HER Home Makeover

Befo removing to Arkansas, Karen Kitchens owned a small farm home built in Ohio in 1872 and knew that she wanted something similar when she started over fresh in Hot Springs. She found aqua int1920s Craftsman home in the Qua paw/ Prospect neighborhood and employed the help of Arkansas Furniture to help her accomplish the“vintage cottage, farm house” style she w anted. Having lived in several different homes and states over the years, Karen had collected furniture pieces that spoke to her but didn’t quite“fit together .” Her vision was to create a more inviting cottage look in her home and to light en and make better use of the existing space while staying away from anything too modern.

Karen called on Christopher Koch with Arkansas Furniture, who she said is a“genius with color, and always had an open and optimistic way about him ,” adding ,“He listened to what I was looking to do, came by the house to see what my style was like, what space we had to work with, and then we met back at the store togo over some different ideas. He took the time to understand what I was frustrated within my home and help me find solutions. He didn’t just show me what he wanted to do; he walked through options with me.

“I really appreciated that my opinion was part of the solution, and never felt like I would end up with something that‘ wasn’ t me .’ Chris made sure I was as involved as I wanted to be. Great experience!”

The living room, dining room and kitchen were made over to be comfortable, warm and inviting while still maintaining a logical flow. Karen tends to gravitate towards the Autumn colors of brown, sage green, burgundy and sunset orange, but also enjoys the bright white, clean look that can usually be seen in traditional cottages. She has a collection of stained glass in a wide array of colors which were incorporated into thedécoro ft he home.

New furniture in the living room spaces helped to create two related but separate sitting areas, one by the fireplace for more private, intimate discussions, and the main living room to accommodate larger gatherings. A custom cabinet height farm table built from re claimed barn wood by local artist Kai Gibson was used in the kitchen, and the dining room features a large dining room table by the sam e artist.

Before the make over, the dining room was dark with a rust brown color on the walls. The walls were re-painted with lighter colors, making the space feel“much more fresh and open .”

“Working with the folks at Arkansas Furniture was like hanging outwit hand designing myspace with a group of good friends. Elaine and Mike Mu zny were wonderful to work with and are always welcoming ,” Karen said .“It didn’t matter how many times I went in, they always took the time to listen to what I was thinking about for a space and give me options .”

BEFORE