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Modern Farmhouse Makeover

April 26, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

Designer Katie Rees employs a light palette and industrial accents to bring transitional style to a formerly dark lodge

East of Little Rock sits a picturesque country retreat with an abundance of outdoor amenities and no shortage of peace and quiet. “We really fell in love with this property and wanted to be here all the time,” says one of the owners of the land and an existing home, which was originally meant to be a getaway. They sold their main residence in 2009, made a few practical updates to the cabin-like house, and moved there full time. However, after nearly a decade they were ready to give the space new life.

“It started with me coming out to tweak the kitchen and paint. Over time it turned into much more,” says designer Katie Rees of Katie Grace Designs. “They wanted it to be right.” After several conversations and with proper respect to the setting and the home, they settled on a style one of the owners refers to as a “modern farmhouse with industrial flair.” “We were going in a million different directions with ideas when Katie came along. She really helped us to pull it all together.”

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Pattern Play

April 26, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

Designer Jonathan Parkey of J. Parkey blends patterns, styles, and collections to imbue a Jonesboro home with life and history

Like his path from Arkansas to New York and back, Jonathan Parkey’s design is anything but ordinary. A Jonesboro native, he moved to the Big Apple to pursue a career in theater after college in Michigan. Following a stint off Broadway, he found himself working in the fashion industry in luxury womenswear. “I opened up both retail spaces for the fashion startup I worked for, and that’s where I caught the bug of working in design professionally,” he says.

Four years ago, Jonathan moved back to Arkansas—“one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he says—where he works with design clients in both his hometown and Little Rock. When the owners of this home called him on board, Jonathan had a vision for the house that would help them feel like they’d lived there for years. “The previous homeowners built the house with so much care and purpose, so the bones were spectacular. This project was about taking the bones and stripping it down to fit the new homeowners’ style.”

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Neutral Gear

April 26, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

Jill White uses a cohesive palette and a heavy dose of current style to update a Little Rock family home

A burled wood console table offers a drop spot for mail and keys at the front entry. Garden stools and graphic art give a hint of what’s to come in the house.

When Jill White first met the owners of this Little Rock home, she knew that with several coats of fresh paint, a few updated furnishings, and some current accessories she could help them infuse their fun-loving style into their home. “This was a great house, but it wasn’t truly reflective of their personality,” she says. The couple had worked with Jimmy Lasley to build the home in 2007 but, as time had passed, hadn’t put the same attention to detail into the furnishings. “Even though it’s a newer home, they wanted someone to help them truly finish it out,” the designer says.

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Welcoming Scene

March 28, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

In Conway, designer Tami Risinger helps a couple build a forever home where they can enjoy time with loved ones

As the wife of a builder, Susan Salter grew accustomed to a certain pattern: Her husband, Gene, would build a beautiful home and move their family into it, only to move out again when the home sold to a client. “When we had our four boys, I knew I couldn’t do that anymore, so we stayed in our last house for 26 years until they were all out on their own,” she says. As grandchildren began to enter their lives, the Salters desired a home well-suited to their next chapter of life. They decided to build in their beloved city of Conway and worked on plans for a home where the entire family—sons, daughters-in-law, and grandkids included—could gather, putting special emphasis on rooms for the kids and places for them to play….

Formally Theirs

March 28, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

In the Heights, Heather and Arnoud Krijt design a new construction home that feels perfectly them

Not many couples start planning their new build several months into dating. But then, not much about Heather and Arnoud Krijt’s story is typical. She, an interior designer with a background in ballet and bio-chemistry, and he, a Dutch native who moved to the U.S. in college to play golf, met while Heather was living in Dallas. “He said, I’m going to build a house and I think you should help. I was like, I just met you!” Heather recalls, laughing….

Currently Classic

March 28, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Designer Melissa Haynes works with a Fayetteville family to create a new home filled with beloved furnishings, fresh colors, and plenty of charm

When Melissa Haynes first met her clients—Tonia and Brad McMakin and their son, Matthew—she sensed they were ready to build a home they would enjoy for decades to come. The couple found a site in an area particularly dear to them; Brad is the golf coach at the University of Arkansas, and this neighborhood houses the team’s practice course. “They have such a sense of community here, and really wanted to put down roots in this neighborhood,” Melissa says….

In Full View

February 18, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

With dedicated zones for cooking, dining, swimming, and relaxing, this central Arkansas backyard maximizes the homeowners’ downtime

Nestled in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains along Lake Maumelle sits a contemporary farmhouse with a backyard retreat built with one thing in mind: the view. “The views here are spectacular, and the owners wanted to capture the dramatic landscape down to the lake and across to the rolling hills,” says interior designer Kim Brockinton of Kim Brockinton Interiors. Working with contractor Bill Parkinson and waterscape designer and landscape architect Jason Brownlee, Kim was able to help her clients, who are also longtime friends, create a space where both they and their two children could entertain friends throughout much of the year….

Step Right Out

February 18, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

Better Lawns & Gardens maximizes space in a Little Rock backyard to create an escape for the owners

When David Munsey, III, general manager of central Arkansas’s Better Lawns & Gardens, first saw Martha and Dr. Vent Murphy’s backyard it was nearly a blank slate. “When you walked out their back door, there was a patio and several flower beds, and that was basically it,” he recalls. The Murphys, who enjoy entertaining and spending time outdoors, wanted to open up the space and make it more usable. Working with David as well as Tobi Fairley of Tobi Fairley Interior Design (who also designed the interior of their home), they were able to create spaces for grilling, gathering, and downtime. …

Gathering Place

February 18, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

With bursts of color and a thoughtful layout, Chris H. Olsen brings style and function to a cottage-sized outdoor area in Little Rock

When Dr. Rhys Branman and Leslie Harmon called on Chris H. Olsen to design their landscape, Chris immediately pictured the backyard as an intimate, comfortable living space for the couple and their friends. “They entertain a lot, and I wanted the design to be functional, cozy, and to make their outside an extension of the inside,” Chris says.

First, Chris planted ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae along the fences shared with neighbors for added texture and privacy. “Our goal was that when they’re entertaining, they feel like they’re in their own private world,” Chris says.

Another major step was replacing all of the existing hardscaping with flagstone for a more level surface and consistent feel throughout the design. Right off the home’s back door sit two circle-shaped areas—one with seating and a fire pit to provide a gathering place with friends, and one with a small container garden of herbs. “That area could be used for another table or sitting area if they wanted, but right now we did a cluster of pots of herbs because they like to cook,” Chris says….

Timeless & True

December 30, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Comfort and authenticity abound in a west Little Rock family home

In an age of instant gratification, the adage good things are born over time still rings true. Case in point: an exquisite Colonial Revival home on the edge of the capital city.

“This is the culmination of about six years of house plans,” says interior designer Jill Lawrence. She worked with her clients, who also happen to be dear friends, every step of the way. “We were neighbors and became best friends,” explains one of the homeowners. “When our kids were little, especially on snow days, we would work on house plans. We would go over to visit, and Jill would draw the plans.”…

Modern Farmhouse Makeover

Pattern Play

Neutral Gear

Welcoming Scene

Formally Theirs

Currently Classic

In Full View

Step Right Out

Gathering Place

Timeless & True

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At Home in Arkansas