Date:  July 2, 2020  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Lauren Cerrato  |  

With fresh style and plenty of room for the family, a Hot Springs lakefront property invites togetherness

For Lyndsey and Josh Sullivan, life on the lake has always been part of their vision. “We wanted our kids to grow up being lake babies,” Lyndsey says of the couple’s son, Jonah, and daughter, Eva. “Josh spent a lot of time playing sports in the summer when he was growing up and never really had much time for things like going to the lake; so we knew this was something we wanted for our kids,” she adds.

The couple had been looking for a lake house for both personal use and as a long-term investment for a few years when they found this property on Lake Hamilton. “This came on the market, and literally four minutes later Josh called to see if I wanted to look at it the next day,” Lyndsey recalls.

Upon touring the property—which includes a main house and two smaller cedar cottages that can accommodate up to 18 collectively—the Sullivans fell in love. “Josh is one of 10 kids and my parents frequently visit us from Florida, so we could just picture having everyone together with plenty of room here,” Lyndsey says. They also felt the layout of the cabins, which they have now dubbed “The Cedars” due to their exteriors, would  be attractive to groups looking to rent a space for their extended family or friends.

In order to bring their vision to life fully, the cabins needed to be updated. In the main house (featured here), walls came down to the studs and the roofline was raised and reoriented, both to allow more light in and for guests to take in more of the view.

Inside, Lyndsey and Josh say their number one goal was to “take as many risks as possible” when it came to paint colors and décor, noting they’ve always stuck to more traditional colors and pieces when renovating their primary residence. “There were a lot of things I had pinned for my own home and then ended up not doing; I wanted to use all those ideas here,” Lyndsey says. “For eight months, we spent every weekend here poring over the details. I’m definitely not a designer, but I wanted to get this right.”

Click here to see before photos on our blog.

Cooking in Color
The Sullivans didn’t shy away from color in the kitchen, opting to paint existing cabinetry a deep blackish-blue hue. Vintage brass pendants were among Lyndsey’s first purchases for the renovation; according to their previous owner, they once hung in Hot Springs’s historic Arlington Hotel. Rather than traditional trim, they opted for a less expected route by finishing out the beam with wood slats, which provide visual interest while adhering to the overall design scheme.

Constructed from maple to match the flooring, large-scale open shelving houses dishes and glassware.

Gather ’Round
“I really pictured this space as the spot where our families would come together for meals,” Lyndsey says of the dining room and adjacent island, which can seat five. Part of the couple’s vision for the property was to have the main house serve as the gathering space while the two smaller cabins would provide individual retreats for sleeping and down time. A neutral palette keeps with the tone of the house and directs the eye outward to the view.

We could just picture having everyone together with plenty of room here.” —Lyndsey Sullivan

Out on a Ledge
Lyndsey, who works as a wedding and family photographer and owns Little Rock’s Lyndsey Sullivan Photography, took the photographs seen along the ledge. These are interspersed with collected art given to the Sullivans by friends and neighbors.

Bring Your Own Book
Since the living room was formerly a bedroom, a closet remained following the renovation. “I probably stared at this for five hours collectively before deciding what to do here,” Lyndsey says. The space is now a reading nook thanks a built-in seat and a covered cushion from Cynthia East Fabrics.

A New Outlook
Walls came down to transform what was once the master bedroom into the living room. Built-in bookshelves hold collected items, many of which Lyndsey found at local shops, estate sales, and thrift stores during the renovation, while a media console conceals unsightly receivers and stores the family’s favorite board games. Shiplap covers the walls and pitched roof. “This was one of those things I almost didn’t do because I wasn’t sure if we would still like shiplap in five years. It would’ve been the safe thing to not do it but I ended up going for it, and I love how it turned out,” Lyndsey says.

I’m definitely not a designer, but I wanted to get this right.” —Lyndsey Sullivan

Ready for Rest
This master bedroom (another master suite is located downstairs) had previously been a second living area with the headboard now sitting against what was a fireplace. The Sullivans kept the paneling, painting it a blue-green color, and repurposed the mantel as an art ledge. The ceiling, which had yellowed over time, was given new life with a coat of white paint. Wicker pendants over the nightstands bring texture to the room and complete the look.

YOU CAN STAY HERE Follow @lakehamiltoncedars to find out how you can book a getaway.

Design Resources
Contractor Donnie Garrett, Donnie Garrett Construction Accessories Midtown Vintage Market, Pennsylvania Trading Co., and Roy Dudley Estate Sales Art Lyndsey Sullivan Photography and Annie Thomas Cabinetry (bathroom) and built-in shelves JPM Customized Carpentry Dock Kyle Bogard, Bogard Construction Fabrics and upholstery Cynthia East Fabrics Furniture Pennsylvania Trading Co. and Roy Dudley Estate Sales  Hardware CJ Horner Company Lighting TEC Electric Millwork Mike Peck Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting (exterior) Johnson Painting