A Little Rock home that has housed two generations of one family receives a light, airy, and completely comfortable update from designer Susan Walsh
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Primary Palette
Working alongside a list of high-profile designers, including color connoisseur Jamie Drake, gave Arkansas native Laura Bartell plenty of inspiration for interiors that were anything but neutrally monochromatic. After returning to her beloved home state to start her own Hot Springs-based firm in 2010, Bartell was eager to apply her learnings–especially when it came to colorful homes. Luckily, just the project presented itself—a complete renovation of a 1970s-style home.
“It was just out of the ‘Brady Bunch’ era,” laughs Bartell. “There was shag carpet, dark wood paneling and very dated appliances,” she recalls. However, the space did have several key things working in its favor including an overall good bone structure, outstanding views of Little Rock’s Overlook area and perhaps most importantly, a client that was ready to dig in from day one.
Not only were the home’s furnishings dated, its overall plan was choppy, preventing them from enjoying each other’s company in the flow of a continuous space. Before she started on the furnishings, Bartell worked with local contractor, Jimmy Lasley, to reconfigure the home’s layout. The pair updated the flow and circulation of the home, giving the living areas room to breathe by replacing walls with banks of windows to expose the gorgeous hillside views. From there, it was time to get to work on the furnishings.
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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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