Date:  September 26, 2019  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Lauren Cerrato  |  

Jill Lawrence updates her home’s master bedroom and bath with new configurations, neutral hues, and an abundance of texture

Sixteen years ago, designer Jill Lawrence and her husband, Frank, moved into a charming family home in the heart of Little Rock. And, as Jill puts it, life happened. “When we first moved in we did some remodeling downstairs and painted everything, and then, you know, kids and life and everything happens and you realize you’ve been in the house for 15 years. The master bedroom needed to be redone when we moved in,” she laughs. “It’s also a good checkpoint as a designer to do your own project because you realize the stress your clients are going through—having people in your house, having everything picked out and ready to go, and the unforeseen expenses,” she adds.

Overall, both the bedroom and adjoining bath were in good shape but lacked the current feel the couple desired. “Thankfully the people who built this house did not embrace the trends of the 1960s, so we did not have pink tile. Even though it was starting to get worn out, it was nice and neutral,” she says of the space’s previous décor. 
However, having been built in 1964, the layouts of the rooms were not as practical for today. For example, the bedroom was designed to have a queen-sized bed placed between two side windows. Here, Jill kept the footprint but reoriented the room, sacrificing a window along the back wall and creating a full expanse of drapery panels to soften the space—and provide a place for a king-size bed. Similarly, the bath was previously cut into small sections, including a dressing area and sink space. To enlarge those areas, they took in part of a guest room and turned the dressing area into their closet. Dedicated vanity, shower, and tub areas along with a separate water closet now flow together in the linear space. 

Desiring a calm, clean retreat, Jill employed a neutral palette in both rooms. “Some people feel they have to have a lot of color to have interest. I love color, but I didn’t want it in my life daily,” she says. Instead, she opted for a range of textures. For example, only two colors—cream and camel—are found in the bedroom, but they are used in numerous applications, including velvet, cashmere, wool, hide, silk, and even matchstick blinds. In the bath, antiqued wall mirrors, bamboo-framed vanity mirrors, marble, and silk draperies have the same effect.

Having recently brushed up on the Hollywood Regency style for an upcoming project, Jill reflected on its principles in relation to her home and these rooms in particular.“It’s really less about decoration and more about how people look and feel in a room… that’s how I prefer my spaces to be. I feel like every home should be a beautiful frame for the people who are in it,” she says.

Antiqued mirrors, a design experiment Jill was excited to try in her own space before recommending to clients, help to enlarge the room visually.

His-and-hers vanities feature eye-catching bamboo-style mirrors that add interest while adhering to the white and silver palette.

Design Resources
Contractor Robin Swede, Swede Construction Interior design Jill Lawrence, J. Lawrence Design Accessories J. Lawrence Design and Roy Dudley Estate Sales Art Evan Lindquist, M2 Gallery Bedding Dillard’s Cabinetry, furniture, hardware, lighting, tile, and window treatments J. Lawrence Design Fabrics Designer Effects and J. Lawrence Design Furniture Bassett and J. Lawrence Design Mirrors J. Lawrence Design and West Little Rock Glass Paint Benjamin Moore Pillows Angela Moore, AngelThreads Window treatments Nancy Osborn