Name: Mitchell White
Location: Livingston, Tennessee
Size: 1100 square feet
Years lived in: 5 — rented
Mitch's house is in the heart of a very small town in rural Tennessee, but he himself has traveled the world — and his home reflects that. An accomplished artist and teacher, he brings a classic, timeless look to a very old home with beautiful bones.
When not painting or teaching, Mitch spends his time in the Clark House — a renovated home-turned-reception hall, where he does floral design for events. He also played a huge role in its renovation, including hand painting a Zuber-inspired mural in the foyer.
Mitch's artistry helps his home to stand out among other homes in his area. He has a strong sense of heritage, and many of his collected pieces are family heirlooms. You won't be able to find many chipboard or laminate pieces here—and you probably won't be able to trace any of his rooms back to a spread in a catalog—but you will find yourself in a home that has been carefully curated and filled with beautiful things that represent the very unique and talented resident.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Traditional, classic, and eclectic.
Inspiration: My biggest inspiration is my aunt, my mother's sister. She has great taste in decorating and entertaining. I'm also inspired by things I see when I travel. My home has a lot of European influences, particularly Italian.
Favorite Element: The windows and French doors and all of the light that they allow into the space.
Biggest Challenge: Striking a balance between the elements I like to use that feel a bit too large in a smaller space.
What Friends Say: My friends say that they like to come to my house and spend time looking at things; there are a lot of details.
Biggest Embarrassment: I don't have one… I love every part of my house, warts and all.
Proudest DIY: The mural in the bathroom that's loosely based on a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper design.
Biggest Indulgence: Paintings and prints.
Best Advice: If you have an idea that seems a little crazy, don't be afraid to do it. Make your space your own.
Dream Sources: Estate sales and auction catalogs.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
All are Porter paints
• Kitchen : Roasted Red Pepper
• Dining and Living Room : Bamboo
• Guest Room : River Reed
• Master Bedroom : Custom mixture by me (I think it was Silver Pine by Porter with a dash of cobalt blue and turquoise acrylic)
• Bathroom : Custom mixtures
LIVING ROOM
• Couch and chairs : local furniture store, 16 years ago!
• Armoire : antique store
• Rug : estate sale
• Painting over fireplace : I painted it in 2003.
• Contemporary watercolors over antique washstand : Painted by me
• Large landscape on wall over couch : Painted by me
• Pheasant : belonged to my uncle
• Bookshelves : custom built for house
• Rugs : estate sales
DINING ROOM
• Art : Small framed menu covers are from an August 1957 crossing of the Queen Mary and the painting is by me.
• Table : family heirloom
• Chairs : Pottery Barn
• Side table : custom made
• Chippendale bench : antique store
• Japanned cabinet : estate sale
KITCHEN
• Antique coffee grinder : from my aunt
• Art : my reproduction of an original John Singer Sargent
GUEST BEDROOM
• Bed : antique store
• Desk : estate sale
• Portrait : by me
• Antique map of Italy : picked up in Florence a few years ago
LANDING
• Corner Chair : antique store
• Paintings : by me
• Circular mirror : antique store
MASTER BEDROOM
• Bed : family piece given to me by my parents
• Table : from grandparents
• Art : purchased over the years from exhibits and shows
HALLWAY/LAUNDRY
• Art : original landscape by me
• Antique phone : from aunt
BACK ENTRYWAY
• Rug : estate sale
• Table : antique store
• Art : my reproduction of an original by John Singer Sargent
Thanks, Mitch!
Images: Sarah Dobbins
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Lovely! very elegant and sophisticated-- but also very comfortable and homey.
This isn't really my style, but it is wonderful. Great taste, Mitch (I expected you to be a lot older; very well done for someone who looks to be quite young). I love your beautiful paintings, rugs and furniture.
This is a nice break from the same old mid century mod twists that are EVERYWHERE. I like seeing posts like this with thoughtful design that is not as commonly seen on AT.
Cool house, Mitch! And kudos for keeping the same sofa for 16 years. It looks great.
My goodness. Your antique elements are incredible. And your art is beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Very lovely. I really like the oversized portrait in the kitchen. This does seem like a place where you could spend a lot of time looking at all the details.
Your home is just beautiful! The art is gorgeous, & the furniture makes me want to spend my weekends perusing estate sales & antique stores for great finds.
Gorgeous! I would have never though a huge painting would work so well in the kitchen. I could never leave your home because I would be too busy touring and looking at all the details.
Likewise with RMF325, I would have never guessed that you're so young!
Your home is lovely. I have been a lifelong fan of traditional interiors. It very nice to see classic things used in this home, some in unconventional ways, to suit your needs.
I love this tour - inspiring. So glad to see antiques being used and appreciated. Also, a welcome respite from "vintage" and "modern" tours. Finally, a place I would love to live and/or visit!
This is what I wish my house would look like. It's traditional without being stuffy. It's light and bright and airy, without being minimalist.
