Date:  August 18, 2016  |   Story: Jennifer Bonds  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Chip Jones  |  

Designer Shayla Copas left no stone unturned when designing a custom kitchen to suit her family’s needs

“I believe in trying to get the most out of a space,” says Shayla Copas of Shayla Copas Interiors. And she left no detail unattended during the years-long renovation of the Little Rock-area home she shares with her husband and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Roxie. “We’re empty nesters and I run my design business out of our home, so our needs are little different,” she explains. They turned an unused bedroom into a closet and dressing space, and added a carriage house to accommodate her design business, but one of the most drastic changes came in the kitchen. “Before, it was dark and cramped, but now it is light, airy, and open,” Copas says. To accomplish this, a former hallway was narrowed allowing room to widen the kitchen, and the layout was adjusted to add more storage. Copas replaced dark wood cabinets with new WoodMode cabinets from Distinctive Kitchens and Baths, and then customized with trim, corbels, and columns.

Aside from the decorative detail these additions added, they also cleverly hide storage. The corbels next to the stove pull out to reveal hidden spice racks, and the columns that flank the sink hide dishwashing soap and grocery bags to be reused. The wall housing the pantry and refrigerator displays cabinets extended to the ceiling for storage of less-often-used items. “Through my business I have learned that it is often the woman who makes the final decision in a home, and what does every woman want but more storage,” she says. A new Wolf range, pair of warming drawers, and an additional wall oven allow for easy entertaining with large crowds.

Copas further brightened the space by layering new lighting above, below, and even inside the cabinetry. Pale yellow walls and creamy white cabinets exude a warm and bright ambiance, while the natural wood tone on the island and new mahogany flooring ground the space. Copas chose a tile mosaic from Walker-Zanger with tones of yellow, gold, and aqua for the backsplash, which is repeated on the wet bar next to the breakfast table. “I love color,” Copas explains, “but I like to keep it light and fresh.”

A butler’s pantry connects the kitchen to the formal dining room, and Copas outfitted it with a full-sized Sub Zero wine refrigerator and beverage drawers. “The renovation was long, but in the end we gained a more functional and open, airy space to enjoy with our family,” Copas says.

Design Resources
Kitchen design Shayla Copas, IDS, Shayla Copas Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 258-7396, shaylacopas.com
Contractor, appliances, and cabinets—kitchen Distinctive Kitchens & Baths, Little Rock, (501) 666-7756, kitchensofarkansas.com
Accessories, fabrics, furniture, tile—backsplash, and window coverings  Shayla Copas Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 258-7396, shaylacopas.com
Countertops—kitchen All Natural Stone, Little Rock, (501) 280-9777
Flooring ProSource, Little Rock, (501) 490-9284, prosourcewholesale.com
Lighting Shayla Copas Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 258-7396, shaylacopas.com; Curtis Stout, Little Rock, (501) 372-2555, chstout.com
Rugs Hadidi Oriental Rug Co., Little Rock, (501) 225-8999, hadidiruggallery.com
Upholstery Robby Chism Upholstery, Little Rock, (501) 257-7932