Nautical Escape

June 23, 2014 by ark_admin

A young family creates a comfortable, maritime-inspired retreat near the shores of Greers Ferry Lake

In the Eden Isle community, nestled against the trees along the shoreline of Greers Ferry Lake, sits the weekend home of a young Conway family. “We wanted a place where we could unwind together as a family and get away from the demands of everyday life,” says the homeowner, who grew up near the water and wanted the same experience for her children, ages six, four, and eight months. “During the fall and spring we take walks and ride our bikes, and in the summer the marina is a quick golf-cart ride away.”

To make the home reflect its surroundings, the owners solicited the help of designer Tami Risinger, who filled the spaces with familiar pieces such as bunk beds and wicker dining chairs to give it functionality for the active family and to instill a sense of nostalgia appropriate for a family vacation spot. Throughout the house, pale walls are outlined with warm gray trim. Simple details such as beadboard and wide-planked hardwood floors give the home a cottage-style appeal.

“Tami knows our casual lifestyle,” says the homeowner, who met the designer through mutual friends. “She knows how we live, and we trusted her to create something that would fit into that. The house is comfortable and cozy, but also feels polished.”

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Modern Family Getaway

June 23, 2014 by ark_admin

More really is merrier at this no-fuss vacation home, situated on the shores of Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs

When designer Garry Mertins first came on board this new-construction lake house project, the homeowners—two adult siblings and their spouses—explained the mission to him this way: “When we’re here, we’re here to relax. We also want our kids to be able to relax, and we want them to bring all of their friends and have a great time with minimal stress.” With easy living for all ages as his key objective, Mertins worked to maximize both function and experience for the two families and their many, year-round guests.

At the heart of the home is a generous, open-plan living area on the main level. Exposed structural components contribute to the sleek, elemental effect of the design: the vaulted 20-foot ceilings are lined with eight-inch oak planks, the floors consist of scored and finished concrete, and an exposed steel I-beam and support mechanism runs the length of the room. And though the architecture is very linear and edited, Mertins has prioritized comfort in the space, by drawing it all to human scale with furnishings.

“This room makes entertaining easy, whether you have three people or thirty,” says Mertins. Defined activity zones allow for an intimate feeling no matter the size of the gathering, while plush rugs and oversized furniture provide total comfort, especially after a long day of sun and water sports. The room encompasses a high-tech kitchen—with seating for eight on barstools gathered around an extended island—a dining room, a wet bar, a small sitting area, and a spacious family room.

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Make a Splash

June 23, 2014 by ark_admin

Steep terrain and a heavily wooded lot were no obstacles in creating this poolside oasis

After settling in to their Little Rock home, this fun-loving couple and their daughter dreamed of installing a pool. “We’ve always wanted a pool for entertaining and a place to hang out as a family,” the homeowner says. They knew a pool would not only give them the perfect warm-weather escape but would also enhance the home’s backyard. There was just one problem—the house was situated on a steep, heavily wooded lot.

To survey the landscape and engineer a suitable space, the couple called in the experts. The evolutionary process began with the homeowners discussing initial ideas for the space with designer Larry West, who worked with the family on the interior of their home. Next, they turned to Scott Girner of Elite Pools by Scott to work his magic on the showpiece of the area—the pool. “We really had an opportunity to turn a challenge into something very positive with this project,” Girner says of the home’s lot. Because the space had been previously unused, the possibilities were limitless. The homeowners wanted to be able to see the pool area from several vantage points in the house. To accommodate this request and the terrain, the transformation began with creating a structure that allowed the bottom of the pool to be above grade. Girner again turned the challenges of access and elevation into an attribute by creating a swim-up bar and separate elevated tanning ledge, which both add to the shapely design of the pool and its surround. “The homeowners were very hands-on throughout the process and really allowed the space to evolve naturally,” Girner says.

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In With the Old and the New

June 23, 2014 by ark_admin

A restructured roofline and plenty of repurposed finds transform a cramped attic into a comfortable and charming family area

Built in 1932, the home that Anna Dickinson shares with her husband and two small children is loaded with charm—much of which can be attributed to the signature style of her Little Rock shop, White Goat. However, there was one portion of the house lacking in functionality. Located in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, the house was constructed in a time when most homes lacked central heating and air, thus the top floor had been originally used as a sleeping porch. Years later when the porch was enclosed, short ceilings made the room claustrophobic, and window units were insufficient for Arkansas’ extreme temperatures. Therefore, the upstairs portion of the home fell into disuse and became a graveyard for the family’s castoff furniture.

Enter Chris Milligan of Dwellings, Inc. Looking at the big picture, he knew the first step in creating a livable space was to build a taller exterior shell, which raised the roofline while preserving a streamlined look with the original roof. Now the twelve-foot ceilings of the upstairs sitting area create a loft-like feel, while eight-foot ceilings in the overlooking reading nook accommodate the vaulted ceilings of a first-story room. Next, central heating and air were added to the space, while a cushioned window seat cleverly disguises the additional ductwork.

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Bringing the Beach Home

May 14, 2014 by ark_admin

A Fayetteville woman turns to Springdale’s Harper Howey Interiors to bring casual, shore-inspired style to her family’s suburban abode

“If I can’t be at the beach every day, I want to feel like I am,” says homeowner Paige Arnold. After owning property in the popular Rosemary Beach community along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A, Arnold fell in love with the area’s laid-back lifestyle. “It’s a very casual mix of modern and eclectic,” she says of the beachfront region’s signature style, which often features a cool palette of ocean-inspired blues and greens, slipcovered furniture, and weathered wood. “I wanted our home here in Arkansas to feel almost like you’re on a vacation—a sort of Rosemary Beach meets Fayetteville look,” she adds.

