Date: January 8, 2025 | Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Angela Alexander |
Designer Tami Risinger turns the style all the way up at the home of dear friends in Conway
Sometimes all it takes is one spark to get the creative fire going. For designer Tami Risinger and her client Jennifer Crain, that ignition came in the form of a coffee table book: Inviting Interiors: A Fresh Take on Beautiful Rooms. Released in 2021, the book features the work of Atlanta designer Melanie Turner—and the cover ended up being just the inspiration needed for the recent refresh of Jennifer’s Conway residence. “The front cover of that book had these peaches and reds and corals all together, and I loved it. It was very edgy,” Tami says. “And Jennifer’s edgy. She’s that client who will totally step out of the box and is not afraid of pattern or color, as you can see.”
Having worked with Tami on previous projects (including this house’s original remodel, which was featured in the January/February 2010 issue of At Home in Arkansas), Jennifer and her husband, Chris, knew exactly who to turn to for their home’s next phase. “She called and said, It’s not dated at all, but I’m just ready for a change,” Tami recalls. In addition to reinvigorating the house’s style, Jennifer imagined an updated layout with their friends and family in mind. “Where the sitting room is now was meant to be the dining room, but I just had a feeling about moving it,” she says. “You play a picture in your mind, and I could see us having a dinner party; over here, someone’s playing the piano and over there, a couple is chatting and having a drink at the banquette.”
For the home’s new furnishings, Tami and Jennifer leaned on decades of mutual trust to make their selections. They took a shopping trip to Dallas, worked with local galleries to source avant-garde art, and reimagined cherished family pieces—all with a flair for the fashion-forward and their peachy palette in mind. “I think we kind of push each other to take it to a different level,” Jennifer says of their process. “We just have a lot of fun working together and get inspired from one another, and the project takes off.”
Above: The stair’s railing was redesigned during the initial renovation, and an antelope-print runner was added a few years later as the entry evolved. During this most recent refresh, the baby grand piano that used to sit at the base of the stairs was swapped for a table whose custom skirt can be changed to suit the season. On the wall, a piece by Little Rock artist Milkdadd was a coveted addition to Jennifer’s collection.
The starting point for the sitting room’s design was a linen Schumacher drapery featuring custom-embroidered trim to match the rug. The walls and ceiling are drenched in a matching hue, “Warming Peach” by Sherwin-Williams.
A colorful character by local artist Michael Shaeffer holds court over the piano. The trio of yellow paintings by the banquette are from Bear Hill Interiors. The baby grand piano and dining table once belonged to Chris’s mother. “I love having pieces that have been around a long time,” Jennifer says.
Daring Details
The former living room took on new life as a spacious dining area with a quatrefoil ceiling treatment and kaleidoscopic wallpaper. The heirloom table can extend to seat the whole family, while a banquette in one corner offers a fashionable perch for cocktails or coffee. A mix of modern art and traditional touches—such as the bullion fringe—continue the home’s theme of chic sophistication. Three-dimensional pieces by Milkdadd look like intricately iced sheet cakes hung above the fireplace.
Modern Muse
The formal sitting room reflects the mix both Tami and Jennifer adore. “I didn’t want my house to have one look,” Jennifer says. “Some things are more classic, some are more modern, and I wanted to bring that all together for an eclectic look.” A mixed media piece by Ashley Murphy, artist and co-owner of M2 Gallery in Little Rock, was chosen because it references one of Jennifer’s favorite movies: Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. After selecting the art, Tami had the chairs covered in a rich berry-colored velvet from Schumacher.
“The art was a huge part of making these spaces special.”
—Jennifer Crain, homeowner
Lasting Impression
The kitchen’s bones—namely the cabinetry, countertops, and backsplash—were previously updated in a timeless style that still suited the Crains’ needs. “That’s what’s great about working with Tami; it can be a decade later and I’m still happy with our decisions,” Jennifer says. For this refresh, new brass hardware, a sleek light fixture over the sink, and a custom Roman shade bring current elegance to the space.
Vision in Violet
Jennifer’s love of lavender comes from memories of her grandmother, who owned several antique pieces in a deeper shade of purple. “We used this color in the bedroom and bathroom at our lakehouse, and it was so calming and peaceful,” she says of her desire to incorporate the hue into their primary home. Tami worked with her seamstress to develop a custom design for the pink and purple embroidery on the breakfast room’s drapes and coordinating Roman shade in the kitchen. A mixed media piece by Shellie Lewis, whose work Tami discovered at a gallery in South Carolina, has gold tones that play well with the room’s lighting and hardware.
Comfortably Chic
A cozy seating area off the kitchen serves as an everyday hangout for the Crains. Tami swapped a sectional for this configuration of chairs and slipcovered sofas—the latter of which are easy to clean, making them even more functional for daily use. “This area is clearly where we live,” Jennifer says. “When I think of my family I see us gathered here.” Adjacent to these spaces is a wet bar that sparkles with a mercury-glass backsplash. Brass-and-glass shelving displays Jennifer’s collection of colored barware. “It’s a little glitzy and so Jennifer,” Tami says.
The pared-down piece of abstract art by California artist Maura Segal is from Bear Hill Interiors.
Serene & Sophisticated
The starting point for the primary bedroom’s new look was a playful wallcovering called “Fruit Looters” by Timorous Beasties. From there, Jennifer’s signature purple makes a reappearance in the bedding, window coverings, and accessories—including the lumbar pillow, a gift from Tami to Jennifer that references one of many inside jokes between the friends. In the bath, a darker palette of amber tones was replaced with light-colored marble and a fresh coat of white paint on the cabinetry. The stained glass window, completed a decade prior, was designed as a nod to Jennifer’s love of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Design Resources
Contractor Keller Johnson, Keller Johnson Construction Interior design Tami Risinger, Tami Risinger Interiors Accessories, bedding, fabrics, furniture, lighting, and rugs Tami Risinger Interiors Appliances Metro Appliances & More Art and framing Bear Hill Interiors , M2 Gallery, and Tami Risinger Interiors Cabinetry Kerr’s Cabinets & Doors Carpet and hardware Ridout Lumber Countertops and tile (bathroom and flooring) Triton Stone Group Fixtures Southern Pipe & Supply Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting Keller Johnson Construction Tile (backsplash) ProSource of Little Rock Upholstery Maria Herrara Wallpaper (Installation) Dawn Mathis Window coverings Possibilities Unlimited
