Date:  February 28, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Hope Johnstone  |  

Found objects and design know-how come into play in a charming Mountain Home garden retreat

The seed for Traci and Steve Burges’ garden house was planted with a trio of floor-to-ceiling windows purchased for the sum of $8. “We have an auction here in Mountain Home, and Steve buzzed in one night and bought all three giant windows,” Traci says. Too good to pass up, yet unsure of how or when they would use them, the couple began to formulate a plan after a storm took down several full-grown arbor vitae on their property. “I said, What about coming back with a garden shed? And he said, Sure, I’ll use the windows,” Traci recalls.

Having worked as a real estate agent and homebuilder, Steve has a knack for projects that pair with Traci’s design eye. They put these talents to use in their main house on the farm where Traci grew up, which was featured in the November 2018 issue of At Home in Arkansas. Thus, an equally enchanting outdoor space felt like a natural next step to take advantage of their surrounding landscape.

Initially, Traci planned to use the shed for potting seasonal containers and bringing ferns and other plants indoors during winter weather. But the plan grew as she envisioned a floor constructed of pavers, a bank of cabinetry with a farmhouse sink, and plenty of decorative touches that reflect her personal style. “Steve is so sweet; anything I ask for, he will build it,” she says, noting the shed’s vaulted ceiling and trusses as well as the exposed shiplap. The purpose of the structure also evolved, with the Burgeses using the heated and cooled space for drinks and snacks after a swim in the nearby pool or for morning coffee with a view. “It started looking super cute,” Traci says, “and I realized it was too nice to be a potting shed, so we call it ‘the garden house.’”

For the Burgeses, working on the project was almost as much fun as enjoying the fruits of their labor. “I think style is one of those things you either really have or you don’t. There are a lot of things I can’t do, but I can walk into a room and immediately think, This needs to be moved or this should go here; it’s almost innate,” Traci says. “Steve and I both enjoy this so much. It’s in our blood to make a project great.”

Adjacent to the main house, the garden house’s three full-length windows bring in plenty of natural light. Adirondack chairs, aptly positioned under a tree and near blooming hydrangeas, offer a shaded respite for sipping lemonade.

Open Door Policy
The bulk of the couple’s gardening work, such as repotting containers and arranging fresh-cut blooms, takes place at the potting bench near the garden house entrance. The iron bench once belonged to Traci’s grandmother. “It sat on her porch for as long as I can remember,” she says of the equally sentimental and functional piece.

For the Birds
Traci’s newfound love of birdwatching is encouraged by a bluebird house staked in the garden. “I have so much more of an appreciation for nature at this point in my life,” she says. While classic boxwoods hedge much of the space and hydrangeas create a flowering garden, she also enjoys growing herbs along with heirloom and cherry tomatoes in the space near her kitchen.

“Hydrangeas are kind of my thing. We have hundreds of them in the summer.”
—Traci Burges, homeowner

Cute and Cozy
The oak table centered on the windows was a purchase the couple made as newlyweds. It served as their dining table for years before they passed it along to their children who painted and repainted it. Using oven cleaner, a sandblaster, and a little elbow grease, they restored its natural finish, allowing it to make a reappearance in the garden house. It pairs with slipcovered chairs Traci picked up at a local flea market and drapery panels made from painting dropcloths and a plumbing pipe-turned-curtain rod. Fresh-cut hydrangea blooms are a staple of the space during their season. “Hydrangeas are kind of my thing. We have hundreds of them in the summer,” Traci says.

Work Zone
A farmhouse sink and bridge faucet create a station for watering small plants or snack prep. The Burgeses painted the cabinetry a sky-inspired shade of blue and stained the wood countertop. When Traci found the painting that now hangs above the sink, it was covered with a thick film. “I had a feeling I could clean it up, and now it’s one of my favorite pieces,” she says of the $10 steal. The peg rack seen at one end was picked up at the local auction, while Traci and her daughter-in-law found the garden tote on a trip to Rosemary Beach.

Treasure Trove
With a passion for shopping flea markets and roadside stores, Traci and Steve never discount a stop. “We like to hunt for treasures; it was one of the first things we enjoyed doing as a couple,” Traci says, adding that she always opts for something with a story over a new version. The painting hanging on the mullion is a bucolic landscape found at a Prairie Grove antique store and given an update with a repainted frame. Avian-inspired books and decor are dotted throughout the room.