Tradition with a Twist

October 21, 2009 by ark_admin

“For as long as I can remember,” says Blytheville native Carolyn Grisham, “I’ve wanted a white house with white columns and black shutters.” With a degree in art and graphic design from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and 25 years as senior interior designer with Club Corp in Dallas, Carolyn was ready to tackle plans for her family’s dream home in Harrison when she and her husband Bud, a land developer and native of the area, retired there 16 years ago.

The result was a 4,500-square-foot Greek Revival brick home situated in the middle of 25 acres. Surrounded by groves of natural oak, walnut and pear trees, the stately exterior of the Grisham’s home reflects the tradition of a much older past with white-washed red brick that has gently aged through the years.

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Cross Creek

September 22, 2009 by ark_admin

Last year, a little house in Fayetteville set a new record for the state. It first won an American Institute of Architects (AIA) honor award for Arkansas, then one for the Gulf Region, and ultimately moved on to the big prize: a national AIA honor award—one of only eight given across the U.S.—for a single-family custom home.

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Project Provence

September 21, 2009 by ark_admin

When interior designer Kim Brockinton and her husband decided to build a home in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, she envisioned a space befitting of the villages she had visited on trips to the French countryside. “I wanted to make certain this house had a real sense of authenticity,” Brockinton explains, “as though it had been transported right from a small town in the Provence region of France.” She also wanted to have ample space to entertain large groups, including her two then-teenage children and their friends, while still maintaining a sense of charm. “Now that we’re empty nesters, it’s not overwhelming for two people,” she says. And while it’s comfortable for a dinner party of 10 or 12, the residence has just as easily accommodated large house parties of 100 people.

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Going for Baroque

August 19, 2009 by ark_admin

A Little Rock couple faced a design dilemma when outfitting the master bathroom in their downtown high-rise condominium. While they enjoyed the panoramic views of the Arkansas River, Clinton Presidential Library and city skyline from the room’s expansive windows, they also wanted to maintain a sense of privacy. Similarly, though the space had modern lines, they were interested in creating the kind of luxurious retreat they had enjoyed during hotel stays in Paris. So they turned to interior designer Bill Beringer for assistance in creating a space that emphasizes the view within an elegant and relaxing setting.

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Table Service

August 18, 2009 by ark_admin

“It was summer, and I knew juicy, ripe Arkansas tomatoes were out there,” says Shane Henderson, a Little Rock chef. “Only problem was, I wasn’t sure where to go to get 20 pounds of them.”

Henderson and other area chefs found a resource to fill that gap with the newly formed Farm to Chef Network, part of the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market program which currently hosts outdoor markets in North Little Rock, Hot Springs and Searcy as well as an on-line sales component. Begun by Jody Hardin, a fifth-generation farmer at Hardin Farm in Grady, the network pairs a chef or restaurant with a local farmer with the goal of matching what the farm produces with a part of the chef’s menu.

“It gives me the chance to sit down with a farmer and talk about what we’d like to serve,” says Henderson. “We both come away better informed about what’s being produced or might be desired, the quantities, availability and timing.”

The program covers a range of food sources, from produce to livestock, a concept that Hardin believes can help bridge the gap in the local food movement and put Arkansas chefs and farmers on the cutting edge. For diners, the outcome is better access to the freshest seasonal foods, and restaurants participating in the program can showcase their involvement on their menus.

“Ultimately, we hope that this will dramatically increase commerce for our local farmers,” says Henderson, “and provide customers with high-quality dining experiences.”

Farm to Chef Network Members:
Jason Godwin, Simply the Best Catering, North Little Rock
Shane Henderson, Argenta Market, North Little Rock
Scott McGehee, Boulevard Bread Company, ZaZa, Little Rock
Lee Richardson, Capital Hotel, Little Rock
For updated listings, visit www.arkansasfood.net/chef.php

Farm to Table Recipes from Chef Shane Henderson

The first two recipes are for a Saturday night get-together, the last is for breakfast the next morning, and all feature produce you can find this fall at Arkansas farmers markets.

Sweet Potato Soup
Apple Salad
Butternut Squash Pancakes

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Nursery Suite

July 28, 2009 by ark_admin

Eden Moody may be only 17 months old, but she’s already developed an appreciation for original art. “We’ll peek in her room and find her awake in her crib, looking at the painted ceiling,” says her mother, Angela, which is just what she and her husband, Edward, had in mind when they envisioned Eden’s nursery.

