Home Makeover

Peter's Flooring & Paint

Established in 1997, Cafe 1217 has made a name for itself as a staple of Malvern Avenue and Hot Springs. Owner Diana Bratton moved to the Spa City from Texas with a vision to bring a fresh approach to food and service to the area. “We make everything from scratch and we also cater small business meetings to elaborate weddings,” she said. “Cafe 1217 has received many awards over many years including Best Gourmet in the state, Best Lunch, Best Dessert and many others.”

When it came time to make some much-needed updates, Bratton and her husband, Shane, knew just where they wanted to start.

“Cafe 1217 is our baby,” she said. “She's worked very hard for so many years and it was time to give her a fresh look which also included new deli cases. It was very hard to paint over the good, existing artwork — kind of like watching your kid grow up. It was hard, but change is good, and we consulted with Peter's Flooring and Paint to come up with a plan.”

Bratton said they knew they wanted to bring their personal style to the space and after consultation with Brooks and Nan Clem at Peter's Flooring, and Amy Baker at Statements for the Home, the look was tied together.

“We love the feel of the dining room,” Bratton said, adding that the wall murals by Mark Davis, and her husband's special touches “like light fixtures above the cookie bar, my cookbook cabinet with my personal collection of cookbooks” all contribute to the new Cafe 1217.

“My husband is amazing, artsy and has put a lot of time into the new design,” she said.