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Southern Casual

March 18, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

Parkinson Building Group and Providence Design team up to create a classic, livable home

“This is our forever home, and we wanted to get it right,” one of the owners of this west Little Rock house says. Having raised their now college-age son in a tight-knit neighborhood, the couple looked forward to wide open spaces and natural views for their next phase of life, along with a home that would complement their down-to-earth, Southern style. After finding the perfect lot with a view of a pond and a natural hillside, they turned to Bill Parkinson and the team at Parkinson Building Group to get the ball rolling.

“We knew we wanted an open plan; we aren’t a formal family,” the homeowner says, noting the dining room in their previous home was underused. After seeing another home Bill had built, they fell in love with its floor plan and made a few tweaks to customize it. “It’s really helpful when a client can walk through a previous build we’ve done and use it to help visualize their home and gain inspiration,” Bill says….

Modern Family, Classic Style

March 18, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

Designer Jonathan Parkey instills a sense of playful sophistication in this Little Rock family home

In early 2020, Lauren and Nate Steel started looking for a house that would suit their needs as a growing family. “Our previous home had some great outdoor living, but the family living room was very cramped and didn’t have very much light,” Lauren says. “We needed more space, and I also wanted it to be more open with plenty of room for kids to move around.”

When the couple happened upon this home for sale in the Heights, Lauren invited designer Jonathan Parkey—who had helped her pull together several rooms in her previous house—to see it. Jonathan, who also owns a namesake store in the neighborhood, immediately saw potential in its classic bones and easy flow. “Lauren is pretty traditional, as is Nate, and I wanted to help them create a home that felt fitting for the older neighborhood, but also fresh and modern,” he says. To achieve this, he juxtaposed traditional elements such as antiques, stripes, and chinoiserie with clean lines and a bold combination of patterns. “We were playing off the idea of someone walking in here and not knowing for sure whether this was once Lauren’s grandmother’s or great-grandmother’s house,” Jonathan says. “It was that feeling of blowing the dust off something old and making it new again.” Because the Steels have three children under the age of 5, keeping the look playful was also a priority. “I wanted it to be bright and fun in a way that the kids would enjoy, but also worthy of the history of the home,” Jonathan says. “This design feels timeless, and they still have the space to grow into it and entertain.”…

The Great Outdoors

February 10, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

Designer Katie Rees helps a Carlisle couple make the most of their outdoor living space while connecting its style to their recent renovation

Before this home’s outdoor living areas were remodeled, its owners had a problem: The spaces were only usable for a few months of the year. Now, thanks to a renovation that included enclosing an open cabana to create a pool house and furnishing the front porch, one of the happy homeowners describes a more welcome dilemma: “It’s hard to pick a place to sit!” she laughs. “We have so many favorite spots now. It’s all so relaxing and inviting.”

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Places for Retreat

February 9, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

In Northwest Arkansas, DK Designs creates an outdoor living area with multiple destinations for enjoyment and relaxation

A childhood spent in New England drew the owner to purchase this early 1900s home in Fayetteville’s sought-after Wilson Park neighborhood. “It reminded me of the homes where I grew up,” she says, “and I wanted to stay true to that when it came to the outdoors.” Having worked with outdoor designer Daniel Keeley in the past, she was eager to have him personalize this new space. Daniel came to the project with the benefit of not only knowing the owner’s preferences, but also being well-acquainted with the space, having worked on the garden with the home’s previous owner. “I have always loved this house and the property, and I’ve been lucky enough to work on it twice,” he says.

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Forever French

February 9, 2021 by Tiffany Adams

Inspired by their home’s architecture, a Little Rock couple enlists the help of P. Allen Smith to create a European-style garden

Having built a home in west Little Rock, Kim and Mark Brockinton thought they had put down roots that wouldn’t easily be moved. However, a call from their builder led them to look casually at a property in the capital city’s Heights neighborhood, which led Mark to purchase it as a surprise for Kim. “I think Mark must have sensed I was up for taking on another home,” says the designer and owner of Kim Brockinton Interiors. Working with New Orleans-based architect Davis Jahncke, who had also overseen their previous home, plans began to take shape for a French country residence. “I instinctively knew I wanted to keep it French, but much less formal than the home we were living in—something that evoked the passion I felt when traveling in rural France,” Kim says.

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Happy House

December 29, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

A Little Rock couple calls on an old friend to design a new-construction home packed with personality

When Lisa and David Trent first started thinking about building their dream home in the Heights, there was no question about who to call to help make it happen. Lisa had been friends with designer Kevin Walsh since college, and she knew she could trust him to bring her vision to life. “Kevin and I were fast friends when we first met. We clicked immediately,” Lisa says. “Plus, I love his work and knew he would guide me in the right direction.”

