Roy Dudley, the don of Arkansas estate sales, invites us on a tour of the collections and curiosities inside his Little Rock abode
This is my baby,” Roy says of a Georgian cabinet that holds his beloved collection of coral. Accumulated over five years, with many pieces coming from friends and clients, the grouping has become a favorite of his. “I thought if I do china in that cabinet it’s going to look mamaw, but the coral looks like a scientific display,” he says.
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Filled with a mix of traditional finds and welcoming furnishings, this west Little Rock home overflows with warmth and graciousness
Our house looks very different now than it did when we moved in,” says the owner of this Chenal home. After a decade of living with a neutral palette, the empty nest couple—who now have grandchildren—craved color and comfort. “We had gone through some hard things and had the itch to make a change,” she further explains. In particular, they wanted to create a welcoming refuge from the world where pieces are meaningful but nothing is too precious that you can’t put your feet up and relax. “I grew up in Mississippi and remember homes with a sense of warmth and elegance but also a casualness. I admired them and how you felt when you were there, and I wanted to replicate that,” she says.
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Little Rock collector Rachel Jones invites us into her charming bungalow that overflows with history and intrigue at every corner
Our house is always changing,” says Rachel Jones of the 1915 Stift Station bungalow she shares with her husband, Jordan Wimpy. The ongoing evolution is fueled by her fascination with vintage and antique wares. Large and small, intricately handmade or mass-produced, she has become a keeper of found objects and her home is much like a gallery. “Nothing is perfect because everything is old,” Rachel says, adding that paint loss and decay are part of the story. “I’m not perfect and neither are these items, but I love everything here and have selected it with care. I really think about what I bring into our home—and, of course, space and budget are always issues.”
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Antiques, pattern, and color don’t sleep in this primary bedroom makeover
We have an appreciation for older homes but not the patience,” admits the owner of this Little Rock residence. After recently purchasing a home built in 2021, she and her husband were eager to give the spaces—notably their bedroom—a curated-over-time feel. Seeing designer Jen Bienvenu’s work in the home of friends prompted them to reach out for her help. “Her style is different yet familiar at the same time,” the homeowner says. “I wanted our bedroom to be comfortable and warm but not feel cluttered.”
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Family collections and thrifted finds bring meaning and style to a central Arkansas designer’s home
Jen and Ben Bienvenu were not looking to move from their downtown Little Rock residence when they found a stately property for sale in Cammack Village. The couple initially considered it too much square footage for their family of four; however, as the house sat on the market and the price continued to drop, they started to imagine the possibilities. “I love puzzles, whether that’s arranging a shelf or piecing together a floor plan, and I think this home wasn’t selling because people had a hard time seeing past that moment in time when it was last remodeled,” Jen says. “When you’re buying a house, you either get to renovate yourself or you pay for someone else’s renovation. My dad worked in construction, and Ben’s parents are an architect and interior designer. We’ve always been on the same page that if it’s got four walls, you can do anything,” she says.
The Bienvenus are typically drawn to the high ceilings and character of older homes, and this one—built in the 1950s, with a kitchen renovation and second story addition in the ’90s—is the newest they’ve lived in. So when Jacob White Construction Company came on to make updates, it was important to keep a sense of the home’s history. Starting in the main living spaces, they replaced pocket doors and walls with cased openings, which maintain separation of the rooms while improving the flow.
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The hunt for a one-of-a-kind find can be as much fun as displaying the piece in your home. An oil from a local artist, a desk from the 1800s, a piece of ornate silver, or a side table with a history all its own—whatever you’re searching for there’s no shortage of shops and purveyors to assist you. Turn the page for our exclusive guidebook to the state’s best selections.
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On the outskirts of Magnolia, a home designed by famed Arkansas architect Fay Jones is celebrated for its organic beauty and iconic design
It’s not every day you stumble upon a home designed by an architectural icon, especially when the structure is located in a heavily wooded area on the outskirts of a town with a population of fewer than 12,000 residents. For M. Bruce Woodward, happening upon such a dream home seemed to be in fate’s hand. “My family is from Magnolia, and I had known for years there was a Fay Jones house here but had never seen it,” he says. “A good friend and client of mine who is an attorney was going to do some depositions in Magnolia. She asked if I would go with her. We had some time to kill, so I said there’s a Fay Jones house on the other edge of town—let’s go see if we can find it. I drove up to it and there was this big ‘For Sale’ sign. So it was really kind of weird…I really felt like it was meant to be,” Woodward says of the experience.
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Architecture, art, and a mix of evocative accessories create a comfortable, personal retreat in a Little Rock designer’s home
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On a countryside estate just outside of Little Rock, designer Barbi Rushing creates an heirloom-infused setting for the home and garden she shares with her husband
If antiques could talk, Barbi and Nolan Rushing’s home would have quite the story to tell. The moment you walk through the front door, you are greeted with a sampling of the home’s historic furnishings and elegant works of art, along with traditional fabrics and a soothing palette that seem to complement every piece. Continue to wind your way through the new construction home, which they refer to as Deer Lake, and you’ll soon figure out every piece is not only beautiful, but also meaningful.
Barbi, who owns Barbi Rushing Interiors, has curated the furnishings of each room of the home through the years. She inherited a number of her grandmother’s antiques including everything from furniture to artwork and accessories. “There is a lot of French heritage in my family. My grandmother’s maiden name was Gillette [which is of French origin] and she lived in a beautiful French home in the Heights,” relates Barbi. These much beloved pieces create the basis of the home’s style, which has a strong European influence.
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Animal prints and plaid, leather and linen, pottery and silver-every inch of Bill Tarkington’s historic downtown Little Rock home is an artful blend of history meets casual countryside style
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At Home in Arkansas offers you a look inside the state's most inspiring homes. The magazine features monthly advice from the experts to help you plan your next remodel or redesign, entertain at home, or find Arkansas's best kept secrets. It is your definitive guide to the state's finest homes and gardens, design professionals, fashion and entertaining essentials, and premier shops and showrooms.