Art director Mandy Keener styled French Metro owner Renee Hunt’s miniature silver collection for our November issue. Mandy was quite taken by the striking silver/gray color combo, which inspired her to find a few holiday wares for her casa and closet in the same palette. Her picks? A whale ornament for a bit of Christmas whimsy. Sparkly shoes & dress to shimmer around town in. A mirror with a touch of triangles…sold! And her current obsession: “Perfect Storm” nail polish from Estee Lauder.
And the winner of our Annie Selke signed book giveaway, plus the opportunity to accompany At Home’s editors to meet the designer this week, is… DRUM ROLL…
PAM KELLEY!
Random.org generated the result for us. Congratulations, Pam! We’ll be in touch via email with details. Please respond by tomorrow!
And to everyone else who entered, thank you! Be sure to stop by Cobblestone & Vine’s Heights location for Annie Selke’s reception and book signing this Thursday, November 10, from 2-6 p.m. Visit Cobblestone & Vine’s Facebook page for details!
Thanksgiving weekend in Arkansas has a special event associated with it: The Duck Festival, in Stuttgart, where the World Championship Duck Gumbo Cookoff takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
So At Home took a jaunt to the Arkansas Delta this month, getting the scoop first hand on where a gal might want to shop and antique if she was visiting the region for the festivities. We visited with our friend Cathy Campbell, co-owner of the gift and home furnishings shop Handworks and the new antique venue City Limitless, and she had great tips for where to go and what to do in the region. You can see the full story here.
In honor of the Duck Festival, and our fun Delta journey, we’re giving away two books highlighting the region.
First Shooting Light, which is a photographic journal of hunting clubs in the Mississippi flyway, and
Wild Abundance, a cookbook anthology of the region, which includes a section with Little Rock’s own Lee Richardson, executive chef of Ashley’s in the Capital Hotel. We took a sneak peek at his own kitchen too, here. If you’d like to win this wonderful pair of books, leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the drawing (to take place on November 16th).
From associate editor/online editor Paulette Pearson: “When I have time, I love to sit down and sketch. The artist Inslee Haynes is absolutely one of my favorites. I love her loose brush strokes, use of watercolors, and fashionable creations…” (“November” from Inslee)
From editor in chief Diane Carroll: “So fun to see this family space on the Tobi Fairley blog, which is next to a kitchen we featured a few months ago. This is a super high energy family, and I love the serene palette Tobi created for them.” (“Fit for a family” from Tobi’s Blog)
From account executive Catherine Barron: “I love this, especially being from Arkansas. An eye catching red coat is a staple in this state. I must get a new one soon!” (“Fall must-have: The chic red coat” from Coco+Kelley)
From art director Mandy Keener: “Well..isn’t that swell. Loving this Free Art project for Seattle’s First Thursday Art Walk. Maybe I should do this here in Little Rock….hmm….” (“I’m jealous of Zoe Williams” from the Jealous Curator)
Today marks the first day of a new ongoing series on the At Home blog! We take you inside the construction and interior design of a Certified Green Home underway in Little Rock–all from the perspective of its young owner, Lyndsey Lewis!
Little Rock readers, you might recognize Lyndsey’s new house in progress on the corner of Van Buren and Lee in Hillcrest. Check back here weekly for an inside look at its planning, construction and interior design, plus ideas for how to adopt green principles in your own homes.
Read below for a little introduction from Lyndsey, and stay tuned for more!
Whidbey Front View, a photo by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company on Flickr.
This is the design of my new home. It won’t be the same colors, but you get the idea.
I grew up in a small house (approx. 900 sq-ft) in L.A. (Lower Arkansas) with my parents and older sister. As a kid, I dreamed of a big house and nice cars and 2 kids. But then life happened… and I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Last fall, I faced a challenge. My life hadn’t quite turned out how I’d planned. I was 28, married but separated, and facing the holidays. Ugh.
Although it was a difficult time, it was also an opportunity to think about my life and how it could be different if I chose to live it simply and with purpose. Now let me stress here: I am not a spiritual or environmental guru. I go to Starbucks; I wear a uniform to work; I use disposable forks sometimes; I’m totally average. I was just ready to do what felt right rather than what I thought was normal.
Building site at the corner of Lee and Van Buren as of August 2011
So began my love affair with building a small house. After hearing a segment on KUAR about Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, I was ready to start over and go back to when things didn’t matter so much. I wanted a life that was more about people and doing, rather than collecting stuff.
After finding a list of Green Built Partners (www.hbaglr.com/green-built-arkansas/GREEN-BUILT-Partners), my search led me to Bret and Jennifer Franks of Bret Franks Construction. They are passionate about green building, and you’ll get to know them better as the story of my home unfolds.
 
Bret and me on ground-breaking day: August 22, 2011
I also had to select a location for my new home. A major hurdle in building a small or tiny home is zoning regulations, including minimum square footage requirements. After some searching, I found the perfect lot in Hillcrest at the corner of Lee and Van Buren. A rental house burned and was demolished on the site, making it build-ready.
If you’re thinking of building a tiny home (small enough to mount on wheels), zoning regulations can often be creatively bypassed. Example: Jay Shafer, founder of Tumbleweed, simply parallel parked his home on a public street until he found a permanent spot for his home!
