OUTWARD A Little Rock family pushes the boundaries of their home—literally— with a wider kitchen and spa-like bath W R I T E R K AT H R Y N O ’ S H E A - E VA N S PHOTOGRAPHER RETT PEEK STYLIST ANGELA ALEXANDER
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ill White had been working with this family of five for a few years when they decided to make a drastic change. “The house pretty much ended where the pendant lights are over the island,” the designer says. “That whole back wall basically came off of the house, and we expanded it about eight feet to open up the space.” In doing so, they created a generous primary bathroom and covetable cookspace. While this particular homeowner leans more traditional, Jill found ways to push the proverbial envelope, design-wise. “She let me sneak in a little wallpaper situation [in the butler’s pantry], which is something that I love to do, and we went a little more transitional and clean-lined with the lighting. So that was kind of a good balance for us.” Wallpaper is one of the go-to aesthetic tools that Jill uses to get her clients to indulge in something unexpected. “It's an easy way to get people to put in pattern when they're scared to commit to a crazy drapery or a crazy color on the walls or the cabinetry,” she says. Despite all this eye candy, one of the biggest changes they made is what you can’t see. “We had an organizer come in and get everything in place for her,” Jill says. “With three kids, she needs everything to be efficient and have a place.” To that end, there are two dishwashers, an expansive column fridge and freezer, refrigerated drawers for kids' and parents' drinks, and even a dedicated countertop garage that tucks small appliances out of sight. “There's all kinds of little hidden things that you can't really read,” Jill adds. It was all about functionality for her. It went from being such a tight, compact little space to a really open one.” AH
60 At Home in Arkansas | September 2024