Date:  2026-09-01 09:03:58  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Julia Glover and Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |  

A downtown Little Rock Victorian-era kitchen finds new life with a colorful makeover that suits its owners while honoring its past

What Anna Lewis wanted in community and walkability, her husband, Zack, desired in space and land. The compromise? A historic downtown Little Rock home that sits on nearly an acre of land but is in close proximity to restaurants, coffee shops, and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Drawn to historic homes, Anna saw an opportunity in the 1898 Queen Anne Victorian abode, which has gone through numerous transformations—from the single family dwelling it was built as to a law office with for-rent apartments upstairs. What’s more, she knew they could make it fit their family with room-by-room updates. “My husband is very handy—that’s the only way we could live here, because the house needed some love,” she says. “We live in a lot of imperfection, but I like to think there’s beauty in imperfection,” she adds. “It feels like the house has more soul.”

With their three young sons in tow, they purchased the house four years ago and embarked on a punch list that led to the kitchen area most recently. “We didn’t touch the kitchen when we first moved in because we knew we would eventually completely re-do it,” Anna explains. In the meantime, she homed in on the house’s style and began gathering light fixtures and accessories that would eventually find a place in the room.

The grace period also gave her time to plan the space: She imagined a wall between what the original floor plan denoted as a “gentleman’s parlor” and the formerly small galley kitchen coming down to create one large space with plenty of room to cook, host friends, and hang out as a family. “We wanted it to look like it had always been one room,” she says, pointing to features like the newly installed hardwood flooring and coffered ceiling, “but we also wanted to honor the house.” Elements like the fireplace, a part of the former parlor that was found to have beautiful brick behind drywall, along with dentil and egg-and-dart molding keep the home in character while an expansive island makes it practical for everyday use.

Then there’s the color. Originally thinking they would go with a neutral hue, Anna and Zack went through an entire deck of paint choices only to find nothing felt “right.” The aubergine grew from an idea for an accent color on a tower cabinet, to one wall, to eventually covering all the walls. “Our contractor and painter thought we were crazy, but this room gets so much natural light, I knew it would work,” Anna says. “I love purple and pink; they are so feminine and since I’m surrounded by boys I had to go for it,” she adds, noting the rose hue on the ceiling. In contrast, they opted for stained cabinetry that is not only a match to the home’s original pocket doors, but also a practical option that won’t get easily scuffed in a family home. With the major pieces in place, Anna and Zack added an antique hutch for additional storage that keeps in step with the home’s time period as well as accents that personalize the room. “We are always visiting Roy Dudley and Fabulous Finds, plus my husband loves to get on Live Auctioneers to browse,” Anna says. “We are drawn to things that are different and give us a feeling of history or have a natural element—things that have a story but are also pretty.” 

Above: The ceiling is painted “Cinder Rose” by Farrow & Ball.

At the Hearth
Anna and Zack found the antique fireback online and had it framed out to hang on the wall behind the range. Originally used to protect the walls of a fireplace, the 1890s piece makes an ideal backsplash while doubling as art. “I was drawn to it because of the women depicted; there is a lady in the middle with a cat and a dog at her feet and a moose on the wall. It feels like a real home,” Anna says. The AGA stove is framed by a pair of alabaster sconces and a hood that features egg-and-dart molding. To the right, a floral-print fabric creates a portiere to conceal the pantry. The paint color is “Brinjal” by Farrow & Ball

Well Collected
The mix of finds in the sink area have been collected over time, like the framed botanical art and statue that were picked up at Roy Dudley Estate Sales, a vase from Crystal Hill Antique Mall, and a vase by artist Milkdadd. A brass rail is another storage concept that’s equally useful and artful. To the right, a tower cabinet conceals small appliances while a stained panel hides the dishwasher below the counter, keeping with the design’s Victorian influence.

Sit and Store
The sink was originally located in this nook. “I thought it was silly to cover part of the window,” Anna says. Having long wanted a window seat, the spot was transformed, allowing for an almost floor-to-ceiling view. A quartet of refrigerated drawers surround the bench, keeping snacks and drinks within quick reach, and the panel below the seat stores the family’s robot vacuum.

“We are drawn to things that are different and give us a feeling of history or have a natural element—things that have a story but are also pretty.”
—Anna Lewis, homeowner

The antique alabaster light fixture that hangs over the island was purchased years before the renovation. “It was stored in our basement until we started this project, and I remember looking at it and thinking, One day…one day that is going to be beautiful in our kitchen,” Anna recalls.

Two of the mugs on the rail over the sink were thrown by Anna and a friend. Pottery classes, which she can walk to at the nearby Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, are a favorite pastime for her.

Built-in refrigerator drawers give the appearance of furniture on the window seat’s surround.

Design Resources
Contractor Justin Elbert, CJE Construction Appliances Metro Appliances & More Accessories Crystal Hill Antique Mall, Fabulous Finds Antiques & Design, and Roy Dudley Estate Sales Art Roy Dudley Estate Sales Cabinetry Krick Custom Cabinets Flooring (installation) Hardwood Floors by Kyle Scruggs Paint Farrow & Ball Painting Israel Duran, First Choice Painting