Date: December 19, 2016 |
Designer Krista Lewis infuses her Little Rock home with her signature aesthetic to make it a comfortable and welcoming place for all who enter—including her young family
There are certain times in life when a move is necessary—a job change, a desire to be closer to family, or when your dream house goes on the market. For Little Rock-based interior designer Krista Lewis, the latter was the case. “I loved our old house; we all loved it, but we were at a point where we didn’t know if we could or should make updates,” she says. “Since this [interior design] is what I do for a living and it’s my hobby and my passion, I’m always looking at houses on the market,” she laughs. As fate would have it, a house—not so far from her previous residence—was looking for her as well.
Fateful Find
Krista and her husband, Dan, along with their three children loved living in Pleasant Valley. So, it’s no surprise the home she had her eye on was located in the same west Little Rock neighborhood. And, while she had never been inside the home, she admired its curb appeal frequently. “I had always loved this house,” the designer says emphatically. She was especially smitten with the home’s courtyard, which reminded her of the ones she and Dan had seen during the early days of their marriage while living in New Orleans. “I had always said, ‘If that house ever goes on the market, we have to go look at it.’”
As luck would have it, the house did go on the market. Krista’s good friend, Emily Brown, drove by and saw a “For Sale By Owner” sign in the yard and immediately called her. After a year of negotiations, the house was theirs.
“I knew it was going to be a process. It’s a bigger house; it’s an older house; and it needed a lot of work—and it still does—but I really wanted my kids to grow up and spend their youth in the house they are going to come home to when they are grown,” she adds.
Good Bones
Much as Krista adored the exterior of the home, she was now equally enchanted with the interior. “The light fixtures, paint, and carpet are all different but the architectural details were all here,” she says. For example, tall ceilings throughout the home as well as beams and a beadboard ceiling that are visible upon walking through the front entry didn’t disappoint. The loggia—which also serves as the foyer— is, perhaps, the most outstanding display of the home’s architectural design. “My husband refers to this room as the lobby,” Krista laughs. The long, gallery space, which opens to the home’s courtyard, connects the front entry to the kitchen while running alongside and offering access to the living and dining rooms. “It’s perfect for entertaining,” the designer adds. “We’ve even put a table with the bench we have here to create another dining spot for Thanksgiving dinner,” she says.
The floorplan also seemed to have been constructed with the Lewis family in mind; there are four bedrooms and a tucked-away downstairs space that houses K. Lewis Interior Design. Krista notes that all of the rooms are spacious enough to accommodate comfortable furniture and allow one to move around freely yet they aren’t large just for the sake of being large. “It seems cozy but a little more grand. It’s Southern and very comfortable,” she says of the home’s overall design.
Bringing It to Life
The previous homeowner also shared an affinity for one of Krista’s favorite hues. “I have always loved orange—even my prom dress was orange,” the designer says. Shades of the hue could be found in a few places around the home, and the designer ran with the idea to put a youthful modern spin on the house. For example, a terracotta and indigo tile was the previous homeowner’s choice for the kitchen backsplash. “Some people might not like the terracotta in our kitchen but I love it. I think it’s timeless,” Krista says. She carried this color scheme into the adjoining breakfast nook and family room with blue-and-white drapery panels that feature orange trim as well as a vibrant orange lantern that hangs over the table. Custom seat covers and throw pillows add touches of the colors without overwhelming the room. Similarly, light orange silk drapes that were in the formal dining room were relocated to the loggia and paired with a rug made of seagrass squares to make the area feel more casual while still giving the space a sense of grandeur.
While it’s clear that many spaces throughout the home have been infused with the designer’s aesthetic, Krista notes that creating a home is an ongoing process. “I’m doing things in increments,” she says of the other portions of the home that have yet to receive her designer’s touch. “For me—somebody that this is their passion in life, my hobby and my career—I’m not ever finished. It’s something to look forward to, and I know I’ll change my mind as I go,” she concludes.
Design Resources
Interior design Krista Lewis, K. Lewis Interior Design, Little Rock, (501) 952-6952, klewisinteriordesign.com
Accessories, bedding, fabrics, furniture, lighting, mirrors, rugs, wallpaper, and window coverings K. Lewis Interior Design, Little Rock, (501) 952-6952, klewisinteriordesign.com
Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com
Art—living room and dining room Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com
Carpet C & F Flooring & Rug Gallery, Little Rock, (501) 399-9909, candfcarpet.com
Paint Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com
Painting Keith Holland Painting, Little Rock, (501) 231-6324
Painting—decorative Monica McNally, Stillwater Creations, Little Rock, (708) 548-4871
