Date: July 2, 2019 | Story: Tiffany Adams | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Hope Johnstone |
In Hot Springs, a new construction lake house honors its environment with organic materials and a cohesive indoor-outdoor design
Classic Adirondack chairs surround a stone fire pit, making it a favorite gathering spot year-round. A stunning view of Lake Hamilton can be seen from the conversation area.
The best things in life don’t often come around twice. However, for this Arkansas couple, a breathtaking waterfront neighborhood on Hot Springs’s Lake Hamilton has been their getaway at two different points in life. “When our children were small, we had a house nearby and would often walk down to the very point where we now built to watch rework shows and hang out with neighbors,” the homeowner says.
After living out of state for a number of years, the family moved back and began to think about looking for a lake house in the Hot Springs area. “Someone told us they had cleared the lots at the point where we had previously had a house, and we were very interested. My husband went to the auction, and we were lucky enough to get a lot,” the homeowner says.
With the view being a primary draw, the owners wanted to take full advantage of the location. Working with architect Carolyn Lindsey of Yeary Lindsey Architects and contractor Ron Formby, they began to develop and execute a plan for the home’s structure. “In addition to the sloped volume of the space, we used a lot of glass to bring the outdoors into each room,” Carolyn says. “For example, the living space projects toward the lake from the rest of the house allowing glass on three sides, which pulls that panoramic view into the room.” She notes that other features, such as the living room’s cypress ceiling, which continues onto the covered porch, help “reinforce the ow of indoor-outdoor space.”
In addition to bringing the outdoors in, the homeowners also wanted to make responsible choices when it came to building materials and furnishings. “I wanted the house to be as green as possible,” the homeowner says. “I like using less chemicals, and I’m drawn to natural ways whenever possible.” Designer Brittany Nixon Brun of Brittany Nixon Creative helped the couple navigate these decisions while keeping a laidback aesthetic at the forefront of the design. “They really like casual, comfortable pieces and also wanted the design to be eco-conscious,” Brittany says. “The homeowner did a lot of research on chemical-free products and energy efficiency features before we even came onboard,” she adds. Elements such as wool carpet, all-wood furnishings, and organic bedding are just a few of the eco-friendly pieces seen in the interior.
Building off of Carolyn’s design for the home, Brittany also helped the couple make furnishing selections that would allow them to take advantage of the lake view from every angle and not detract or distract the eye from the wow just beyond. “Everything is very cohesive; the palette consists of blue and wood, which are very appropriate for this lakefront setting, where what’s outside the doors really makes the statement,” Brittany says.
NATURAL CHOICES
On its exterior, the two-story portion of the home is stucco with a linear chopped stone base, while the one- story section is wrapped in Brazilian Cumaru wood, a durable species that will weather well through the years. “We constructed the porches of cypress, with a design mimicking a rainscreen but spread out to allow light and breeze through,” Carolyn says. It was also important to the homeowners to leave the property’s trees intact when building the home, so the outdoor area was designed around them. They now provide abundant shade on the waterfront. Carolyn notes oversized sliding doors lead from the family room to the covered porch, thus reinforcing the connection between the indoors and outdoors.
“The living space projects toward the lake from the rest of the house allowing glass on three sides, which pulls that panoramic view into the room.”
— Carolyn Lindsey, architect
VIEW POINT
A pair of swivel chairs in the living room offer what is arguably the best interior view of Lake Hamilton. The mix of woods, including acacia on the floor, cypress on the ceiling, and Cumaru outdoors, was carefully curated by the design team. “There are so many different species shown in this one space— and then we also used a couple of wooden furniture pieces—that we really had to make a concerted effort to have it feel cohesive,” Brittany says. Underfoot, a practical sisal rug is topped with a plush, bound-wool one for a comfortable feel.
“Everything is very cohesive; the palette consists of blue and wood, which are very appropriate for this lakefront setting, where what’s outside the doors really makes the statement.”
