Date:  April 1, 2026  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

With the owners living abroad, Stacy Sheid Epps reinvents a house using layers of classic Southern charm to welcome them back to the States

Long distance relationships can be trying, but for Stacy Sheid Epps and her clients, Brittany and Trey Brown, it proved to be as enjoyable as it was fruitful. The couple and their two young children were living out a two-year assignment in India with Trey’s job when they began to daydream about all the familiarity and comforts of their native Arkansas. This prompted them to want to make a few changes at their Rogers home, and the timing seemed ideal since they were already out of the house. “We were extremely homesick. I craved Southern charm, and pattern, and color—something that was traditional but also youthful,” Brittany says.

Enter interior designer Stacy Sheid Epps. “The way she found me is actually so random,” Stacy says, recounting how she rarely posts on social media but had shared a picture of a wallpaper installation that piqued Brittany’s interest. At the same time, a family friend who knew she was looking for design help suggested Stacy. “I didn’t know if she would be up for the challenge, but I set up a Zoom meeting anyway,” Brittany says. During this initial July 2024 conversation, they hit it off and decided they could make many of the major decisions when the Browns returned to Northwest Arkansas for a two-week visit during Christmas.

Built in 2016—likely as a spec house—the Browns had lived with the interior’s gray and white palette and mix of tile and carpet but now felt it didn’t have the warmth they desired. Many of the changes were cosmetic with Stacy updating paint, hardwood flooring, and carpeting throughout the spaces before moving to lighting, fabrics, and furnishings that would convey the feel of the Southern homes they loved. “She loves color and individuality; she doesn’t want what everyone else has. It’s a look that’s cozy, colorful, and personalized,” Stacy says of her client.

Thanks to a time difference that is night and day, Brittany recalls waking up to texts from Stacy with options and pieces she had found for the rest of the design decisions. “I like to see, touch, and feel, so I had a lot of trust in Stacy to select everything except what we picked out at the in-person meeting,” Brittany says. “They gave me a budget, and I had to figure out where to splurge and where to save,” Stacy adds. “I love to hunt and find antique or vintage pieces, so it was fun for me.”

While she was roughly 8,000 miles away, Brittany had boots on the ground alongside Stacy thanks to her mom, Denise Dearien. “She and Stacy were the A Team. It was very personal for my mom, and I think that’s one of the reasons they were able to keep it moving and completed on schedule,” she says. The last month was like a reality television show with Stacy and Denise sending only snippets of the final installation, awaiting the family’s return and the big reveal. “When I turned the corner past the stairs, it took my breath away,” Brittany says. “Her mom and I were in on the surprise together. I even covered the windows so none of her friends could peek in,” Stacy says. “When they came in, they cried, and it was all worth holding out on them.”

Creating Charm
The kitchen and breakfast nook received an overhaul with a service ledge on the bar being eliminated in favor of a single surface that offers plenty of space for snacks and casual meals. A built-in desk area that was rarely used was transformed into a bar with storage for entertaining essentials. Additionally, the cabinetry was painted and new hardware in a warm brass finish was installed. While their existing breakfast table was refinished, Stacy paired it with a new tufted banquette and raffia chairs with cushions made from a Peter Dunham indoor/outdoor fabric, a pretty yet practical combination that is repeated on the barstools. A long-arm chandelier features shades that play off of the blue-and-green print of the Thibaut drapery fabric. The walls are painted “Alabaster” by Sherwin-Williams and the kitchen cabinetry is painted “Swiss Coffee” by Benjamin Moore.

An antique commode from French Metro Antiques sits below a colorful abstract work for a seamless pairing of old and new.

Open Invitation
One of the biggest changes came in reorienting the living room. Stacy suggested streamlining the fireplace with a simple surround and placing the television over it, opening up the conversation areas to the adjoining kitchen. “It makes me so happy to see them using all these spaces and enjoy being together even when they’re in different rooms,” the designer says. Stacy kept the space grounded in traditional features with a botanical print on the chairs and drapery fabric as well as bullion fringe that trims the settee. A scarf Brittany purchased in Thailand became a central piece of artwork that is also meaningful to the family.

“I love to mix antiques with new pieces to give a home some patina and personalization.”
—Stacy Sheid Epps, designer

Style + Storage
At the front door, a wooden console covered with a box-pleat skirt introduces a traditional ticking-stripe fabric and offers concealed storage for photo albums, books, and games. The piece was also a budget-friendly item that allowed them to splurge on the large-scale ginger jar lamps that flank the textured shell mirror.

Dressed to Dine
Located just off the front entry, the dining room was meant to play the bold card early as guests enter the home. “Brittany wasn’t afraid to paint the wainscoting pink; and the dining room just wouldn’t be the same if it was white,” Stacy says. The fronds on the Lee Jofa paper are mimicked on the chandelier while a floral drapery dresses the front window. Stacy traded the couple’s rectangular table for a new round option that is paired with an antique buffet from French Metro Antiques. “I love to mix antiques with new pieces to give a home some patina and personalization,” the designer says. The wainscoting is painted “Setting Plaster” by Farrow & Ball.

A Flair for the Natural
Stacy envisioned turning the primary suite into a soothing and serene space for the couple. For starters, she covered the walls with a classic textured grasscloth and traded their matching furniture set for a contemporary take on a four-poster bed upholstered in durable Perennials fabric and neutral bedside chests. The Colefax and Fowler print on the drapery and blue-and-white lamps bring in the layered Southern charm Brittany was after while animal prints keep the look youthful. “She loves animal print—and would have it on every surface,” Stacy says, pointing to the two subtle variations seen on the pillows and rug.

Lovely in Lilac
At their in-person meeting, Stacy had initially selected a different paper for the home’s guest bath. When it wasn’t resonating with the couple, she quickly pulled out a second sample from Thibaut that ended up being a clear winner. “My husband would say that Stacy is like Mary Poppins—she had so many options in her bag,” Brittany says with a laugh. A lighter shade of lilac covers the cabinetry while the ticking stripe pattern seen at the front door makes an appearance here in a coordinating colorway. “I never thought I would have a lilac bathroom; it was such a surprise but I love it,” Brittany says.

Stacy dressed the laundry room in a blue-and-white palette by pairing new tile flooring with a Roman shade she had made from a favorite fabric remnant. Brass hardware and a lantern overhead add a sense of timelessness.

Design Resources
Interior design Stacy Sheid Epps, Stacy Sheid Interiors Accessories Cobblestone & Vine and Stacy Sheid Interiors Art, bedding, fabrics, flooring, hardware, lighting, mirrors, rugs, and wallpaper Stacy Sheid Interiors Cabinetry Collins Custom Cabinets Countertops Emcar Stone Studio Fixtures Ferguson Furniture French Metro Antiques and Stacy Sheid Interiors Millwork Osage Custom Trim Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting Lasun’s Painting Tile Flooring America by CarpetSmart Wallpaper (installation) Tammy Melton Window coverings Selah Design Studio