Text by Hannah Jones
When Caterina Meadows first decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee, she wasn’t thrilled about the idea. She grew up in Alabama and resided there until the day she packed her bags, though her husband followed a job to Tennessee a few years before her. Not long after purchasing a home in the Green Hills area of Nashville, the couple moved again to a modest cottage-style rancher in the charming suburb of Franklin, Tennessee, and Caterina quickly began making the house her home.
The home was built in 1979 by musician Ronnie Dove, although he never lived there—rumor has it, not long after he built the home, he lost it in a game of golf. After his fateful loss, Fran and Harry Dixon purchased the home and lived there until the Meadowses moved in.
The Dixons didn’t attempt many renovations during their four decades in the ranch house. So, when Caterina moved in, she hit the ground running—painting, pulling up carpet, and tearing down walls—all in an effort to make the house her own. “Even if a house was new, I probably wouldn’t like whatever they’d done to it,” she admits. “I’d still want to rip everything out and start new.”
When designing, Caterina tiptoed the line between decorating with neutral and color gracefully, as she loves vibrancy but didn’t want to tire of her décor. She opted for timeless design choices in most of the living spaces, creating a comfortable atmosphere that is a unique blend of traditional, French, and rustic farmhouse styles. But the dining room is where she let her imagination run wild. She kept the space neutral where it mattered—the paint, flooring, and draperies—but injected color into the room with bright blue armchairs, vibrant throw pillows, and an expansive yellow rug.
Caterina’s love for color isn’t a coincidence. She’s the creative mastermind behind Pate-Meadows Designs, a window treatment pattern design company. She originally started the company from a love of sewing curtains and draperies, and it blossomed from there. Caterina’s passion for textile design is on display in every room in her home. Naturally, she made every window treatment by hand. But she also crafted her master bedroom headboard, living room ottoman, cushions for her outdoor furniture, and much more. In fact, the reason the couple moved to their now beloved rancher was so Caterina could have the space to work from home, which she didn’t have in their charming Green Hills cottage.
Though the interior of her home is meticulously designed, Caterina’s favorite spot is her expansive back porch, where she can enjoy nature and the views of the golf course that her home is situated on. Thanks to Tennessee’s mild climate that carries well into late autumn, Caterina and her family are able to enjoy their cozy porch almost year-round.