— Brittany Nixon Brun, designer
CASUAL DINING
A cypress ceiling treatment begins in the dining room and carries through the living room out to the covered porch, creating a seamless connection between the interior and exterior. Responsible use of materials also meant repurposing pieces from the couple’s personal residence for use at the vacation home. These include the chandelier and dining table shown here. Brittany notes the homeowners have a cool collection of quirky accessories as well as art. Rather than adding built-in shelving, she brought in a stand-alone, industrial- style unit to house a few of these items.
LIGHT DINNER
Even in the kitchen, the focus is still directed to the landscape and lake seen outside the windows. A palette of white and wood creates a calm environment, while hand-painted tiles, seen behind the range, draw the eye. “I wouldn’t necessarily think to use these tiles in a casual lake house, but we loved the monochromatic look and wanted something with extra oomph,” Brittany says. The cerused finish found on the kitchen island is repeated in other rooms of the home.
SERENE SLUMBER
The master bedroom was originally sketched with a replace opposite the bed; however, after consideration, a wall of windows and a panoramic view of the lake won out. “The sea salt color here is very calming and refreshing,” Brittany says. “It’s not too blue and not too green.” The painting over the bed, a work by Benson-Cobb, was a housewarming gift from a friend who reached out to Brittany for advice on choosing a piece that would t the space. Eco-friendly bedding and a bound-wool rug speak to the homeowners’ desire for natural products while still adhering to the comfortable, chic design.
SOAK IT ALL IN
“The vaulted ceiling makes the architecture in the master bath very interesting to the eye,” Brittany says. Rather than paint the walls, she chose to highlight this feature and draw the eye upward with a textured tile that has the look of stone. As in nature, the stone blends with the wood cabinetry, which features a cerused finish. Wall-mounted textures keep the quartz countertops clear of visual clutter. “No matter where you are in this house, you get the view,” Brittany says of the placement of the tub. A chandelier with recycled glass pieces adds to the space’s light, airy style.
OUTDOORSY HYPE
One of the upstairs guest bedrooms has more of what Brittany calls an “earthy vibe.” “We left the blue downstairs and brought in more neutral, natural materials here,” she says. Again, harping on the home’s recurring theme of wood and water, this space speaks to the woodsy elements of the lake. A Gray Malin photograph featuring a zebra hangs over the bed; its graphic in influence is echoed in the motif on the bedding and the structured grid fabric on the window treatments.
The guest bath continues a woodsy, textured design with a wall treatment featuring Kirei Board, made from reclaimed sorghum straw. An ebony- stained vanity, copper lights, and iron mirror lend a hint of industrialism that works well alongside the focal wall.
Design Resources
ARCHITECT Carolyn Lindsey, AIA, Yeary Lindsey Architects CONTRACTOR Ron Formby, Ron Formby Building Services INTERIOR DESIGN Brittany Nixon Brun, Brittany Nixon Creative LANDSCAPE DESIGN AB Landscaping and Frank Riggins ACCESSORIES, ART, BEDDING, FABRICS, FURNITURE, LIGHTING, AND RUGS Brittany Nixon Creative APPLIANCES Metro Appliances & More CABINETRY Cabinet Creations CARPET C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery COUNTERTOPS AHI Stoneworks FIREPLACE Glen Spraggins, Inc. FIXTURES Falk Plumbing & Supply FLOORING Carter Adams Floors GARAGE DOORS Royal Overhead Door HARDWARE, MILLWORK, AND WINDOWS C.J. Horner Company MIRRORS Brittany Nixon Creative and Smith Glass Services OUTDOOR FURNISHINGS Antique Brick Outdoors PAINT Sherwin- Williams PAINTING Scott Miller Painting STAIR RAIL Tri Lakes Ornamental Iron Works STONE WORK Dennis Bean Masonry STUCCO S&S Stucco TILE (BATHROOMS, FLOORS, AND BACKSPLASH) Hot Springs Hardwood Supply TILE (KITCHEN) Inside Effects WINDOW COVERINGS Brittany Nixon Creative and Mountjoy’s Custom Draperies
