James Hayes

January 10, 2008 by ark_admin

“Most designs come as a vision,” says glassblower James Hayes of Pine Bluff, owner of James Hayes Art Glass Company. Hayes, a Pine Bluff native, studied art at Hendrix College in Conway, and after graduating in the spring of 1988 he began taking glass-blowing classes at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. It didn’t take him long to realize that glass was the medium for him, and he continued his studies at the Arts Center, as well as at world-renowned glass artisan Dale Chihuly’s Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle. “It doesn’t take long to learn,” Hayes says of glass blowing. “But it takes years to hone your craft.”

Although Hayes has been working in this medium for 19 years, the 41-year-old artist still has fun every day, perfecting his unique craft. “I like the immediacy of working with glass,” he says. “Of course some things, certain works in progress, take years to complete, but for the most part the result is almost instant.” On the day we visited his studio, Hayes spent roughly half an hour creating a beautiful bowl, one of his signature—and favorite—pieces.

He begins by heating the end of a blow pipe in one of two “honey holes”—a burner system used to maintain the heat of the glass and to heat tools. Once the pipe is heated, he collects a small amount of molten glass from the 2,300-degree Fahrenheit furnace, which is filled with clear glass the consistency of honey. Color is added by rolling the hot glass in frits, bits of glass that range in size from powder to pebbles, and the pipe is returned to the furnace once more to blend the color. Hayes then blows the starter bubble. More glass is added, along with more color, and then various wooden tools—which are kept wet so as not to crack from the intense heat—are used for shaping. Hayes has less than a minute to work with the glass before it must be heated again via one of the two burners. After repeating the shaping process a few times, what began as a small ball of hot glass has suddenly become a one-of-a-kind bowl with curvaceous edges and intricate coloring.

The finished product is then placed in an oven that slowly cools the glass over several hours to keep it from cracking. “I’m fascinated with The Food Network,” Hayes says. “I like to pretend like I’m cooking, using dashes of color to add flavor to a piece. The hot glass and frits are my ingredients, and the paddles, blow pipes and other tools are my utensils.”

Much of Hayes’ work is special orders, such as the grand chandeliers he has created for homes across the state and surrounding region. With works this large—some include up to 50 pieces that must be individually installed—it helps to have a staff of five working in the studio. “I get to be an inventor when working with glass,” he says. “I love being creative, and the synergy of my team is amazing. Working alone you are limited, but with a team you can do so much more.” Hayes also enjoys “just making stuff up,” and creating his own styles. “I strive to do different things, and I experiment a lot,” he says. “Some of them don’t always fly, and they get set aside in the barn until I decide to revisit them and reinvent them.”

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Color is added to the hot glass by rolling it in frits, bits of colorful glass that range in size from powder to pebbles.

Hayes uses a number of wooden and metal tools to shape and sculpt molten glass into unique works of art.

Accentuate the Positive

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

After moving to Arkansas only recently, one Little Rock family decided to celebrate Christmas on a grand scale in their Valley Falls Estates home. “After hearing how no one does Christmas quite like Silks A Bloom, the homeowner contacted us to decorate her home for her family’s first holiday in Arkansas,” says Dale Aldridge, owner of Silks A Bloom, who along with co-owner Tammy Copeland and their design staff—including Lindsey Copeland, Brittany Vick, Grant Laisure and Jeffrey Gibbs—turned the Valley Falls home into a spectacular display of holiday cheer.

“The home is beautiful on its own,” says Dale, “and the homeowner wanted us to stay true to its rich, traditional tones.” The Silks A Bloom team combined hues of bronze, chocolate, gold and orange to highlight both the home’s interior and exterior color schemes. Dale also tends to think big when it comes to decorating homes for the holidays. “Don’t be afraid to use large Christmas ornaments homes of any size,” he says. “Done right, it adds just the right texture to all holiday décor.”

One of the decorating team’s favorite rooms is the dramatic entryway, where a suspended chandelier tree takes center stage, decked out in copper and bronze ornaments that echo the traditional tree in the living room, which is anchored in a large bronze urn to give it even more height and take advantage of the home’s high ceilings. The same color scheme is carried up and over the iron banisters and with garlands bursting with more over-sized ornaments. “Large ornaments just melted into the home’s décor wonderfully,” Dale says. “The scale was perfect.”

