Allison Cook Janet Warlick Allison Cook

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Little Rock’s Edgehill neighborhood dates back to 1925, and each home offers a glimpse of revered architecture and lush grounds. Bill and Jane Hardin’s home is no different. Built by Mr. and Mrs. Leo Griffin in 1947, the Hardins are only the third owners of the home, purchasing it from Mary Lynn and Sheffield Nelson in 2005. Although the Hardins remodeled several aspects of the home with help from Chris de Bin of Chris de Bin Construction, it retains its grandeur and historic roots.

When Jane imagined her perfect home, she was highly influenced by the architecture and interior design of Denmark. “I traveled there in my late twenties and stayed in Copenhagen,” she says. “I loved the older homes with their bare white-washed floors, lots of paned windows and the use of glass and reflective elements, such as the Venetian plaster, mirrored tables and painted furnishings.” Each of these techniques opens and lightens the space, and Jane wanted to benefit from this in her own home. “We wanted the house to be light, and it already had wonderful windows,” she says. “Most of the house is only one-room deep, so we get sunlight from the south and the north. We decided not to use window treatments so as not to block the sun, unless privacy is an issue in the room.”

The Hardins also added several architectural elements to complement the home’s structure. “We installed the wood-paneled ceilings in the living room and dining room, and painted them with high-gloss paint, which I really like due to its reflective properties,” she says. “We replaced the glass panels in the doors with etched glass, and replaced the glass in the original front door with beveled glass.”

Continuing Jane’s Scandinavian design leanings, she chose a cool blue and green color palette that can be seen in the master bedroom, the striped hallways and in the dining room. The living room is awash in relaxed cream colors, and plays an important role in the day-to-day use of the home. “We found the daybed that we use as a sofa in New Orleans the week before Katrina came ashore. We knew it hadn’t been shipped before the storm, and with the shop’s phone lines dead, we decided to forget about it, knowing they had more important things to worry about than our daybed,” says Jane. “After two and a half months, we got a call saying they had our daybed and were shipping it. We were amazed!” A unique birdhouse also adds to the enjoyment of the room. Bill discovered the piece at Pflugrad’s Antiques in Little Rock where it was being used to display plants. “He saw the potential for a bird cage, and I had always wanted finches,” Jane says. “They create such a lovely sound, especially when our daughter and friends gather to play the piano.”