Date:  November 1, 2024  |   Story: Rebekah Hall Scott  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Hope Johnstone  |  

Kimberly Harper breathes new life into a Fayetteville home with a nature-inspired color story

When Angie and Doug Williams approached Kimberly Harper and Cynthia Howey Tune of Harper Howey Interiors about renovating their home, their focus was small: They merely planned to expand their primary suite. “We wanted to do new furniture and paint and freshen things up, but as we started, we noticed more things we wanted to change,” Angie says. “That’s how we ended up touching most of the house.”

With their blended family—including five grown children—in mind, the homeowners needed the renovation to include functional furniture and plenty of space to gather. “I told Kimberly, ‘We really live in our house, so we can’t have anything that you can’t sit on, that you can’t put your feet on,’” Angie says. To accommodate the whole crowd, Kimberly created a furniture layout in the living room that can easily seat 10 people.

Angie and Doug own cattle and live on several acres surrounded by beautiful scenery, and the views offered the perfect starting point for the design scheme. “We incorporated green tones and blues, keeping that feel flowing through the house,” Kimberly says.

In the heart of the home, the kitchen was updated with a new backsplash in two different shades of robin’s egg blue. After first renovating the kitchen nine years ago, Angie says this recent round of changes has finally made the space match her vision for it. “It’s a lot warmer, and it feels homier,” she says. “Getting it exactly how we wanted it this time made it all perfect.”

For the primary suite—back where the project first began—Kimberly and Angie decided to enclose a screened-in porch and convert the space to a cozy sitting area and expanded closet. For the couple, the room has become one of their favorite spots in the home. “We love that view; the sun sets right outside those windows,” Angie says. “It’s like the outside is inside.” Overall, the renovation has filled her and Doug with joy. “The changes are more than we ever dreamed,” she says. “The house has always been great, but it’s just very welcoming now. We love our home—this house is my comfort.”

Above: New built-in bookshelves in Farrow & Ball’s “Green Smoke” flank the fireplace, which was formerly brick. “We added the black marble with a new hearth and mantel, and it anchors this whole space,” Kimberly says. The shelves are lined with a textured wallpaper, adding depth and subtle visual interest.

Warm and Welcoming
To complement Angie’s existing quartz and soapstone countertops, Kimberly chose new brass hardware for the cabinetry and two shades of blue Ann Sacks tile for the backsplash. Outdated lights over the island were replaced with lantern-style pendant fixtures. “I love the texture of them; they feel like antique mirrored glass,” the designer says. “It’s a different, modern play on the lantern.”

Stylish Storage
In the walk-in pantry, Kimberly started with an abstract linen wallpaper by Lindsay Cowles. “We added open shelves and tried to maximize the space, which mostly just included the countertop before,” she says. The paint was color matched to the kitchen’s tile backsplash and treated with a high-gloss finish, helping bounce light into the small space.

Natural Update
In the formal dining room, Kimberly recovered Angie’s existing chairs with a floral fabric by Thibaut. A sculptural chandelier by Visual Comfort provides a stunning focal point overhead. “The table is wood, and there’s a wood treatment on the ceiling, so we wanted to break that up with another element,” Kimberly says of the hand-blown glass fixture.

Furnished for Family
To accommodate Angie and Doug’s large family, Kimberly created a furniture arrangement that includes a pair of ottomans that tuck neatly under the coffee table when not in use. The designer incorporated shades of green and blue to draw in the views from outside; she notes the large scale pendant lamp and its fabric shade help to soften all of the other elements.

In a cozy den off the kitchen, the star of the show is a painting by Wes Benson sourced from MIXD Gallery in Rogers.

Graceful Gathering
In the breakfast area, Kimberly hung a dramatic chandelier with gold leaf detail that was previously in the formal dining room. A plush bench provides ample seating without blocking views to the backyard, and leather chairs pull up to the custom white oak and stone table.

Lush Lounge
Formerly a screened-in porch, the sitting area off of the primary bedroom features a dynamic wallpaper treatment on the ceiling. “Angie wanted to do something fun and interesting, and this pulled in the blues from the bedroom,” Kimberly says. “We also did full carpet in a pattern by Stark that’s bold and different.” The modular sofa can function as separate chairs with an ottoman or as a luxurious chaise lounge.

“We really live in our house, so we can’t have anything that you can’t sit on, that you can’t put your feet on.”
—Angie Williams, homeowner

Custom Creation
In the primary bathroom, Kimberly replaced the wood floors with an oval penny tile and treated the walls with a textured grasscloth wallpaper, providing contrast to the new built-in mirrored vanity. “It’s perfect,” Angie says. “It just makes getting dressed in the morning so much nicer, because I have a place to put everything. It feels more custom to me and my needs.”

Blue Beauty
Kimberly used Angie’s existing drapes to set the tone for the primary bedroom’s refresh. “We really leaned into the blues and rusts in here,” the designer says. A mix of patterned pillows complement a custom bed upholstered in a Fabricut fabric,
while a wood-bead chandelier adds a natural element.

Pleasant Perch
While upgrading her walk-in pantry, Angie decided to incorporate a much-needed desk area. “I was so bad about coming home and just throwing mail down in the kitchen, so a friend of mine said, You need to put a desk here, that way you have a place for things to land,” she says. Kimberly continued the pantry’s paint and wallpaper treatments into the space and selected a brass sconce lamp for added warmth. A print of a painting by Arkansas artist Milkdadd further personalizes the nook.

Design Resources
Contractor Mike Pennington, Pennington Home Repair and Remodeling Interior design Kimberly Harper, Harper Howey Interiors Accessories, bedding, fabrics, furniture, hardware, lighting, mirrors, rugs, tile (kitchen), wallpaper, and window coverings Harper Howey Interiors Appliances Tucker’s Appliance Art MIXD Gallery Cabinetry Justus Cabinets Carpet and tile (Flooring) Flooring America by CarpetSmart Countertops New Century Countertops Fireplace The Fireplace Store Fixtures Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery Flooring Dramis Hardwood Floors Framing Scott Frame and Art Ironwork UDI, Inc. Millwork Quality Millwork Paint Sherwin-Williams Painting Classic Interior Finishes Upholstery Joe Ellis Upholstery Windows and doors Meek’s