The latest in sinks, tubs, fixtures, and appliances for your kitchen or bath project
The shape of the “Salute” vessel sink by Kohler was inspired by the coupe champagne glass.…
Woven Together
A classic pattern of interlocking wefts, basketweave easily winds its way through fashion accessories and home décor
“Blythe” plaid hobo bag. Bella Boutique, Little Rock, bellaboutiqueheights.com…
Sweet & Sophisticated
Designer Kendall Jones helps the Bunting family create a timeless space for their new addition
When Lesley and Seth Bunting learned that they’d be adding baby Margot to the family, they called Kendall Jones to help design the nursery. “Her work is fresh and fun, and not too formal,” Lesley says of the designer, whom she’d enjoyed following on Instagram before reaching out. “Kendall does a good job of mixing old and new, and that’s what I was looking for.”…
Organic Oasis
Taggart Design Group creates a contemporary family home in Roland that embraces its natural surroundings
Seamless living between the interior and exterior of a residence in west Little Rock is what led the owners of this Roland home on the path that resulted in their dream build. While the particular house that served as inspiration was purchased before they could put an offer on it, the couple researched the property and decided to reach out to the home’s architect: Taggart Design Group. “They were mainly attracted to the integration of the indoor and outdoor spaces and how we let them flow in and out of each other,” says Burt Taggart, Jr., principal of the firm. After purchasing their lot, the couple called on Burt and his son, Burt Taggart, III, who works alongside his father, to design a custom home fit for their family of five….
A Whole New Charm
A Fort Smith family enlists the help of designer Emily Heim to update their classic home with a modern spin
The original rock exterior of the 1940s home is complemented with a fresh coat of paint on the door and copper lantern. Jessica’s friend Sarah Garlow, who is a Sebastian County Master Gardener, created the container plantings at the base of the steps.
I have a little bit of a Zillow addiction,” admits homeowner Jessica Irgens. Over the past 10 years, she and her husband, Shane, and their two children have lived in five different houses in Fort Smith. However, when she found this 1948 charmer on a long-established street, she knew it could be a place for her family to really put down roots….
In the Groove of Things
The mother-daughter duo behind Daisy Pastry Shoppe brings spirited sweets to central Arkansas
If you’ve been to any of the half dozen farmers markets in the Little Rock area over the past year, you may have noticed one vendor in particular who really grooves to the beat of their own drum: Daisy Pastry Shoppe. Their bright pink table is decked out with glittering disco balls and vintage cassette tapes identifying treats with names of classic rock hits like “Whole Lotta Love” (a brown butter blondie inspired by the Led Zeppelin song) and “Magical Mystery Tour” (a triple berry sandwich cookie with lemon filling fit for The Beatles). But for Jennifer Hill Green and Ashanti Parker, the mother-daughter team behind this exuberant pop-up shop, baking is serious business….
Urban Escape
DK Design transforms a downtown Fayetteville backyard into a three-season retreat
After relocating from Dallas, the owners of this home fell in love with the historic, walkable neighborhoods of downtown Fayetteville. They purchased a house that had been renovated by area entrepreneur Mark Zweig and desired to create a backyard that matched its distinctive style while offering plenty of amenities for their family to enjoy. Enter exterior designer Daniel Keeley of Northwest Arkansas-based DK Design. “They wanted a pool and a covered space where everyone could gather, and it was very important for this portion to look like it had been added during the home’s previous renovation,” he says….
Modern Appeal
Neutral tones and clean-lined silhouettes bring easy, approachable style to current furniture and lighting
“Pescadero” credenza, “Valen” antiqued mirror, “Topanga” dining table, and “Loleta” side chairs, all from Universal Furniture.
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Discover Fayetteville & Springdale
An almost 50-year-old arts organization is just one example of the thriving creative community in Northwest Arkansas
Rita Ward’s playful sculptures at Terra Studios.
Driving into Terra Studios in Fayetteville is like walking through the gates of another dimension. All around, ceramic creatures—birds, dragons, trolls, bears, and children, to name a few—are integrated into the wooded landscape and winding paths that make up the campus. It’s incredible, strange, and wonderful, and it’s free for anyone to experience….
State of Inspiration: Dennis McCann
The houses depicted in Dennis McCann’s pastel works could be anywhere. Mostly modest dwellings with siding and pan-type window awnings, they will seem familiar to anyone who has driven around the outskirts of city life in the South. And while Dennis insists his interest in them lies in the hard-edged shadows created when the light hits just right, it’s worth noting that many of his subjects are from the neighborhood where he grew up in North Little Rock. “That’s sort of my slice of life,” he says. Such is the setting for “The Neighbors,” a piece he completed in 2015 from photographs taken on a sunny day.
Influenced by the work of American painters Edward Hopper, Robert Cottingham, and Al Allen—the last of whom was a well-regarded Arkansas artist and one of Dennis’s instructors in college—Dennis started his career as a painter. Now, most of his work is in pastels. The medium offers immediacy, yet still allows him to build layer upon layer, saturating the paper with hues in a style of clean-lined realism that’s controlled in some areas and more painterly in others. “I used to be real tight. But when I loosened up and stood back, it looked more realistic,” he says, pointing to the foliage in “The Neighbors” as an example of this effect.
After earning both bachelors and masters degrees in fine art, Dennis later got a degree in teaching, though never used it—unlike his wife and son, who share his artistic nature. Instead, he was a firefighter. “What motivated me to pursue that was they offered a 24 hours on, 48 off work schedule,” he says. “I had been selling typewriters five days a week and trying to find weekends to work.” His 31-year career with the Little Rock Fire Department allowed him the uninterrupted time in the studio he was looking for. “Most artists, I think they’re artists because that’s just what they are,” he says. “They may have another thing that pays the bills, but they can’t help themselves; they’re sort of addicted to it. I think that’s me.” Dennis’s work is available through Justus Fine Art Gallery in Hot Springs and Boswell Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock. Visit mccannfineart.com for more information.
Artwork featured above: “The Neighbors” by Dennis McCann, 30” x 42” soft pastel on paper
