Date:  May 2, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Tiffany Adams  |  

Designer Brittany Nixon Brun and architect Tom Fennell thoughtfully update a 1920s Little Rock home for a young family

A charming Tudor-style exterior and a convenient location in a quiet, established neighborhood were draws for this couple when they purchased their home, which was built almost a century prior. “The architecture was beautiful, and we wanted to appreciate the quirks of an older home and embrace its style,” the owner says. However, they could envision updating the flow and aesthetics to be more in line with the way they live day-to-day.

While initially “overwhelmed” by the mechanics of a renovation, living in the house for almost two years gave them a better understanding of their needs and the features that could make the home function at its peak. Specifically, they wanted to be able to see their daughter play in a nearby room and carry on a conversation without the inhibition of walls.

Having worked with interior designer Brittany Nixon Brun on three previous projects, the owners reached out to get the ball rolling and also brought in architect Tom Fennell to spearhead the reconfiguration of spaces. “The whole objective was to make the home more livable, functional, and brighter but still in step with the style of the original house,” Brittany says.

The cooking and casual dining spaces received the most dramatic renovation with the existing kitchen, butler’s pantry, breakfast room, and a third staircase all being taken down to the studs, combined, and reworked to provide one large, connected space. This created a domino effect: windows and doors were replaced, the pantry and mudroom were updated to match the style of the adjoining kitchen, and all of the spaces within sight line received at least cosmetic upgrades. Additionally, the sunroom, which the owners believe was part of a 1970s or ’80s renovation, was expanded from a slim footprint to a full-scale room and was heated and cooled to make it usable year-round. “It’s so nice to have this because we can see kids playing in the backyard, and it also extends our living space,” the owner notes. Upstairs, the primary suite was reconfigured to create a walk-in closet and a laundry while updating the existing bath and bedroom.

These functional changes were punctuated with a fresh palette and furnishings. “I wanted this house to feel warm. We have little kids running through all the time, so nothing can be too precious,” the owner says. Brittany started with a palette of blues—a favorite hue for the family—and used durable fabrics and rugs with a traditional flair that feels current but still adheres to the historical context of the home. “In some areas, we opted to tone down the style and in others we elevated it—both structurally and aesthetically,” the designer says. “I could sing Brittany and Tom’s praises all day long,” the owner adds. “A remodel can be hard and expensive but when you have people you trust, it makes all the difference.” 

Above: French doors previously stood where the sofa is now located. “It was not conducive to the room’s traffic flow,” Brittany says. “Tom and I decided to enclose those and create two paneled, cased openings for circulation and to keep the adjacent sunroom from being a dead-end destination,” she adds. A dark palette was traded for light blues and neutrals, while commissioned art fills the walls. The work by Eliza Thomas over the sofa incorporates three phrases from Kerri Rosenthal’s “House Rules”: Be kind. Try hard. Show gratitude. “These are three things we try to instill in our house, so it’s meaningful to our family,” the owner explains. The walls are painted “Wickham Gray” by Benjamin Moore.

“The whole objective was to make the home more livable, functional, and brighter but still in step with the style of the original house.”
—Brittany Nixon Brun, designer

Store & Serve
In the dining room, an existing arched niche was modified into a climate-controlled walnut wine cellar, creating an artful display and keeping bottles close at hand for dinner service. With limited wall space for art, Brittany suggested a custom mural paper that brings color and an elevated sense of sophistication to the home’s most formal room. The custom-crafted Duncan Phyfe-style pedestal table can seat up to 10 and is illuminated by a Jan Showers Murano glass chandelier.

A mixed media collage by artist Selena Beaudry is a focal point on one of the living room’s side walls.

Light & Happy
Not only was the entry point to the sunroom reoriented, the formerly narrow room was expanded to allow for separate lounge and game areas. A series of French doors and windows that overlook the backyard give it the functionality of a true indoor/outdoor space. Brittany used the wall color seen in the majority of the house on the ceiling here, creating the feel a light blue sky overhead. Underfoot, a pairing of Carrara and Bardiglio marble speaks to the home’s timeless architecture, while seating in durable fabrics invites the family and their pets to relax.

A lacquered game table is a contemporary addition that offers a chic spot for puzzles, mahjong, and even crafts. A work by local artist Ashley Saer ties into the accent thread of magenta accessories.

Opening Up
The reconfiguration of multiple areas adjacent to the kitchen resulted in separate but connected cooking, dining, and storage spaces, creating a workable flow for the family and their guests. When Tom and Brittany began to design the cabinetry layout, it fell perfectly symmetrical to have the stainless steel and brushed brass hood in the center and to build the rest of the room off of its axis. “Sultans Garden,” a linen, botanical fabric by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, introduces a classic pattern on the window shades.

The kitchen island is painted “Mineral Deposit” by Sherwin-Williams.

Sip & Dine
While the former iteration of the butler’s pantry was removed, the sentiment remains in a storage and bar space that is open to the breakfast nook and adjacent to the dining room. The leaded glass doors are a nod to the home’s traditional Tudor style and are balanced with a modern dining table and chairs covered with a laminated version of the fabric seen on the Roman shades. The breakfast cabinet is painted in the same color as the island for a similar continuity.

Modern Classic
During the renovation, Tom discovered a window along the tub wall that had previously been covered. Embracing the natural light it would bring to the room, it was used as a dividing point for two vanities and centered location for the standalone tub. “We wanted to give this room a timeless feel like it had been in place for a while but still looks updated,” Brittany says, pointing to the use of marble on the counters, shower surround, and the basketweave floor. The chandelier, which belonged to the homeowner’s grandmother, is also reflective of this approach.

---

---

Making Peace
Brittany designed the primary bedroom to be one shade darker than the en suite bath, creating a restful retreat that doesn’t feel like a departure from the palette. The custom upholstered bed was paired with a bench from Providence Design, while the pillows repeat the fabric on the bath’s Roman shade. A commissioned pair of works by Sarah Otts features lotus flowers and introduces a refreshing peach hue. The walls are painted “Gray Matters” by Sherwin-Williams.

Chore Made Chic
In the primary suite’s reconfiguration, space for an upstairs laundry was gained. Here, porcelain tiles mimic the look of the sunroom’s marble flooring and play into the color of the Casa Branca “Papavero” wallpaper. “In a laundry, why not be whimsical? It makes a mundane task more fun,” Brittany says. The cabinetry is painted “Argos” by Sherwin-Williams.

---

Design Resources
Architect Tom Fennell, Fennell Purifoy Architects Interior design Brittany Nixon Brun, Brittany Nixon Creative Contractor Jacob White, Jacob White Construction Company Accessories and furniture Brittany Nixon Creative, Cobblestone & Vine, Providence Design, and Shop Simple Designs Appliances Metro Appliances & More Art Ashley Saer, Blue Print Gallery (Dallas), and Brittany Nixon Creative Cabinetry Duke Custom Cabinets Countertops Triton Stone Group Countertops (fabrication) Brothers Granite & Quartz Fabrics Brittany Nixon Creative and Designer Effects Fixtures Westlake Plumbing Framing BK Moulding Glass Glass Erectors and Soos Stained Glass Hood (fabrication) Bray Sheet Metal Lighting, mirrors, rugs, and wallpaper Brittany Nixon Creative Paint Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams Painting J & F Painting Tile C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery and Triton Stone Group Wallpaper (installation) Lorita Herring and Mike Mace Window Coverings Mountjoy’s Custom Draperies Windows and doors Pella Wine cellar Hardwoods Unlimited and Ken Hall