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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French Dressing

July 24, 2009 by ark_admin

On any given day of the week, the Bell residence in Little Rock’s Pulaski Heights neighborhood bustles with activity. Between Ray and Carrie Bell, their 9-year-old daughter, Caroline, and Carrie’s 17-year-old son, Candler, the house is a hub of game-watching parties, sleepovers, cocktail hours and formal dinners.

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On the Waterfront

June 30, 2009 by ark_admin

Drive-up appeal has a dual meaning for a waterfront home, as visitors can approach not only by car but also by boat. Designing a house that offers an enticing exterior from both vantage points can be a challenge, which is what architect Chip Chambers faced when he and his wife, Susan, decided to build a new home on Lake Windsor in Bella Vista.

“We decided early on that we wanted the front of the house to face the lake and take advantage of the view,” says Chambers, “but we wanted to create an attractive entry from the street to the house as well.”

The couple had settled on a 1-½ story Cape Cod-inspired cottage as their style of choice, a look that Chambers calls “as classic and enduring as a great pair of khaki pants.” Since the house would face west, he designed a deep front porch to screen the afternoon sun, and realized that by wrapping it around the sides of the house he could create sheltered entrances for guests arriving from any direction. “That porch became the most endearing element of the design,” Chambers says, a place to not only greet family and friends but also a gathering spot to enjoy the views of the lake.

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The Casual Cottage

June 25, 2009 by ark_admin

It all started with a weekend visit to a friend’s vacation home on Eden Isle on Greers Ferry Lake. Smitten by the expansive lake views and the wooded backyards where neighborhood kids played freely, a Little Rock couple with three young children decided to look for a similar retreat of their own.

House hunting proved difficult though, as their favorite waterfront lot already had a 1970s era home on it, a place so dark and outdated that the family found it gloomy. “We walked away, but we ended up thinking about it for months,” says the homeowner. “The location was ideal and the bones of the house were good, so we bought it with the idea of giving it a fresh update.”

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Going for Baroque

Table Service

Nursery Suite

Family-Style Cooking

Bella’s Ballroom

Ethan’s Escape

Outdoor Access

French Dressing

On the Waterfront

The Casual Cottage

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