Low-Key Living

June 4, 2013 by ark_admin

A busy family of six settles into a casual rustic retreat on the pristine shores of Eden Isle.

The Gilbrech family didn’t move into their newly constructed lakeside residence until last year, but Eden Isle has always felt like their home. Tucked away in the rolling hills of the Ozarks between Greer’s Ferry Lake and Heber Springs, Eden Isle is where Mary Noel Gilbrech grew up vacationing and dining at the community’s famous resort, The Red Apple Inn. “I would come here with my grandparents and eat at the Inn,” she says.

After Mary Noel and her husband, Jeff, started a family of their own, they bought a lake house in the small resort community and began enjoying summers on the water. Through the years the family has lived in several different places, but something always kept them coming back to their vacation home in Eden Isle. Finally, while living in Memphis several years ago, a thought occurred to Mary Noel and Jeff: Since they loved Eden Isle so much, why not live there full time?

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A Different Viewpoint

June 4, 2013 by ark_admin

When It Came to Building a Dream Home, the Fourth Time Was a Charm for a Hot Springs Couple

Sometimes you have to try something more than once before you get it just right. In Sara Barnett’s case, it took building four houses before she finally felt at home. “This time, I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like,” she says of her lakefront Hot Springs home. Barnett took her vision to architect David French—a friend from college with whom she had worked on a previous project—and he brought it to life. “The first set of plans was perfect; he captured exactly what I wanted,” she recalls.

What she wanted was a sleek, contemporary home that took full advantage of the property’s expansive views of Lake Hamilton and the Ouachita National Forest beyond. Steel windows, rough-cut limestone quarried in Texas and bamboo accents give the home a decidedly modern, yet natural feel.

“About halfway through the project, I started to have second thoughts, like I had gone too far,” she says. “I didn’t want it to look like an office building sitting on the lake.” But she persevered with the plan and trusted French’s ability to execute a warm, modern home for Barnett, her husband Robert and their combined six adult children, who visit frequently.

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The Home with a View

May 2, 2013 by ark_admin

If you know Garry Mertins, you know he brandishes a magnetic, never-met-a-stranger attitude. As the owner and principal designer of Little Rock-based Garry Mertins Design, he brings the same attitude to each project he tackles. So, it’s not hard to see why Hot Springs homeowners Steve and Kathy Storey valued his counsel and enjoyed his enthusiasm when it came to the design of their home.

The Storeys’ advantageously situated lakeside home overlooks lush Garvan Woodland Gardens as well as a pristine stretch of Hot Springs’ very own aquatic jewel—Lake Hamilton. However, the home’s construction prevented them from taking in the sights just outside their walls. “When you live on Lake Hamilton and you’re not enjoying the scenic landscape every day, something’s got to be done about it,” says Mertins, and rightly so. His solution? Create serene outdoor focal points the Storeys can enjoy from practically every room in the house. “It was time to consider the bigger picture,” he says and developed a design plan sure to revolutionize the Storeys’ living space, capacity to entertain and ultimately their lifestyle.

Long-time friends, the Storeys and Mertins first recognized a need for a full-home makeover when the family’s primary hangout had become the large, comfy den on the backside of the house, which did not include a view of the lake. Moreover, the dated formal separation of the kitchen and dining area made it tricky to entertain large groups and obscured gorgeous panoramic views. “People don’t live like this anymore—in tiny, separate rooms, each detached from the others. Open concept is the way to go,” Mertins confides. Avid hobbyists and empty nesters, the Storeys requested one main level for everyday living, leaving the home’s lower level as recreational space for the grandkids. For this main level they were most concerned with creating functional display and storage space to accommodate Kathy’s antique glassware collection and floral artistry wares. They also knew that his-and-her bathrooms and dressing areas were a must.

To get the ball rolling, Mertins initiated the architectural renovation by adding 25 feet to the original living room, knocking out the main wall separating the living and dining areas, and moving the den from the back to the front of the house to craft a unique three-in-one common area that includes the living room, dining room and kitchen. To maintain aesthetic proportion, he bumped up the front of the house by a few feet to make room for a spacious entrance hall, and then positioned the couple’s respective retreats as offshoots of the master bedroom.

