Tilden House renovates a Little Rock home with a dazzling mix of hues, showstopping artwork, and a functional flow
We need more space. It’s a reality that prompts many to move but for this family it came with a couple of stipulations: they wanted to stay in their neighborhood and they wanted an older home. When this property became available, it seemed to check all the boxes. “I had always dreamed of renovating an older home. I love the history and character within their walls,” the homeowner says. Built in 1938, the classic colonial shell boasted a non-traditional roofline and sat on a roomy lot, leaving the couple plenty of space to personalize it for their family of five and their beloved dog.
Before signing the deed, they phoned friend and designer Nikki Hastings of Tilden House Draft & Design to do a walk-through and envision how it could work for them. She found that while the floor plan was not ideal, it held promise, and the property’s spacious lot allowed for the addition of wings. “The way the house was laid out before, you got stuck in rooms. We wanted circulation so you can walk from room to room without having to go back to the foyer,” Nikki explains. To remedy this, she worked with contractor WillMark Homes to move the staircase to the right side of the entry, creating a clear path from the entrance to the kitchen and on to the backyard. “I would say the era when the house was built was a time when architects were experimenting, so the old layout wasn’t necessarily functional, but the house was cute and quirky,” adds Tilden House associate designer Lane Harrison.
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