Date:  April 1, 2026  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Tiffany Adams  |  

Knowing she wanted to be in Fayetteville for years to come, a homeowner plays the long game to find and furnish her ideal residence

When this Russellville native decided to replant her roots in Arkansas after a stint in the Northeast, she knew just the place: Fayetteville. With children who are recent graduates of the University, she had previously purchased a Dickson Street condo for frequent visits while living in New Jersey. “I thought, I’ll re-do the condo and live there full-time,” she says. However, when her children and friends would stay over she quickly discovered she needed more space.

“My daughter had a friend who told me about this house. She said it would be perfect for me but, unfortunately, it had sold,” the owner recalls. Not long after, she received a call that the property was back on the market. She went to see it immediately, calling friends Kimberly Harper and Cynthia Tune Howey of Harper Howey Interiors to get their take as well. Having lived just a street over at one time, Kimberly knew the house immediately. “I used to walk by here all the time, and this was my dream home. I just couldn’t believe it was this house,” Kimberly says. “I never thought I would buy an older home. My mother is very traditional and loves antiques but I thought I wanted something that was new construction,” the owner adds. Then I saw this, and I said, That’s for me.”

Built in 1933, the home retained much of its cottage charm with several additions and renovations through the decades to make it practical for modern living and roomy enough to host a crowd. “Before I even walked in, I knew it was going to be amazing,” Kimberly says. “The bones were so good; it just needed refreshing.” Wanting to honor these architectural details, including the paneled walls, arched doorways, and even a hidden pantry in the kitchen, Kimberly sought to create a cohesive design with a unified palette while using artwork, furnishings, and favorite patterns to make it feel like home. For starters, she updated the kitchen with a warmer version of the white paint that covered the walls and cabinetry and took the color into the adjoining keeping room. Hallways that were previously covered in different wallpapers are now streamlined in the same paint color while special spaces like the dining room, powder room, and even the primary closet received updated wallcoverings that speak to the owner’s interests and style. Throughout the rooms, lighting and hardware were changed out to reflect the overall transformation in the details and to adhere to the charming historical nature of the house that first attracted its owner.

Above: Throughout the house, a series of five Dutch doors allow a fresh breeze to blow between the rooms on warm days.

Playing the Blues
With the owner relishing the thought of a dark and moody space somewhere in the house, the study seemed like a natural fit. “Green is definitely her wheelhouse, so I pushed her in a bit of a different direction with the blue,” Kimberly says of Farrow & Ball’s “De Nimes” that covers the walls, trim, and ceiling. A classic café curtain offers privacy from the street but also allows natural light into the room. Chairs covered in a windowpane fabric, brass accents, and a mix of collectibles and mementos add to the room’s more masculine feel.

Well Rounded
Archways, a recurring architectural theme throughout the home, start in the entry, where a pair lead to the dining room (on left) and the stairhall. Introducing the owner’s love of green from the start, Kimberly outlined the molding and the wall below the chair rail in the hue, which is paired with a patterned grasscloth wallpaper. The chest and mirror are antique finds the homeowner has collected through the years.

Birds of a Feather
With access to the kitchen, entry, and main hallway, the dining room is often passed through by the owner and guests alike, meaning they wanted it to be a set apart space with its own character. Playing off the owner’s love of blue and birds, Kimberly suggested this Sanderson wallpaper. “I didn’t tell Kimberly but a friend in D.C. has this paper in the powder bath of her old, old Georgetown home. When she brought it to me, it just made sense here; it was perfect,” the owner says. “The colors also pull everything together since this is a central room,” Kimberly adds. A new brass chandelier mimics the scene on the wallpaper while the existing corner cabinets hark back to the home’s 1930s origin.

Local Connection
The artwork was the starting point for the living room’s design. When she was first furnishing her Dickson Street condo, the owner purchased a large-scale square painting by Arkansas artist Sean Shrum from Harper Howey Interiors. “I said, You have to bring that to the new house,” Kimberly recalls. It along with works by other local artists that feature meaningful places—her father’s cabin in Pope County and Subiaco Abbey—enliven the walls. The coral crewelwork fabric seen on the pillows was a fast favorite of the owner’s. “We played off of that fabric and love how it comes back to the artwork as well,” Kimberly says. Since the upholstered furnishings here are all new, the designer chose to accessorize with antique and vintage finds that give the room a time-invested look.

“I never thought I would buy an older home…Then I saw this, and I said, That’s for me.”
—homeowner

Warming Up
Many of the architectural bones, including defining archways and paneling, that both Kimberly and the homeowner loved were present in the kitchen. The designer swapped the room’s stark white paint for a warmer version that complements the hardwood floors and brass finish on the newly installed cabinetry hardware. The galley-style kitchen has a pass-through window that doubles as bar seating for casual meals. The walls are painted “Old White” by Farrow & Ball.

Have a Seat
Because everyone likes to congregate in the kitchen, Kimberly wanted to make the adjoining keeping room both comfortable and practical. While the banquette was existing, she added easy-to-move stools and hostess chairs on castors alongside the table to allow them to migrate about the room for extra seating as needed. The same wall color carries over from the kitchen for continuity, while a mix of patterns speaks to the homeowner’s desire for traditional style and her love of green.

Staying in Character
The primary bedroom was updated with fresh paint as well as lighting and hardwood floors that work with the home’s historical nature. Although the space is believed to be a later addition to the home, a Dutch door repeats here, further tying it to the overall blueprint. Ann Gish bedding and custom pillows in Colefax and Fowler’s “Heatherly” pattern mix with a Thibuat print on the draperies to create a serene space.

Keeping it Classic
To adhere to the timeline and retain charm, Kimberly left the mosaic tile floors intact in the primary bath. Short, paneled cabinetry was replaced with a taller version for both ease of use and modernity, and a vanity area was added in the center. The brass finishes and blush valance hint at the design of the adjoining closet.

The powder bath received a classic refresh with botanical wallpaper and sconces with a mirrored backplate and brass finish that matches the legs of the exposed plumbing sink. An oval window brings natural light and architectural interest into the small space.

New Growth
Formerly a series of doors leading to reach-in storage and a vanity, the closet space was streamlined with concealed cabinetry and specialized storage for everything from shoes to scarves. Desiring to breathe an air of femininity into the room, Kimberly selected a floral Schumacher wallpaper that pairs with the blush cabinetry and drapes while also playing off of jeweled hardware made to look like fresh blooms.

The Flyway 
After the client fell in love with this wallpaper (Mulberry Home’s “Grand Flying Ducks”), Kimberly went big with the application in a small guest room. Because the upstairs space, which originally could have been a nursery or office nook, lacked a closet, she brought in a brass bellman’s cart as a stand-in that makes guests feel as though they’re at a hotel.

Design Resources
Interior design Kimberly Harper and Cynthia Tune Howey, Harper Howey Interiors Accessories Aunt Bill’s Vintage & Antique, Cobblestone & Vine, and Harper Howey Interiors Appliances Metro Appliances & More Bedding, fabrics, mirrors, wallpaper, and window coverings Harper Howey Interiors Cabinets Justus Cabinets Carpet Flooring America by CarpetSmart Countertops Gunn Granite Company Fixtures Ferguson Flooring Flooring America by CarpetSmart and Wood Floor Gallery Framing Scott Frame and Art Furniture French Metro Antiques and Harper Howey Interiors Millwork Osage Custom Trim Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting Classic Interior Finishes Upholstery Joe Ellis Upholstery Windows and doors Quality Millwork