Date:  December 2, 2024  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Bailey Dougan  |  

Filled with a mix of traditional finds and welcoming furnishings, this west Little Rock home overflows with warmth and graciousness

Our house looks very different now than it did when we moved in,” says the owner of this Chenal home. After a decade of living with a neutral palette, the empty nest couple—who now have grandchildren—craved color and comfort. “We had gone through some hard things and had the itch to make a change,” she further explains. In particular, they wanted to create a welcoming refuge from the world where pieces are meaningful but nothing is too precious that you can’t put your feet up and relax. “I grew up in Mississippi and remember homes with a sense of warmth and elegance but also a casualness. I admired them and how you felt when you were there, and I wanted to replicate that,” she says.

Having just completed a beach house with the help of Birmingham-based designer Fran Keenan, the homeowners called to see if Fran was willing to redesign their primary residence. She jumped at the chance. “I would work with them until I’m 80!” she says. Taking a client-based approach to her projects, Fran seeks to bring out the best of what each homeowner is drawn to and capitalize on that. Here, this philosophy meant working with a collection of art and antiques and bringing in time-honored colors and fabrics that will never feel dated. “I have a hashtag that I use a lot, ‘#oldbreaksthemold,’” Fran says. “When you take an antique or vintage piece and recover it, no one else has that. It makes your house your own—taking a piece with a bit of pedigree and thrusting it into daily life with a fabric that is fresh.”

While wall colors, fabrics, and rugs set the backdrop, these pieces of interest, including furniture, collectibles, and numerous paintings were key in building the evolved-over-time look. “I love antiques and, as we could afford, I have bought to add to our home. I’ve always been drawn to their history, and I don’t mind if a drawer sticks when you go to open it,” the owner says, adding that she has learned more about her personal style as she’s grown older. “You’re the one who will be surrounded by it all the time, so you have to love it,” she says.

During the Christmas season, there’s an extra layer of cheer throughout the home as fresh cedar garlands adorn the banister and mantels, all part of a design created by Tanarah Luxe Floral. “She always likes a very English antique vibe,” notes floral designer Steven Berardesca, adding that touches like the keepsake ornaments and pinecones dropped from bows on the trees personalize the look. “When you have beautiful antiques like this, you want to embrace that natural elegance,” he says. With the couple’s four grown children now having busy lives of their own, the holiday season is an extra sweet time to pause, reflect on its meaning, and enjoy togetherness. “You can show love towards others and your family through your home, and that’s my intent,” the owner says.

Warm Welcome
The front door opens to introduce a classic, understated Christmas scene with fresh garland, pinecones, and satin bows draping from the banister. Underfoot, a brick floor with worn formations brings instant character to the entry. Aside from being a comfortable perch, the French settee, recovered in Colefax and Fowler’s “Castele,” creates an enchanting drop zone for guests’ winter coats and handbags.

“You can show love towards others and your family through your home, and that’s my intent.”
—homeowner

Feels like Family
“All the walls here were white, and Fran said, I want this room to feel like a hug,” the homeowner says of the living room transformation that started with green paint. “I wanted to give it a shot of B12 with some pigment,” Fran adds. “The room really began to sing with the green.” With the owners already having a large collection of 18th and 19th century framed landscape paintings, Fran chose to display these prominently. “We love doing gallery walls because they can make a room feel grounded and intentional, and it’s expressive for the clients,” the designer says. Sofas placed in an L-shape invite close conversation, while a pair of bergère chairs add to the room’s European flair.

Made for Her
“We call this ‘the lady room,’” Fran says of a small study located just off the entry. “She knew I liked to have a place to do my bible study or read and sip coffee, so she made this space for me,” the owner says. While the armoire was already a part of the scheme, the wall color seemed to bring the room to life. “This is a French pink that has enough brown that it can relate to the older pieces in the room,” the designer notes.

Tanarah Luxe Floral outfits the family tree with natural pinecones that drop from silky satin bows, and the family places keepsake ornaments that personalize the look. Each year, the father also writes letters of affirmation to the couple’s children and tucks them into the tree on Christmas Eve to be opened the following morning.

Neutral Ground
Fran painted the kitchen cabinetry in an aged white that gives the room an instant warmth and also feels harmonious with the adjoining keeping room. “When you have a kitchen that talks to a living space, a neutral makes it feel cohesive; it makes the house feel comfortable,” the designer says. Four-sided metal lanterns and caned-back Louis XVI-style barstools complete the space, while understated greenery adds a touch of festivity.

Using the homeowners’ holiday pattern, the table was set for a family dinner, complete with magnolia leaves that double as place cards.

Gracious Dining
In the dining room, a GP&J Baker wallpaper strikes a bold yet refined note on the walls, hints of which can be seen from the entry. The couple held onto a table they had purchased years prior while Fran added hostess chairs that are reupholstered in a pair of fabrics. “There’s a lot of wood so the fabric needed to make a statement here, and bringing in a different one on the back makes the chair feel lighter,” she notes.

Livable Lounge
In the keeping room, Fran played off the statement-making ceiling and reclaimed heart pine floors with draperies that bring a softness to the windows and walls. When it’s just the two of them, the couple spends the majority of their time in this space so a comfortable sofa and swivel chairs in durable fabrics were key. The sconces were purchased years prior when Providence Design existed as a booth inside Fabulous Finds. “I had these in my last house and had to bring them here; I absolutely love them,” the homeowner says of the pieces, which she had outfitted with custom shades.

Seeing a Pattern
Fran created the custom upholstered bed frame, fondly naming the design after her client. Its fabric (Namay Samay’s “Alya-Chota”) complements Lee Jofa’s “Luzon” print on the drapes. The homeowner purchased the botanicals on a trip to Jackson, Mississippi, while the plates are a find from Roy Dudley Estate Sales. After connecting with fellow antique lover Jen Bienvenu at Little Rock’s Sweet Home clement, the homeowner asked for her help in artfully hanging these pieces and locally sourcing other accessories to complete the room.

Design Resources
Builder Kevin Driver, Kevin Driver Builders Christmas Design Tanarah Luxe Floral Draftsman Tim Tiaskie Interior design Fran Keenan, Fran Keenan Design (Birmingham, AL) Accessories Cobblestone & Vine, Fabulous Finds, Tipton & Hurst, and Roy Dudley Estate Sales Appliances Metro Appliances & More Art Cantrell Gallery, Fabulous Finds, and Roy Dudley Estate Sales Bedding and upholstery (bedroom) Simply Charming Window Works & Design Brick and Fireplace Antique Brick & Block Cabinetry and millwork Duke Custom Cabinets Countertops Triton Stone Group Furniture Cobblestone & Vine and Fabulous Finds Hardware and plumbing fixtures Sanders Supply Lighting Providence Design and Sweet Home clement Paint Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball Rugs Hadidi Rug Gallery Tile Emser Tile