Simple Sophistication

August 18, 2016 by ark_admin

An outdated kitchen gets a timeless new look, just in time for its Designer Showhouse debut

This Spring, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild held its bi-annual fundraiser, the Symphony Designer Showhouse, a collaboration among designers and vendors across the state. Meridith Ranouil of MLH Designs along with Bill Wrape and Alissa Oates of Distinctive Kitchens and Baths collaborated on the remodel of the Chenal home’s kitchen. “The house was built in the 1980’s so there were a few features that really dated it,” Ranouil says. “We wanted to make it more functional and current, and give it a very classic and timeless feel.” Centrally located in the home and open to the den, the team wanted to give the space a neutral, universally-appealing makeover in preparation for the house going on the market. “This project was a little different because we wanted to appeal to nine out of 10 potential buyers,” Wrape, who has been designing custom kitchens and baths for 17 years, explains. Ranouil disguised the Palladian-style window (a popular feature at the time of the home’s construction) with a custom Roman shade.
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Tuscan Flavor

August 18, 2016 by ark_admin

A homebuilder and his wife individualize their new kitchen with detailed accents more reflective of their style

Teresa and Reggie Clow are no strangers to creating custom homes. As the owner of Sharlow Builders and Developers, Reggie has built numerous houses throughout central Arkansas, including the couple’s current home in Alexander, which sits on four acres. However, for this kitchen, they were eager to include more intricate finishes and details that would set the design apart from their previous residence. “We really paid more attention to the common spaces in this house,” Teresa says. “We wanted a more ornate style than we had in the past.”

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Flawless Finishes

August 18, 2016 by ark_admin

Designer Shayla Copas left no stone unturned when designing a custom kitchen to suit her family’s needs

“I believe in trying to get the most out of a space,” says Shayla Copas of Shayla Copas Interiors. And she left no detail unattended during the years-long renovation of the Little Rock-area home she shares with her husband and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Roxie. “We’re empty nesters and I run my design business out of our home, so our needs are little different,” she explains. They turned an unused bedroom into a closet and dressing space, and added a carriage house to accommodate her design business, but one of the most drastic changes came in the kitchen. “Before, it was dark and cramped, but now it is light, airy, and open,” Copas says. To accomplish this, a former hallway was narrowed allowing room to widen the kitchen, and the layout was adjusted to add more storage. Copas replaced dark wood cabinets with new WoodMode cabinets from Distinctive Kitchens and Baths, and then customized with trim, corbels, and columns.
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Serene Escape

August 26, 2015 by ark_admin

Designer Tami Risinger transforms a dark, poorly organized bath into a retreat-worthy space for her longtime clients’ vacation home

Brown shag carpet and a dark, closed-off shower area aren’t ideal conditions for any master bath—especially when the bath is situated on the beautiful shores of Lake Hamilton. Luckily, homeowners Jennifer and Chris Crain knew just who to call to turn the dated bath into an inviting retreat: Conway-based designer Tami Risinger. After assessing the clients’ wants and needs, she sought to give the room an airy, calm, and light-filled design—an aesthetic that is consistent with her own sunny disposition. “I really wanted to make it serene because, here, when you walk in the door, you are on vacation,” the designer says.
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The Sweet Life

August 26, 2015 by ark_admin

The joy of cooking is a family matter in this Little Rock kitchen

When a Little Rock couple approached Chris Milligan about building a new house inspired by the American vernacular style of architecture with lots of natural light and a “happy feel,” he knew that the open-concept kitchen and living space would be the hub of the home. The homeowner knew she wanted her kitchen to be three things—classic, seamless, and delightful, so she and Milligan worked very closely together to achieve her vision.

Classic
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Modern Sensibility

August 25, 2015 by ark_admin

A West Little Rock couple, who are well versed in design, create a dream master bath that will last for years to come

Charlene and Chuck Prousnitzer know the market when it comes to the latest and greatest in lighting, tubs, sinks, faucets, and other home design elements. The pair have spent their lives helping clients source the perfect items and create dream spaces—Charlene as the owner of Light Innovations and Chuck as the retired owner of PC Hardware. So it comes as no surprise they knew just what they wanted at the outset of a complete renovation of their new home’s master bath. “Because we are in the lighting and hardware business, it had to show off our product,” Charlene says. The entire project “was a labor of love between me and Jeff Junkin of Jeff Junkin Construction,” says Charlene, who holds a design degree from LSU. Contemporary in style and “loaded” when it comes to functional features, one word defines the design for both Charlene and Chuck: practicality.
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Kitchen Redux

August 25, 2015 by ark_admin

A Little Rock home receives a full-scale culinary makeover resulting in more space and an updated aesthetic

“Gary renovated this kitchen 30 years ago,” says Cathy Pursell, wife and business partner of Gary Pursell, of Gary Pursell Construction. “So, basically he tore out his own work to remodel this kitchen for their family,” she laughs. After three decades and a change in ownership, everyone agreed it was time to reinvent the space and create a kitchen with multiple zones, an abundance of amenities, and an inviting, fresh feel that suited the owners’ style and would welcome their now-grown children home for family gatherings.
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Finishing School

August 25, 2015 by ark_admin

Custom artisanal finishes imbue a handsome Little Rock kitchen with a subtle glow

In their new home, Sheila and Bob Casali wanted a kitchen that was both distinguished and delicate. To achieve exactly the look they were after, they called on their longtime friend and Texas-based interior designer Laura Towery. “They are really more like my extended family,” Towery says of her relationship with the Casalis, “so when they called and asked me to get involved in the project—of course I did. I knew they wanted something pretty and formal but also very livable, and we got right to work.”
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Second Time’s the Charm

August 25, 2015 by ark_admin

A Sherwood couple enlists the help of Kitchen Tune-Up not once but twice for practical and functional kitchen renovations

In just three years, Cricket and Bob Butler undertook two kitchen renovations. “We were in another home—where we thought we would be forever—and decided to remodel that kitchen,” Cricket explains. Little more than a year later, the couple found themselves in a new neighborhood with another kitchen in need of an update. “I called Susan [Johnson of Kitchen Tune-Up] again, because I loved the finished product from our old home and working with them.” Together they took the kitchen down to its studs to create a space the couple will love for years to come.
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Classic Twist

August 26, 2014 by ark_admin

A homeowner’s worst nightmare turned into a chic new bath for this Fayetteville shop owner

Old Man Winter brought more than snow and ice to one Fayetteville home: he brought an unplanned renovation. “A pipe behind a wall in the bathroom burst, and flooded the living room and kitchen below,” explains homeowner Erin Bridges. “I immediately called on Chris Goddard—who was doing some work in my boutique at the time—because I knew he could put it all back together.” Bridges, who owns Fayetteville’s Tesori, a bridal and formalwear boutique, as well as a Lilly Pulitzer shop known as The Pink Pig, packed up her family and moved out for four months while work on the house was completed. “I trusted Chris completely,” she says. “He did me the courtesy of showing me his plans in advance, but I knew I would love whatever he came up with.”