Now comes the fun part: I also started an “Idea Book” that contains clippings and notes from any and all sources. I organized it into sections of my home (bedrooms, living room, etc.) and collected ideas on everything from paint colors to furniture arrangement. It has become my obsession, and I love every minute.
My project will span 14 months (building but mostly planning) or more and culminate next spring in a 708 sq-ft home. Every inch will have been planned and choreographed; each detail will have purpose or meaning. I invite you to join me in this process and learn (along with me) from my successes and my failures.
Bathroom and bedroom clipping from my Idea Book. I am incorporating some of these designs, but not all. I use many of the clippings as a concept rather than an absolute guideline.
More from the Idea Book: These pages display the unfinished look of the hardwood floors I hope to achieve, as well as bead board walls and hand-drawn kitchen layout designed by Jennifer Franks.
I’m using the idea of the bench seat and dining area to save space as well as the concept of layering white paint colors. However, the “laundry in the box†idea didn’t make the cut due to space concerns.
We’ve been enjoying the new book, Fresh American Spaces, by designer Annie Selke, the visionary behind Pine Cone Hill, Dash & Albert Rug Company, and Annie Selke Home.
So we’re extremely excited to hear that she’ll be visiting Little Rock for a book signing at Cobblestone & Vine. To celebrate, we’re giving away one signed copy of Annie’s book. PLUS, the lucky winner will be invited to join At Home’s editors at the book signing, where they’ll meet Annie in person!
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
* Simply leave a comment on this post, and be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you’re chosen. One winner will be selected at random. Visit our Facebook page on November 7, when we’ll announce who won!
The book signing/reception takes place 2-6 p.m. on November 10 at Cobblestone & Vine’s Heights location in Little Rock. Visit Cobblestone’s Facebook page for more info.
Nuanced Neutral
Everyday Exuberance
Refined Romantic
And Cultured Eclectic. What look suits you and your home best? Leave us a comment and you’ll be entered to win!
(images courtesy of the Fresh American blog)
And the winner of Cara Wilkerson’s virtual room makeover is… DRUM ROLL…
Teresa Cates
Congratulations!
We used Random.org to randomly select the winner. Of the 31 comments left by readers on our blog (not counting those left by At Home and Cara:), since Teresa left comment #1, she’s our lucky winner!
A huge thank you to every one who entered the contest. Cara will be contacting Teresa soon to get her virtual room makeover underway. As we mentioned in our original post, while Cara won’t be able to do the work for Teresa, Cara’s inspiration board and expert ideas should will get Teresa started in achieving a room makeover she deserves.
From associate editor/online editor Paulette Pearson: “Our photographer, Nancy Nolan, brought this Town & Country editorial to my attention last week, and when I saw it again today on Camille Styles, I knew it had to be my Friday Favorite. The colors are so rich and truly get me in the mood for fall and everything it brings–from falling leaves to boots to cozy sweaters.” (“Flights of fancy” from Camille Styles)
From editor in chief Diane Carroll: “Love this! Who wouldn’t enjoy a bit of fall arriving in such a pretty package?” (“DIY fall envelopes + free printable from Oh Happy Day)
From account executive Stevi Jackson: “Love the way this piece of art pulls the entire room together!” (“Tyler Dawson design” from Full House)
From assistant art director/special projects editor Laura LaRue: “Love how casual and stylish this place is, and gotta love all that color. I would love to warm up in front of that fabulous fireplace too!” (“Bold, patterned farmhouse” from Zesty Nest)
At Home’s supremely talented art director, Mandy Keener, loves music, which inspires her work and keeps her going at her computer while designing our issues, often late into the night. Mandy’s series, Cover with Style, combines her love for both music and design, showing how closely the two actually relate. Today’s post is no exception.
Check out more from Mandy’s Cover with Style series here: blog.athomearkansas.com/category/cover-with-style
Interiors photography by Nancy Nolan for At Home in Arkansas // Album cover
If you follow illustrator Hannah Alexander’s blog, Sundry Mumsy, you know how utterly and completely adorable her three children are. Every day is dress up day in their household, which makes her posts so cute and so.much.fun.
That’s the reason we’re so happy Hannah decided to illustrate her two youngest dressed up for Halloween. Such a thoughtful idea they’ll be able to cherish for years to come! And today, we’re lucky enough to share it with At Home readers too.
For more of Hannah’s illustrations, visit http://hannahshand.com/
I’ve loved looking at At Home’s beautiful Fall Fashion Stylebook spread this month, but this week, the fashions at the top of my priority list are Halloween costumes!
Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and having children only adds a new and even more exciting dimension to the fun. My mother is a portrait artist, and she once painted my brother, sister and me in our Halloween costumes from the year we were Olive Oyl, Popeye and Swee’ Pea. I always loved seeing that painting hanging on the wall in our home growing up. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it reminded me of the fun we had as kids and of my mother’s unending creativity. For whatever reason, it was special to me. So this is for my kids, two of them anyway. My oldest hasn’t quite decided what she will be. (I’ll add her in later!)
If you have kids, I’m sure your home is full of Halloween excitement and anticipation this week. I hope this gets you in the dressing up mood! Happy Halloween!
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.