Date:  March 28, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

Studio MH updates a Fayetteville home in a fresh, traditional style to serve a young family

Plans change but personal style remains true. When designer Melissa Hall Simmons’ clients called to say they were pivoting from a new build to a full renovation of an existing property, she was happy to adapt, knowing the principles of the project would stand. “I had reservations about building, but we felt like it was the only option to get the space we needed and style we wanted,” says the homeowner. In search of inspiration for the new house, a scroll through a realty website led her to an intriguing property. “It had a similar layout to what we wanted, and trees and landscaping that would have taken decades to get at the other location; so we went for it and bought the house,” she explains.

Melissa, who had been sketching a traditional Georgian home with a front porch much like this residence, turned her attention to the remodel. “Melissa and her team came to look at the house, and she really created the vision for it,” the owner says. “She took the time to understand our personalities, how we operate day-to-day, and how we want people to feel when they come into our home,” the owner adds.

While the entire house received updates, several areas became focal points. For starters, the exterior railing was updated and the entire structure was painted in a classic monochromatic scheme. Indoors, the kitchen was reconfigured to include a pantry, dual islands that give the family areas for work, prep, and dining, and new finishes that have an ageless appeal. Spaces like the dining room, primary suite, and formal living room were reimagined in an elegant pastel palette and outfitted with family-friendly furnishings. “We have a large friend group, and we want people to feel at ease here with their children and not worry about anything being too nice to use. The kids can run around with popsicles and Cheetos, and it’s OK!” the owner says.

Today, the home has been fully customized to their needs and tastes—just as they hoped the new build would be. “Melissa’s attention to detail is impeccable, and the entire Studio MH team is so easy to work with, easy to contact, and quick to have ideas and options,” the owner says. “I think it’s so important to have someone in your corner who makes you feel confident in the process and with the end result.”

Subtly Sophisticated
“There were a few rooms we designed that we wanted to feel more elevated and a little more elegant,” Melissa says. To this point, the formal living room feels refined with traditional forms and understated yet interesting fabrics. Melissa reworked the existing fireplace surround to match this style and sourced a work by Alabama artist Kristin Blakeney to hang prominently over the mantel.

Making a First Impression
A previous exterior renovation gave the home Provençal elements, which Melissa repealed in favor of the original style. Playing to the family’s traditional taste, the railings were updated with a timeless fretwork pattern and the facade was painted in a monochromatic scheme, while white-and-green plantings bring vitality to the setting.

A Welcome Entry
Melissa added picture frame molding to the elongated, traditional Georgian entrance to enhance its architectural character. At the door, a Federal-style mirror featuring a pediment and Greek-key motif pairs with a contemporary chest, hinting at the mix of current and classic throughout the home. The tasselled stool is a favorite vintage find that can move where needed.

Further into the entry hall, a modern burl-wood console table and collection of abstract works are juxtaposed with traditional ginger jars and architectural molding that scales the staircase.

Something old, Something New
The dining room design was built around a cherished family heirloom. “The table belonged to my husband’s grandmother,” the owner explains. “Melissa was very thoughtful about working it into the space,” she says of the piece that was paired with new upholstered chairs to comfortably seat eight. A cantaloupe-hued wallcovering was introduced to complement the blue seating while keeping with the overall serene feel of the house. The contemporary work by Caleb Mahoney brings a youthful vitality to the otherwise traditional space.

A subtle shimmering sheen provides a fresh take on a traditional plaid wallpaper in the home’s powder bath. Similarly, quartz sconces and an exposed vanity are balanced with a polished brass finish.

Kid-Friendly Dining
In the kitchen, walls were removed to expose a formerly enclosed staircase and allow light and sound to travel throughout the high-traffic spaces. The resulting nook was an ideal place for a breakfast table and banquette. Melissa sourced an inexpensive tulip table and chairs from West Elm to create a practical place for little ones to dine. Brass grates cleverly disguise the air return inside the banquette.

Room to Relax
While the entire house is kid-friendly and inviting, the family room has a more casual feel due in part to a roomy sectional and television. Located within earshot of the kitchen and adjacent to the pool and backyard, the hangout is the perfect size for the family of five. Melissa opted for a basketweave-pattern vinyl wallcovering that will stand up to wear and tear while adding a refined texture to the area.

“This house is so family-focused and livable; they didn’t want it to feel audacious or loud.”
—Melissa Hall Simmons, designer

Prepwork Meets Homework
Creating a walk-in pantry from an unnecessary closet was paramount to the kitchen renovation, but the dual islands bring just as much functionality, allowing the family to spread out for baking or school projects. While the workspace closest to the range is ideal for food prep and storage, the second offers seating for six along with decorative railings on the ends that create ledges for cookbooks. A mix of solid surfaces—quartz on the counters and marble for the backsplash—is complemented by both brass and chrome finishes, resulting in an evolved, personalized look.

Without a window in the kitchen, Melissa opted to create a focal point over the sink with brass-and-marble shelving. A beveled-edge backsplash adds to the shapely design while complementary sconces illuminate the shelves and apron-front sink.

Calm Calling
Pretty and peaceful were the goals for the primary suite. In the bedroom, Melissa employed the icy blue hue seen throughout much of the home to create a tone-on-tone palette. A velvet-upholstered bed provides comfort while bedside lamps and wall-mounted sconces pair to provide plenty of light for nighttime reading.

Neutral Shift
Marble hexagonal floor tiles along with a mirror frame and counter of the same material set the tone in the primary bath. Melissa opted for a neutral grasscloth on the walls. “It adds so much character to have a wallcovering in a bath rather than painted sheetrock,” the designer says of the selection. Dual window treatments, a sheer that raises and a shade that lowers, provide privacy while allowing light to filter into the room. An antique chair featuring curved swan necks at its top exemplifies the elegance of the room.

Going Deep
Just off the entry a combination den and office takes a richer turn in terms of palette. “I love it when there’s a bold outlier in a house—a space that’s a bit moodier,” Melissa says of the room that is often used when the couple hosts their closest friends. The artwork over the sofa by Duane Gardner depicts a storm while the pen-and-ink drawing over the desk is by Clint Brannon.

Design Resources
Contractor Dennis Moore, Commerce Construction Co. Interior design Melissa Hall Simmons, Studio MH Landscape Design Four Seasons Landscaping Accessories, bedding, fabrics, fixtures, furniture, hardware, lighting, mirrors, tile, and wallpaper Studio MH Cabinetry and millwork Timber Mill Wood Products Carpet and rugs Studio MH and Tom January Floors Countertops New Century Countertops Flooring Wood Floor Gallery Framing Scott Frame and Art Wallpaper (Installation) Bill Story, Perpetual Vision Window coverings Nancy Osborn Windows and entry door Kerr Millwork