At Home in Arkansas: Your home is so pulled together, which hints at years of careful editing and accessorizing. We have to know: new build, or renovation?
Melissa Haynes: It’s a new build in Fayetteville’s Clear Creek neighborhood, but I love that you thought it might have been a renovation. One of the things that was really important to me in designing this house was to draw from the classics—French influence, Mediterranean design, British architecture—and create a house that was timeless and would age gracefully.
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Naturally Chic
Jim Pfeifer and Dr. Robynn Zinser love the West Little Rock home they share with their young daughter Jade. But the home, which was built in the 1970s and later sold to the family, hasn’t always met their needs or suited their style – particularly when it came to the kitchen. “To put it plainly, nothing worked, nothing was convenient and it was small, dark and ugly,” laughs Jim.
Luckily, they didn’t have to look far to find the perfect person to help correct this problem. As an architect who has worked on a number of local projects including the Big Dam Bridge and the Capital Hotel’s 1980s renovation, Jim not only had the technical skills required for the design, he was also in tune with style concepts that could make the kitchen appear larger and full of light. “Everyone ends up gathering in the kitchen, so we wanted ours to be open and welcoming for our family and guests,” he says.
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Modern Glamour
At Home in Arkansas: What was the home like before the transformation?
Homeowner Jane Meade: The house had been redone beautifully five years before and was in excellent shape. My quandary was finding the style I wanted the house to follow.
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Livable Luxury
At Home in Arkansas: The overall feel of this home is opulent and elegant, without seeming too feminine or fussy. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the design?
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Singular Sensation
As the proprietors of Bear-Hill Interiors, brother-and-sister design team Kevin and Susan Walsh enjoy what they do. However, it took a move by their mother, Anita Creviston, to push them to design extremes. Susan recalls, “On the same day that the contractors were finishing up, carpet was being installed, drapes were being hung. Kevin was in Hot Springs packing up all of our mom’s things. It was a whirlwind, just like the TV show, ‘Extreme Makeover’.” In four short weeks, the siblings had completely remodeled and updated their mother’s one-bedroom condo. At the same time, they also managed to pack her belongings and relocate her from Hot Springs to Little Rock.
Naturally, it was a labor of love. The brother-and-sister design duo wanted Anita closer and the condo provides exactly the space she needs. While the entire unit was remodeled, the dining area, living room, and bedroom showcase the highlights of this before-and-after project.
“Mother wanted to use things that she already owned and she wanted some color, so that inspired us,” explains Susan. Shades of green provide vibrancy to the soothing palette. For the dining room, Anita already owned two Hickory Chair dining chairs. Two more were ordered to round out the set and all were recovered in soft blue with a contrasting ivory cord. The plates hung on the wall were part of their mother’s pottery collection. The chandelier, an old gas lamp, was converted to electric and painted a warm neutral. In addition to providing design services, Bear-Hill Interiors also has a great retail selection. The Walshes used finds from their shop to complete the design, including the dining table, which they repainted to match the room’s decor. Aquamarine Schumacher wallpaper and mushroom gray carpet provide the perfect canvas to let the individual pieces shine.
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Modern-Day Rustic
At Home in Arkansas: What was this kitchen like before the renovation?
Designer Helen Lockhart: It was very dated and didn’t reflect the homeowners’ style. It had green laminate and lots of honey-toned wood. The island was a funny shape and it wasn’t very useful. The color scheme was hunter green and there was green-and-white striped wallpaper. We left nothing behind except the refrigerator. We gutted the room.
What was most important to the homeowners, Lee and Dr. Michael Koone, in the redesign?
They wanted a fresh look—something lighter than what they had before. They have a beautiful view, and the previous cabinets had wood moulding that went across the bay window over the sink and really enclosed that area. They wanted to open that up and accentuate the bay window. Michael is an avid birdwatcher, and they didn’t want anything to obstruct that view. We even made sure there was a place for him to keep his binoculars over the kitchen sink.
