The Studio of Lori Putnam

An affinity for Italy led Lori Putnam and her husband Mark to sell everything they owned in 2008, pull up stakes, and move there for eight months, where Putnam spent the time absorbing the countryside and translating that experience into her art. When they returned to the United States early the next year, the economy was beginning to tank. Mark was searching for a suitable job and, rather than get tied to a mortgage, they chose to rent an apartment, until they felt more stable.

The only logical option was to build a studio they could live in. The result was a spectacular combination of industrial comfy meets do-it-yourself chic.

The couple purchased five acres in the rolling hills and meadows outside Charlotte, Tennessee. It’s a secluded, rural setting where Putnam is surrounded by natural splendor, which makes it easy to paint outdoors, although she spends most of her time painting inside her new studio.