The owners of The Painted Pig, a paint-your-own pottery and DIY studio in Little Rock, have announced the opening of a sister studio offering pottery wheel instruction. Located in west Little Rock’s Pleasant Ridge shopping center, The Muddy Pig will offer group classes and private lessons for a variety of skill levels. “We’ve always been asked if we would offer pottery wheel classes at The Painted Pig, and when we moved to a larger location in 2019, the plan was to start it there,” says co-owner Allie Nottingham….
Weathered Goods to reopen in Lowell
After temporarily closing to relocate, Betsy and Michael Pugh are re-opening their furnishings store Weathered Goods at a new, larger location. Michael originally opened the shop in Fayetteville in 2017 with a focus on his handmade wooden furniture. “I’ve always had a passion for making and building things, and my wife has a passion for home décor,” he says….
The French Cottage opens in Fayetteville
Four years after Chris Bronson closed the doors on her beloved antiques and interiors store, her daughter-in-law picked up the torch for the family business. Jennifer Bronson’s The French Cottage opened this fall featuring antiques imported from France as well as gifts such as soaps, candles, gourmet food items, and home décor. Jennifer worked with her mother-in-law at French Quarters & Feather Your Nest in downtown Fayetteville for almost 20 years, learning the ropes of the antiques market while accompanying Chris on buying trips to Europe and developing relationships with vendors there. …
Behind the Design: Q&A with Ashley Childers on Belle & Blush’s new Heights location
Materials selection moodboard for the interiors of Belle & Blush’s Heights location. Image courtesy of Ashley Childers
In June, Belle & Blush announced a second location would be coming soon in the Heights. Owned by Merry Kline, the skincare and cosmetics store also provides makeup and esthetician services. Merry opened Belle & Blush in The Promenade in 2013 and expanded that store in 2018. Now, the additional location will be housed in the historic Heights Theatre, with Ashley Childers at the helm of interior design and Ashley’s husband, Garrett Childers of Wiggins and Childers, on board as the contractor….
Southern Floors and Blinds acquires Advanced Kitchen & Bath to form Southern Interiors
After 22 years as the owner of Southern Floors and Blinds, Brian Hagewood has acquired Advanced Bath & Kitchen to create a true one-stop shop for home improvements. “We started out offering flooring and blinds, and as we grew we started to get into remodels and expand our services,” Brian says, noting the opportunity came out of his working relationship with the bath and kitchen supplier’s previous owner. “This will allow us to do everything in-house, from shower glass to hardwood floors to granite countertops—basically every solid surface you can imagine. It was a natural fit.” …
Women’s coworking space The Nest to open soon in Little Rock
In late summer, Little Rock entrepreneurs Erin Hohnbaum and Natalie Ghidotti announced the launch of The Nest, a “coworking community and social club built by women, for women,” according to its website. As the owner of women’s boutique E.Leigh’s and public relations firm Ghidotti Communications, respectively, the two came up with the concept for a work-meets-play networking space for local women in the heart of the South Main district. “We wanted to stay near downtown for The Nest, as well as be in a vibrant and booming area that pulled together a diverse base of residents,” Natalie says. “SoMa is definitely a special neighborhood that has so many exciting things happening, and we wanted to ensure our members are part of that.” …
Jen Bienvenu joins Sweet Home and clement in South Main retail space
Sweet Home Furnishings & clement on South Main Street, a veritable treasure trove of furniture, art, and accessories, is a collaboration between antique dealers John Bell and Chris Clement. The two joined forces more than 15 years ago to bring shoppers a unique experience, integrating their eclectic finds into cohesive vignettes rather than separating them out into individual booths….
Bella Vita Jewelry to expand downtown Little Rock location
Jewelry designer Brandy Thomason McNair started Bella Vita Jewelry 13 years ago. This fall the small business will expand its Little Rock shop into an adjacent loft, which will contribute 1,200 more square feet to the storefront at 108 W. Sixth St. This means that most of the jewelry production can move off the sales floor, freeing up space for Bella Vita to increase its inventory of apparel, local art, home décor, crystals, and even fair trade items for pets. “I’ve wanted to branch out into more ethically sourced, ‘slow fashion’ apparel items, which this will allow me to do,” Brandy says. …
Todd & Charlie Co. presents pop-up antiques shop
Todd Smith and Charlie Groppetti, owners of Park Hill Home in Conway—along with their longtime friend and collaborator, Cheryl Hannink—have announced a collection of globally sourced antiques available during quarterly pop-up sales. Known as Todd & Charlie Co., the new venture was launched with a designer-only preview in June, and now the collection is open to the public by appointment in Little Rock’s Riverdale district.
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HGTV’s Bentonville-based “Fixer to Fabulous” renewed for Season 3
Fixer to Fabulous, the remodeling show featuring Bentonville’s Jenny and Dave Marrs, has just been renewed for 16 new episodes with HGTV—its third season with the network. In the series, the couple overhauls historic homes around Northwest Arkansas, with Dave serving as handyman extraordinaire and Jenny providing interior selections with a modern farmhouse feel. In addition to their home renovation endeavors, the couple also have five children and operate The Berry Farm, a working farm and event venue. (You can learn more about Jenny, Dave, and their experiences with the show on our blog.) …
