In Little Rock, a new construction home honors the European architectural integrity and simplistic lifestyle of the old world, while incorporating eco-friendly elements
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Home, Made Happy
A cohesive color scheme, smart design plan and fun flourishes transform a small Heights bungalow into a space that lives large
The exterior of this charming post-war cottage is a hint of what is to come inside: a classic home that has been refreshed to function in today’s more casual style. To give the home its new life, owner Donna Barnett enlisted the help of her friend Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors. “The house is a typical Heights bungalow,” says Walsh. “It has great appeal, and we just needed to update the plan and add a more suitable master suite.”
In a “shotgun house” fashion, the front door originally opened to the living room, with the dining room beyond and then—through a small door—the kitchen. “The house had good bones,” says Walsh, “but we wanted to give it a more open floor plan for entertaining by creating larger spaces with lots of natural light.”
To do so, Walsh called for a cased passageway between the living and dining rooms and opened the kitchen completely, stealing some square footage from an awkwardly placed master bedroom. Next, he created a new master suite behind the kitchen in what was previously a family room addition. “Now, instead of numerous small rooms, it feels as if you are in a large home,” he notes.
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Singular Sensation
As the proprietors of Bear-Hill Interiors, brother-and-sister design team Kevin and Susan Walsh enjoy what they do. However, it took a move by their mother, Anita Creviston, to push them to design extremes. Susan recalls, “On the same day that the contractors were finishing up, carpet was being installed, drapes were being hung. Kevin was in Hot Springs packing up all of our mom’s things. It was a whirlwind, just like the TV show, ‘Extreme Makeover’.” In four short weeks, the siblings had completely remodeled and updated their mother’s one-bedroom condo. At the same time, they also managed to pack her belongings and relocate her from Hot Springs to Little Rock.
Naturally, it was a labor of love. The brother-and-sister design duo wanted Anita closer and the condo provides exactly the space she needs. While the entire unit was remodeled, the dining area, living room, and bedroom showcase the highlights of this before-and-after project.
“Mother wanted to use things that she already owned and she wanted some color, so that inspired us,” explains Susan. Shades of green provide vibrancy to the soothing palette. For the dining room, Anita already owned two Hickory Chair dining chairs. Two more were ordered to round out the set and all were recovered in soft blue with a contrasting ivory cord. The plates hung on the wall were part of their mother’s pottery collection. The chandelier, an old gas lamp, was converted to electric and painted a warm neutral. In addition to providing design services, Bear-Hill Interiors also has a great retail selection. The Walshes used finds from their shop to complete the design, including the dining table, which they repainted to match the room’s decor. Aquamarine Schumacher wallpaper and mushroom gray carpet provide the perfect canvas to let the individual pieces shine.
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The New Traditional
At Home in Arkansas: Carita and Bennie Ryburn and their two daughters, Halley and Madison, are a young, active family. How did they amass such an impressive collection of antique furniture?
Designer Tobi Fairley: This house belonged to Bennie’s grandparents, and he was very close to his grandmother. When she passed away, she left the house to him and his family. It was full of her antiques—wonderful old furniture, with many pieces from Hickory Chair and Baker. The Ryburns left things intact for a little while, and when they were ready, I came in and helped them with the process of determining which items to keep. Many items were sentimental to them, but they wanted the house to feel modern and updated for their children—someplace they could live in for a long time.
Once you began the remodeling process, your initial plans were derailed a bit.
After we finally decided which items to keep, I picked up all the antiques, moved them to my warehouse in Little Rock, and began refinishing and reupholstering them. Once we began the remodeling process with the contractor, the house caught on fire due to some old electrical wiring in the sunroom. A few things in the house had to be restored. We didn’t lose much, but we had to completely start over on the renovation. That was about four years ago, so this has been a five or six year process.
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A Colorful Tradition
In the South, the holidays are as much about preparation as they are celebration. Little Rock-based designer Tobi Fairley and her mother, Beverly Wells, are no exception. “I have always loved Christmas and the traditions that go along with it,” says Beverly, who hosts the season’s family gatherings in the Sheridan home she shares with her husband, David. “We spend days decorating the house, setting out china and ironing linens, but we have fun doing it,” says Fairley.
However, just because this mother-daughter team relishes the preparation rituals doesn’t mean they always stick to tradition when it comes to color and décor. “We really try to mix it up each year,” says Beverly. “We’ve even had pink and orange trees in the past.” For years, the two have been dreaming up cheerful decorations that are as inventive as they are inviting. “I approach holiday décor the same way I approach any design project,” says Fairley, who begins with a color palette or key piece of inspiration.
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Built by Design
At Home in Arkansas: You’ve been building custom homes for others since 1999. What did you envision for your own home?
Bill Parkinson of Parkinson Building Group: I’ve learned a lot from my clients’ builds, and since all of our homes are custom, I’ve been fortunate to see a variety of styles and executions, which helps when planning your own place. You get an idea of what works and what styles you can see yourself living with for a long time.
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Polished to Perfection
At Home in Arkansas: The cool color palette in the kitchen and bath is so clean and inviting. Where did you find the inspiration?
Tobi Fairley: One of our first steps with any homeowner is to discover what they like and don’t like. When we first sat down with this couple, we immediately had a sense of their style. The wife had tons of magazine clippings and pictures of kitchens and baths she found attractive. Time after time, the pictures she showed us were of beach-inspired rooms with neutral tones and pale green or aqua accents, so we took our cues from there.
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Traditional Meets Mod
At Home in Arkansas: What was your inspiration for 11-year-old Katie LaFrance’s bedroom?
Designer Kevin Walsh: Her mother, Wendy, already had the beds, and matching fabric and wallpaper by Thibaut, which we worked the whole room around. The look is glamorous, but still timeless.
AHIA: It was designed so Katie can grow into it?
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Historic Meets Happy
At Home in Arkansas: Your home manages to blur several design lines that can be challenging: it’s historic, yet feels fresh and livable, and it’s elegant while still feeling comfortable. How did you strike that balance?
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Merry and Light
At Home in Arkansas:
You’ve worked together on projects during the holidays for many years, combining your interior and exterior design expertise. How did you decide on the style of holiday décor for homeowner Jan Bolton?
Interior Designer Christopher Todd:
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