A Craftsman Christmas

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

During the years spent building their dream home, holiday decorating had been a challenge for Searcy residents Mandy and Rees Lloyd. With their new Craftsman-style home completed last year, they were eager to renew their holiday plans—and when they were asked to participate in the Associated Women for Harding’s Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, they decided it was an ideal time to start new traditions.

Mandy turned to her long-time friend Beth Davis, a Searcy-based interior designer who helped the Lloyd family with the construction and design of their new home, for holiday décor ideas.

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Magical Memories

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

Architects Bret and Stacey Park devised an open floor plan for the family home, where informal living, dining and kitchen spaces flow together easily. “Because of that, we use every room in the house, every day,” says Jamie. “There are no off-limit formal areas or unused spaces.” Building on that concept, interior designer Lisa Claybrook, ASID, worked with the family to choose paint colors, furnishings and fabrics that would add to the home’s warm and welcoming style.

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“In the living spaces, we used earthy colors that blend from room to room,” says Claybrook. “And we chose durable, kid-friendly materials to ensure that the furnishings would look good but be easy to clean.”

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A Golden Glow

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

When December rolls around for Little Rock resident Paul Guess, he is ready to spend time with his friends and family in a special place – his home in Chenal Valley.

“Christmas is such a fun time of the year, not only because of the true meaning, but also because I enjoy celebrating with my colleagues and family,” says the Des Arc native, a senior director of sales for a major pharmaceutical company. Paul hosts a party every year for all of his colleagues from the Southern region, and in preparation for the event, his house gets a full holiday makeover.

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All is Bright

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

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Vintage Shimmer and Shine

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

“I love finding a throw-away and making it into a treasure,” says Kaylene Shepard, who has turned that philosophy into a business at her Eureka Springs store Something Simple, where she gives vintage home furnishings and accessories new life. In order to blend her mix of true antiques and newer flea-market items, Kaylene sticks with a neutral color palette and covers all her goods in shades of white. “I have always been a fan of cream and white because they’re timeless and work in any room,” she explains, “and I use the same palette when I decorate for the holidays.”

Working with elements she’s found through years of flea market and antique mall visits, Kaylene creates unique, hand-made ornaments and accessories. Here, her inspired ideas with suggestions for incorporating them into your own home.

Create & Trim a Twig Tree

Kaylene cut a well-shaped tree branch and sprayed it with several coats of white paint. She had a wooden cube cut to serve as a stand, had a large hole drilled into the top, cemented the branch inside the hole, added pea gravel to fill the remaining open area, and then spray painted the stand and rocks white. She trims the resulting tree with both hand-made and vintage ornaments.

Spring for Ornaments

Springs from a flea-market-find daybed were the starting point for Kaylene’s corkscrew ornaments. She cut out the springs, painted them white, and then dressed them up with vintage ribbon and antique treasures including chandelier crystals and glitter snowflakes.

Fabricate Vintage Flowers

Ideal for topping packages, Kaylene’s flowers are made from old zippers and tape measures. She makes several six-inch loops with the zippers and four-inch loops with the tape measures and secures them into a flower shape by sewing or hot gluing them together. She then embellishes them by gluing on whatever vintage finds she has on hand—buttons, trim or even old watch faces.

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Nature’s Bounty

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

Wreathed in Style

Floral designer Phil Cato, owner of About Vase in Little Rock, adds holiday cheer to his home with décor inspired by nature. Here, he began with a vine wreath and used floral wire to attach a variety of elements he collected from the garden: pine cones, blue spruce branches, magnolia leaves, dried blue hydrangea blooms and even the remains of a hornets’ nest. He used moss-covered Styrofoam balls (available at craft stores) and hot-glued balls from sweetgum trees onto their surfaces, and then glued the resulting spheres onto the wreath. Weaving the elements in and around the wreath’s vines helped secure the items and complete the all-natural look.

Centered by Nature

Cato filled a birch log basket with layers of blue spruce branches, antlers (often found at flea markets or antique malls) and moss. He topped the basket with dried gourds, which he dressed up with acrylic gold-leaf paint, and tucked in bunches of rose hips to complete the seasonal centerpiece.

Branching Out for the Holidays

For a kid-friendly take on a traditional Christmas tree, Cato designed a version in a vase as a tasty project for the entire family. He used slender birch tree logs as the starting point, drilled holes in them and placed them in a glass vase, securing them with black river rocks. He next topped the rocks with artificial snow (both are available at craft stores) and inserted cuttings (they need to fit tightly or should be adhered with glue) from a blue spruce tree. With the tree form in place, the decorating options are endless—here, Cato glued on candy Dots and added brightly colored sugar cookies suspended from ribbons. Be sure to make extra cookies—snacking while decorating is a must.

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Decorating Ideas Abound at Holiday Home and Garden Tours Statewide

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

Alma

December 6
2009 Friends of the Alma Public Library Tour of Homes
Visit two homes and a rustic log cabin, with event proceeds benefiting the Alma Public Library.
www.almapubliclibrary.org

Arkadelphia

December 6
Clark County Extension Homemakers Holiday Tour of Homes
Features several homes in the Arkadelphia area that include holiday designs.
www.arkadelphia.dina.org

Bentonville

December 9-10
Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens Holiday Open House
The mansion’s annual event showcases the best of Victorian décor.
www.peelmansion.org

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A Formal Dinner Party for Fall

October 23, 2009 by ark_admin

Interior designer Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors dressed up the formal dinner table by layering accents of gold, starting with chargers and china plates with gold rims. “I wanted it to be elegant and timeless,” he says. He added Southern flair by mixing several different china patterns and arranging a floral centerpiece complete with hydrangeas and multi-colored roses. “The mix of flowers was beautiful and opulent, just like the table setting,” adds Walsh. Cloth napkins and vintage napkin rings complete the formal setting.

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A Fall Garden Club Gathering

October 23, 2009 by ark_admin

A long-standing member of a local garden club, Julie Roetzel of Fayetteville often hosts an autumn meeting at her home. She plays up the garden theme by integrating natural elements and typically opts for a buffet setting. “I arrange plates and foods on all sides of the table, so that guests can circle it,” says Julie. “Including several sizes of plates allows guests to choose as much or as little they want.” She also incorporates stands and servers that will place food at different heights; “it adds eye appeal and a little variety,” she says. To celebrate the season, she plays up fall colors with copper accessories, colorful linens and abundant flowers and foliage.

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A Craftsman Christmas

Magical Memories

A Golden Glow

All is Bright