural by Lynn Arnwine around the mirror because she wanted something “organic and light.” She chose etageres rather than a china cabinet because “I love my china, and I love having it out in a casual way.”

In the office, Anne covered the walls with grasscloth “to warm it up.” She says she loves wallpaper and has “papered the whole house.” The focal point in the room is a photograph by John Duckworth.

In the living room, the view of the lake dominates. “I didn’t want anything to compete with the view,” said Anne, “so I have muted colors with some greens. I have a lot of eclectic pieces I like. I used a 70’s piece as a fire screen because I love it and I didn’t have anywhere else to use it.” There’s also a white stump, which Anne described as “really heavy,” which has to be moved every year to accommodate the Christmas tree.

Anne says the open floor plan allows her to “see everything,” which she likes: “I think it’s important to live in every room.” The master suite includes a bedroom, bathroom and sitting area. The sofa in the sitting area was her husband’s grandmother’s and is “surprisingly comfortable.” Because of the pretty view, Anne says she loves sitting there.

The iron bed was made in Louisiana. The master bath was extensively renovated to include a double vanity, a soaking tub and a glass-enclosed shower that is 114 inches tall. “Creative Reflections was the only place that would do the glass without a seam,” said Anne. She chose a cut out instead of a shower door handle because she didn’t want anything to take away from the marble. The subdued hue in the bath is one of her favorite colors. “I love lilac,” she said. “It’s everywhere. Thank goodness my husband is OK with that.”

The kitchen and keeping room anchor one side of the house. In the kitchen they painted cabinets, changed the counter tops and added wall paper with a bark texture. The breakfast nook commands one of the home’s best views. Anne says she likes “traditional interiors with a fresh touch” and pointed to the “mix of contemporary and vintage” in the keeping room. She favors “textures and patterns and neutral colors that pull the outdoors in.”

Anne’s hand is evident throughout the house--and on the exterior, where she had the brick painted and added a spiral staircase. Despite having made significant changes, Anne said from the beginning, “it seemed like a house I could work with.” And then there’s that view!