When you gotta go, you gotta go.
And no one knows that more than people who work in sports, and the families that love them. So in July 2024 when B.J. Callaghan was hired as the head coach of the Nashville Soccer Club, the second in the team’s history, he and his wife Leigh packed up their two children and dog Gus and headed to Nashville from Chicago, where they had only been a short time after moving from Philadelphia.
Looking for a home with good schools for their daughters, now in 8th and 10th grades, the Callaghans chose a Legend Homes-built property in Brentwood’s Witherspoon development, but like many people who have to move over and over because of their career, they wanted to make changes to the property to make it feel more like home. Their home.
So the couple turned to designer Christina Henck to infuse the space with a more casual, comfortable aesthetic that aligned with their personal style. Having lived in Philadelphia when B.J. was the assistant coach for the Philadelphia Union, they liked that Henck came from there too.
Originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Henck got her interior design degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, then moved to Philadelphia where she grew her interiors design business. A few years ago, she and her husband moved to Nashville.
Immediately Henck knew the family needed their home to be functional and comfortable, first and foremost and made a plan to establish a conveniently functional space for the family with a relaxed feel.
“It was all about actually enjoying our space as a family, having a place to sit down and have meals, but also enough space for us to sit down and watch TV together,” Leigh said.
To make the space welcoming for the Callaghans when they arrived from Chicago, Henck mixed wood tones with soft neutrals, chose warm paint colors and cozy furniture pieces, and layered handwoven rugs and large-scale light fixtures to bring the designer look to life.
“Changing paint sounds so basic, but it completely transformed this traditional house into something casual and comfortable,” Henck said.
Leigh is a fan, though she admits she had to be convinced the colors Henck chose were going to work. “She asked what we liked and took that into consideration, and then pivoted completely 180 from that,” Leigh said with a laugh. “She suggested things I would’ve never picked. But once we saw them, we knew they were definitely the right choice for us. And we didn’t know ourselves well in terms of interior design. We had ideas and I thought Christina did a really good job of connecting what we wanted, but then also pushing our boundaries a little bit further. I actually appreciated that, because I feel like, at the end, we ended up with something that we really like, but there’s some uniqueness to it.
Enjoying the change so much is great for the Callaghans too, in that they are a little hesitant to take on major renovations, not knowing if they will ever get to enjoy them.
“We’ve learned to be a little bit gun shy on going for bigger projects,” Leigh said. “The last three homes, we invested a significant amount of money into, only to move out in the next three months after that project was complete. Because in a moment, you can get a phone call that say you have a new job.”
Still, Henck recognized the need to maintain the home’s elegant architectural style while introducing elements that felt cushy, yet sophisticated. By curating a design for the great room, dining room, kitchen and lounge areas, Henck seamlessly blended sophistication with comfort, transforming a traditional house into a welcoming sanctuary for the Callaghans.
“She made it feel like a home, but at the same time kept a traditional vibe,” Leigh said. “It feels homey, like a neighborhood home, which is comforting.”