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European Union

May 12, 2014 by ark_admin

Storied antiques and old world-inspired furnishings blend with timeless design elements in a new home for the perfect marriage between past and present

When homeowners Donna and Jim Bottin decided to move to West Little Rock to be closer to family, they thought they knew what they wanted. “The plan was to do an open-concept house, similar to what we had before,” says Donna. “But we wanted it to be a little more intimate and cozier,” she adds.
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Serene in the City

April 18, 2014 by ark_admin

A view of the Arkansas River and its woodlands encourage a Little Rock couple to renovate a home to fit their needs

Looking to bring a sense of calm to their routine, a Little Rock couple set out to find a new home where they could spread out a bit, relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Hoping for a river view, their options were limited. When a classically styled house on a quiet street came available, they knew that with a little imagination—and help from a trusted team of experts—they could transform it to suit their needs perfectly.

At first glance, the home wasn’t exactly dream-worthy. In fact, it was just the opposite of what this couple had in mind. But the red brick Georgian-style house did have a few things going for it; namely, a view of the Arkansas River and beyond. Inside, a small galley kitchen, dark hallways, and low ceilings didn’t suit the couple’s taste or lifestyle, so they called on architect Tom Fennell and designer Bill Beringer to bring the space to life.

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Color Cues

April 18, 2014 by ark_admin

Taking hints from the owner’s jubilant personality, designer Katie Henry gave a Litte Rock home a cosmetic update that resulted in a bright, happy haven

Growing up in Little Rock and attending the same school, Katie Henry and Pamela Rees had numerous mutual friends. However, they never imagined how close they would become when one of those mutual friends suffered a life-changing stroke. “We were both flooded with phone calls, texts and an overwhelming sense of sadness,” says Rees. As the pair became closer, they decided a creative outlet was just what they needed to heal their own hearts as their friend began to heal herself. What’s more, they knew just the project—Rees’s house.

As the owner of Little Rock’s Companions Clothier, Rees has always been on-trend and enjoys shopping for the home she shares with her spirited labradoodle, Lexie. “Pamela is so fashion forward and hilarious,” says Henry, who owns the Fayetteville-based Katie Grace Designs, “and her home needed to match her personality.” Rees agreed wholeheartedly. “I wanted my house to be a reflection of who I am,” she says. The pair worked together on the update, envisioning how existing pieces could work with new, mapping out color schemes and finding delight in fabric swatches that seemed spot-on for the spaces.

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The Next Chapter

April 15, 2014 by ark_admin

A historic Fayetteville home begins a new story starting with an interior and exterior renovation

Sometimes life makes a complete circle. For Bill Hardin, that meant coming home to the neighborhood where he grew up. “My son called to tell me that the brick house on the corner was for sale. I had always thought it was an interesting place, so I knocked on the door,” he says. Hardin got the full history of the home from its then owner, whose father founded and chaired the Department of Entomology at the University of Arkansas and built the house. “She was able to give me the original blueprints, so we knew how the house was intended to be,” says Hardin. The circa 1939 two-story house had good bones and a generous yard, but it needed some work to make it efficient for modern life.

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To begin the renovation, Hardin called in designer Dale Trice, whom he had worked with on several previous homes. Trice was careful to create a balance by retaining and enhancing the charming details of the home while removing the old-fashioned oddities. Downstairs, he highlighted the original plaster walls and millwork with a fresh coat of paint in a pearl finish. In the den, he painted the cozy—but dated—pine paneling a bold shade of marine blue and removed a set of dingy built-in bookcases. In the tiny powder room, Trice replaced what he calls a “strange little sink” with a custom concrete creation that appears to float on the wall. The home’s wood floors were refinished with an ebony wash, providing a lovely contrast to the light walls. Perhaps the happiest discovery was that a curved plaster wall matching the staircase wall was hidden behind drywall in a spare bedroom. By retaining the most interesting architectural details, the house now feels unique and custom.

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Family Style

March 26, 2014 by ark_admin

Functionality and vitality merge in a bustling kitchen that’s always home to a crowd

Jessica and Clay Barber are no strangers to big crowds. As parents to five boys, they—and their kitchen—often play host to large groups. However, when “rubbing elbows,” segued from a playful figure of speech to a literal lack of space, the Barbers turned to Kathryn LeMaster of Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design. With her magnetic charm and sixth sense for space maximization, LeMaster gave the family a full-fledged lifestyle transformation by creating a kitchen with defined spaces for everything from cooking dinner to paying bills.

For starters, LeMaster rethought the space by taking an office nook at the far end of the kitchen and transforming it into a much-needed beverage station and pantry area. She also traded a divisive dining peninsula for banquette window seating, which opened up the room’s traffic flow.

LeMaster also removed an upper-cabinet and relocated the microwave it held to a new waist-high base cabinet just below it. The cabinetry was squared off to allow a wider walking path between this area and a nearby support column. The reconfigured space led to the creation of additional seating in a new bar area, which was a bonus for the busy family. Other space-making features include a smaller, custom-designed island with a built-in waste receptacle along with shelving for storage, as well as the aforementioned banquette, which opens to store larger pots and dishware.

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Nautical Escape

Modern Family Getaway

Make a Splash

In With the Old and the New

Bringing the Beach Home

European Union

Serene in the City

Color Cues

The Next Chapter

Family Style

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At Home in Arkansas