Date: July 26, 2011 | Story: Interview by Taylor Bowers | Styling: Mandy Keener |
At Home in Arkansas: The bedroom and bathroom you designed for 7-year-old Rayne Thone is so luxurious and shimmering, the entire room is luminescent. What was your goal for this suite?
Designer Tracy Rivers: We wanted Rayne’s room to be over the top. It’s not an everyday room for her; it’s a luxury suite for visits to her grandparents, Harriet and Rick Thone. She is an artist at heart, and this is a room where she can be inspired.
AHIA: Speaking of inspiration, what was yours when you began designing these rooms?
TR: Throughout the house we used a lot of purple, and some soft teal. We wanted this room to blend with the house yet feel special, so we focused on teal.
AHIA: Tell us about the luminous walls.
TR: We covered them in hand-troweled Venetian plaster, which is very durable, making it ideal for kids’ rooms. Once the walls were complete, the trim looked out of place, so we added a pearlized finish, and it matched the room beautifully.
AHIA: What inspired the scroll design painted on the walls?
TR: We used several antique silver doorknobs, and that inspired the use of silver in the room. I saw a design on the cover of an old children’s book, and modernized it to create the silver scroll pattern for the walls.
AHIA: The silver sparkle carries over to the bathroom as well.
TR: We wanted to create a bathroom Rayne would be wowed in. It needed to be user friendly, but we wanted her to walk in and be amazed by the tones and shimmer. The dresser in the bedroom is mirrored, so we mimicked that with the custom silver-leaf vanity and mirror. The tiles on the floor and miniature tiles in the shower are pearlescent with glitter grout, and the glass doors let that show and keep the shower low maintenance.
AHIA: This will surely be a room Rayne will love for a long time.
TR: That was our goal. We wanted her to always be happy in this room, and to be able to cherish this space. It’s designed so it can adapt to her age. Replace some of the accessories and the design will still work for her when she’s 15.
Design Resources
Design Angelfish Studios, Little Rock
Bedding, accessories Vesta’s, Little Rock
Cabinetry, mirror frame McInroe Cabinets, Hot Springs
Electrical Design Construction Inc., North Little Rock
Fixtures Falk Plumbing Supply, North Little Rock
Flooring Creative Floors, North Little Rock
Furnishings Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock
Lamps Austin’s Home Furnishings, Little Rock
Lighting TEC Electric, North Little Rock
Paint Sherwin-Williams, Valspar, locations statewide
Rugs Bethany’s Design Center, Russellville
Shower door, mirror Affordable Glass & Mirror, Cabot
Tile Emser Tile, North Little Rock
Window treatments Designer Supply, North Little Rock
A Room for All Ages: In Fayetteville, the redecorating of a familiar space leads to a functional and kid-friendly playroom the entire family can enjoy