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Historically Modern

May 2, 2013 by ark_admin

For Cassie Toro, living in an historic home means relishing the ambience and character of architecture that dates to the early 1900s—including original Tiger Sawn hardwood flooring, beautifully crafted scrollwork and even the elegant charm of a limestone mantel that looks to be a 19th century European import. However, while the home’s thoughtful construction and existing beauty were more than enough to lure her to purchase the property, Toro was eager to put her own spin on the space, making it more suitable for her lifestyle and reflective of her personal taste.

Completed in 1922 and first home to John and Snow Boyle, the expansive house features three bedrooms, three and a half baths, numerous sitting areas, what was once used as a sleeping porch, and large areas for entertaining and hosting dinner parties. “The family must have been very progressive for their time,” notes Toro. “It’s rare to find an historic home with three bedrooms that each have their own separate bath.” Toro, who grew up in Jonesboro but has lived around the country, frequently hosts weekend guests, making the separate bed and bath layout a perfect fit. In fact, the majority of the home’s floor plan was conducive to her style and required little change.

“I wanted to keep as much of the existing floor plan as possible,” says Toro, who poured over the original plans when she first purchased the house. After evaluating the design along with updates that had been made through the years, she found the kitchen, located in the rear of the home on the lower level, would be the biggest renovation. “I have always enjoyed having an open space for cooking and serving, but the existing kitchen was small and choppy, and had almost no counter space,” she says. Removing a wall that compartmentalized the home’s breakfast nook, dining room and kitchen opened up lots of square footage, allowing Toro to enjoy the company of others who might be in the formal dining room or relaxing in the breakfast-nook-turned-sitting-room, while she works away in the kitchen. “I was looking for ways to use the spaces that made sense in our present day,” she says, “and taking down that wall just made sense for cooking and entertaining.”

Apart from this change, the home’s floor plan stayed true to the original blueprint. “I reconfigured the layout in the full baths,” she says, “installing new showers and bathtubs in places that made more sense for the flow, but essentially left everything else in place.” Aside from the home’s traditional bedrooms and baths, there are several unique spaces that are emblematic of historical appeal. Upstairs, a cozy retreat known as the chapel room features a 19th century European limestone mantel and iron scrollwork. “I’ve been told the original owners added this space so their daughter could be married here,” says Toro of the room, which features a large bank of casement windows that would have allowed guests to take in the ceremony from the lawn.

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Around the Color Wheel

April 9, 2013 by ark_admin

“Color is everything,” says designer Jennifer Huett, who worked with a busy family of five to update their Hot Springs home. “They are a very high-energy group,” she says of the Hannon family. “They like to live life to the fullest and didn’t need a serene space to come home to. They wanted a home that makes them happy.”

Happy, it is. Huett hit all of the high notes of a Crayola box, including vibrant red, earthy green, trendy turquoise and a deeply delightful purple, but did so gracefully enough that the homeowner’s heirloom antiques blend seamlessly into the more contemporary aesthetic. “We had to find a way to use three exuberant colors, but not have them feel forced,” Huett says. A wool rug from Company C featuring red, green and turquoise anchors the living room and became the jumping off point for the adjacent dining room, kitchen and breakfast area.

In the coral living room, an art installation made of reclaimed wood introduces the raw material, which is used throughout the home to temper the vibrant—and often cool—tones of the walls and fabrics. “Paint is an inexpensive way to introduce color,” says Huett. “If you’re unsure, try a piece of art or even a vase with brightly-colored flowers in it. Then, move up to an accent wall. If you keep the big pieces neutral, you can always change your mind.” To balance this space, an inherited pair of armchairs, recovered in red with a cheerful green piping, were paired with a neutral sectional sofa.

“I meet so many people who have storage units full of beautiful pieces that have been passed down to them,” says Huett. “They have proper emotional attachments to them but don’t know how to incorporate them into a more trendy or colorful look.” Huett, however, jumped in with both feet by fearlessly pairing the family’s English antiques with bright colors, modern art and new upholstery. As a result, the home feels unique and authentic.

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Cozy in Color

April 9, 2013 by ark_admin

Nothing brings friends together like a good design project. At least that’s the story of homeowner/designer duo Jamie Clark and Joanna McCusker, who quickly became gal pals over mood boards and countless cups of coffee. As the pair’s shared appreciation of French antiques and functional spaces surfaced, McCusker recalls how the design consultations turned into “fun, little lunches and dinners,” and the rest is history.

It’s no coincidence that Clark and McCusker found common ground in the crosshairs of interior design and culinary arts. After all, dining and entertaining in comfort were Clark’s initial inspirations to redesign her once-cramped kitchen, den and pantry areas. Throw in McCusker’s knack for mixing old and new, and you’ve got a recipe for colorful, chic perfection with a touch of vintage charm.

