Nashville-based interior designer Lauren Elder created her own dream home just minutes from downtown Nashville in the hip neighborhood of 12 South. When the project was finished, not only did she end up with her own custom-built home, she also married its general contractor.

Known for taking risks with huge visual rewards, interior designer Lauren Elder decided to cover the entire exterior of her Nashville, Tennessee home in black. The dark tone helps create a crisp silhouette for the house while also highlighting the different textures of the mixed materials: brick, cement siding, natural wood planks and exterior concrete panels. To break up all of the black, she opted for a naturally stained solid wood front door.

Lauren is masterful with classically neutral and dark and dramatic color palettes. Her spacious, light-soaked living room showcases her prowess for using a timeless black and white color scheme in a fresh, transitional way that puts her interior architecture expertise on full display.

When Lauren and her husband Nick were building the house, they loved the idea of using simple building materials in unique ways, not just for looks, but also for extra sturdiness. The three-level stairwell is made of laminated strand lumber, also referred to as LSL, often used for creating structural beams. The resulting look is industrial modern with tons of rich texture.