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Urban Appeal
At Home in Arkansas: You renovated this space twelve years ago for a different client. What types of changes did your new client have in mind for the redesign?
Designer Meridith Hamilton: The space was nice, but it was beginning to look a little dated and heavy. The kitchen had a natural wood finish and colorful backsplash, with a design that focused on the vertical lines. It was modern, but not sleek. I wanted to change that by focusing on the horizontal lines and really exaggerating the tall ceilings, lofty feel and big windows, and taking advantage of the light coming in. It was time for something different, something new and sleek, something less visually heavy.
Was the clean, new look a welcome change for your career-minded client?
His personal style went from traditional to modern. That was a huge transition for him. He is very work-oriented and his office is in the same building as his home. He wanted to clean everything up, get rid of any clutter and get rid of anything that makes his personal life more hectic, because he does work very hard.
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Light & Bright
At Home in Arkansas: This room feels so light and airy. But since your home is a 1940s bungalow, I’m guessing it wasn’t always this way.
Homeowner Sheb Fisher: It was a very small space before the renovation, with a tiny cooking area, a breakfast space and even a washer and dryer at the end of the room.
When you and your husband, Danny, decided to renovate, what did you have in mind?
We have always spent a lot of time in the kitchen and it was important to us to make it feel more open and inviting, creating a gathering place where we could all be comfortable. Since the house is small and only has one living area, we wanted to have an additional place to relax. We envisioned a large island with seating as well as a banquette area as ways to create more gathering spaces, and we wanted a higher ceiling so it felt more open and light. Adding storage was a priority as well, since the tiny cooking area didn’t have adequate cabinet space.
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Rustically Refined
For Julie and Ben Pruet, escaping to the European countryside doesn’t require purchasing tickets or packing bags. Rather, the couple simply steps outside and wanders through their garden, making their way to the arched doors that lead to their Old World-inspired outdoor kitchen.
Travels through Europe influenced the couple to infuse their West Little Rock home with Tuscan ambience, a look that carried over to the home’s exterior and grounds. When Ben retired a few years ago, Julie cooked up the idea of a European-inspired outdoor kitchen as a mutually enjoyable addition. “The kitchen was my retirement gift to Ben,” says Julie, “a space where he could enjoy grilling, and I could share in the experience with him. We love being outdoors on the beautiful days here in Arkansas, and wanted to bring a little of our indoors outside.”
Blending the outdoor space with the style of their home was a priority, and Julie worked with builder Jack Hartsell, designer Kim Brockinton and decorative painter Andrew Bruckman to give the new area rustic appeal. “Even though this kitchen was basically for my husband’s use, I wanted it to be a space that would be visually pleasing for us and for entertaining as well,” she says. “Being an engineer by background, it is all about the functionality for Ben, but for me it was much more than stainless steel appliances and a prep area for cooking.” Julie ensured that each element in the kitchen, including the stone and Western cedar construction materials, Spanish cedar cabinets and island, bronze metal vent hood, copper light fixtures, textured and colored walls, along with aged shutters and arched doors, added to the overall Old World look she envisioned.
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Soothing Sanctuary
Nellie and Bill Mosley have come a long way from the red tile and jungle print wallpaper that once adorned the master bath in their North Little Rock home. “The bathroom was dated,” Nellie says. “The tropical wallpaper had monkeys peeking through jungle leaves. When I put it up, I thought it was fun, but then I never changed it.” As the Mosleys began to renovate their home room by room, having a finished master bath became increasingly important to Nellie. “I needed a sanctuary where I could get in my tub and be home free.”
The couple turned to Leslie Tetrev with Inside Effects to give them the spa-like retreat they envisioned. “I told her what I was looking for and gave her some pictures of bathrooms I liked. We didn’t have a disagreement about anything. It was as though she could read my mind,” Nellie says. “As a designer for my bathroom, she was right on point.”
“The space really had good bones and a great layout,” Tetrev says. “They wanted something different with lots of storage, and after talking with Nellie about which materials we would use, we settled on a clean-lined look with a modern feel.”
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