Seeking a space that would soothe the senses, Angela began by giving the walls a soft, old-world finish. A duo of Hot Springs-based artisans took on the transformation, with Spring Cottage Designs applying a pearl-finish paint treatment to the walls to add a subtle sheen and painter Eric Maurus following with a cherub-inspired mural on the ceiling. “Something peaceful for Eden to gaze up at was our goal,” says Angela. “Plus it was important that her nursery fit with the rest of our house, which has European influences.”

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Family-Style Cooking

July 28, 2009 by ark_admin

Jennifer Lewis can honestly say that she spends most of her time in the kitchen. As a mother of two, avid entertainer of family and friends and a cooking instructor who runs her business, Fresh and Fabulous Entertaining, from her own home, prepping food and preparing meals are continuous daily activities.

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Bella’s Ballroom

July 27, 2009 by ark_admin

Creating bedrooms for her twin son and daughter that were unique yet equally inviting was the top priority when graphic designer Sandra Marbaise, co-owner of Little Rock-based SanLori Invitations, and her family moved into their Heights home. As inspiration, she looked to each child’s favorite activities.

For Isabella’s room, Sandra envisioned a space where her daughter could play dress-up and make-believe with her favorite stuffed animals and dolls. From that starting point, the room’s color palette followed easily. “I love pink and green together, they’re happy and festive,” she says. She painted the walls green and the ceiling pink and then repeated the combination in the bedding, mixing in green and white toile fabric “to give it a little bit of an elegant edge,” she says.

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Ethan’s Escape

July 27, 2009 by ark_admin

In contrast to daughter Isabella’s dress-up inspired room, graphic designer Sandra Marbaise had a maritime theme in mind for her son Ethan’s space. “My husband grew up with this great love of the ocean and fishing, and that became our starting point,” she says.

Coastal vacations are a family favorite and the Marbaises have taken their seven-year-old twins to Nantucket three times. “The painting of the boat is from Nantucket and the map up on the wall is of that area,” she says. The sailboats around Ethan’s room are from the family’s travels to the beaches of Brittany in the west of France.

Artist Andrea Trieschmann added the flags and captain’s wheel over Ethan’s bed. “The nautical theme was already established, but Andrea came in with some wonderful touches,” Sandra says. Polished oak furnishings and an extra-deep armchair, designed as a cozy reading nook, completed the nautical retreat. “Now Ethan has a room that reflects his love of the water and fishing, things that his daddy loves so much too,” she says.

Freelance writer and Little Rock native Emily Benton Ryan is a recent Baylor University graduate.

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Outdoor Access

July 24, 2009 by ark_admin

“How many kids that are wheelchair users ever get to go up in a treehouse?” asks Sarah Wacaster, executive director of Camp Aldersgate. Thanks to students from the University of Arkansas School of Architecture and their professor, the answer is now hundreds. And they’re also able to shoot bows and arrows from an archery pavilion, wheel onto a stage to perform and have uninterrupted access to nearly all corners of the camp for picnicking, bird watching and just plain enjoying the natural world.

Located on 120 acres on the outskirts of Little Rock, Camp Aldersgate has been serving children with disabilities for over 60 years. As part of their continual quest to find ways for their campers to experience the outdoors, they began collaborating with the architecture program in 2002, when associate professor Laura Terry opted to teach her summer design-build program at the camp. “We had students interested in both serving the community and in getting practical building experience, and this idea seemed like a good solution for everyone involved,” she says.

That first summer, Terry and a group of eight students built an archery pavilion which functions as well for kids who can stand at the stations as it does for those in wheelchairs. Adjustable shooting stations were designed with visual appeal in mind, using bicycle parts, airplane propellers and other items to make them more interactive. “We decided that just making the pavilion accessible wasn’t enough,” says Terry. “It needed to be interesting and stimulating as well.”

That concept was reinforced the following year, when Terry and a new group of students returned and built a wheelchair-accessible treehouse, 21 feet above the ground. Successive visits resulted in a stage and amphitheater as well as a series of picnic areas, all designed to entice kids, whatever their medical or physical condition, to come out and play. “Children, regardless of their ability, are still children,” says Terry. “They need to be able to experience their surroundings and above all, to have fun.”

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Tradition with a Twist

Cross Creek

Project Provence

Going for Baroque

Table Service

Nursery Suite

Family-Style Cooking

Bella’s Ballroom

Ethan’s Escape

Outdoor Access

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