Date:  October 1, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

Mona and Dick Phelan’s outdoor living area is an ideal destination for two people or 20 any time of year

When Mona and Dick Phelan built their west Little Rock home in 2023, the outdoor living area was anything but an afterthought. “In my last house, I had a screened porch that was my favorite spot,” says Mona, the former owner of Providence Design. “When we started drawing this house, it was a have-to-have piece.” However, finding the perfect location within the plan proved to be a challenge. Her previous home’s dining room opened to the porch, a scenario that was not on the table in the new configuration. The Phelans brainstormed options with their builder, Bill Parkinson, who suggested placing the area just off the working pantry. “At first, I thought that might be weird, but it makes so much sense. We can come in and out easily and have access to the wine cooler and snacks,” Mona says.

For the open-air portion, the Phelans turned to Zak Grothe with The Good Earth Garden Center to help with landscape plans and to identify the right plants to grow in sunny versus shaded settings. In addition to his recommendations, Mona grows herbs, tomatoes, and several varieties of peppers in the raised bed. “I like to dress it up with pumpkins and mums in the fall,” she says, pointing to the plot that is as functional as it is beautiful. “With an outdoor space, I think you go about designing the same as your interiors, down to the plants,” she adds. “Dick always laughs because I’ll place a mum in the garden and then step back to adjust and re-do, just like I am moving a sofa.” While the brick wall deters wildlife, blue stone pavers and pea gravel further define the area, separating it from the outdoor dining table. Across from this space, a custom potting table makes it easy to plant and water smaller containers. “I saw an inspiration picture for the pot filler rather than a traditional faucet and thought that was so clever,” Mona says. The concrete sink and granite counter add to the workbench’s durability, while a pair of lantern-style sconces relay an elevated feel.

Indoors, the screened porch is a year-round destination thanks to a fireplace and overhead fans. “We love to entertain, so anytime we can be out here, we take the opportunity,” Mona says. The daybed swing, a piece custom built by craftsman Chad Coon, was the starting point for the area. Dick had the idea to go with a vaulted ceiling, which is enhanced with box beams painted in a faux finish that echo the ones seen inside the home. Underfoot, reclaimed brick pavers laid in a herringbone pattern provide interest on the floor. Mona wanted to break up the stone on the fireplace—but not with an expected wooden mantel. After finding a reclaimed beam at Round Top Antiques Fair, she had it embedded into the stone, with just over an inch protruding from the structure to create a subtle presence and bring in character. “These spaces really are our favorite parts of our home,” she says. “When we walk out here, we feel like we’ve gone somewhere.”

Above: “When I can find a place to use a gate, I do,” Mona says of the garden’s side entrance. Its X pattern is echoed on the porch’s daybed, connecting the indoors to the outside. The garden gate is painted “Dried Thyme” by Sherwin-Williams.

“When we walk out here, we feel like we’re gone somewhere.”
—Mona Thompson Phelan

Table for Two
From the start, Mona had a beloved zinc-topped table in mind for the covered porch. The piece, a find from Round Top Antiques Fair, creates a small nook that can be used for games or dining on the screened porch.

Design Resources
Builder Bill Parkinson, Parkinson Building Group Interior design Mona Thompson Phelan, Providence Design Landscape design Zak Grothe, The Good Earth Garden Center Brick and stone Antique Brick & Block Swing (custom) Chad Coon