At Home in Arkansas:
What were your main design strategies for this family home in Conway?
Becky Charton:
The homeowners love the outdoors—every room has access to the outside and there are walls of windows. Because one of the stabilizers for this family of six is orderliness, I didn’t use a lot of accessories and little things. It was more about textures, and I kept the scale large because the sky and the trees are part of the background through windows in every space.
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“I encourage my clients to organize the clothes in their closet by color, which may seem simple but will actually save time and money. Not only will it help to simplify dressing each day, it has the added benefit of making you aware of the colors of your clothes. Next time you go shopping, you might think twice before purchasing that seventh blue sweater!”
Ashley Carson, interior designer and personal organizer
Anything and Everything Design, Conway
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“I guess we’re just colorful people,” Anita Sipe says with a laugh. “We like our house to look bright and happy, and we’ve never been afraid of using color, since paint is one of the easiest things to change.”
As owners of Blann Hardware in Camden, Anita and her husband, Brent, know a thing or two about renovations and paint. So when they purchased a home with a dark, outdated kitchen—from the small island to the almond-colored appliances and the boxed florescent light fixtures overhead—the couple immediately began making plans for remodeling.
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Environmentally friendly home décor can also be beautiful—a maxim that green lifestyle expert and celebrated author Danny Seo is illustrating to audiences nationwide. When the Pennsylvania-based expert visited Little Rock as part of a national tour, we asked for his help in transforming the master bedroom in a local historic home into a “green” retreat. A few simple steps like replacing the mattress, switching light bulbs and installing a recycled rug resulted in a room that’s not only stylish but also healthier and easier on the environment. “Living stylishly and going green used to be an oxymoron,” he says. “Part of my job is helping people coordinate the two.”
Here’s how the nation’s leading eco expert transformed our basic bedroom into a sustainably shabby chic space.
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Georgiana Gunn’s collection of blue and white china is a by-product of her career. Gunn, co-owner with husband Leland of Maumelle’s I-40 Antique Center, has been in the interior design and antique business for more than 40 years, acquiring china on her travels from the very beginning. “I borrowed $500 from the bank with no idea of how I’d pay it back,” Gunn laughs, recalling her first buying trip to Asia, “but when I returned home, I was able to sell everything to friends from my dining room table.”
Many more trips ensued, with most of Gunn’s blue and white china coming from Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, a street lined with all sorts of trinket and antique shops. Gunn quickly learned her way around, negotiating prices, developing relationships with local vendors, and becoming skilled in recognizing quality pieces. She also unearthed treasures stateside, including the shores of Maine, in and around Kennebunkport. “In our business, it’s called ‘the hunt,’” she says.
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As the “San” part of the duo behind the paper goods company SanLori (along with business partner Lorraine Maxwell), Sandra Marbaise is a firm believer in the tradition of sending written holiday greetings. The mother of eight-year-old twins says the styles she chooses “absolutely have to include a photo,” as she spreads the cards out on the table in the breakfast room of her Little Rock home and spends an afternoon writing them.
“Sending holiday cards is more than just a ritual for me. I pull all the previous years’ photo cards and see the changes that have happened; it’s a visual reminder of the passage of time, Christmases past and present.” –Sandra Marbaise
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At Home in Arkansas:
You worked with homeowners Nancy and Chad Archer and their two children, Zach and Katie, to decorate their family’s home for the holidays. What was your inspiration for the design scheme?
Designer Andrea Brooks:
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At Home in Arkansas:
You’ve worked together on projects during the holidays for many years, combining your interior and exterior design expertise. How did you decide on the style of holiday décor for homeowner Jan Bolton?
Interior Designer Christopher Todd:
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At Home in Arkansas offers you a look inside the state's most inspiring homes. The magazine features monthly advice from the experts to help you plan your next remodel or redesign, entertain at home, or find Arkansas's best kept secrets. It is your definitive guide to the state's finest homes and gardens, design professionals, fashion and entertaining essentials, and premier shops and showrooms.
