Date:  October 21, 2015  |   Story: Ashley Gill  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Chip Jones  |  

Designer Jayson Cain captures the spirit of adventure and pays homage to the past in this gracious and grand, new-construction Maumelle home

For Alan Robinson, the meaning of the phrase “dream house” is far more about experience than it is about aesthetics. The soaring valley view from his new, hilltop home in Maumelle is his favorite feature of the property; he prizes his underground safe room, which has now kept him secure through two tornadoes; and he delights in the fact that a great many of his home’s furnishings have a story. This set of priorities has given Robinson’s designer, Jayson Cain, a level of creative freedom that interior design professionals typically have only when creating their own homes. Cain describes the decorative style of the house as his own “heart and soul”: an ample and layered, Old-World-inspired look that does justice to the grand scale of the structure. Because the design has been a collaborative effort between the two men—a process they both describe as an ongoing adventure—the result is not just a beautifully adorned home; living there is also a dream come true for its owner.

On a Grand Scale

From the outset of the project, Robinson knew what he wanted the exterior of the home to look like. “I found a picture from a magazine of the kind of façade I liked,” Robinson says, and the plans did not veer significantly from that inspiration home. However, he entrusted the interior floor plan and the decorative style of the house to Cain, almost entirely. “For this house, maximizing the view was so important,” Cain says; thus the structure soars vertically.

At the very center of the home sits a formal living room, the only space that spans the full height of 21 feet. To maximize the grandeur of the room, drapes of dupioni silk hang from ceiling level and puddle on the floor, and a custom-made, antiqued mirror, framed with patinated metal, climbs a staggering 13 feet above the mantle. Robinson remembers the day it arrived: “The mirror over the fireplace was a complete surprise to me. Jayson told me about this mirror coming, but I wasn’t expecting anything like this. When it got here, it took five, bodybuilder-sized men to get it up there!” “I remember,” Cain adds, “I had to step outside. I couldn’t even watch.”

The upholstery and accessories in the room are generous—though not at all bulky or oversized, and they bring the space into context on a human scale. From the heart of the home, numerous gracefully defined living areas, both indoor and out—as well the home’s more private spaces—flow upward and outward. “I love the layout of the house,” Robinson says; “It really turned out just right.”

Inviting, not Imposing

“My big thing is texture,” Cain says, “so what really inspired me when designing this house was all of the layers of texture we created.” Much of the home’s texture comes from the diverse patinas of antique furnishings, salvaged architectural elements, terra cotta sculptures and accents, and furniture pieces fashioned from weathered iron grates—custom-designed for the home by Cain. “I tried to make even the new elements look authentic and fit with all of the antique pieces,” Cain says. The cypress beams used in the kitchen and strategically throughout the house provide a case in point: “I aged those myself,” Robinson says, “It took a while. I did it in the garage in the middle of the summer heat.” “I love those beams,” Cain responds; “They are one of my favorite features of the home.” The layering of textures has the effect of making a quite sumptuous and luxuriously appointed home feel accessible and inviting. “I wanted everything to be usable and comfortable,” Cain says. “I didn’t want anything to be too stuffy or like a museum.”

Sincerely Yours

The style categories “French country” or “Old World” certainly resonate with many aspects of the antique-bedecked interior of the home, but the liberality of Cain’s taste and instinct creates a result that defies easy categorization. “That’s what I like about Jayson,” Robinson says, “he likes things that aren’t the same as what you’ll see in every other home.” Even a year before they broke ground on the house, Cain was hard at work gathering antiques and architectural pieces. “I’m an antique collector myself,” Cain says, “I love how everything has a story behind it.” From antique spires that were once part of a church altar, to aged tapestries, to an angel sculpture that once adorned the façade of a Memphis hotel, there truly is no end of things in the home to fascinate the eye. “For days after everything was moved in, I kept seeing new things for the first time,” Robinson says. Surrounded by the hundreds of custom-made, antique, or otherwise unique design features of the home, what resounds most is that—of course—every dream house is a true one-of-a-kind, just as individual as its owner.

Design Resources

Interior and exterior design Jayson Cain, Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802

Contractor Shields-Harrison Custom Home Builders, Little Rock, (501) 221-9882

Accessories Fabulous Finds, Little Rock, (501) 614-8181, fabulousfindsantiques.com; Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802; Reborn Relics Design, Little Rock, (501) 221-2032, rebornrelicsdesign.com

Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com

Art Ellen Golden Antiques, Little Rock, (501) 664-7746, ellengoldenfrenchantiques.com; Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802

Bedding Yves Delorme, Little Rock, (501) 663-7344, yvesdelorme.com

Cabinetry, fabrics, fireplace, lighting, mirrors, outdoor furnishings, wallpaper, and window coverings Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802

Countertops and tile—backsplash Linco Countertops, Cabot, (501) 843-3440, lincocountertops.com

Fixtures Southern Bath & Kitchen, Little Rock, (501) 663-9700, southernbathandkitchenlittlerock.com

Flooring—hardwood Maines Wood Flooring, Little Rock, (501) 831-1651

Furniture Ellen Golden Antiques, Little Rock, (501) 664-7746, ellengoldenfrenchantiques.com; Fabulous Finds, Little Rock, (501) 614-8181, fabulousfindsantiques.com; Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802

Hardware PC Hardware, Little Rock, (501) 224-1724, pchdwe.com

Millwork Greenfield Millworks, North Little Rock, (501) 758-0386

Paint Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com

Painting—decorative Angelfish Studios, Little Rock, (501) 960-4826, angelfishstudios.net; Phinality Design, North Little Rock, (501) 349-4196, phinalitydesign.com

Rugs Martinous Oriental Rug Co., Little Rock, (501) 224-0313, martinous.com

Tile Elder Distributing Company, North Little Rock, (501) 758-4170

Upholstery Jayson Cain Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 960-4802; Linda’s Windows, Décor & More, Maumelle, (501) 803-0100

Windows Pella Windows & Doors Showroom, Bentonville, (479) 464-8800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-5050, pella.com