Kb & Bru’s Playful Creative Space in Nashville

Name: Kristen “Kb” Beck of baby clothing line, Young Gun Apparel & Audio Engineer, David “Bru” Brubaker + Dog, Rooster + Cat, Cat Stevens aka
Cleo Catra aka Steve (Please, feel free to cast your vote or offer up suggestions.)
Location: Edgehill Neighborhood; Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 1,350 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years; Renting

Kb, a local artist in Nashville, is known to add her own touch to things; her illustrations of friendly monsters on landscape photographs, creating annual keepsake jars in lieu of a diary, even building tiny custom coffins for her own bug cemetery. Now on the verge of launching her own baby clothing line featuring her own illustrations, I knew I had to pop in to see how such creativity has translated into their home.

Upon arrival, I walk up to an old home with a lovely porch and dog, Rooster, peeking out the front window. Once I find the correct door, I’m invited in by quirky and lovable couple, Kb and Bru. They’ve got friends over for Sunday football, and I’m instantly sucked in to all the warmth and detail. This is a great space for entertaining. It’s fun, charming, and filled with personal touches. Everyone’s at ease to just sit back and relax on the couch or convene in Bru’s studio to listen to the latest musical project.

Every piece is intentional and has meaning. Either it’s been designed and created by Bru or Kb, or it’s been found and handed down by family and friends. I was especially jealous of the size of their bedroom! Large windows, room for a sofa, and an adjoining office space? It’s one of the many things that’s a blessing and a curse in these old Nashville homes. But, if you’ve got the vision and creativity, you can make these spaces work to your advantage, and I think Kb and Bru did just that. I only wish I had me a baby to get into these adorable little clothes Kb’s whipped up at the Young Gun headquarters!

My Style: Modern Americana/Old Stuff.

Inspiration: Found objects, family heirlooms, and natural history

Favorite Element: Lightness. The giant windows and transoms above the doors connect room to room, indoor to outdoor.

Biggest Challenge: Everyone knocks on the wrong front door the first time. Converting a 100 year-old home into more contemporary geometry is challenging. With rooms being too small or oversized, we have had to try new iterations of almost every room in the house after being unhappy with the first (or even second) go around. There is very little storage space, and the laundry room (as well as the only bathroom) used to be the back porch.

What Friends Say: Where did you find that?

Biggest Embarrassment: : Ancient, cracking linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom.

Proudest DIY: Finding the wooden frame of the couch (in the bedroom) and rebuilding it together

Biggest Indulgence: Fallow Deer in Bru’s office.

Best Advice: Be patient when antiquing and thrifting, and go often! It takes time to learn your home, so don’t be afraid to rearrange your spaces, curating your rooms one piece at a time.

Dream Sources: Bru: E.T Burk in Nashville KB: All of the Smithsonians.

• Shelves – Bru built them
• Sofa – Craigslist via Atlanta, GA. Also our guest room, with a queen sized sleeper that we have updated
• Selig reproduction Eames Lounge Chair- barter trade with kb’s art professor for painting
• Rug – Craigslist
• Lamp – Thrifted
• Anatomy painting – by gal pal, K Baergen
• Coffee Table – vintage Moreddi surfboard table, Craigslist
• Toothpaste Pillow – Handmade by kb
• Other artwork – kb
• Knick-knacks – random finds

DINING ROOM

• Texas map tablecloth (framed) – Gaslamp Too Antique Mall
• Hans Wegner Dining Room Set – Bru’s grandparents
• Piano – Free! Craigslist
• Stetsons – Wedgewood Antique Mall
• Rug (Under table) – Antique store in South Dakota

• Warm Beer Print – by kb

• Sofa – bought from one of Elvis’s former Jordanaires on Craigslist as a bare frame, which we restored and upholstered.
• Dresser – Bru’s grandfather’s
• Wooden Lamp, Nightstand – Thrifted in Chattanooga
• Book Lamp – Bru made it
• White Rug – Craigslist
• Dark Rug – kb’s parents
• Pallet Shelves – Bru hung them
• Family photos – kb’s moms side, embroidered framing by kb
• kb’s life in jars from the age of 7 (on pallet shelf Bru assembled)

Converted Closet to kb’s Studio/Young Gun HQ

• desk – Craigslist
• chair – Birthday present from Bru
• embroidered canvases – by kb
• Macrame wall-hanging – Goodwill
• print set up for baby apparel company, Young Gun

Bru’s Studio

• desk – vintage Mallin furniture co
• desk chair – Plycraft
• Vibraphone – 1920’s Bru restored from a box of parts
• Shelf with random knick-knacks – Craigslist, Bru attached the legs
• Collection of vintage microphones – here and there
• Typewriter from kb’s grandma’s farm in South Dakota
• Wood Print (behind typewriter) – kb
• Wood absorber – Bru made it
• Reindeer pelt – ebay
• skunk pelt- gift from kb
  
  

Thanks, Kb & Bru!

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