Spec Home, Custom Feel: How We Turned a Spec Build Into a Signature Home
Interior Design By ONYX + ALABASTER | All Images by Allison Elefante
Although brand-new spec homes are appealing, they are usually destined to feel impersonal.
They’re beautiful, perhaps, but they can often lack the kind of character and soul that we crave in a dream home, because they’re intentionally designed to be attractive to lots of people, right?
A truly elevated home will tell your story and paint a picture of the life you want to live.
We were recently hired mid-build to elevate and customize our client's gorgeous new home. We’re excited to share it because it is absolutely stunning!
What began as a thoughtfully built spec house (with a modern edge) ended in a light-filled French Modern family home. Chosen for its desirable location in an established neighborhood just outside Nashville, we were able to honor the home’s architectural bones, the builder’s selections that we couldn’t change, and our clients' dream Pinterest-board vision.
At O+A, we find that working within the constraints of any given project actually increases creativity (and can even improve the outcome).
You’ve heard the quote from Orson Welles, 'The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” And the opposite rang true in this project. From the beginning, this project was about restraint and refinement.
“This French Modern Estate is really something special. The builder created a beautiful spec home with incredible bones and perfect positioning on the property,” shares founder and principal designer Tanya Hembree. “Our role was to honor that foundation while bringing our clients’ true vision to life.”
Working Within the Framework
The homeowners were already under contract when the design team came on board, which meant many core elements, such as the cabinetry colors, floor plan, and structural details, were already set. Rather than viewing those constraints as limitations, the team saw them as an invitation to be even more intentional.
“We needed to soften some of the builder’s more modern touches to align with the client’s love for French country styling,” Tanya explains. “That meant focusing on fixtures, lighting, finishes, and furnishings that would gently shift the tone without feeling forced.”
Lighting swaps, custom hardware, thoughtfully placed wallpaper, and layered textiles became the quiet heroes of the project. Each decision was made to make the home feel collected rather than constructed.
Primary Bedroom: A Personal Retreat
Let’s start with one of our favorite spaces in the entire house: the primary bedroom. With vaulted ceilings, generous natural light, and soft layers create a space that feels restorative and private.
“This is my favorite room in the house,” Tanya shares. “It feels like an escape.”
Custom drapery, carefully selected lamps, and artwork above the bed subtly echo the wallpaper story from the bathroom, creating a sense of continuity throughout the suite.
Primary Bathroom: The Showstopper
If there is a showstopper in this home, it’s the primary bathroom.
“The wallpaper is absolutely the star,” Tanya says. “It has this soft, mural-like landscape quality that speaks so beautifully to French country design.”
While tile selections were builder-chosen, arched mirrors, layered rugs, and carefully curated accessories softened the space and brought warmth where it mattered most. A soaking tub and walk-in shower complete the spa-like experience.
Main Living Room: Anchored and Refined
The main living room sets the tone for the entire home: a balance of elegance and ease, French country warmth without leaning into anything too literal or themed.
The most transformative change came in the form of a custom cast stone fireplace.
“The original plan called for a wood-trimmed fireplace, but it felt under-scaled for the room,” says Tanya. “With the built-ins being as grand as they are, we needed something with visual weight. The cast stone brought exactly that.”
A softened light fixture echoes the architectural arches, while custom furniture pieces were designed specifically for the scale of the space. Even elements that might go unnoticed, like the oversized coffee table, were chosen deliberately.
“Scale matters. That coffee table needed to hold its own, and it does.”
Powder Bath: Small Space, Lasting Impression
In the downstairs powder bath, texture takes center stage. A dimensional wallpaper with a fabric-like quality catches the light and elevates the room beyond its modest footprint.
“It feels special the moment you walk in,” Tanya notes. “Even the smallest spaces deserve that level of intention.”
Guest Suite: Boutique-Level Comfort
For the guest bedroom, the clients envisioned a boutique hotel experience, one that would make visiting family feel both welcomed and indulged.
Soft layers, calming tones, and a sense of quiet luxury define the space, while the guest bathroom brings in an element of surprise.
“I’ll be honest…I would have chosen a different cabinet color,” Tanya admits with a smile. “But since that was set, we leaned into it. The wallpaper and mirror added just the right amount of elevated whimsy. I always like to include something a little unexpected.”
Kitchen: The Heart of the Home
The kitchen is undeniably the gathering place of the home. While the cabinetry was already in place, the design team made their mark through materiality and flow.
“That continuous stone from countertop to backsplash immediately makes the space feel cohesive and intentional,” says Tanya.
An oversized island anchors the room, paired with comfortable, beautifully detailed stools that invite lingering conversations. A vintage runner quietly ties the palette together, one of those details that reads as effortless but makes all the difference.
The Takeaway
At its core, this project was about honoring what was already there and knowing exactly where to intervene.
“We wanted to respect the home’s beautiful bones while shifting the tone from modern builder selections to something warmer, layered, and more personal,” Tanya reflects. “Our goal was to make this spec home feel truly custom, and I think we achieved that.”
This French Country Modern estate is proof that with the right details, a spec home can feel anything but generic. It can feel lived-in, loved, and entirely your own.
From thoughtfully designed spec homes to fully custom residences, our award-winning design team specializes in creating spaces that feel layered, personal, and enduring.