In the family room, the red color scheme was accented with classic Christmas hues of green and gold. “While using the very traditional holiday colors, we added a contemporary flair by not just laying the garland over the mantel, but taking it up the wall as well,” says Dale. In the kitchen, the decorators took a more whimsical approach, where a Santa ferris wheel by designer Mark Roberts turns up the fun-wheeling spirit over the island. Silks A Bloom even took their holiday decorating magic into the bedrooms, where a traditional tree adorned with tiny crystal lights adds holiday spark to the master suite.

But this family is just one of many who get to enjoy the Christmas spirit of Silks A Bloom’s decorating expertise. “Adding holiday cheer to peoples’ homes is a passion of mine,” Dale says. “I truly enjoy waking up and coming to work everyday and meeting the challenges of different spaces.”

Hometown Inspiration

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

The picturesque Park Hill neighborhood in North Little Rock, which was Arkansas’ first planned suburb, hearkens back to the 1920s with its charming Craftsman bungalows and period cottages. Now, almost 85 years after Park Hill’s inception, Todd Smith and Charlie Groppetti, who live in a renovated Park Hill home built by Justin Matthews in 1923, have taken their love of the quaint neighborhood and translated it into a line of home accessories and furnishings—aptly named the Park Hill Collection. Both professional florists for over 30 years, Todd and Charlie spent time working in China on product development of pre-made holiday and home décor projects for Pottery Barn, Target and Hobby Lobby and decided to go into business for themselves. The collection offers a huge range of furniture and accessories, including exclusive reproductions of American primitive and rural European antiques designed with a sense of nostalgia that blends into contemporary homes and infuses them with timeless personal style.

For Charlie and Todd, holiday hospitality begins at the ivy-covered door of their cozy cottage, welcoming visitors with luxuriously thick evergreen garlands and swags brimming with clusters of pine cones, fresh fruits and berries, all accented with wide red velvet ribbon. Inside the front door, guests are met with the grand glow of a nine-foot Blue Spruce tree from the Park Hill Collection decorated with hundreds of ornaments mixed with vintage flea-market mercury balls in holiday hues. The living room is divided into two conversation areas and is personalized with American primitive and French Country furnishings and accessories. At one end, an antique wooden hobbyhorse is the center of attention, while the European pine trunk serves as both a coffee table and extra storage.

The natural theme continues at the opposite end of the living room, with the original brick fireplace serving as the focal point. The garland decorating the red brick mantel is mixed with fresh botanicals, handcrafted paper holly and fresh oranges accented with silk ribbon and cinnamon sticks. The mantel is topped off with urns of pine cones and faux berry branches mixed with bare quince branches from the yard. Large pots of ivy and an orange tree lend garden-fresh appeal to the interior. In the dining room, where rustic painted shutters flank a painted Brazilian buffet, rustic candelabras are given an elegant touch with greenery, and a prize steer on the wall is ringed with a grapevine wreath. Glass cloches cover old pottery planters to show off newly sprouted amaryllis bulbs, while on the dining table, more glass cloches are filled with pinecones and whimsical mushrooms.

In the kitchen, glass apothecary jars in a variety of shapes and sizes from the Park Hill Collection hold old-fashioned candy and nuts. Handcrafted pottery is filled with more twigs and berries, while the freestanding primitive hutch is decorated with greenery set amid many fanciful finds. Just off the kitchen, the mudroom is the perfect place for Todd and Charlie to arrange holiday decorations and to collect fresh-cut flowers and herbs from their garden. The pair of talented entrepreneurs also extend the holiday spirit outdoors with an old English wheelbarrow filled with fresh-cut evergreens and pinecones. “What attracted us to Park Hill was the historic value, as well as the quiet modest neighborhood that is still a little undiscovered secret,” admits Todd. “The home and garden gives us constant inspiration to develop and re-create products for our company. We sell things we really want to live with.”

A Colorful Christmas

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

Jo and Randy Buttram made certain to take their time when designing and building their Rogers home, located on five acres on Beaver Lake. For this creative duo, it was imperative to make the most of the lot’s waterfront location and amazing views. “We love the water.

