Date: May 1, 2026 | Story: Virginia Brown | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Tiffany Adams & Julia Glover |
Marianna O’Dea helps a Little Rock couple transform their home into an organized, art-centered haven
When Shannon and David Aston bought their Cammack Village home in 2004, it was a matter of fate. Shannon, who loved driving around looking at real estate, came home one day and said to David, There’s this house. We have to have it. At first, David thought she was crazy, but they decided to list their home and see what happened. Much to their surprise, a buyer offered them a great price for their house, and the packing began. “The house was meant to be,” Shannon says. “It was just beautiful.”
For years, the couple’s priorities centered on their sons’ soccer tournaments and Tae Kwon do, and they did little to renovate. But during the pandemic, they realized the house needed some work. “It was looking tired,” Shannon says. Designer Marianna O’Dea, owner of O’Dea Studios Interior Design, had helped the family overhaul their lake house and knew their style. She seemed like a natural fit for this renovation as well.
Entering a new phase of life, the couple angled for comprehensive updates that they would love for years to come. They envisioned structural changes—a garage to replace the carport, a more natural flow from the dining room to the terrace for entertaining, storage-focused custom cabinetry, and a new primary bath layout—to make the house appropriate for aging in place. But above all, they needed order and organization.
With renovations underway, Shannon and Marianna visited M2 Gallery in Little Rock to peruse pieces that could bring in the couple’s personality. On that particular day, local artist Hannah V. Lemke—known as Milkdadd—was in the studio, working on a fanciful, large-scale painting of a woman wearing a hat and sunglasses while holding a rabbit. Shannon had to have it. Bursting with bright green, blue, yellow, and neon pink, the work became the project’s focal point, which fit, since the couple loves art. “We collect art everywhere we go,” Shannon says. “We have something from every trip.” Today, subtle nods to their newest painting’s palette can be found throughout the house in the furnishings and accessories.
In the adjacent dining room, they replaced a rectangular table and chunky chairs with a custom oval table, crafted by Little Rock artisans Harrington & Myers Woodworks. “We knew we were going to make a walk-through there with the French doors, and it’s always easier to walk around an oval option than a rectangular one,” Marianna says. They also added custom-built cabinets for Shannon’s serving pieces.
The living room presented many options. “We had to choose whether to reorient this room around the fireplace or the TV,” the designer says. Since the couple was already comfortable watching television there, and rarely used the fireplace, they opted for the television.
To create the couple’s desired sense of serenity in the primary bedroom, Marianna started by replacing the minty green wall paint with a naturescape wallpaper. The pattern, by Liberty of London, features calming blues, greens, and—Shannon’s favorite—purple. Custom built-ins replaced the existing closets, and a set of drawers along with a mounted television freed up more space.
In the end, the overhaul took about two years, but the Astons feel it was well worth it. “Having things have a place and a function has made me so much more relaxed,” Shannon says. “It’s like being in a retreat. They’ll have to take me out feet first. I’m not leaving,” she adds with a laugh.
Above: Previously a carport, the newly created garage features a stone accent wall.
Seeing a Pattern
Harrington & Myers Woodworks modified the front door and Stained Hearts Glassworks added glass that is in line with the home’s mid-century modern aesthetic. A vibrant, repeating Pierre Frey wallpaper pulls the eye toward the newly designed door and complements the original foyer flooring. The front door is painted “Gold Mine” by Benjamin Moore.
Restoring Order
The kitchen, already updated in past renovations, didn’t need much work. Since the cooktop is located in the island, Marianna used a glossy black tile backsplash to create a focal point. Sculptural pendant lights add a mid-century feel. “We just needed a little more oomph to draw your eye in,” the designer says. “The lighter tone balances it and bounces off the shiny, ceramic tile.” They also painted the overhead wooden beams a lighter color, a trend that is continued throughout the house.
An Entertaining Idea
Custom furnishings gave the dining room a better flow, and concealed cabinetry added much-needed storage. “Shannon entertains a lot and has beautiful dishes and serving pieces,” says Marianna. “One of our priorities was giving everything a home.” Patterned host-and-hostess chairs, covered in a bold, floral Liberty of London fabric, and a modern light fixture contribute to the aesthetic. The painting of John Lennon is by Arkansas artist John Deering.
A modern MR Chaise sits near the fireplace below a newly purchased Milkdadd painting.
“We collect art everywhere we go. We have something from every trip.”
—Shannon Aston, homeowner
Art-Forward Living Space
Marianna used clean lines from furniture and rugs to create order in the long, rectangular living room, while a sinuous red Straw lamp by French designer Julie Lansom breaks the mold. Over the sofa, a work by Lauren Meredith depicting Little Rock’s Broadway Bridge, was a piece from the Astons’ collection that became another focal point. The custom coffee table was locally crafted by Harrington & Myers Woodworks and includes four different colorful stained glass inserts by Avery Agar of Stained Hearts Glassworks.
Tranquil Retreat
One of Shannon’s biggest goals was to refresh the couple’s primary bedroom, a space that hadn’t been updated since their two children, now in their 30s, were young. “I really wanted a bedroom that was clutter-free, tranquil, and a place where we could go to just breathe,” she says. Marianna traded the minty green wall paint for a serene, naturescape wallpaper by Liberty of London, and added complementary artwork over the bed. Custom built-ins replaced the existing closets and a set of drawers and mounted television freed up more space.
Funky Functionality
In the adjacent bathroom, they expanded the layout to incorporate a separate water closet, dual vanity, and an air-bubble soaking tub. Using tiles in alternating patterns on the walls and floors, Marianna created distinct geometric designs. Two custom mirrors, designed locally by Harrington & Myers, drew in the quarter-moon arched detail from the tile. “The bed and bath, with the wallpaper and art and how it all blends, is probably my favorite space,” Shannon says.
Here’s a look at where this project started in the kitchen, dining, and primary bath.
Design Resources
Architect Ellen Yeary, Yeary Lindsey Architects Contractor Eric Douglas Interior design Marianna O’Dea, O’Dea Studios Interior Design Accessories, bedding, fabrics, fixtures, lighting, rugs, and window coverings O’Dea Studios Interior Design Appliances Lumber1 Cabinetry (bath) Custom Cabinet Creations Cabinetry (bedroom) Harrington & Myers Woodworks Countertops River City Flooring and Stone by AJ Fireplace Congo Fireplace and Patio Furniture Harrington & Myers Woodworks, MidModMike, and O’Dea Studios Glass (specialty) Stained Hearts Glassworks Hardware O’Dea Studios and PC Hardware Paint Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams Stone Bennett Brothers Stone Tile (kitchen) C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery and ProSource Wholesale of Little Rock Upholstery (soft furnishings) Topsy, Inc. Window coverings (installation) The Finishing Touch
