The Russell Hotel
Once home to the Edgefield Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the grand Romanesque property at the corner of Russell and South Ninth streets in East Nashville was reborn in 2019 as The Russell, a concept-driven hotel with vibrant design elements that reflect the neighborhood's creative spirit, along with historic touchstones that pay homage to the building's 1904 beginnings. Alongside Powell’s team, more than a dozen local makers, designers and artists contributed to the 15,000-square-foot home's reinvention, helping to emphasize creative reuse and bring original details into the modern redesign. That intent comes through immediately in the lobby with stately, stained-glass rose windows — once the focal point of the church’s main sanctuary. Weathered wooden pews were also refreshed, repainted, and refashioned as headboards, and architectural arches were brought into decorative mirrors and stair rails, meant to mimic the home's regal exterior. The building's former purpose blends into its modern life with a playful wink: room numbers are scripture-centric, a neon "#blessed" sign lights up the in-house podcasting studio, and three “confession booths” off the sanctuary-turned-lobby double as selfie studios and phone-call nooks.
RENOVATION PROJECT
Featured In: Domino | Dwell | Forbes | Southern Living | Architectural Digest | A Beautiful Mess
