At Home in Arkansas: You’ve described yourself as a country girl at heart, growing up on a farm in southeast Arkansas before you became an interior designer for TLC’s television series Trading Spaces and started your own practice in New York, as well as an online magazine, lauradayliving.com. Now, you’ve come full circle by transforming a historic farmhouse in Bridgehampton, Long Island, into your own family-friendly retreat. What drew you to this particular house?
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“Something for everyone” is how Sue Redfield describes the back yard of the home she and her husband, Charles, share with their sons, Avery and Matthew. Now sporting a spacious pool and patio area where the boys congregate with friends, an adjoining covered porch where Sue and Charles can relax in the shade or entertain guests, and even a firepit surrounded by seating where kids and adults gather to roast marshmallows, the newly completed outdoor area has every member of the family singing its praises.
This laid-back, family-friendly lifestyle is what the Redfields had in mind when they moved into their new home on a wooded hillside in Bentonville. “We fell in love with the home’s setting and the idea that there was room for the boys to run around without worrying about traffic,” says Sue. The steep lot, however, meant that the backyard had been left untouched, which Sue and Charles saw as a design opportunity. “We were looking to create an outdoor setting that each member of the family would enjoy,” says Sue. “A place to kick back and relax outside, a pool and patio area that fit all the needs of our family—those who love sun as well as those who love being outside but in the shade.”
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The Goal:
Build a new residence on a narrow site in the heart of downtown Fayetteville, making use of an open area between an existing structure and the Fayetteville Town Center. “The owners have lived in New York for many years, and wanted to bring the feeling of an urban living space to their home in Arkansas,” says architect Laleh Amirmoez, AIA.
What they did:
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The Goal:
Build a comfortable, customized residence as a gathering place for their family of five, which includes two sons currently deployed to Afghanistan and their youngest son who resides at home. “I envisioned it as a traditional house built with classic materials,” says Robin, “a place that would welcome family and friends and where each room would feel unique and special.”
What they did:
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The Goal:
Unify the main living areas of their Little Rock home–the living room, dining room and kitchen–to create one large open room. The Mangans wanted the ability to cook, entertain and spend time with friends and family all within close proximity, which was not possible in the original divided floor plan. “This renovation helped us make the most of the entire space,” says Robin.
What they did:
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The Goal: Create a family-friendly dining room in the cottage she shares with her husband, Nathan, and sons, Wylie and Miles, updating the space with minimal expense.
What she did:
Jerusalem’s makeover of the 180-square-foot dining room in her Park Hill neighborhood home began with a furniture trade. “A good friend and I traded dining tables,” she says. “I needed one that was long and narrow. She needed one that was slightly shorter and wider. Always thrift-minded, we hatched the perfect scheme, and opted to trade.”
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The Goal:
Maintain a Southern-style shade garden on the one-acre grounds surrounding their 1905 house, which has been in Joe’s family for more than four decades.
What they did:
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At Home in Arkansas: This place looks as if it could be at the beach—one part classic Cape Cod and one part casual Seaside, Florida. But it also feels right at home on this hillside near Heber Springs.
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At Home in Arkansas: What inspired an Italian palazzo look on Lake Hamilton?
Scott Paterek of Massimo: The homeowners [Junie and Becky Simpson of Pine Bluff] had traveled to Italy and wanted a Mediterranean look. We used exterior stucco on the interior arches for texture and weight, and the tile roof is a blend of three subtle colors to appear sun-bleached. Botanica Gardens also added herbs spilling out of the beds for a European feel.
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Summer-fresh window boxes instantly add curb appeal. In search of colorful new ideas, we asked Jennifer Gibson of The Good Earth Garden Center in Little Rock to update a trio of window boxes of a Heights neighborhood residence. Using only a pair of garden gloves and her hands as tools, she helped us create three easy styles. “I like any flowers that greet you at the door,” our expert says. “It’s an unexpected treat.”
We asked homeowner Margaret Kemp and her daughter, Rebecca, to choose a favorite look. The winner? A casual mix of contrasting colors and textures, including petunias, sweet potato vine and spike grass. “It adds so much to the house and my spirit to have something fresh,” Margaret says.
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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.