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Room of the Week 5.25.10

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I’m an avowed armchair traveler, and for this upcoming long weekend, here’s one seat I’d be glad to occupy and plan my next projects or trips.

It’s at the beautiful Bella Vista lakehouse of architect Chip Chambers and his wife Susan, which we features last July in our Waterfront Homes issue. With it’s classic styling and amazing view, it’s one of my favorite lake houses. And, that beautiful wooden boat would be ideal for some Memorial Day lake cruising.

Hankering for some lakefront time now? Our June issue, full of waterfront homes, should be in your mail box and on newsstand soon. Just so you can do some armchair traveling of your own.

A Blogger Shares Favorite Memories & Photos From Her Trip To France

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Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. And imagine you are strolling, cafe latte in hand, along the River Seine in France. Not a care in the world, just the knowledge that you are in one of the most romantic, beautiful places on Earth. Kasey Buick of Lola B’s One Girl Talks recently did just that, and she was kind enough to share with At Home some favorite moments from her journeys. Makes us want to pack up  and book a flight immediately, how about you? Tell us, what place in all the world brings you the most joy?

Thank you, Kasey, for letting us in on your little adventure.

Hello.

My name is kasey and i am so excited to have been asked here to guest post and

write a bit about my trip to France. You see…..i had been dreaming about travelling to

France for a long time. I’m not a privileged type of girl…i had to wait and save…..

oh….

and pretty much beg my husband to take a week off of work so that i wouldn’t have to

drag my children with me.

Can you imagine….waiting your entire life to go to you dream place….then having to bring

the children?

I think not.

Now…don’t get me wrong….i love.love.love my babies….but i much rather spend the week

in France with one of my best girlfriends.

So i did.

I had dreamed about this trip for years…..and so when i stepped off the plane…

i knew i wanted to take in every single breath….every sound….i wanted to taste

what the French tasted and so of course….i turned French girl while there.

Hello my name is Kasey….i am a french girl.

There really is so much to see in Paris….it can be overwhelming. My friend Kim and i decided we really

did not need to hit every museum….or peruse every church. We just wanted to envelope ourselves

with the fact that we were there and just walked.

Of course we wanted to see Le Tour Eiffel….and we did. I must say that the most

gorgeous view of it was from the top of Sacre Cour. We had to climb over three

hundred little teeeny tiiiiny stairs just to get to the top but it was worth it.

The view…….amazing.

We tried new foods….we drank our Caffe creme’s….we of course….had plenty of wine.

The food was not only beautiful….but the one think i sit back and remember is

how just sitting down for a meal is an experience in itself.

Eating is an activity.

You sit and linger….chit chat…..relax.

We had to remind ourselves that we were not in a hurry…we had nowhere to go….

and to take it all in.

Being in the moment.

Then having another glass of wine {or three}.

We spent three days in Paris then climbed on a train and headed south to the

beautiful town of St. Remy.

We perused a darling brocante …ate our lunch next to a river…

and just enjoyed meandering the south.

I loved seeing the fashion. I took so many photographs of people…

and even brought home this photo of Jean-Pierre.

I keep him in a little frame on my nightstand.

Of course my husband doesn’t understand….so i promised i wouldn’t

nag him about his nail biting habit anymore.

Imagine walking street after street and seeing beautiful flower shops on every

corner….the sights..the smells. I love how the Parisians would  walk everywhere and

shop for what they needed that very day.

Truly supporting the independants.



Thank you for letting me take through a bit of my adventure to France in the spring.

You can read more about my trip over at the place where i write on a daily basis…{here}..

and till we meet again…..

au revoir.

xo

At Home Friday Favorites 6.4.10

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From our editor, Diane Carroll:

A lovely post from Things That Inspire, highlighting Southern vernacular
architecture. This wonderful quote, from the architecture firm Bates Corkern
Studio, so eloquently sums up the power of home:

“We dwell in our homes and our homes dwell in us. It lingers with us when we
leave. Beckons when we are weary. It is the place that gives us comfort and
ease. Home is the one place where we can simply be. Where we can find our
way in the dark. Where we can identify the sounds of our children’s feet on
the floorboards, trace the same patch of sunlight across the dining room
wall – from spring through the coming winter.”

(Inspirational Architects: Bates Corkern Studio from Things That Inspire)

“I love this soothing shade of blue for a bedroom,” says Katie Rawlings, account executive. “It is so calming, which we all need at the end of the day in our place of rest!” (“Welcome to our Blog” from Shayla Copas Interiors)

Associate editor Paulette Pearson says, “This is the epitome of summer to me: sweet lemonade and alfresco dining, and a sprawling field of green grass.” (Sur La Table from The Bright Side Project)

Diane’s Design Inspiration 7.13.10

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July has been a month of contests.

