In Hot Springs, a husband-and-wife homebuilder team creates the perfect kitchen for entertaining

The cobbler’s children may need new shoes, but that stereotype doesn’t hold true for this homebuilding husband-and-wife team. Erin and Don Hinkle have lived in six houses in the ten years since they began developing homes on Lake Hamilton, and by now—with help from a trusted team of architects and designers—they are able to execute their vision easily.

Don, who ran manufacturing plants for Kohler, and Erin, who worked in information technology for an education company, came into homebuilding by chance after Erin looked at a wooded piece of property near Hot Springs, where the couple owned a condominium and kept their horses. “All I saw were trees and weeds,” she says, “but Don saw a neighborhood.” Together, they began Arkota Developers, Inc.—named for Arkansas and Don’s home state of South Dakota—on nights and weekends, and are now beginning their third subdivision.                  

In their latest masterpiece, a Mediterranean-style lakeside villa built in 2011, the kitchen is a hard-working showcase ideal for entertaining. “Nothing on my wish list was left out,” says Erin. “I love to cook and entertain, and this is the perfect setup.” Two large islands anchor the space, which is open to an eating area with a round copper-topped table and the great room, which faces the spacious pool deck and lake beyond. On the floor, porcelain tile made to resemble wood planks is a durable solution that holds up to wet feet coming in from the home’s saltwater pool.

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