Date: April 26, 2016 | Story: Jennifer Bonds | Photography: Rett Peek |
A Little Rock designer reimagines her own home to make it better suit every member of the household’s needs and style
After eleven years in their former home, the Newberg family was ready for a move when a traditional red-brick home in an established neighborhood caught their attention. The location satisfied the family’s need for community—they already had friends in the area—but the dated interior left much to be desired. “It was very dark and had a lot of paneling that was pretty, but not really my style,” interior designer Miguel Newberg recalls. “But I loved the bones of the house; it was very charming.” To better suit her family’s needs, Newberg worked with architect Ellen Yeary to reconfigure the floor plan on the main level to include an open, eat-in kitchen, a private home office, and a sports-themed man cave for her husband, Andy. Additionally, doorways were widened to improve traffic flow, and Newberg collaborated with Richard Harp of Richard Harp Homes—who was the main contractor for the entire home’s renovation—to update the stairway’s banister to a sleek steel-and-wood version that better complements the home’s transitional furnishings. Only the second level—home to daughters Kathryn and Elizabeth—escaped structural updates and instead received only cosmetic refreshers.
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Palette Rules
Though she is known for her use of color, Newberg chose mostly neutrals for the main spaces of the home, and punctuated them with eye-catching art, bold lighting, and a mixture of pattern. A sandy neutral paint color and newly refinished hardwood floors set the stage in each room. Sleek upholstery and a marble-topped coffee table mingle with a painted antique armoire in the living room, where a large abstract painting provides a punch of color. “We spotted it in Memphis, and Andy and I were both instantly drawn to it,” Newberg says. The piece unites the blues and grays found throughout the home and offers a touch of rusty red.
The bedrooms wear a bit more color. In the master, soft shades of blue echo a painting commissioned from artist Lauren Meredith. In a similar manner, six-year-old Elizabeth’s room has a punchy, youthful scheme of green, hot pink, and yellow and features bold damask-print drapes that formerly hung in her nursery.
Feeling of Nostalgia
“The house has great street appeal; I immediately pictured the girls riding bikes and playing basketball with our neighborhood friends,” she recalls. The traditional home’s center-hall layout reminded Newberg of the antebellum houses in her home state of Louisiana. However, the multitude of small rooms on the lower level didn’t suit the family’s lifestyle.
To remedy this, she relocated the kitchen to a larger space at one end of the main level that was formerly the family room. This allowed for both a breakfast table and large, quartzite-topped island to be accommodated, making it possible to seat a crowd comfortably. Within the first few months after the renovation, the updated space along with the nearby dining room, played host to family dinners and community group gatherings, and Newberg predicts many more to follow. “I love that the girls can sit at the island and work on homework while I cook dinner,” she says. “We really wanted the kitchen to be the core of the house, the place where everyone gathers.”
Spaces of Their Own
High on the Newberg family’s collective wish list was a personal space for each family member: An out-of-the-way home office for Miguel, private bathrooms and a separate hang-out spot for each of the girls, and a sports-watching haven for Andy. Post-renovation, the house delivers. An unused front bedroom became the master closet, and the additional square footage also allowed a stackable set of laundry machines to move into the space. In turn, the former laundry and craft room became the office of Newberg’s design firm, M. N’Teriors. “Now we each have a space where we can be completely ourselves,” Newberg says.
Design Resources
Architect Ellen Yeary, Yeary Lindsey Architects, Little Rock, (501) 372-5940, yearylindsey.com
Contractor Richard Harp, Richard Harp Homes, Inc., Little Rock, (501) 690-4277, richardharphomes.com
Interior design Miguel Newberg, M’NTeriors, Little Rock, (501) 993-2766, mnteriors.com
Kitchen and bath design Miguel Newberg, M’NTeriors, Little Rock, (501) 993-2766, mnteriors.com; Ellen Yeary, Yeary Lindsey Architects, Little Rock, (501) 372-5940, yearylindsey.com
Landscape design Better Lawns & Gardens, Little Rock, (501) 454-9803, betterlawnsar.com
Accessories Cantrell Furniture Design Center, Little Rock, (501) 225-0002, cantrellfurniture.com; Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; DP Designs, Little Rock, (501) 831-2009; Embellish, Little Rock, (501) 223-6965; Hadidi Rug and Design Gallery, Little Rock, (501) 225-8999, hadidiruggallery.com; Haus Werk, Little Rock, (501) 663-5251, shophauswerk.com; Obsessions Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 868-9333; Phoenix Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 225-0400
Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com
Art DP Designs, Little Rock, (501) 831-2009; The Showroom, Little Rock, (501) 404-7372, www.theshowroom.us.com; White Goat, Little Rock, (501) 603-9460, whitegoatstyle.com
Bedding Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com
Cabinetry Capitol Custom Cabinets, North Little Rock, (501) 771-0472
Carpet and tile—backsplash, bath, and flooring ProSource, North Little Rock, (501) 758-0801, prosourcewholesale.com/littlerock
Countertops Pacific Shore Stones, Mabelvale, (501) 455-3600, pacificshorestones.com
Fabrics Cynthia East Fabrics, Little Rock, (501) 663-0460, cynthiaeastfabrics.com; Designer Effects, Little Rock, (501) 661-4070, designereffects.net
Fixtures The Plumbing Warehouse, Little Rock, (501) 664-4183, tpw-lrshowroom.com
Flooring Arkansas Wood Floors, Jacksonville, (870) 688-8788, arkansaswoodfloors.com
Floral design Cabbage Rose, Little Rock, (501) 664-4042, cabbageroseflorist.com
Furniture Cantrell Furniture Design Center, Little Rock, (501) 225-0002, cantrellfurniture.com; DP Designs, Little Rock, (501) 831-2009; Phoenix Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 225-0400
Hardware Capitol Custom Cabinets, North Little Rock, (501) 771-0472; PC Hardware, Little Rock, (501) 224-1724, pchdwe.com
Lighting Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock, (501) 664-4249, West Little Rock, (501) 219-3676, cobblestoneandvine.com; Light Innovations, Little Rock, (501) 223-9026, light-innovations.com
Mirrors West Little Rock Glass, Little Rock, (501) 223-3034, westlittlerockglass.net
Outdoor furnishings Antique Brick Outdoor, Little Rock, (501) 375-0060, antiquebrickoutdoors.com
Paint Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com
Painting J & B Painting, Alexander, (501) 766-9507
Painting—decorative Angelfish Studios, Little Rock, (501) 960-4826, angelfishstudios.net
Rugs Hadidi Rug and Design Gallery, Little Rock, (501) 225-8999, hadidiruggallery.com
Shutters Laura’s Draperies & Blinds, Little Rock, (501) 803-4146
Upholstery Professional Touch Up, Little Rock, (501) 658-8223
Windows Windows, Doors & More, Bryant, (501) 315-3300, windowsdoorsandmoreinc.net
Window coverings Designer Supply, North Little Rock, (501) 851-8066
