Date: September 30, 2022 | Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Stephanie Maxwell Newton |
Jessica and Bill Parkinson build on years of experience to create a family home suited for this season of life
There’s no slowing down in the life of a builder. Just ask Jessica and Bill Parkinson, owners of Parkinson Building Group in central Arkansas. This house high on a hill in Roland’s Waterview Estates is their sixth new construction, and they’re certain it won’t be their last. “Every time we build we learn things that work and things that don’t work,” Bill says, noting there’s an element of freedom in knowing each residence is not necessarily their forever home.
The cycle of building, moving, and building again has also allowed the Parkinsons to address their changing needs as a family. “The blessing of being able to build every few years is you can change it according to your stage of life,” Jessica says. “In our last house, we had a playroom upstairs for playing chase, Nerf gun wars, and all the toys and noise that come with those years.” With a downstairs media room right off the main living areas and easy access to the pool, this house was built with teenagers in mind. It’s well suited for adults, too; the open floor plan, large kitchen island, and breathtaking views of the outdoors are all conducive to hosting a crowd. “We’re both from Arkansas and our families are here,” Bill says. “Hosting gatherings and making this house a really functional entertaining space was important.”
Along with tweaks to the layout, every new build also allows the Parkinsons to explore their style through finishes and furnishings with the help of Mona Thompson Phelan of Providence Design. “An area I struggle with throughout the process is having too many choices; seeing every single option is overwhelming. That’s where Providence comes in,” Jessica says. “Because he is a builder, the construction elements—countertops, paint colors, those kinds of things—that’s what they’re dreaming of and talking about during their leisure time,” Mona says. “Jessica did a lot of the footwork, then we’d meet and I’d weigh in.”
For this house everyone agreed on a streamlined design, a departure from the European-inspired interiors of their previous home. This style is manifested in minimal millwork, a neutral palette, and a mix of new and old furnishings. “They’ve evolved into a much cleaner style over time,” Mona says. “This house is a little more modern; not contemporary, but simpler.”
What a Concept
One constant throughout each of the Parkinsons’ homes has been an open-concept floor plan, which allows for easy entertaining and, in this house in particular, sweeping views. The streamlined design continues in the kitchen where they opted to forgo upper cabinetry. “I have a ton of storage in the island, and open shelving holds our everyday plates,” Jessica says. These shelves are flanked by a paneled refrigerator and pantry-style door concealing rows of drawers, smart solutions that also bring symmetry to the design.
“Everything here is focused on the view.”
—Bill Parkinson
A trio of paintings, slip-covered host chairs, and blueish-gray kitchen cabinets connect the spaces in this open floor plan.
Fresh Idea
What the Parkinsons refer to as a “working pantry” is tucked behind a wall in the kitchen. With an extra refrigerator, dishwasher, and sink as well as the microwave, a coffee station, and a drop zone en route to the garage, this workhorse room takes the home’s functionality—and its ability to host large gatherings—to the next level. “That’s one feature we’ll never want to live without again,” Jessica says of the multipurpose space. Outside, an herb and vegetable garden provides the family with fresh, seasonal plantings.
The powder bath’s gray-blue vanity and clean style echo the comfortable elegance found throughout the home.
Design on Display
In the living room, contemporary built-ins hold books, family photos, and meaningful objects d’art. “We started helping them collect antique weathered books previously and continued that here,” Mona says. “It’s been fun to see the things they’ve acquired go to the next house and how they’re used differently,” she adds. Case in point, a Louis XIV chair purchased several years ago finds new life recovered in a neutral fabric and paired with a leopard print pillow.
Serenity Found
In the primary bedroom, Jessica’s directives were for it to feel light, elegant, and comfortable. Mona commissioned a custom four-poster bed by blacksmith Anthony Billingsley. “We do those for a lot of clients these days, but this was the first one; Anthony calls it the ‘Providence bed’ now,” Mona says. The bathroom is all about symmetry. A soaking tub provides the focal point between his-and-hers vanities, and a porcelain tile cut in half and laid in a herringbone pattern brings style underfoot without straying from material selections found throughout other areas of the home.
Design Resources
Builder Bill Parkinson, Parkinson Building Group Interior design Mona Thompson Phelan, Providence Design Accessories, bedding, fabrics, and furniture Providence Design Appliances Metro Appliances & More Cabinetry and hardware Duke Custom Cabinets Carpet, flooring, and tile ProSource of Little Rock Countertops Triton Stone Group Countertops (Fabrication) Stone World Designs Fixtures Plumbing Warehouse Fixtures (Installation) Westlake Plumbing Lighting Providence Design and TEC Electric Paint Benjamin Moore Painting (decorative) Phinality Design Rugs ProSource of Little Rock and Providence Design Window coverings Mountjoy’s Custom Draperies and Providence Design
