Date: September 29, 2021 | Story: Tiffany Adams | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Steph Smith |
Harper Howey Interiors helps a client personalize her Rogers home with transitional-style furnishings and accessories
When Kimberly Harper’s client found this Rogers home, it had a lot going for it, including a great location and a recently remodeled interior. It lacked just one thing—personalization. Having helped the client with a previous residence, Kimberly knew she could blend classic and contemporary furnishings to give this one a stylish, feminine flair. “A lot of the pieces she had did not fit the house, either style-wise or in terms of functionality,” Kimberly says.
With a colorful palette and whimsical accents as directives, Kimberly looked for key pieces that would lend a curated feel. For example, in the master bedroom the bed’s scalloped edge is a nod to a traditional style as well as the ladylike influence seen throughout the house. In contrast, the room’s accents, including abstract works by Arkansas artist Allison Hobbs and geometric porcelain lamps, have a more contemporary feel. “She had a lot of navy and white pieces in her previous house but wanted to bring in more color—which I loved,” Kimberly says. The pops of coral and green as well as a wider range of blue hues also added to the home’s transitional design. “This is a look that is in line with our overall style, too,” Kimberly says. “We love to mix more modern, contemporary pieces with traditional ones to create interest and make a house unique to its owner.”
For Work and Play
The upstairs game room is a multi-functional space that doesn’t skimp on style. During the pandemic, the owner’s two grown children, who both live out of state, came to visit and work from the home for weeklong stretches. The room proved to be invaluable during this period with the leather game table transforming into a desk and the lounge area becoming a popular place for downtime. A mix of patterned fabrics and contemporary-style artwork keep the look youthful and whimsical.
The Gathering Space
Whether it’s hosting friends for a football watch party or family during the holidays, the living room was designed to accommodate a crowd. Kimberly immediately knew the long, narrow space, which is located adjacent to the dining room, would function best with two sitting areas. The first is focused around the hearth and television, while a second conversation spot is positioned against the back wall. A navy double-sided settee separates the spaces, providing seating for both areas. Underfoot, the continuous flow of a sisal rug unifies the room.
The small dining room nearby lacked the space for a buffet, so Kimberly tucked one into the living room to keep serving pieces close at hand. Its dark burled wood contrasts with the washed oak finish on the table for a harmonious pairing of traditional and contemporary pieces.
The midcentury modern-style dining table, which fits the room beautifully, was purchased from the previous owner and paired with colorful artwork and upholstered chairs to add an air of lightheartedness.
We love to mix more modern, contemporary pieces with traditional ones to create interest and make a house unique to its owner.” —Kimberly Harper, designer
Kimberly added polished barstools and a pair of watercolors by local artist Ashley Saer to the kitchen.
Kimberly felt the owner’s downstairs office needed a bold statement piece to contrast with the existing wood cabinetry, so she covered the walls in “Kingdom Parade” by Thibaut. “I really played off the existing light fixture to give the room a tribal look,” she says. A piece by Little Rock potter Kelly Edwards hangs over the desk area.
Restful Retreat
As with many colorful homes, the master suite took on a more neutral, subdued palette but retained its girlish charm in a dusty rose accent color. “Here, we wanted to use a pink but not make it overly feminine,” Kimberly notes. Deep chests serve as bedside tables, providing plenty of concealed storage for books and tablets, while a pastel needlepoint rug and antelope-print bench bring style and visual interest.
Design Resources
Interior design Kimberly Harper, Harper Howey Interiors Accessories Cobblestone & Vine and Harper Howey Interiors Art Allison Hobbs and Ashley Saer Furniture, rugs, and wallpaper Harper Howey Interiors Lighting Lighting Emporium
