The Suite Life

Homeowners Marie and Jim Murry contemplated moving from their Forrest City home, but instead they decided to renovate their back two bedrooms and create a master bedroom suite with a walk-in closet and large bathroom. “Older homes rarely have enough closet space and the bathrooms are always small,” Jim says. Working with interior design Marsha Byers of Hillcrest Interiors in Little Rock, along with architect Dave Hodges and builder Danny Clark, the Murrys knew they were in good hands. “Marsha was great at seeing the finished vision before construction even began,” Jim says. “Marie and I are still blown away with everything these professionals were able to accomplish.”

In the bathroom, Byers wanted to highlight the original architecture of the home, while also maintaining the style of the rest of the house. “I wanted to create a warm, rich and updated bathroom,” she says. “I wanted a spa-like feel, but also knew I needed to incorporate the level of formality already present in the home's design.”

As with any renovation project, there can be unforeseen issues, but the design team rolled with the punches beautifully. “When the original walls were removed there was great care taken with the upper floors,” Byers says. “We ended up with a beam in the bedroom that we weren't counting on, but we just worked it into the bed draping motif. Danny did a fantastic job at planning ahead and problem solving for us.”

On a trip to Memphis, the Murrys found a limestone floor that they thought would be a great fit, and this became Byers' design starting point. “They loved the limestone floor, and the beautiful gold-glazed azure mosaic tiles by Walker Zanger,” Byers says. “Beth Gentry at Elder Tile helped me find the perfect mosaic for the shower wall, and it really pops against the porcelain and limestone tiles,” she says. The finishing touch was installing French doors, which open onto a lovely courtyard surrounded with colorful flowers. “Since Marie is a master gardener, she keeps the grounds beautiful, and this flows into the bathroom as well,” Byers says. 

Before

Design Resources
Architect: Dave Hodges, Forrest City
Builder: Danny Clark, Forrest City
Interior design: Marsha Byers, Hillcrest Interiors, Little Rock
Lighting: TEC Electric, North Little Rock
Flooring: Walker Zanger; Elder Tile, Maumelle
Hardware: Southern Pipe, Little Rock
Draperies and shutters: Mountjoy's Custom Upholstery, Little Rock
Cabinetry: Tom and Linda Evans, Forrest City
Chaise lounge upholstery: Wayne Flewellen, Little Rock