Personal space
Paul Carreras
Where I live: Midtown/Pine Manor subdivision with my wife, Cathy, and our rescued dogs, Oscar and Felix. This is a wonderful neighborhood with friendly people who look out for each other.
Occupation: Information Technology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
My favorite space is: The sunroom, with its teak Adirondack chairs and a hot tub.
Why? Our backyard sunroom provides a peaceful starting point as we spend the first hour or so each day drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. The screened windows allow us to hear nature sounds and feel the warm breezes. We especially enjoy listening to the birds as they congregate around the feeders and the soft burbling of the nearby water feature.
The backyard is dominated by a massive rock that’s about the size of a small sedan. We had a deck built around it a few years ago. Our dogs entertain us by climbing on the rock and playing King of the Mountain!
When colder weather approaches we cover the screens with glass panels and bring the plants inside. The sunroom becomes a greenhouse. This is the time of year we enjoy using our hot tub, which is even more appealing during snowy or wintry weather.
If I could make one change to improve this space, I would: Replace the metal roof. It’s old and during heavy rains we have a few drip spots.
— Ellis Widner