When Clark found her small, but character-rich cottage no longer conducive to her family’s daily lifestyle, not to mention entertaining, she recruited kitchen design expert McCusker, who works as a freelance home designer, as well as a consultant for Springdale’s New Century Counter Tops. “This house is very unique,” Clark reflects on her charming residence, rife with whimsy and quirk. “I’m really drawn to that English countryside look of homes, furniture and even lifestyle,” and she’s not kidding. Atop a grassy hill on the outskirts of rural Van Buren, the Clarks’ ranch-style property includes a herd of horses and a sweeping view of the Arkansas River Valley—the picture of pastoral bliss.

This “countryside look” is exactly what Clark insisted remain intact during the redesign process, while also adding usable space with unexpected pops of interesting color and pattern. Characteristic of many built in the 1920s, Clark relates that her home is modest in space, and many of its rooms have been repurposed through the years. Naturally, a woman who hosts as frequently and readily as Clark needs a maison as capable to multitask as she is. The challenge was to maximize the existing space without moving walls or extending into other parts of the house. “I didn’t know how she would solve it, but she did,” Clark brags on her friend, McCusker.

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Primary Palette

April 5, 2013 by ark_admin

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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Pleasantly Provincial

March 22, 2013 by ark_admin

Walk into Julie and Ben Pruet’s west Little Rock backyard and you may think you’ve entered a European provincial garden. Manicured shrubs, benches for lounging and classic sculptures and art forms abound in the idyllic setting. However, the space hasn’t always looked like this. For years, it remained an untouched canvas before the couple embarked on the renovation. “It was Julie who had the vision for the garden,” says Ben. As a nature lover and garden enthusiast she sketched her ideas and began working with a group of professionals to pull everything together.

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Lakeside Tropics

March 20, 2013 by ark_admin

Julie Shaw fondly recalls the day she and her husband found their dream home on Hot Springs’ Lake Hamilton just six years ago. “At the time, there was nothing available. The economy was booming and people were purchasing property right and left. But then we found this house. It was in the perfect location—on the lake, yet close to town,” she says.

When the Shaws purchased their dream vacation home it had been neglected for quite some time and they knew it would be a lengthy renovation. “Since we spend most of our time outside, we decided to start the renovation there,” says Shaw. The first priorities were to create an outdoor kitchen, cabana area for sunning and an outdoor shower. The couple often travels to the British Virgin Islands, and as a designer Julie drew her inspiration for the renovation from these trips. “I wanted to bring all the color and casual simplicity of the tropics to this home,” she says.

While the stone and lakeside decking existed when the Shaws bought the home, they wanted to add their own touch and did so with the addition of a cedar cabana. Four Smith & Hawken teak lounge chairs coordinate beautifully with the cabana and offer a spot to relax in the shade. To bring in a bit of the tropical flair, Julie added orange-and-red throw pillows to contrast with the furniture’s off-white cushions. The family and guests alike enjoy soaking in the sun on the teak deck chairs that flank the cabana.

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The Chic Family Escape

March 20, 2013 by ark_admin

This spring Stephen and Wendy LaFrance are trading cold nights, heavy layers and hot chocolate for sunshine, swimsuits and lemonade, all to be enjoyed literally within feet of their own back door. Their playful, yet refined outdoor living space lends itself to a relaxing, resort-like ambience with scenic vistas from a variety of angles. Built in 1929 and originally designed by the highly regarded Max Mayer, the LaFrances’ Georgian-style residence is steeped in Little Rock’s architectural heritage and exudes the presence of the historical gem it is—making it the perfect backdrop for this invitingly pristine backyard oasis.

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While Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors originally set out to design the home’s interior spaces, he couldn’t help but notice the potential for the backyard. Once an unrealized extension of the home, Walsh was eager to create an indispensable area for recreation and relaxation. He also wanted to make the space meet the family’s needs as well as their wishes. “A smooth transition from interior to exterior was priority,” he explains. “After that most of the inspiration was drawn from the family’s favorite vacation spot in Cabo San Lucas,” he adds.

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Low-Key Living

A Different Viewpoint

The Home with a View

Historically Modern

Around the Color Wheel

Cozy in Color

Primary Palette

Pleasantly Provincial

Lakeside Tropics

The Chic Family Escape

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