Sheryl Crow's Amazing Nashville Property Is a Junker's Paradise
Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow filled every nook and cranny of her stunning 50-acre Nashville property—which includes a house, a church, and a barn—with unexpected finds from a lifetime of junking. (Hey, if it makes her happy.)
After years living in Los Angeles, Sheryl Crow was ready to put down roots in a place that "felt normal." The Missouri native originally bought a place in rural Tennessee, but as her two sons, Wyatt and Levi, got closer to school age, she moved to a house on a hill on 50 acres in Nashville. "It's very private, and that really spoke to me," she says. The extra land afforded her plenty of space to build a multi-use barn (part recording studio, part saloon, part real-deal horse barn) as well as a church (she was inspired to build the latter after seeing one for sale on eBay). The sprawling property offers lots of opportunity to display her numerous collections. "I've always loved old stuff. I got my love of antiquing—we called it junking—from my mom," Sheryl says. These days, her treasure hunts mainly happen online—her assistant refers to her as "the Queen of eBay." Her only rule: "I just buy what I love."
Crow's Nest
Sheryl, horses Big Boy and Chigger, and her new rescue, Benji, greet visitors in front of the barn on her 50-acre Tennessee property. Sheryl bought the 1951 Chevy truck on eBay!
RELATED: For more vintage truck inspiration, check out 7 of America's Most Iconic Vintage Pickup Trucks.
In the An English Manor-Like House
After a few years of living in the country, Sheryl packed up her sons and moved to Nashville in 2012. "We brought all of our country animals into the city like The Beverly Hillbillies," she says. The centerpiece of the property, an English manor-like home, built in 2005, boasts rich wood paneling, multiple fireplaces, and beautiful beams that make it the perfect backdrop for her antique finds both large and small.
The Living Room
Sheryl has always had a penchant for horses and riding boots (note the horse lamp and boot lamp.) "I asked Santa for a horse every year, and I was always mildly disappointed when I didn't get one," she says.
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Lamps: Horse lamp for a similar look
Curated Collections
Sheryl has amassed a large collection of antique books, equestrian-inspired pieces, vintage boxes, and, of course, Grammys (nine of 'em!).
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Bookends: Equestrian bookends for a similar look
Antique Tea Caddy Collection
Sheryl first discovered vintage tea caddies at a flea market in Franklin, Tennessee, and was inspired. "I like the idea of people congregating around old objects and having conversations through the years," she says.
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Caddies: Vintage tea caddies for a similar look
Piano Room
In the Church
After attempting to buy an old Zion church in rural Tennessee, and then another one she found on eBay ("The guy said he'd sell the whole thing for $5,000, but it was full of dry rot"), Sheryl built this one from the ground up. "When I bought this property, I thought it would be nice to have a space that has nothing to do with work—just a quiet and sacred place to gather," Sheryl says. She enlisted the help of Jim Mullowney of Mullowney General Contractors to construct the chapel from a mix of reclaimed and new materials. Now, it's the ideal place to sit and read or just enjoy the silence—well, some silence. "The kids do like to go in and ring the bell," she says.
Serene Sanctuary
Sheryl lived in a Spanish-style house in Los Angeles for many years that she "filled to the gills" with religious collectibles. So she had plenty of items to furnish her sanctuary from the get-go. Sheryl has since supplemented the serene retreat with tons of religious items from—you guessed it—eBay, including the stained glass window and stately front doors.
Dome Sweet Dome
Sheryl's love for glass cloches began when she visited Antiques on Holiday in Destin, Florida. "They had a table filled with them, and that's where I got quite a few. They look so beautiful, and you can put anything in there."
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Cloches: Tall glass cloches for a similar look
Soul Searching
Sheryl decorated her peaceful home-away-from-home with her collections of religious statues and figurines, glass cloches, vintage suitcases, and oil portraits.
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Side table: Vintage suitcase set for a similar look
RELATED: For similar design ideas, check out 11 Creative Ways to Repurpose An Old Suitcase.
In the Barn
When the barn was in the design stage, Sheryl planned to have a simple writing room upstairs, but once the room was soundproofed, it became a full-blown studio. "It's ideal because I'm a single mom—I can go to work just down the driveway," she says. Downstairs, Sheryl created a saloon and filled the walls with her impressive collection of antique signs. "It's a great gathering place. We've had a lot of really good fund-raising events here," she says.
Pickin' Party
Sheryl has recorded her last two albums, Feels Like Home and 100 Miles from Memphis, in her home studio, and all the guitars are playable, including a very special one—the "money maker"—that she's used to write every hit of her career. (She's had 31 of them, but who's counting?)
Play Room
Sheryl's always on the hunt for old signage. "We've gotten away from using our hands and expressing ourselves through art," she says. "I love that people at one time made their own advertising." She also uses the barn to listen to records. "Two Christmases ago, my band gave me a great turntable and selected three records apiece to curate a collection for me. It really meant a lot," she says.
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Wall decor: Vintage signage posters for a similar look
Armchairs: Leather Chesterfield chair for a similar look
Weights of the World
"When I was growing up, my grandma had a paperweight on her desk that had a picture of my dad when he was a baby in the 1930s. I imagine that was pretty spiffy and a new idea at the time. So when I saw one, I thought, I have to get it." From there, the glass domes multiplied.
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Paperweights: Vintage glass paperweights for a similar look
Sheryl Crow at Home
Sheryl Crow (a CL subscriber and self-described junker!) sits in her mint green 1951 Chevy pickup truck with Benji outside the barn on her stunning Nashville property.
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