Date:  April 20, 2009  |   Story: Diane Carroll  |  

Shirley Davis already had a clear idea what room in her house needed the most making-over when she placed the winning bid on a one-room redesign from Tom Chandler of Chandler & Associates in Little Rock at Baptist Health’s Bolo Bash auction. “I had never really finished my master bedroom, and I felt like it needed to be freshened up and arranged better,” says Shirley, who lives in Little Rock’s Chenal Valley. “Plus, I had worked with Tom on previous houses, and I knew he’d make this room wonderful.”

To help raise money for the hospital, Chandler & Associates had come together with Fabrics Etc. and Un-Faux-Gettable Painting and offered a one-room rearrangement, plus new window treatments and decorative painting. Chandler began the project by assessing the room, noting that its strongest architectural feature was an expansive window with views overlooking the adjacent golf course. “The window had wooden blinds on it, which were too big and heavy to lift so they blocked the views,” he says. “We designed draperies to replace the blinds, opting for a simple yet elegant style, appropriate for the scale of the house.” Golden-hued silk from Fabrics Etc. was chosen for the window treatment as a light-reflecting complement to Shirley’s existing red bedding. 

With the view now open, Chandler created a seating area alongside the window by grouping a large side table Shirley already owned with armchairs she had elsewhere in the room. “Now she has a cozy place to take in the view, read the paper or have a drink at night,” he says. The team also focused on replacing several items to complement the new design. The existing lamps flanking the bed didn’t provide adequate lighting, and Chandler found larger, taller ones that proved a better fit. While Shirley liked her bed and tables, she felt the grouping of wood pieces needed softening, so Chandler brought in an upholstered bench.

Shirley had also grown tired of looking at the large ceiling fan, which figured prominently in the room, and Chandler located an elegant chandelier to create a more dramatic focal point. Artisan Laura Robinson of Un-Faux-Gettable Painting added a red and gold decorative paint treatment to the ceiling’s cove, highlighting the light fixture and playing up the room’s color palette. The completed space now has the pulled-together look Shirley had in mind. “It’s inviting and comfortable, and it finally feels finished,” she says. “Plus I was able to help a good cause, so we’re all winners on this one.” 

Design Resources
Interior design: Tom Chandler, Chandler & Associates, Little Rock
Decorative painting: Un-Faux-Gettable Painting, Little Rock
Artwork: The Showroom, Little Rock
Lamps: Elements of Design, Little Rock
Bench: Marshall Clements, Little Rock
Fabric: Fabrics Etc., Little Rock
Accessories: Interior Expressions, Little Rock