Date: June 2, 2024 | Story: Rebekah Hall Scott | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Angela Alexander |
Interior designer Meridith Ranouil creates a contemporary, funky feel in a couple’s new build
With a new home came the opportunity for a new style. “My furnishings had always been traditional, but I’ve always loved abstract art,” the owner of this west Little Rock home says.
After starting on the framing of a new construction home with builder Jeff Fuller, she reached out to Meridith Ranouil of MLH Designs to help make the transition to a more contemporary style. One of the first things the designer did was tour her client’s previous home to better understand how she envisioned her new space. “She wanted to go more modern and more artsy,” Meridith says. “She really enjoys pops of color, and she likes things to be fun.”
To that end, the designer felt free to make bold suggestions, including eye-catching custom art and dynamic light fixtures. “There are several pieces in there that I wouldn’t have been able to show a lot of my other clients,” Meridith says. “They were different and interesting, and I knew this client would fall in love with them.” Throughout the process, she found a rhythm regarding the design risks her client was willing to take. “I love Meridith’s style, and I asked her to test my limits,” the homeowner says. “She did, and I’m totally pleased with the results.”
A mix of neutral grays, creams, and black forms the home’s color story. Meridith introduced a handful of patterns to add visual interest, including the graphic, geometric Kelly Wearstler print used on pillows and a pair of ottomans in the living room. The client’s art collection—some of which she brought from her previous home, and some that Meridith helped her select or commission—takes center stage.
Because Meridith was involved early in the process, she was able to weigh in on building decisions and material selections, including the white oak flooring, hardware, tile, and finishes. Meridith also carved out a special space for another of her client’s passions: In a cozy nook under the stairs, she created a wine room outfitted with wooden boxes her client has collected from wineries over the years. “She’s got all of this memorabilia because she and her husband have traveled to all of these places and collected pieces over time,” Meridith says. “The artisan who completed the wall was really meticulous. He cut all the boxes down so they would be the same height, then he lined them up, almost like a dry-stacked tile. It’s a very cool look.”
After settling into their new space, Meridith’s client and her husband feel right at home in a contemporary setting that suits their needs. “We love to entertain, and this house has been perfect for that,” she says. “It’s a great place for us to showcase our art, as well as spend time with friends and family.”
Eye-catching Lines
A pair of streamlined chandeliers from Light Innovations—the source for many of the fixtures in the house—draws the eye up to the main floor’s 12-foot ceilings. “It’s not your traditional kitchen pendant,” Meridith says. “It’s something more linear, something fun, and it created this line for your eye to go from one side to another.” A 10-foot island celebrates the room’s generous size while inviting guests to mingle and linger during parties.
Appealing Angles
In the formal dining room, a contemporary take on a sputnik chandelier pairs with a charcoal and watercolor piece by Arkansas artist Joshua Plumlee. Crushed velvet window coverings hung by a ripple-fold drapery rod add softness, while the gently sloping arms of the Bernhardt dining chairs contrast with the room’s sharp lines.
Colorful and Cozy
Meridith and her client were determined to find the perfect art for the living room, which is open to the home’s second floor. “We were racking our brains about what to do here,” Meridith says. “It needed to be phenomenal.” They decided to commission Arkansas artist Steve Adair to create a pair of bold portraits of ’40s actresses Joan Bennett and Hedy Lamarr. “The artist showed us concepts featuring 14 different actresses from that time period, and we chose the images that we felt would be the most engaging in the living room,” Meridith says. “We were also able to direct him color-wise.” Pillows and ottomans in Kelly Wearstler’s colorful, geometric “District” fabric pop against the straight-lined Taylor King sofas.
Two recliners from American Leather provide stylish comfort. “We wanted the color to be something rich and deep, one that brought in all the warm grays and browns,” Meridith says of the pair. The walls are painted “Origami White” by Sherwin-Williams.
Sculptural Statement
Beneath a gently curving chandelier, the breakfast room’s dining table features two concrete boomerang shapes forming the base. This is complemented by a special piece by local artist Robin Tucker, commissioned as a 35th wedding anniversary present for the client by her husband.
“I love being able to work with clients’ things that they already have and love. It makes their home more theirs.”
—Meridith Ranouil, designer
Enticing Escape
The designer chose a spa-like selection for the walls of the primary bath’s luxury shower. “It’s a 24-inch by 48-inch porcelain tile, which allows the manufacturer to get the look of real stone—and it’s killer,” Meridith says. The shower floor is a marble hexagon mosaic by Daltile. Across the room, his-and-hers vanities—featuring a lower countertop for makeup application—are topped with a slab of “Bianco Rhino” marble. Brushed brass accents, including the playful sconces and mirror frames, add glimmers of visual interest to the airy space.
Custom for a Connoisseur
While visiting a winery in Bordeaux, France, Meridith confirmed the perfect treatment for the wine room beneath the stairs. “I looked down at the floor of the winery, and it was exactly what I had told my client about—cutting the wine boxes to the same size and stacking them together,” she says. They achieved a similar look on the walls of this custom space using boxes from the clients’ collection of favorite wines.
Layered Serenity
A four-poster bed with an upholstered headboard was one of the homeowner’s first selections for the primary bedroom. She also brought two barrelback chairs from her previous home, which helped inform the room’s neutral palette. A textured chaise lounge from Arkansas designer Ashley Childers’ collection with Global Views anchors the foot of the bed. “We wanted to create some warmth and depth,” Meridith says of the mix.
Design Resources
Builder Jeff Fuller, Jeff Fuller Homes Draftsman Jimmy Buckman, Quality Designs Interior design Meridith Ranouil, CKBD, Allied ASID, MLH Designs Accessories, fabrics, mirrors, and rugs MLH Designs Appliances Metro Appliances & More Art M2 Gallery and MLH Designs Cabinetry Duke Custom Cabinets Carpet, flooring, and tile Lumber 1 Home Center Countertops (Bathroom) Triton Stone Group Countertops (kitchen) Pacific Shore Stones Countertops (fabrication) Casa Blanca Granite, Marble & Tile Fireplace Custom Precast Stone and Royal Overhead Door Fixtures Dyer Plumbing Furniture Cantrell Furniture, mertinsdykehome, and MLH Designs Hardware Duke Custom Cabinets and Light Innovations Ironwork Post Custom Stairways Lighting Core ID and Light Innovations Painting (decorative) AF Decorative Windows and doors Pro Window & Door Window coverings MLH Designs and Nancy Osborne