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Holding Court

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

When it came time for Glen and Lisa McSpadden to design the outside of their Bentonville home, they were referred to exterior designer Daniel Keeley of DK Design in Fayetteville. Although the stucco colors and fixtures had been chosen, Daniel helped the McSpaddens design the shape of the front courtyard, complete with stone columns, beautiful rockwork and lush plantings. Since Glen and Lisa met and were engaged in Florence, Italy, they were greatly inspired by Italian architecture, and knew they wanted a fountain incorporated in the front courtyard. The multi-faceted fountain is flanked with colorful plants, which create a secluded retreat, while the stone pathway is another nod to the Italian influence. “I chose the stone walls and columns to match the stone on the house, and the concrete path with stone detailing adds a nice architectural feel,” Daniel says.

The mixture of plantings he chose accents the rockwork without becoming overwhelming, and the pops of color and texture cause the space to feel complete and established. Because Lisa is a photographer and works from her home studio, she asked Daniel to create several outdoor areas with colorful surroundings and interesting features to use in her work, including the stone staircase with cascading, flowering plants. “With all of the stonework that was involved in this project, the craftsmen at Hammer and Chisel Stone Masonry and Timber Framing in Fayetteville were paramount,” Daniel says.

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Complementary Design

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

At more than 7,000-square feet, the 2007 Build for the Cure Idea House is a stunning Spanish-Colonial home that calls to mind the spectacular residences of old Hollywood. Nothing complements a home of such grand stature more than beautiful landscaping and amazing outdoor spaces, and that’s exactly what Clint Morris and David Chappell of Morris-Chappell Landscaping and Neptune Pools and Chris Olsen of Botanica Gardens brought to 21 Bella Rosa Court.

Upon arriving at the house, a lush front lawn designed by Morris-Chappell Landscaping features El Toro Zoysia grass, which performs well in both sun and shade, making it ideal for both the front and side yards. “The front of the house was so balanced and straight forward that we wanted to keep the landscaping symmetrical,” says David Chappell. “We chose a number of plantings that would help maintain that Spanish-Colonial, old-Hollywood look and complement the architecture of the home.” To that end, arborvitae trees were planted next to the street and in the beds, with their slim look echoing the columns across the front porch, and as they grow, they’ll only become more streamlined. Japanese maples and Yaupon holly trees were also incorporated near the house, with pansies, white and coral Encore azaleas and Indian hawthorn to add color.

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A Sentimental Holiday

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

“It’s always Christmas before Thanksgiving at our home,” says Kim Jirik of her northwest Lonoke County house. “Our friends laugh, but we always enjoy the holiday so much, and we tend to go a little overboard when decorating.” Kim and her husband, Dr. Samuel Jirik, built their home in 1996 on 30 acres, complete with breathtaking views of the valley below.

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Bungalow Beauty

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

The original front porch of this Fayetteville bungalow was closed in years ago, creating a flat, non-descript entry for guests that the new homeowners wanted to renovate. They called Eric Hobbs of Hobbs, Inc., and he opened up the porch again, complete with traditional columns and a unique railing. With the porch opened up, the homeowners turned to exterior designer Daniel Keeley of DK Design in Fayetteville to make the outdoor area livable. “The homeowners wanted contemporary touches,” Keeley says. “And, my goal was to turn the porch and yard into outdoor living rooms as extensions of the house.”

Traditional teak chairs with thick cushions for comfort intermingle with contemporary accents, such as the oversized, semi-transparent resin planter—a favorite of Keeley’s—and the lush landscaping includes perennials and annuals with punches of color from azaleas, day lilies and more. The teak sofa is outfitted with all-weather throw pillows, while Keeley created a multi-functional ottoman with two upholstered foam squares. “The ottomans are perfect as a coffee table or extra seating, depending on the situation,” he says.

The house is raised from the street with a stone wall, and to emphasize this separation, Keeley wrapped the yard with boxwood hedges, creating a living wall enclosing the front yard. “I knew the homeowners would use the outdoor spaces a lot, and to give them a gathering area in addition to the porch, I turned the front yard into a garden and added a table and chairs set,” he says.

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Mountain Home

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

Tucked between Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Norfork and the White River, Mountain Home has lots to recommend, whether you’re in the market for a weekend getaway, a second home or a great place to retire. With approximately 1,600 miles of shoreline, a five-star public golf course, rated by Golf Digest, at the Big Creek Golf and Country Club and loads of beautiful real estate, the town also boasts a beautiful climate with the best of all four seasons. Combine that with the top-notch, 500,000-square-foot medical facility at Baxter Regional Medical Center, and you’ve got the perfect destination for Arkansans of all ages.