And it's fun, with the "wallpaper" in the bathroom and the art.
TN in the house! My mom is from Pickett Co.
Mitch adding some class to the foothills!
Not my style so much either, but I totally love it just the same. I adore the white kitchen cabinets and the ancient telephone!
You look so young for someone with a house like this! It's awfully traditional but what lovely pieces and great art. I would love to see crown molding added to some of those rooms; it would really help enhance the classic traditional feel.
that bed!!! so chic/ sexy!
Gorgeous! Makes me rethink traditional entirely. Loved everything about it. The bed is a courageous choice!
But one thing... how could Mitch own that sofa for 16 years when he looks about 19??? Not fair!
Outstanding! Mitch's home is what my home wants to be when it grows up.
wooo i would love to see more of that wall with the red/yellow bird & leaf designs on it! do tell what that's all about!
I absolutely love this house and the beautiful furnishings. It looks so welcoming and super comfortable.....except for the bedroom. Too much red fabric for my taste.
What a great home! Ignore comments by people who think the entire history of design happened between 1955 and 1975.
Wow. I adore your use of red and your artwork is amazing. Great job!
It could be an old rich apartment in Paris .... I love it.
I just got done watching a marathon run of Downton Abbey on Netflix. This house tour makes me want to start back at episode 1. Very nice space.
Love your artwork... you definitely have an eye for picking it out. And I second Uwe Preul's comment! I live in NC, a half hr from the TN border and the thought of a place like yours in the middle of the foothills made me grin ;)
Hello Livingston! I went to college in Cookeville and I have a good friend that still resides in Livingston. Oh my, I love everything about your home, especially the kitchen and that red-hot bedroom!
I too am happy to see a home for once that is not MCM. I love the restrained traditionalism used here.
Floorplans please people, floorplans.
I love seeing how people use antiques in fresh ways. What a wonderful Renaissance-inspired home!
Very well done, thought out. Loved the creative placement of your art.
This is really beautiful. Old fashioned refined elegance. The kitchen is great, with the artwork and the wall color. the bedroom - wow !
It is nice to see something different, (altho I love the tours with some MCM elements) but it is nice to see varied styles. This is so well done, it's a showplace, yet warm and inviting.
I wish floorplans were included with each house tour, even a quick sketch would do.
Really lovely, but I get frustrated when the home owner mentions things in the text that aren't shown in the pictures - the dining room, for example.
But I'm only frustrated because I like it so much.
Beautiful. But it does look like a model home.
Beautiful home. I would never decorate in this style myself, but I do appreciate homes in any style that show the homeowners decorating talents. Mitch is clearly talented, and this home shows it!
the bedroom shot is my favourite - i don't think i would've thought of configuring the pieces as you did (2 tables in one corner, 2 large wall pieces in the same corner) but it totally works. great job!
i rarely ever comment but I couldn't help myself here. I am really inspired and refreshed to see such a beautiful and passion filled space that was completely absent of any current trend and fully imprinted with the owner's soul.
ditto on floor plans being included with each tour
I love those particular shades of red and green you used in the bedroom, Mitch. And even more, your nice, plain, functional kitchen (I detest the extravigranite kitchens of the '00s).
Beautiful home, gorgeous furniture and art. AND the best photography on an AT tour for years. Thank you so much for sharing - really a pleasure to view!
How wonderful, what a dream home. I love everything about it. If that's what he does with a rental, I'd love to see what he would do with his own place! Just stunning.
Wow, this is a really lovely space. I adore the kitchen and bed with the flowy red fabric. The artwork is perfect and I love the old-fashioned telephone. I have to say, Mitch is just adorable. What a great smile!
It's the art that makes this place so beautiful; it would be hard to not have a lovely home with all that gorgeousness on the walls. (Except the one of the fireplace, which I think is kind of creepy, at least from afar.)
Love the home, love the fireplace, love the use of red and all the beautiful furniture. You definitely have a home to be proud of!
Mitch has created a classic and beautiful home. I love how he has used the color red throughout. I think I'm going to paint my kitchen red this weekend since I too have beautiful white moldings and cabinets. He inspired me. He's so hansome too! Loved this tour.
Thanks for the incredibly kind comments. I'm happy that so many of you are enjoying what you see. It's nice to know that traditional interiors are still appreciated!
Rebecca_F- The mural in the bathroom was kind of a whim. I found a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper that I really liked, but didn't wasn't too keen on the steep price of putting it on a wall in a rental. So, I modified and enlarged the design, drew it out on the wall and painted it. It's been through a few different color changes over the years....and is about to go through another!
Thanks, AT, for including something that's not your norm.
There are many comments here on how "this is not my style but I like it regardless." Except for the bright harlot red, this looks like it could be a Martha Stewart cousin. Mitch, you've done a great job using design that is "untraditional" in today's world for your modern house and giving it your own look.