Refresh Archives | At Home in Arkansas

Balancing Act

January 5, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

Before & After: Designer Marianna O’Dea marries masculine and feminine, comfortable and chic in a Little Rock master bedroom

When Emily and Anthony Johnson hired Marianna O’Dea to reimagine their newly purchased residence, the master bedroom quickly emerged as a priority in the larger picture. “It sounds crazy, but one of the reasons this moved to the top of the list is because it lacked window treatments. It was extremely bright, and they needed to get some sleep,” the designer laughs. To remedy this, she quickly had drapes made from a contemporary abstract-print fabric by Lindsay Cowles. “Emily has always been a fan of this line and particularly loved this pattern. It was the first thing we chose for the entire house,” Marianna says.

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Expertly Mixed

November 20, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Before & After: A more functional flow and stylish simplicity were the goals for this Little Rock kitchen remodel

When Kathryn LeMaster started working with Marnie and Dennis Wightman on their home remodel, her challenge was in helping them achieve the ease of use they desired while still giving the home elements of interest and a “modern edge.” “They had a good idea of what they wanted for the layout, and they had already worked with the architects on opening it up,” Kathryn says. “When I came on board, it was all about choosing finishes and making it feel like all three rooms—the kitchen and nearby dining and living rooms—could flow from one to the next.”…

All Tied Together

October 27, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Before & After: Designer Katherine Spicer helps a Fort Smith family freshen their dining room’s style while incorporating beloved pieces

Sometimes you don’t know exactly what a room is missing until you see it completed. That’s how it was for Leslie and Aubrey Ziegler, who worked with interior designer Katherine Spicer to refresh several of the interior spaces of their new-construction home. “We had a bunch of hand-me-down furniture and this and that from our old home,” Leslie says. “It was my mother who said, Leslie, you built that beautiful home, now you need to hire someone to help you finish it.”…

Clean Slate

September 30, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Before & After: In Hot Springs Village, designer Alissa Oates creates a modern master bath that doesn’t skimp on style or amenities

You may be familiar with the saying Necessity is the mother of invention. However, for Kelly and Chad Fowler, necessity was the mother of renovation. After a driver lost control of his car and damaged the exterior of their home—most notably an area near the master bath—they knew it was time to move forward with plans to renovate the space. Fortunately, the Fowlers were already working with Alissa Oates of Restructure Design. “She had just finished re-doing our kitchen, and we were hitting pause for a bit before continuing on to the bath,” Kelly explains….

Historic Character

September 3, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Before & After: The owners of a 1905 Fayetteville home call on Jessica DeBari to reimagine their traditional dining room in a fresh new light

A passion for the past brought designer Jessica DeBari and her clients together for this dining room makeover. “We live a few blocks away, and our sons are about the same age,” Jessica says. “We’ve bonded over the trials of renovating older houses as well as antiques. We all love going on these little treasure hunts.”…

Lavender Dream

July 27, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Before & After: AC Designs creates a bright and happy master bedroom for a Little Rock couple

For years, Amy Terry and Candace Davis enjoyed designing their own homes, occasionally helping friends, and creating welcoming classrooms (they are both prekindergarten teachers); however, they didn’t realize they were quickly creating a new business. In 2018, thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, the two started to take on more and more clients and launched AC Designs. “We do a mix of projects—everything from new builds and renovations to quick décor updates. It has grown more than we anticipated and has become a full-time second job for us,” Amy says….

Midcentury Modernized

July 7, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Designer Krista Lewis renovates a kitchen to complement its home’s era and the family’s style

Built in 1966, the Little Rock home April and David Messersmith share with their three children was remodeled when the family moved in 13 years ago. However, both their style and needs have evolved over the past decade, prompting them to call local designer Krista Lewis to update several spaces in the home, including the kitchen. “Krista and I were sorority sisters at the University of Arkansas, so it was a lot of fun to get to work with a friend on this project,” April says. The two shared a common goal of renovating the room while keeping the style in line with the home’s midcentury architecture….

Kitchen Central

May 30, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

An updated layout and light, neutral design elements are hallmarks of this makeover

When this Little Rock family of five purchased their house from friends, they knew it was a place they’d want to call home for years to come. However, as much as they loved the new space, they were eager to make a few updates to give the home a more current feel—and to make it their own. “They realized the kitchen was an area they could tackle pretty quickly,” says designer Sarah Finley of Finley Design Group. Sarah, who worked in corporate design for a number of years before getting her contractor’s license, formed Finley Design Group in 2014. Here, she and Heather Fuller, who has a background in both design and furniture retail, work side-by-side on projects of all sizes from concept to completion. The pair’s goal for this renovation was to make the room more user-friendly while adding sophistication….

Family Traditional

February 18, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

In Camden, a mix of old and new combine for a fresh recipe in the kitchen

Grace Murphree has countless memories in the home she shares with her husband, Mike. That’s in part because she grew up in the house, which belonged to her mother originally. After their children left for college, Grace and Mike were ready to update the space to suit their tastes and usher in a new phase of family life. Built in 1974, few changes had been made to the space when the Murphrees consulted Talena Ray of Providence Design….

Personal Space

December 30, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Designer Krista Lewis turns a dated Little Rock bathroom into a sophisticated yet youthful retreat

When Krista Lewis of K. Lewis Interior Design first approached this project, she was faced with a common dilemma found in older bathrooms: The choppy layout made the space feel cramped. It was immediately clear how much light could be gained by taking down a couple of walls. “The toilet, vanity, and even the shower basically stayed in the same spot, but it’s totally opened up,” she says. “We didn’t expand into any more space, we just re-worked what we already had.”

From there, Krista customized the space to work for her client, a teen with a penchant for clean-lined simplicity. She swapped the double sink vanity for a single, designing a wall of built-ins with lower cabinets and open shelving to complement it. “She doesn’t like a lot of stuff everywhere, but she’s a teenage girl—there’s all the stuff that teenage girls have,” Krista says, pointing to storage solutions perfect for putting away hair tools and toiletries….

Balancing Act

Expertly Mixed

All Tied Together

Clean Slate

Historic Character

Lavender Dream

Midcentury Modernized

Kitchen Central

Family Traditional

Personal Space

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