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Cottage Light

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It was 17 years ago this month that my husband David lured me into the car for a Sunday afternoon drive. The dogwood trees were in full bloom and the colors of spring were a welcome sight. With no itinerary planned, David steered us toward the Heights neighborhood and showed me a house he had coveted from afar for years. As we turned onto Stonewall Road, David looked at me and said, “If this house ever goes on the market, I’m going to find a way to buy it.” Call it coincidence or call it kismet, but the home was indeed for sale by owner, and I immediately shared his love of this Spanish Colonial cottage David had nicknamed the Alamo.

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We peered in a plethora of windows and fell for it hard and fast. But others had apparently responded similarly, as there were several notes on the front door beckoning the owners for a showing. We soon realized this wasn’t going to be an easy task and quickly got a plan in motion. Persistence paid off and we reached the owners late that afternoon. The keepers of the keys were none other than Brett Pitts and Kevin Walsh, co-owners of Bear-Hill Interiors. When things are meant to be everything falls into place, and within a month the Alamo was ours.

 

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Cottage Comfort

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When David Kirkpatrick of Cabbage Rose Floral Boutique purchased his 1938 house in Little Rock’s Hillcrest neighborhood two years ago, he was drawn to its cottage style but wanted to add warmth. “It has good bones with built-in shelves, French doors and arts-and-crafts details,” says Kirkpatrick, “but I also wanted it to be a place of comfort.” So he decided to roll up his sleeves and get to work, weaving in layers of earth tones and his signature eclectic style to transform the space into a comfortable cottage hideaway.

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Paint was Kirkpatrick’s first priority, and he opted for natural earthy shades inspired by fall foliage. A golden yellow, which Kirkpatrick says creates soft apricot-hued shadows in the evening, makes a statement on the living and dining room walls. In the master bedroom, Kirkpatrick chose a soothing sage green that appears “to disappear at night,” he says. And in the bathroom, he chose to temper the stark white tile with a deep earthy brown paint. 

 

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Heirloom Cooking

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As a young girl helping her mother prepare meals in the kitchen of her family’s new home in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, Jane Fraiser could hardly have imagined that she would one day stand in the same space and cook with her own grandchildren. Yet six decades later, that’s exactly what happens on a regular basis, as Jane and her husband, Dr. Lacy Fraiser, welcome their children and their two grandsons into the 1947 cottage that has always remained in Jane’s family.

 

Lifelong Little Rock residents, the Fraisers opted to return to Jane’s childhood home as empty-nesters, enticed by the cottage’s manageable size and friendly neighborhood. Less enticing, however, was its near-original-condition kitchen, which contained a tiny cooking area and a utility room. “We knew we’d have to renovate the kitchen into a more usable area if this house was going to work for us,” says Jane. “It was so small and closed off from the other rooms, and we envisioned an open space where we could all be together.”

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Unexpected Charm

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When roommates Natalie Smith and Casie Williams began searching for an apartment, they had choices to make. Proximity to the freeway or a quirky neighborhood? Character or closet space? It quickly became apparent that they preferred crystal doorknobs and built-in bookshelves to a community pool or covered parking. They were searching for a home and a lifestyle. They found unexpected charm.

 

Their search ended in the form of an apartment hidden in the cottage-filled streets of Little Rock’s Hillcrest neighborhood. When they opened the front door and made their way up a curved stairway, they discovered a rare rental gem with French doors, crown molding, an original doorbell and a dining room harkening back to 1930s dinner parties straight out of the movies. Needless to say, they were sold.

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Backyard Paradise

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For Rebecca and Sam Tuck’s active family of six, spending time together often meant gathering in the backyard of their Jonesboro home. However, they were limited to eating meals on the patio and playing on a grassy lawn, and soon began considering ways to improve their time spent outdoors. Because their two young daughters enjoy swimming, and because they wanted to give their two older sons a place to hang out with their friends at home, they decided to install a pool, and the rest developed from there. “We’re not formal people,” Rebecca explains. “I wanted it to be a relaxing place for our family to play and also entertain.” Thanks to the collaborative help of several local professionals, what resulted is a natural, family-friendly oasis where the Tucks can both relax and welcome visitors all year long.

 
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Off to the Lake

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When Gary and Jackie Childers decided to build a lake house in Heber Springs’ Brighton Pointe community, they envisioned an outdoor area where they could entertain family and friends. Inspired by coastal vacations in Florida, the couple also hoped to create a relaxing space that would take advantage of the waterfront views. “We wanted the best of both worlds,” Jackie explains, “the natural beauty of Greers Ferry Lake mixed with the tranquil feel of a seaside getaway.”

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Enlisting the help of Little Rock-based designer Lou Anne Herget, the Childers began by installing several entertaining areas to accommodate large groups of people, including a deep back porch for watching sunsets over the water and a wide deck where lounge chairs, a sectional patio sofa shaded by an umbrella, and a dining table all cater to al fresco parties and meals. A stone walkway leads to a lower landing closer to the water, where more seating and a freestanding rock fireplace allow for cozy get-togethers even on cooler evenings. “It’s where we keep an eye on our grandchildren as they play in the trees,” says Jackie, noting that an outdoor shower added for convenience is another favorite space for the kids.

 

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Made in the Shade

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Jeanne Spencer’s roots are evident in her Little Rock garden, where the Arkansas native’s love of the South shows in the magnolias, crepe myrtles, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas amassed in the landscape.

 

Inspired by her favorite courtyards in Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans, Jeanne and her husband Dan began transforming their backyard into what she calls “a Southern-style city garden” nearly 16 years ago, when the couple returned to their hometown after two decades spent in Dallas. Located in the Prospect Terrace area of Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, the lot was “a blank canvas, with some tall trees but not much else,” says Jeanne. “It’s a city lot, and the first challenge was how to turn a small space into an inviting garden.”

 

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Garden Grandeur

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Saying that Chip and Cindy Murphy like to entertain is an understatement. From gala events for hundreds of guests to private dinner parties with specialty chefs, the philanthropic pair regularly throw open the doors of their 1947 Georgian-style home in Little Rock’s Edgehill neighborhood and host a myriad of charitable fetes for the community.

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When they purchased their home six years ago, part of the appeal was that its classic elegance and ample grounds were well suited to their entertaining style. As their event calendar grew, they sought ways to make better use of an existing pool and cabana area and the open lawn, which sloped down to a wooded ravine and neighboring Allsopp Park. They turned to renowned garden designer and author P. Allen Smith, who “brought us an encompassing vision of how we could unify our home and garden,” says Cindy.

 

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The (eco) Friendly Kitchen

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“Make yourself at home. Here’s a glass, grab a plate, and help yourself,” says Lyn Edge. “That’s the feeling I wanted this kitchen to convey to everyone who enters.” A busy grandmother who tends her 4- and 7-year-old granddaughters each day, Lyn needed an open space where family and friends could easily pitch in and where she wouldn’t be closed off from the living areas. What she and her husband, Dr. Otis Edge, began with in their 1930s-era home in Little Rock’s Hillcrest neighborhood, however, was the exact opposite.

 

Interested in relocating from West Little Rock to the Hillcrest area to be closer to their family, the Edges found a 2,000-square-foot bungalow that seemed a good fit for their needs. While the size and locale were appealing, the kitchen was a disaster. “There were two small cooking and pantry sections, a bathroom, and a screened porch alongside them with a floor that was caving in,” says Lyn. “My jaw dropped when I saw it.”

 

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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.

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