It's rare for an older home to have only seen a handful of owners – and much rarer for so many original features to still be intact. But as only the third owners of this Mid-Century home in Knoxville, Tennessee, the homeowners were left with almost all of the details added when it was built in 1964, including marble fireplaces, terrazzo floors, and even an authentic green shag carpet.

But the retention of so many features isn't even the most surprising part of this project. Owned by Isaiah and Kayla Nichols, a veterinarian and YouTuber known for his horror and true crime content, better known as online, you'd assume a penchant for dark, gothic interiors. But this home proves quite the opposite, with rooms showcasing uplifting colors, classic patterns, and collected art that give the home a truly unique personality.

'The house sits on a ridge on the outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee, with sweeping views of the Cumberland and Smoky Mountains. The setting was a constant source of inspiration,' explains interior designer Caroline Levenson. 'Over the nine-month renovation, we watched lush summer greenery give way to brilliant fall foliage, saw dramatic rainstorms roll through, and even experienced a snowstorm. The house gives you a front-row seat to it all. We drew from those changing colors and textures throughout the interiors.'

With great bones and just the right amount of space for the young couple, the plan was always to elevate the existing footprint rather than extend it. 'The tri-level layout is such an important part of the home’s character, and our approach was to make the existing spaces work beautifully for the family while preserving that identity,' she explains.

The clients' brief was clear: 'no white walls.' Instead, they wanted their home filled with color and pattern that felt fun and playful yet sympathetic to the Mid-Century property. 'Preserving the original details was equally important to them. They appreciated what made the home special, so the brief was to carry that character forward while creating a comfortable home for their growing family.'

'The palette grew out of the homeowners’ love of purple, the colors associated with 1960s interiors, and the landscape visible from nearly every room,' she continues. 'Avocado green, mustard yellow, earthy orange, and warm neutrals run throughout, alongside shades of purple and pink. The wood paneling and parquet floors helped bring those colors together. Their warmth gives the rooms a sense of continuity and lets us move between quite bold combinations without the house feeling disjointed.'

The focus on color and preserving original details is clear from the moment you step through the door. In the entryway, the terrazzo floors remain, and a 1960s cabinet provides stylish shoe storage, while a Pierre Frey woodland wallpaper references the picturesque surroundings that became a consistent source of inspiration throughout the project.

In the family room, that balance of family-friendly comfort and homage to the home's era comes into its own. 'We wanted it to have the intimacy of a wonderful 1960s den, with a custom green velvet built-in walnut sectional, a pool table, and a bar for late-night cocktails,' Caroline adds. 'We retained the original combination range and dishwasher in the bar area and added an artisan tile backsplash. The hand-painted Italian tile has a wonderful handmade quality, with terracotta-orange tones that also feel at home in the period. Even the homeowners’ pet snake has a place here, with its habitat skirted in a rich Zak + Fox tapestry fabric.'

Great furniture choices were a priority in the new design – with a baby on the way and frequent guests coming to stay, the clients wanted a blend of style, comfort, and durable fabrics. 'We mixed custom pieces with vintage finds so the furnishings would feel individual to the house. Working with local craftspeople allowed us to tailor the family room sectional to the room, including its wide, sloping arms and bookshelves built into the back,' Caroline explains.

'We also spent a great deal of time searching our favorite vintage shops for casegoods, lighting, art, and smaller surprises, including a bar with two little stools that tuck beneath it. The Togo-style chair in the family room has the relaxed sculptural quality we loved for this house, and recovering it in a whimsical floral gave it a fresh personality.'

While many rooms required building new pieces and sourcing furniture to suit, the kitchen became a real practice in preserving what was already there, and adding to it to make it feel connected to the other rooms. It was a combined decision to keep the original kitchen cabinets and hardware, but an offset black-and-white checkerboard floor and Japanese-inspired wallpaper were introduced to bring retro flair.

'Choosing tile for this project felt a little like being in a candy store. We had clients who were open to expressive choices and a house that could carry them beautifully,' she recalls, noting that despite the playful designs throughout the home, the kitchen was the one room they wanted something a little more subdued. 'We chose a simpler blue backsplash laid in a soldier stack. It offers a cooler counterpoint to the warm cabinetry and orange tones in the wallpaper. Each tile has its own role, whether that is creating a focal point, adding texture, or balancing the surrounding materials.'

But nowhere in the home is Mid-Century style celebrated and embraced more than in the connected living and dining room. Wooden paneling drenched across the walls and sloping ceilings creates a warm, immersive backdrop, which not only pairs beautifully with the parquet floors, but also allows the clients' 'funky furnishings' to shine.

'We knew we wanted a curved sofa and found a vintage white leather piece that we recovered in a durable purple performance velvet, one of the homeowner’s favorite colors,' Caroline recalls. 'We also refurbished the original extra-long cornice boards. Getting them to and from the workroom was quite a feat, but covered in striped Rose Tarlow fabric, they became such an important part of the room. An oversized Noguchi Akari lantern, a candy-pink rug, and a gallery wall mixing museum posters with an Alex Katz print complete the space.'

Upstairs, the palette gets a little moodier, with deeper shades of classic Mid-Century colors creating a cozy feel in the bedrooms. The clients' love for purple is ever-present in the primary bedroom, where a rich purple-red grasscloth wallpaper and a tonal built-in closet create a cocooning drench of color, lifted by earthy neutral textiles on the bed and window treatments for a beautifully timeless feel. 'The nursery and guest bedroom continue that sense of comfort, with layered textiles, soft rugs, and personal touches,' she adds.

In the primary bathroom, the playful tiles return, combined with wooden paneling for a true '60s look. 'Avocado-green tile with irregular geometric shapes brings in a distinctly playful reference to the 1960s,' Caroline adds. Smaller details pack a punch, too. Lighting here references the original entryway wallpaper, a feature the clients loved but was too water-damaged to keep. 'We found the last yard of the vintage fabric in the same pattern on eBay and had it made into lampshades for their bathroom sconces. It allowed us to carry a little piece of the original house into the renovated home.'

For Caroline, the smallest details are worth noticing. While the overall style of the home feels far from the horror aesthetic that surrounds the client's career, it's not without its references. 'We found three resin “blobs” in a vintage shop and immediately knew they belonged in the house. Installed beside the curved stone staircase, they are a playful nod to the homeowner’s work in the horror genre. That personal connection makes them particularly fun.'

Through every room and hallway, one thing is clear: every element celebrates original Mid-Century design yet still feels wonderfully personal to the homeowners. 'We wanted to celebrate the history of this Mid-Century tri-level ranch while giving it the warmth and personality of a home that has continued to evolve,' Caroline concludes. 'The original architecture, the mountain setting, and the homeowners’ enthusiasm for color all shaped the design.'

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In a world where we so often hear about full-scale renovations that involve extensions and complete reconfigurations, this project proves sometimes the most impactful homes are the ones that preserve, rather than replace. It might not be as easy as starting from a clean slate, but there's no denying the extra charm this Mid-Century home boasts.

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