Date: July 19, 2016 | Story: Jennifer Bonds | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: William Lendermon and Kevin Walsh |
A bustling Little Rock home goes from staid and traditional to smart and stylish, without sacrificing comfort
Can ‘chic’ and ‘family-friendly’ be used to describe the same home? Kevin Walsh of Bear Hill Interiors says a resounding ‘yes,’ and a recently completed addition to a Little Rock home is proof positive. After seeing his work in the home of a friend, the homeowner called on Kevin to liven up her own interiors and expand a traditional home to better suit her large family. She also wanted to inject some color into her mostly neutral furnishings. “She has a great eye for design, but she needed help pulling it all together,” Walsh says. First, they outfitted the living and dining room with cool shades of navy blue, gray, and lavender and then completed bedrooms for two young daughters. Next, they enclosed a garage to create a spacious kitchen—perfect for entertaining their large extended family—and gained a mudroom, home office, and a second-floor laundry and multipurpose space.
GO BOLD
“Color and pattern hide a multitude of sins,” Walsh says, who utilized both to bring life and function to the home. Patterned carpet used in the children’s bedrooms hides stains and traffic wear while bringing an additional layer into the design. “The house had a lot of beige when we first met,” Walsh recalls. The new palette uses plenty of neutrals to unify the rooms, but Walsh added a crisp element by sticking to white, gray, and various shades of blue as the base. Tones of lavender, plum, and even yellow enliven the cool palette. “A home with so many children will automatically have a lot of activity, so I used color to instill a sense of calm into the living spaces,” he explains.
FURTHER REFLECTION
With minimal accessories, most of the home’s sparkle comes in the form of crystal chandeliers and intricate mirrors—both safely out of reach of curious little hands. For more hard-working pieces, Walsh selected a lacquered finish in several rooms. “Not every piece of furniture has to be brown or wood-toned,” Walsh says. “Paint is a great option for bringing in more color, and lacquer is especially durable, in addition to being pretty.”
NEW TRADITIONAL
Damask wallpaper and silk curtains may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a fresh interior, but in Walsh’s deft hands, they are that and more. “A really neutral look just didn’t suit the homeowner,” he says. “We wanted to keep things traditional, but with more energy.” To respect the classic bones of the house, Walsh used traditional elements such as formal valances and European antiques, but styled them in an updated way. Grosgrain trim livens up the draperies in the girls’ bedrooms, and modern art and animal-print fabrics mingle with antiques in the living room. A mix of styles and eras—the dining room has Louis XVI dining chairs and an Art Deco sideboard—keeps things interesting.
SMART FINISHES
Gone are the days of sacrificing style for durability, and this home is a study in making good choices. A low-maintenance granite counter is similar in color and movement to marble, but without the upkeep. Walsh selected Sunbrella fabric for the breakfast room chairs and barstools for ease of use. “Outdoor fabrics are not what they used to be,” he explains. In the dining room, the lovely pearlized wallpaper is above the wipeable surface of the wainscot, making it just out of reach of potential fingerprints.
ROOM TO GROW
The new kitchen is now the heart of the busy family’s home. “They are the kind of people whose home is always open—they frequently entertain their extended family, so they needed plenty of seating options in the kitchen,” Walsh explains. He designed a simple layout with a commercial-style range anchoring one wall and an expansive island in the middle. A nearby breakfast table adds even more casual seating. In the living room, he used an over-sized rug to unify two seating spaces. Upstairs, he tucked a bunk room into a former attic, and even made room for a daybed on the stair landing to maximize sleepover capabilities.
With smart planning, a careful choice of finishes, and a heap of color and style, the once-dull home is now a haven for growth and creativity for this busy family of six.
DESIGN RESOURCES
Interior Designer Kevin Walsh, Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Kitchen Design Contractor Fred Lord Builder Inc., Little Rock, (501) 812-1212
Architect Tom Fennell, Fennell Purifoy Architects, Little Rock, (501) 372-6734, fennellpurifoy.com
Accessories Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com
Art Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Bedding Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Cabinets—kitchen Duke Custom Cabinets, Roland, (501) 868-8111, dukecustomcabinets.com
Cabinets—bathroom Duke Custom Cabinets, Roland, (501) 868-8111, dukecustomcabinets.com
Carpet Akel’s Carpet One Floor and Home, locations throughout Central Arkansas, akelscarpetone.com; C&F Flooring & Rug Gallery, (501) 399-9909, candfcarpet.com
Countertops—kitchen All Natural Stone, Little Rock, (501) 280-9777
Countertops—bathroom All Natural Stone, Little Rock, (501) 280-9777
Fabrics Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Fixtures—bath Southern Pipe & Supply, locations statewide, southernpipe.com
Lighting Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Flooring Tile Acme Brick, Tile & Stone, locations statewide, acmebricktileandstone.com
Furniture Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Hardware PC Hardware, Little Rock, (501) 224-1724, pchdwe.com
Lighting Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Millwork Fred Lord Builder Inc., Little Rock, (501) 812-1212
Paint colors Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, Sherwin-williams.com
Rugs Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Tile—bathroom Acme Brick, Tile & Stone, locations statewide, acmebricktileandstone.com
Upholstery Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com; Clark Upholstery Gallery, Little Rock, (501) 228-9805
Wallpaper Bear-Hill Interiors, Little Rock, (501) 907-9272, bearhillinteriors.com
Window coverings Mountjoy’s Custom Draperies, Mabelvale, (501) 455-2216
