Date: July 19, 2016 | Story: Julie Craig | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Chip Jones |
A family of five fine-tunes their new Pleasant Valley home to reflect a youthful personality through the use of color, and fabric
Molly Young, a designer with Cobblestone & Vine, and her husband Rob have plenty to keep them busy. Not only has the Little Rock couple just finished remodeling their spacious family home in the sidewalk-lined Pleasant Valley neighborhood, but they also have three young boys: Harrison, 6, Henry, 5, and Hamilton, 3.
A FRESH VISION
After spending years in a French-Country-style home with “three under three,” the couple soon realized they had outgrown it. They needed more space—and a much cleaner palette to recreate Molly’s vision of youth and glamour. The Youngs embraced the blank, white canvas when they moved into their now newly remodeled home in Pleasant Valley, bringing with them only eight pieces of furniture from their previous home. Complete with a large, flat backyard for the boys to run around, Molly knew it was perfect. “The minute we walked in, I knew this was our house,” she says. “In the offer process, we learned the homeowners had raised their three sons in the house. That was my sign!”
The Youngs embarked upon a year of planning and renovations with the help of Little Rock contractor Richard Harp. The plans included stripping the entire first floor down to the studs and creating individual spaces for their three boys. “One of the most rewarding design aspects of this particular house was creating the boys’ rooms because their personalities were a little more developed,” Molly says. As a mom and designer, Molly really wanted their bedrooms to not only be stylish, but function for years to come by using pieces that work for practically any age.
SHADES OF BLUE
Harrison has two twin beds to accommodate flexible sleeping arrangements, and Molly admits on many evenings one of his brothers will sneak into the extra bed. The Matouk bedding in white linen is accented with a navy tape accent and its crisp, tailored and preppy design contrasts with the playfulness of the window treatments, mirroring a splattered art project, and the accent pillows. Practical pieces like an inexpensive Ikea table with plastic chairs along with a casual rug provide both form and function for Harrison and his brothers.
To match Henry’s room to his “spunky personality,” Molly chose A Bluesy Note from Sherwin Williams for the walls. Molly admits Henry has the nicest bed in the whole house with a luscious velvet upholstered headboard and frame and crisp white bedding. “It will still look great when he is an adult,” she says.
COLOR SETS THE TONE
While space and function were factors in their growing family’s needs, the color palette and fabrics finished out the plan and brought it all to life. “Color is a universal, non-verbal language; it’s not just a matter of aesthetics, but like music,” Molly says. “Color immediately connects the senses to create an emotional response.”
And you can’t help but respond to the serene palette throughout the home—a mix of lavender, gray, and white with splashes of royal and pale blues. Inspired by another home they spotted in an issue of At Home in Arkansas, the entire home re-do stemmed from one paint color: Elation from Sherwin Williams. This contemporary purple hue instantly livened up the Young’s library, finished with built-in shelving, a daybed, and a Niermann Weeks chandelier. Elation was also used to highlight the ceilings of the living and dining rooms, and Molly chose a luxurious lavender grasscloth wall covering for the dining room walls.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Antique brown hardwood floors provide continuity throughout the home, and patterned wool carpet keeps the kids cozy in the family room. “I wanted the kids to have a soft spot to play, but didn’t want to sacrifice style,” Molly says.
The couple spent the most time thinking through the kitchen and how to best use that space. “Rob and I love to cook and entertain together, so we based the layout and workspace on how we both operate in the kitchen – together and separate,” she says.
The Youngs incorporated a large window over the sink for natural light and to watch the boys in the backyard. They chose Calacutta Extra White marble for the kitchen counters and added modern conveniences such as two dishwashers and sleek pop-up Mocketts that spring upward from the counters to hide outlets. To add to Molly’s need for practicality with three small children, she added an inexpensive West Elm Parson table and reimagined her old dining chairs with a fresh coat of paint and new coordinating fabric for a relaxed family seating area.
So where does everyone relax at the end of a long day? The sectional in the family room, of course. “I always tell my clients to invest in upholstery because it has to perform for you, not just look pretty,” Molly says. “Our whole family can comfortably spread out and watch movies on the sofa; the cushions are down filled and thoroughly squishy, making it a nap lover’s dream.”
DESIGN RESOURCES
Architect—kitchen Jennifer Peacock
Contractor Richard Harp, Richard Harp Homes, Little Rock, (501) 821-4646, richardharphomes.com
Interior design Molly Young, Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com
Accessories Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com; clement., Little Rock, (501) 539-1473; Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; Roy Dudley Estate Sales, Little Rock, (501) 666-5856, roydudleyestatesales.com
Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com
Art Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; The Showroom, Little Rock, (501) 372-7373, theshowroom.us.com
Bedding, fabric, mirrors, outdoor furnishings, rugs, and wallpaper Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com
Cabinetry—kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room Capitol Custom Cabinets, Inc., North Little Rock, (501) 771-0472
Carpet C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery, Little Rock, (501) 399-9909, candfcarpet.com; ProSource of Little Rock, Little Rock, (501) 490-9284, prosourcewholesale.com
Countertops—kitchen AHI Stoneworks, Hot Springs, (501) 547-3545, ahistoneworks.net; Verona Marble Co. Inc., Lowell, (479) 751-3854, vmcstone.com
Countertops—bathroom AHI Stoneworks, Hot Springs, (501) 547-3545, ahistoneworks.net
Flooring, millwork, painting, and windows Richard Harp Homes, Little Rock, (501) 821-4646, richardharphomes.com
Furniture clement., Little Rock, (501) 539-1473; Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; Massimo, Little Rock, (501) 664-0355, massimointeriordesign.com; Mid-Towne Antique Mall, Little Rock, (501) 223-3600, midtownantiquemall.com; Roy Dudley Estate Sales, Little Rock, (501) 666-5856, roydudleyestatesales.com
Glass—kitchen backsplash West Little Rock Glass, Little Rock, (501) 223-3034, westlittlerockglass.net
Hardware PC Hardware, Little Rock, (501) 224-1724, pchdwe.com
Lighting Cobblestone and Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; PC Hardware, Little Rock, (501) 224-1724, pchdwe.com
Lighting—gas lights Old World Lanterns by Benoit, Batesville, (870) 698-0105, oldworldlanternsbybenoit.com
Paint Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com
Painting—decorative Blake Breeding, Beard-Breeding Painting Co., Inc., Little Rock, (501) 455-1010; Bonnie and Roscoe, central Arkansas, (501) 627-2799, bonnieandroscoe.com
Pillows and window coverings Laura’s Draperies & Blinds, Maumelle, (501) 256-6725, laurasdraperies.com
Tile—bathroom ProSource of Little Rock, Little Rock, (501) 490-9284, prosourcewholesale.com
Upholstery Brockington Upholstery, Little Rock, (501) 835-4403, brockingtonupholstery.com; Howard’s Upholstery Shop, Little Rock, (501) 225-0476
Wallpaper installation Blake Breeding, Beard-Breeding Painting Co., Inc., Little Rock, (501) 455-1010