First there was our Arkansas’ Best contest, and all the fun of working with those winners (several of them screamed when they found out they won…it was like working for Publishers Clearing House for a day, we loved it!!).

And the last two weeks, I’ve been judging entries for the What Inspires You? blog contest.

Entrants chose a favorite visual and then described in 100 words or less why it inspired them. As you can imagine, the photos were incredibly diverse—from a horny toad to lots of natural vistas to self portraits to technology to celebrities… (isn’t this photo grand?)

The other judges and I have rounded up our favorite 150 entries and future blog challenges and judging will follow (and the winner will ultimately win $10,000 and a fab trip to Paris…sigh, but I’ll live vicariously through their blog posts—and I’ll update you too).

In the meantime, I thought you might like to take a peek at some of the visuals I personally found the most inspiring. (And because I am through and through a home design editor, they were usually homes and gardens)

(all photos courtesy of Design Sherpa)

In case you missed them:

Our weekly blog review: At Home Friday Favorites

Award-winning architecture we can all enjoy, right here at home

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You might have to google Gentry, Arkansas to figure out where it is in the state.  Up in the far northwest corner, it’s close to the Oklahoma and Missouri borders and is the kind of sweet, sleepy little town you’ll find all across the region. But big architecture can happen even in small places.

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Fayetteville-based Marlon Blackwell Architects recently won a much-coveted award from the American Inst of Architects and the American Library Association for his renovation of this former hardware store in downtown Gentry into this 21st library. Marlon, who’s also an architecture prof at the Univ. of Arkansas, has won international accolades (he both lectures and publishes globally) but claims that his favorite place to work is here in Arkansas and the South in general. Some of that work was the subject of a book about him published a few years back, An Architecture of the Ozarks, the Works of Marlon Blackwell.

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http://www.marlonblackwell.com/site_media/uploads/publications/ArchitectureOfTheOzarks_NEW2.jpg

And because we know you design-savvy Arkansans don’t want European publications highlighting projects we haven’t seen here at home, we photographed Marlon’s house yesterday for our Architects Own Homes section in the October issue.  It’s an award winner too–the only house in our state to ever win the AIA award for residential design.  We’ll share some pictures when the issue hits newsstand.

The Traveling Designer with Tobi Fairley 9.1.10

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Hi all, it’s The Traveling Designer and I just got back from the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas.

Vegas, the home of casino gambling and some of the world’s best shopping, was also home to me during the summer of 1998. I was there doing my interior design internship for Yates-Silverman Casino Design Firm.

I usually visit Vegas at least once a year. My recent trip was for the Las Vegas Market where I was on a great discussion panel with some designer friends talking all things social media.

Lucky for me, one of my favorite Vegas hotels is located not far from the Vegas Market. The Wynn Las Vegas and its sister property, the Encore, are always my pick for the perfect place to stay.

It doesn’t hurt that the Wynn and Encore spas are some of the best in the country.

And now let’s talk about the shopping. I know it’s hard to believe, but I may prefer Las Vegas shopping more than New York City. The Chanel boutique at the Wynn (there’s one in the Encore too) always has the latest and greatest offerings inspired by Coco herself.

And if you don’t get your fill of shopping in the Wynn, there are many more options. Located across the street is the Fashion Show Mall with fabulous department store shopping including Neiman’s, Saks, Bloomies and more.

The Forum shops at Ceasar’s palace houses great brands like Gucci, Ferragamo, and the home of the little blue box, Tiffany’s. You’ll feel like you’re walking the streets of Rome with the Forum shops Italianate decor and replicas of some of Italy’s most famous fountains.

If you haven’t already spent your life savings, down the way at the Bellagio are more luxury shopping locales. And be sure to see the gorgeous Dale Chihuly anemone ceiling. It will take your breath away!

When you are finally finished shopping at the Bellagio, you can have lunch at one of the many restaurants and then take a walk around the lake and see the impressive fountain display.

There are as many fabulous restaurants in Vegas as shopping destinations. What are my favorites, you ask? Well the Steve Wynn Steakhouse for starters.

And when you take the kids, a trip to Serendipity 3 is a must! It is similar to the famous New York eatery but is executed Vegas style. I love the pink and navy color palette and the over-the-top design details like the fun lighting fixtures.

The world-famous frozen hot chocolate isn’t bad either!

