Nashville At Home: A Young Couple Gives New Life To A 100-Year-Old Victorian

Brock Hartline and Lance Garrison (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

When I was shopping for my own home a few years back, sometimes I’d find a house I loved but the view of the neighboring property was less than appealing. Well, I hit the home-with-a-view jackpot when I found the house I'm in now. my view is of my neighbors' gorgeous Victorian built circa 1918. I think it’s one of the most beautiful homes in Nashville and I’m not its only fan. The tv show Nashville filmed the home’s exterior for the show. Brock Hartline and Lance Garrison are my neighbors and the owners of this beauty. I was over-the-moon when they agreed to appear on my blog. As much as I love the exterior of the house, the interior is spectacular. Come on in!

Living Room with Brock (standing) and Lance (seated) (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

One of the Home’s Four Fireplaces (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

How did you two meet?

Lance: We’ve been together 5 years. I followed Brock on Instagram and then we literally bumped into each other on Valentine’s Day.

Are you from Nashville?

Brock: I moved here from LA in 2012, but am originally from Missouri. My company was looking to expand and so I came here. It was definitely worth the move.

Lance: I have been here since my youth so I would consider myself a native.

Between Floors (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Why do you think Nashville's popularity continues to soar?

Brock: I think the people here are especially friendly and are genuinely happy to meet you. Wherever we go, it seems people are happy to get to know us. I like that it’s not a huge city and has a bit of a small town feel. I can go the grocery store and almost always see someone I know. You don’t feel so alone in the world in Nashville.

Lance: No city has as much live music as Nashville. That’s one of the things we miss most with the pandemic, hearing live music.

How long did it take you to find this house?

Brock: We were looking for about two years.

Lance: We walked into this house and knew instantly this was ‘the one.”

Brock: We put in a full price offer in the same day we saw it. I saw it on Instagram and contacted our realtor and said, “we need to see this house." It wasn’t yet on the market.

Lance: I typically like new and modern with straight lines, but felt different about this house and knew Brock could put our touch on the home.

Owner’s Suite (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

What were your first impressions?

Brock: I love the tall (12 ft) ceilings and the amount of natural light. This house felt warm and like a home. It needed a little work and updating, there were no ceiling lights anywhere, but I could see the potential. I knew we could bring it to life with some love and make it into our own.

Lance: I fell in love with the tall windows and ceilings and the staircase. It was “Wow” from the moment we walked in. We both had a sparkle in our eye when we saw it.

Living Room and Sitting Area which was formerly the Dining Room (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Sitting Area (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Describe the vibe of your home.

Brock: We want our friends to come here and feel like they’re at home. It’s a great house for entertaining. We can have a big dinner party in the dining room or cozy up by the fire. It’s a very functional house and can easily accommodate whatever we want to do.

Lance: We love to entertain and do it a lot though that's changed because of the pandemic. We have a very tight knit group here in Nashville, there are 7 of us and they’re here quite a bit. We grill out, have bonfires, drink wine…it’s kind of like a family.

You changed the flow a bit on the first floor. Tell me about that.

Brock: Because we entertain so much, we wanted more of an open space for our guests. So, we turned what was the dining room into another sitting area and then we turned what was a guest room, into the current dining room. It works well for us.

Dining Room which was formerly a Guest Room (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Tell me about this table.

Brock: This dining table has been in my life since I was a teenager. A lot of great memories have been made here. My nieces growing up, card night with our friends, dinners, Thanksgivings, celebrations. It’s really one of our favorite things in the house.

First Floor Hallway (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Who’s the shopper when it comes to home decor?

Lance: Brock. He has great taste and he knows what I like. I always like what he picks out.

Brock: I love searching for the perfect piece, the hunt! Lance gets impatient when we shop together and tries to rush through it. I love the looking. You know that Miranda Lambert song “Old Sh!t?” I am always looking for old stuff, antiques and interesting pieces. We bought this painting that hangs in our dining room at the Porter Wagoner estate sale.

Painting Purchased at the Estate Sale of Country Music Legend Porter Wagoner (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Do you adhere to any design rules?

Brock: We trust ourselves that if we like something, it will work. We trust our instincts.

Where do you get your design inspiration?

Brock: I’m inspired by nature. We have a lot of neutrals, nothing too loud, and plants and fresh flowers all the time. I’m a big fan of designers Jeremiah Brent and Leanne Ford.

What do you love about living in East Nashville?

Lance: It feels like a small town in and of itself. There are great restaurants and bars with a real emphasis on local. It’s not as commercialized as other parts of the city.

Brock: Many of the houses here are historic. They’re not cookie-cutter which I love.

Front Entry (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

What does a day off look like for you both?

Lance: It used to be we’d go to parties or meet friends for drinks but now that’s all changed. We’ll have a small gathering if we do entertain. We're very active. We like to get out and do things.

Brock: We clean, do laundry. Lance takes the dog to the park. We always have a project we’re working on with the house. Every weekend we’re doing something to it.

Favorite places to eat?

Café Roze, Lockeland Table, Banh Mi, Hawkers. Nomzilla.

 Brock: I really want to try Once Up A Time in France.

Favorite shows?

Big Brother when it was on. Schitt’s Creek. That’s our current binge. Great British Bake Off.

Plans for the holidays?

Brock: Usually we’d have Christmas with both of our families and then we’d stay at the Peabody in Memphis and visit with friends there. It’s a great atmosphere (The Peabody is home to the famous Peabody ducks that swim in the hotel’s lobby fountain.) We’re not sure what we’re going to do this year with the pandemic. It’s such a weird time.

If you could have a second home, where would it be?

Lance: Somewhere overseas or someplace tropical.

Brock: Europe would be beautiful, maybe a chateau in France! 🏡

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