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 The Nashville home of Canadian country music star Carolyn Dawn Johnson. (photo: Brooke Boling) |
Singer/songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson has a very good reason for her four-year absence from the spotlight: she became a mom. Twice.
But now the Grande Prairie, Alberta, native is back, with the new record, “Love Rules.”
“I bring my songs to life in the studio,” says Johnson. “On stage I love to rock out with my band and let the music take over.”
Her passion for music began with singing in church and at neighbourhood sing-alongs. She went on to study audio engineering in Vancouver. All the while, she was penning songs.
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Her journey then took her to Nashville, where she got her first big break when, unbeknownst to her, a Sony Music executive was in the audience while she was jamming with friends.
That led to a career filled with highlights. In 1999, she co-wrote Chely Wright’s “Single White Female,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. In 2002, she was named the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist. She has won 16 CCMA Awards, a Juno and an American Music Award. Who can forget the smash hits “Complicated” and “I Don’t Want You to Go”?
Johnson invited Star Spaces into her home.
Q: How would you describe your home in one word?
A: Welcoming.
Q: Tell us about your home.
A: My home is a 2,500-square-foot brick cottage built in 1929. It is located outside of Nashville.
Special features include the 2,000-square-foot back building with a recording studio, pool room and in-law/guest apartment.
In the kitchen we added stainless steel appliances, granite counters and custom-designed cabinetry to fit the original style of the house.
Q: What attracted you to this space?
A: Location! We are close to town. I can work and be close by when my family needs me.
Q: Who shares your home?
A: My husband and our two children … and sometimes my parents.
Q: What is your favourite room and why?
A: My daughter’s room. It’s so sweet and innocent. There is a bookshelf and a corner glass cabinet where I can put all her little girl things. Not knowing what gender she was in utero, I painted the walls a chocolate-brown with cream trim and a blue-sky ceiling. When she was born I added touches of pink to the palette.
Q: How would you describe your decorating style?
A: Country chic. Different rooms have different moods. The dining room is vibe-y and a bit regal. The kitchen is refreshing and cheerful.
I like colour, if there is a white wall, I want to paint it. I like warm, earthy greens, browns and yellows.
I prefer comfortable furniture that is more traditional-looking but modern at the same time. I like things on the wall or on the bedside stands to reflect something personal, whether it is something to do with family or a picture of friends.
Q: What is your fondest memory in this home?
A: Bringing my two babies home to this house, sleepless nights and walking them up and down the driveway in a stroller when they needed help to go to sleep. I love swinging my daughter on the swing hanging from the walnut tree.
Q: What’s the one item in this house you can’t live without?
A: My deep soaker/jet tub. That is where I get away and relax. (Calgon, take me away!)
Q: Weekends at home, what are we most likely to find you doing?
A: Going for a walk at one of the nearby parks. This summer has been really hot, and I’ve been spending time dipping my feet in a kiddie pool while my daughter plays in it. I enjoy cooking gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and pastas for my family.
Q: If your walls could talk, what would they say?
A: “There’s no place like home. Sometimes it feels crazy … but it’s always filled with love.”