Spring is my most second favorite season of the year (fall wins, because… the leaves, and my birthday!). I’ve been doing the happy dance ever since I saw the first bright green buds on the trees in my backyard this season. It seemed like overnight, everything was new and bright and alive again. I just love it! Well most of it. I could go without quite so many April showers, pollen-nados and here in the South, actual tornadoes…
But that’s all behind us now (I hope) because it’s MAY – with all the flowers, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and pre-summer joy it brings.
One of the special joys this May in particular brings for me is the long-awaited unveiling of a project dear to my heart – the charming and colorful storybook cottage remodel in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock!
A huge thank you to At Home in Arkansas Magazine for the beaming feature that so beautifully communicates the creativity, heart and soul behind this project. Be sure to read the full story and see more of the wonderful photos by Rett Peek, here!
The kitchen was the most extensive portion of the remodel, so to appreciate just how far it came from it’s less-than-thrilling beginnings, I’ll leave you with a few “before” photos for reference…
Change is good, yes? 😉 Here’s to beautiful seasons of transformation and newness!!
xo,
Kathryn
PS! If you’re new here, thanks so much for dropping by. I’d love to keep in touch! I recently completed my first ever free downloadable resource for my readers (my top paint colors, hello!) and would love to gift that to you for joining my “E-Party”! If you missed or exited the pop-up invite upon arriving here, you can simply scroll down to the bottom of this page to find the invite. Easy peasy!
(Upon entrance from the left/south end)
(Sink area to left)
(Cooking area to right)
(Breakfast peninsula to left)
(Study/Office beyond peninsula)
(Turning back toward entrance)
(Looking back toward entrance)
Did I mention this was also my home? Yes. I am a UCA alumni and I loved the four years I spent on their beautiful campus full of historic buildings and lush landscaping going through the interior design program.
The goal of the finishes design is to have a versatile, neutral palette that leaves flexibility for the groups to personalize and make each space their own. By providing a clean and simple, sophisticated color palette, I want to help them create the perfect canvas as a foundation for the furnishings and decor to come.
Yesterday was an especially special day in the project – the groundbreaking ceremony at the Greek Village site! Each sorority had their letters set up in the clearing near the location of their future houses – too cool.
There was a fantastic turnout, and after hearing from several speakers including President Courtway, the event wrapped up with the highly anticipated golden shovel ceremony. The president and board members scooped the first shovels full of dirt, then everybody jumped in on the fun!
I was delighted to be included in the festivites, especially standing among all of these great and talented folks from UCA, Nabholz Construction, and Caradine Architects. What fun!
It was like a bunch of kids in a sand box, just more organized. Let’s face it – playing in a dirt pile is fun. Especially with shiny golden shovels!
Of course I had to get a shot with two of the fabulous ladies I’ve enjoyed working with on the team from UCA: Diane Newton and Wendy Holbrook!
What a day – and what a year it will be now that construction has officially begun. And by construction I mean our expertly excavated dirt piles. Luckily Nabholz will be setting up shop on site soon to take over from here. I’m sure they will appreciate the head start. 😉
(before)
(during)
We spent this weekend giving their new house a face-lift with fresh coats of paint throughout the interior. And I must say, after alot of prep work and elbow grease… it looks mighty spiffy!
What perfect timing that Sherwin Williams was running a 40% off sale over the weekend?! We stocked up on everything needed for a successful painting weekend, including the complimentary coffee from their Keurig station. Thanks, Sherwin!
Not sure about everywhere else, but in the Little Rock area at least the sale runs through the 22nd. So if you need a new splash of color or some “purdy” great supplies, run on by today and save a buck or fifty!.JPG)
To cover over existing wall colors quickly, we went with the “Super Paint” 2 in 1 coverage recommended by the SW specialists. This was my first time working with this particular SW product, and I must say I was impressed with how it covered. We were able to cover over the existing gold, blue, and pink walls with one coat in every room!
Here was the final line up of paints that completed our neutral interior color palette. Taking the 8′ ceilings and amount of natural light available into account, I made sure to stay on the lighter end of the fan deck to allow margin for the colors to appear slightly darker once applied. The main goal was to make the space feel more open throughout. Mission accomplished! I was quite happy with the results and I think our new homeowners wholeheartedly agree. 😉