Date:  January 7, 2015  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Styling: Chip Jones  |  

Designer Tami Risinger’s Conway home mixes sensibility with peacefulness for tailored and timeless appeal

Walk into Tami Risinger’s home and you’ll be met with a hug rather than a handshake. That’s the way this hospitable designer greets friends and acquaintances alike, and her home is equally warm and welcoming. With calming hues, classic pieces made current, and everything suited to Risinger’s signature style, each room sets the scene for peace, relaxation, and togetherness.

INITIAL APPROACH

After living just a few streets over from their new home for years, Tami and her husband Jack, along with their two teenage sons, agreed they were in need of more space and ready to build a home that could be designed specifically to suit them as a family. “I started the plans for this home about five years ago, and I was heavily inspired by the Rosemary Beach area in Florida. That was really my beginning for the whole project,” she says of the interior color palette of blue, white, and gray hues. “Blue makes me happy. My previous home was blue and white as well. My taste has always been clean lines, classic and timeless, soft color with neutrals. That’s something that’s remained with me forever,” she adds.

Now that it’s complete, the new space is equal parts chic and calm. However, Risinger admits it was a process. “Doing your own home is always the hardest because you can’t see the forest for the trees. I’m exposed to so much, so I have to turn around and tell myself to be the client; when I do that it all works,” she laughs.

WELL-SUITED SPACES

From the start, Risinger carefully considered how her family actually lives and created areas that would work for them, whether gathering together or enjoying alone time. For instance, in place of a dining room, the home has a light and airy breakfast nook with seating that can accommodate extended family and guests. “I don’t have a formal dining room—that doesn’t suit our lifestyle,” she says of this decision. When it’s just the Risingers at home for dinner, the family prefers to eat at the spacious bar in the kitchen, where they can chat about their day or watch television together.

In a similar fashion, the master bedroom and bath are a peaceful retreat, designed to be set apart for relaxation, yet consistent with the home’s overall feel. The bedroom’s furnishings are indicative of Risinger’s classic approach: “I don’t like things that match exactly, and I don’t use sets,” she says. Instead, timeless pieces—some of which she has had for a decade—give the room an appeal that will last for years to come. Her beloved palette of blue and white is not only in the bedroom, but also carries into the adjacent master bath. On the opposite side of the bedroom, a door opens out to a private patio and offers a view of the home’s pool, providing the couple a serene place to ease into the day by enjoying their morning coffee outside, when the weather allows.

GLAM FOR GUESTS

One space—the guest room—veers from the main floor’s palette of blue and white to inject a bit of girlish glamour into the home. “I did this one for the girls. I have lots of nieces that I’m close to, and I promised one that I would do her a room in pink,” Risinger says of the contemporary bedroom. A pair of Lucite bedside tables, which she designed and had made, add a youthful, modern flair to the space and also coordinate with a Lucite drapery rod. Underfoot, a satin-like silk rug—layered over the room’s carpet—is a luxurious treat for guests to enjoy. A mix of botanical-print and pastel-hued bedding softens the timeless upholstered bed frame, which is sure to last for years to come. “What I always inspire my clients to do is to buy good quality pieces and they’ll have them for years,” Risinger says.

Design Resources

Contractor Salter Construction, Conway, (501) 327-2807, salterconst.com

Interior design Tami Risinger, Risinger Interiors, Conway, (501) 454-2575

Kitchen and bath design Krystal Weaver, Risinger Interiors, Conway, (501) 454-2575

Landscape design Chris H. Olsen, Botanica Gardens, Little Rock, (501) 614-3000, botanicagardens.com, chrisholsen.com

Accessories, art, bedding, fabrics, fireplace, fixtures, furniture, lighting, mirrors, outdoor furnishings, and wallpaper Risinger Interiors, Conway, (501) 454-2575

Appliances Metro Appliances & More, Jonesboro, (870) 933-7800, North Little Rock, (501) 758-1988, Springdale, (479) 750-2200, metroappliancesandmore.com

Cabinets Netzel Cabinetry Sales, Gentry, (479) 736-3040

Carpet, flooring, and hardware Ridout Lumber, locations statewide, ridoutlumber.com

Countertops All Natural Stone, Little Rock (501) 280-9777, all-natural-stone.com

Millwork and painting Salter Construction, Conway, (501) 327-2807, salterconst.com

Paint Benjamin Moore, locations statewide, benjaminmoore.com; Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com

Pool Grindley Pools, Cabot, (501) 835-7946, grindleyconcretepools.com

Rugs Martinous Oriental Rug Co., Little Rock, (501) 224-0313, martinous.com; Risinger Interiors, Conway, (501) 454-2575

Tile—backsplash Emser Tile & Natural Stone, North Little Rock, (501) 771-9111, emser.com

Windows Lumber One Home Center, Mayflower, (501) 470-1122, Stuttgart, (870) 673-3601, lumberonehomecenter.com

Window coverings Possibilities Unlimited, Conway, (501) 472-5189