AHIA May 2014

ooking to bring a sense of calm to their routine, a Little Rock couple set out to find a new home where they could spread out a bit, relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Hoping for a river view, their options were limited. When a classically styled house on a quiet street came available, they knew that with a little imagination—and help from a trusted team of experts—they could transform it to suit their needs perfectly.

At first glance, the home wasn’t exactly dream-worthy. In fact, it was just the opposite of what this couple had in mind. But the red brick Georgian-style house did have a few things going for it; namely, a view of the Arkansas River and beyond.

Inside, a small galley kitchen, dark hallways, and low ceilings didn’t suit the couple’s taste or lifestyle, so they called on architect Tom Fennell and designer Bill Beringer to bring the space to life.

After seeing the home and hearing the couple’s needs, Fennell decided to enlarge the back of the house by more than twenty feet, expanding a sun room into a large living room and making way for a new, more spacious kitchen. The design team also worked together to transform a compact formal living room into a cozy study, and the once-small kitchen into what is now a well-appointed butler’s pantry, which holds the homeowner’s extensive collection of heirloom serving ware including china, crystal, and silver.

Though the home nearly doubled in size, the elevation from the street remains the same. In keeping with the style of the neighborhood, it still appears to be a one-story rambler, though its formerly red brick façade is now hidden beneath a layer of stucco. Where a large porch with over-scaled columns stood, there is now a sleek cast-stone portico with a metal roof. Inside, the three headers leading inward from the foyer were raised, creating a sight line from the front door out the back windows to 46 At Home in Arkansas | May 2014