While this house was built from the ground up, Lisa had owned a smaller cottage on the same lot for years. Her and David’s main motivation for building new was for a more spacious home suitable for the kind of casual, everyday entertaining they enjoy. Another request was to keep the master bedroom on the ground floor. Kevin worked with a draftsman to incorporate everything on the Trents’ wish list, all while keeping a sizable front lawn and outdoor living space in the back. “We didn’t even initially talk about a second floor. We came to that once we started laying things out and seeing what sizes rooms should be,” Kevin says of the space-planning stage. …

A New Outlook

December 29, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

In Little Rock, Jill Lawrence helps a pair of empty nesters transform their home to enjoy for years to come

With a central Little Rock location, spacious backyard, and sunroom near the kitchen where the kids could play within sight, this home was a perfect choice when the owners and their toddler-age sons moved in almost 20 years ago. However, with both boys out of the house, the couple realized their needs had changed. “We looked around but really didn’t find anything in a location we loved as much as this one,” one of the owners says. “We thought, Why not take the money we would have put into a new house and use it for a renovation?” Having worked with their neighbor and local interior designer Jill Lawrence on small projects previously, they called on her to create a roadmap for a reinvented version of the beloved home while bringing in style updates along the way.

For starters, several of the spaces were given a new function. On the main level, the dining room was turned into a billiards room, a galley-style living area and sunroom were combined to create a comfortable den, and a space adjacent to the kitchen that was previously used as a keeping room became the new dining space. Downstairs, a reconfiguration of square footage allowed for a larger master bath as well as a completely new bathroom, giving each of the couple’s sons privacy when visiting.

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Blended Style

November 23, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

A Little Rock designer helps Mechan and Dr. Susanna Shermer meld their distinct styles in a cohesive, well-loved family home

Dr. Susanna Shermer has always had a knack for reviving homes in her favorite Little Rock neighborhoods, the Heights and Hillcrest. However, when she and wife Mechan first stepped foot in their current home, they had different thoughts about just how much renovation the place required. “When this house came on the market, Mechan was like, Oh, it’s perfect! We don’t have to do anything,” Susanna recalls. “And I was over here going, this has good bones, but we can change everything.”

As soon as they moved in, Susanna got to work on the spaces she recognized as areas for improvement. “She’s touched every part of this home,” Mechan says of Susanna’s involvement in the process, which included painting all the walls, removing heavy draperies, and updating the kitchen with new countertops and a concrete finish on the brick pillars. “My preference is so neutral and light and airy, and everything was a lot darker when we moved in,” Susanna says.

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Creative Outlet

November 23, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

An eye for design and a passion for creativity combine in Jonathan Stiers’s Rogers home

Design is a way of life for Northwest Arkansas native Jonathan Stiers. Even before graduating from the University of Arkansas, he began working as a graphic designer with Walmart and has risen in rank, having the opportunity to change departments and focus over the course of two-plus decades with the company. Today, he works with their sister brand, Sam’s Club, as the senior creative director for their private label. However, he doesn’t check his ingenuity at the office door; it manifests itself at home.

“I encourage people in creative roles to find a secondary outlet to help avoid burnout—something you can have 100 percent ownership and influence over,” Jonathan says. Taking his own advice, he started blogging about food and home interiors. “I love styling things and bringing a scene to life. It’s all about trying to create a moment you want to live in—much like my work,” he says. “I also enjoy doing interior design in my home. In this realm, I don’t have to negotiate with anyone but myself.”

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Blushing Beauty

November 23, 2020 by Tiffany Adams

Shades of pink and vintage-inspired accessories inspire this Little Rock home’s Christmas decor

Anna Dickinson likes to think outside the box. Having spent a number of years in the design industry, formerly as the owner of Little Rock home design store White Goat and now as owner and lead wedding designer and planner at Perception by Anna, she’s been exposed to a variety of styles. This continues to push her to go beyond the norm when it comes to her own home.

After starting their family in a smaller house, she and her husband, Thomas, felt the need for more space, which prompted a move to a nearby neighborhood. “I walked into this house, and it had the aesthetic appeal I was looking for. I especially liked the wide plank floors, the beams, and these unique little latches on all of the doorknobs,” she says. Anna hired Katie Rees of Katie Grace Designs to help her “put the puzzle pieces together,” using her collection of vintage home goods along with a few new additions. “I can walk into a wedding venue or someone else’s home and tell you exactly where to put things because I’m not personally attached to them; but it’s much different in your own home,” she says.

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Southern Casual

Modern Family, Classic Style

The Great Outdoors

Places for Retreat

Forever French

Happy House

A New Outlook

Blended Style

Creative Outlet

Blushing Beauty

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At Home in Arkansas