The Russell in Nashville, Tennessee

We are so honored to feature this space on the blog today! Elsie and Emma recently attended the grand opening of The Russell, a gorgeous new boutique hotel in Nashville. This isn’t any ordinary hotel—it’s actually housed in a 115-year-old building that began as a church and they support an amazing cause (more on that below). The original stained glass windows are SO incredible, and it’s such a colorful, bright, and magical space.

Here’s what it looked like before:

Keep reading to learn more about the space (and see some amazing photos) from Brittany Wilson, the hotel manager.

“The entire design of The Russell was based on and inspired by the stained glass windows in our lobby! We knew when we saw them we wanted them to be the cornerstone of the entire design process. They are incredibly unique, with custom stained glass created in Venice, Italy.

We cleaned them and kept them exactly how they’ve always been, designing the rest of place around them. The most difficult part of converting a church into a hotel was that our building is located in the historic neighborhood of Edgefield in East Nashville. This building has been a part of this community for 115 years, so we wanted to make sure we heard and worked alongside the neighbors in the area while planning out The Russell. Once all of the planning was finished, the hardest part during construction was all of the hidden costs that came up throughout the project that we needed to do to preserve as much of the history and structural integrity of the building as possible.

However, both of these “most difficult” parts of this process were so worth it. We firmly believe that not just being in, but being a part of the East Nashville community is worthwhile. Our building has served the East Nashville community by providing refuge, safety, and belonging to people in need. We love this legacy and believe in continuing it, which is why we decided to expand our Rooms for Rooms program to The Russell.

We give away a generous percentage of each night’s stay to local nonprofits who are helping those experiencing homelessness here in Nashville. All of these organizations love Nashville’s homeless community by providing a safe place to find relief, resources, and the support of a community. The average weekend stay provides one of the following options:

-6 nights in a bed
-100 free showers
-30 free meals

We love that The Russell turned out so colorful and full of character; it’s unlike anywhere else.”

If you’re in the Nashville area, you have to visit! We’ll definitely be back. Make sure to check out all our Nashville recommendations if you’re in the area soon! xo.

Credits // Author: Brittany Wilson. Photography: Amber Ulmer, Andrea Behrends, Caroline Sharpnack, Ryan McLemore, and Schuyler Anderson.