ShopButler Furniture
551 Highway 5 N., 870-425-5332.
The staff at Butler Furniture makes shopping so easy for you, with beautiful, classic furnishings arranged in a variety of room settings, complete with lighting and accessories. They offer a huge selection from names like Broyhill, Bassett, Ashley and La-Z-Boy, plus complimentary design services.

Cabinets & Interior Design
118 N. College, 870-425-3085.
Interior designer Lori Kauffman, ASID, works closely with a wide variety of clients on everything from designing a new home from the ground up, often in conjunction with her builder husband, Bob, to space planning and furniture placement. Cabinetry is a passion as well, with all the latest styles and finishes from Wood-Mode available.

Carter’s Jewel Chest
820 Highway 62 E., 870-425-7070.
Owned by T.C. and Beth Carter since 1976, Carter’s Jewel Chest is a trusted source for fine jewelry, clocks, watches and high-end gifts. Not only do they offer diamonds from Hearts on Fire, Cyma watches and Howard Miller clocks, they also specialize in chic gifts and colored gemstones.

Gift-Tiques
Highway 62 East, Flippin, 870-453-4438.
If you’re en route to Mountain Home on Highway 62, you won’t be able to resist stopping in Gift-Tiques. It’s a fun romp through furnishings, accessories and gifts, as well as a selection of antiques and jewelry.

Gregory Jewelers
1 E. 6th St., 870-425-2542.
At their jewel box of a store on the downtown square, Will and Lori Gregory maintain a top-notch selection of fine jewelry, diamonds, gold and gemstones, along with crystal and Seth Thomas clocks.

Interiors & Fabrications Design Studio
Don’t be afraid to set your imagination free at Interiors & Fabrications. Designers Christi Cooper, Joan Barnett and Dea Self Windsor thrive on the challenge of creating unique, custom window treatments, slipcovers and bedding in their in-house workroom. There’s so much to explore, from designer fabrics, to drapery hardware, to blinds and shades from Hunter Douglas, Graber and Kirsch.

Monkey Market
701 Highway 5 N., 870-425-9446.
Whatever you do, don’t skimp on time at Monkey Market. This adorable shop has absolutely everything you need for every room of your home, from dishware and candles to gourmet foods and natural cleaning products, as well as organic cosmetics and beauty products.

National Supply Company
3395 Highway 62 E., 870-492-5195.
The outstanding Kohler showroom at National Supply Company is filled with beautiful options for spa-inspired baths, and their full-service staff have the knowledge needed to help you craft a custom retreat. Kitchen design is another specialty, as well as lighting, cabinetry and mirrors, all displayed in a setting that’s nothing short of inspirational.

Johnson the Jeweler
347 Highway 62 E., 870-425-1589.
Fine jewelry fills the cases at Johnson the Jeweler, where you can find everything from a custom-designed engagement ring to breathtaking pearls and gemstones. Their offerings also include imported Italian furniture, allowing you to bring their design expertise into every room of your home.

Sheid’s Fine Furniture
9th and Main Streets, 870-425-5165.
After 60 years in business, the Sheid family knows their furniture, and their fantastic showroom encompassing two city blocks is a testament to their love of the business. Furniture from Lane, Henredon and other top-name manufacturers, gifts, accessories, bedding and home theater and electronics equipment can all be found here, along with a complete flooring gallery.

Eat & Drink

178 Club

2215 Central Blvd., Bull Shoals, 870-445-4949.
In nearby Bull Shoals, the 178 Club has been serving high-quality, super fresh food for 27 years. Their menu is huge, with everything from escargot to seafood alfredo to gourmet burgers, and the nice wine list has oodles of delicious options.

Fred’s Fish House
Highway 62 E., 870-492-5958.
Classic cornmeal-battered catfish fillets are the centerpiece of the menu at Fred’s, and you can’t leave Mountain Home without trying them. Finish up with a heaping slice of homemade pie for dessert, and it doesn’t get much better.