American Fish at the impressive new Aria hotel and casino is uber hip and the food is delish! The menu is quite sophisticated, which makes it a little hard to decide what to order. But everything my family and I tried was fantastic, so don’t be intimidated. As long as you like seafood, you can’t go wrong!

And while at the Aria, take the tram over to the connected City Center. It is a plethora of you guessed it…more shopping! And some exclusive shops at that. The Tom Ford boutique is a sight to see both inside and out.

And if you just can’t spend another dime, no worries. The city center is a feast for the eyes. I found design inspiration everywhere including these gorgeous agate covered steps.

And the unique and impressive tree house sculpture and Mastro restaurant at the City Center are a must-see!

The lovely wooden curves of the structure are awe-inspiring.

And the dining experience is quite chic.

I love the bright yellow decor in the tree house and adjacent dining room. Aren’t those glass chandeliers a wow?

If a show is in order one evening, there are many to choose from. This time, I opted for the new Cirque de Soleil tribute to the King. I am a huge Elvis fan and Viva Elvis was highly entertaining, so if you are a fan be sure to check out this fun performance.

And when you are exhausted from all the shopping, eating, gambling and shows in Vegas, a trip to the pool might be in order. It’s how I finished up my fabulous recent stay at the Wynn.

The views of the stunning pool and pool-side cabanas were all it took to get me in the mood for a fruity drink while lounging on a comfy chaise. And the Wynn pool is very kid-friendly, so don’t be afraid to take your little one along like I did.

Well there you have my latest Vegas excursion in a nutshell. It was full of food, fun and lots of design inspiration. I hope these recommendations come in handy on your next trip.

Now, I’m off on another excursion to the East coast. I’ll be back soon with more highlights, but until then…Happy Travels!

At Home with Architecture 8.31.09

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Labor Day weekend awaits us, a great time to try something new like a bike trek on Little Rock’s wonderful riverfront trails, culminating with a ride through this architectural icon. Originally built in 1884 so that trains could cross the Arkansas River, the Junction Bridge now offers pedestrians and cyclists a means of traveling between Little Rock’s River Market district and North Little Rock’s Riverfront Park. The nation’s only pedestrian bridge with a lift span, it reopened last year after a decade-long, $5.8 million transformation. Complete with elevators, staircases, benches and even wi-fi access, it’s ready for the next century of use.

Check out more weekend getaway ideas on our  On The Road travel tips series:
http://athomearkansas.com/At-Home-Arkansas/Travel-Entertaining/On-the-Road/

Design on the Move! Mark your calendar

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How’s this for a win-win of great causes:

an affordable, sustainable house, built for a low-income-qualified young family as part of a revitalizing effort of a downtown Little Rock neighborhood, and completely designed and constructed by University of Arkansas architecture students.

And beautiful to boot! We told the tale of how this house was built in Fayetteville and trucked to its Little Rock site in our feature Modular on the Move, and you can hear the full story next week in a special event at the Arkansas Arts Center.

Art of Architecture Lecture
“Reaching Out: Little Rock and the Fay Jones School of Architecture” by Jeff Shannon

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

5:30 p.m. Reception; 6:00 p.m. Lecture

Arkansas Arts Center Lecture Hall

Join Jeff Shannon, Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture, for this lecture as part of the 2010-2011 Art of Architecture series. We’ll be there! Hope to see you.

In case you missed it:

The Traveling Designer visits D.C.

At Home with Architecture 9.14.09

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Another rainy day…and I’m thinking about how great the rain would sound if you were in this treehouse at Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock. If you’re not familiar with the camp, it’s just on the edge of the western side of town and has been around for about 60 years, providing a traditional camp experience for children with disabilities.

Added to that wonderful mission is the fact that they have great architecture, courtesy of some talented Arkansas architects. For the past several years, U of A architecture prof Laura Terry has conducted a summer design/build workshop for students, and the result has been some amazing recreational spaces, like the treehouse above, and the archery pavilion below.

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And these ribbon wood benches, where kids can get out of their wheelchairs, recline on the bench, and look up at the sky. Bet that’s a great sight.
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For the full story:

http://athomearkansas.com/At-Home-Arkansas/August-2009/Outdoor-Access/

Choose Your Favorite Cover 9.28.10

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Here’s your chance to let your opinion be heard! Our November issue goes to press tomorrow, and we have a lovely dilemma to deal with–two covers that are so equally appealing, we’re having a difficult time selecting our favorite.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Both shots are from the home of Little Rock-based interior designer Mona Thompson, of Providence Ltd., which was built by Bill Parkinson of Parkinson Building Group. Photography by Nancy Nolan.

So which one is your favorite?

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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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