Gaston’s White River Resort
1777 River Rd., Lakeview, 870-431-5202.
Amazing views of the White River are one of the best aspects of the restaurant at Gaston’s White River Resort, although the fantastic food is not to be missed. Sunday brunch is certainly famous, while a diverse menu of salads, sandwiches, seafood and steaks keeps the place hopping. And of course, the rainbow trout is as fresh as it comes!

White Water Grill
1301 Highway 62 W., 870-424-3800.
The sides are particularly spectacular at White Water Grill, from the perfectly dressed salad to the sweet potato fries to the garlic mashed potatoes, although it’s hard to beat the great steaks, fried chicken and salmon.

Stay

Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock and Marina

Shorecrest Dr., Bull Shoals, 870-445-4424.
For luxury houseboat rentals, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock and Marina has wonderful options, along with just about every other boat you can think of. They’re happy to set you up with a guided fishing trip, or even a scuba dive.

Gaston’s White River Resort
1777 River Rd., Lakeview, 870-431-5202.
Check into a cottage at Gaston’s and you certainly won’t be roughing it. Whether you’re looking for a cozy spot for two or a ten-room retreat, their accommodations boast fireplaces, decks and all the amenities in a pristine, riverside location. Guided fishing tours and fly-fishing school keep the outdoorsmen busy, and it’s all accessible via the on-site airstrip.

Larry Black & Associates Real Estate
100 Bomber Blvd., 870-425-9898, 877-425-9898.
When you make the decision to relocate or invest in a second home in Mountain Home or anywhere in the twin lakes area, Larry Black and the brokers at Larry Black & Associates are the folks to help you find the perfect spot. They know and love the area, from lakeside properties, to river-view estates, to beautiful homes in the heart of town.

Newland’s Float Trips, Lodge & Conference Center
295 River Rd., Lakeview, 870-431-5678, 800-334-5604.
Check into one of Newland’s seven spacious four-bedroom stone lodges, and you’re in for an incredibly fun experience. Float trips, guided fishing trips and more are easy to come by, and all the amazingly delicious meals are cooked over an open fire on the river bank, from porterhouse steaks to pork chops.

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Glass Act

December 18, 2007 by ark_admin

It’s the artistry and complexity of vintage art glass that intrigues Ivo Jones, interior decorator, antiques purveyor and the owner of House of Ivo in Conway. With a collection of more than 100 pieces of early 1900s works from companies like Steuben, Tiffany, Loetz and Rindskopf, each item has a unique story behind its equally fascinating look. “Although so many of these pieces look simple, the process of creating them is so complex,” says Jones. “Nothing that occurred while producing one piece happens with the next, meaning no two are alike.”

While the process for creating the glass itself is surprisingly straightforward—each piece is hand-blown—it’s the way the colors are produced that interests Jones. “When making these pieces, the artisans realized that they could add almost any mineral to the hot glass to create all sorts of colors,” he says. “And, this process means that the color is inside the glass, rather than applied later on the outside of the finished product. It will last forever.” To achieve the look of Steuben’s verre de soie, which means “glass of silk”, artisan Frederick Carder, who began his career with the company in 1903, sprayed the molten glass with stannous chloride—a tin chemical—to impart a soft, rainbow-like iridescence. Another popular style, Aurene, can be found in collections from Steuben, Loetz and others. Steuben’s Gold Aurene was created by Carder by spraying iron chloride at exactly the right moment while the glass was still hot, and Blue Aurene was designed in the same manner, but with the addition of cobalt to achieve the bold results.

Another hallmark of early art glass is the effect of threading. Steuben often incorporated this technique, which required the artist to hand-apply strands of molten glass to a finished work. Carl Radke’s Hung Hearts, which features a Blue Aurene finish with silver hand-applied hearts, is wrapped in silver threads that add unmatched texture and dimension. Another technique, called overshot threading, was a favorite with Pallme Konig, who created many pieces for Loetz. The process begins with a hand-blown vessel that has already been threaded. It’s then forced into a mold, which helps embed the veining into the vessel, rather than just applied to the surface. After the completed piece is cool, the mold is removed to reveal a very rare and intricate work of art.

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James Hayes

Accentuate the Positive

Hometown Inspiration

A Colorful Christmas

Holding Court

Complementary Design

A Sentimental Holiday

Bungalow Beauty

Mountain Home

Eat & Drink

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At Home in Arkansas