Kathryn Lemaster

Art and Design

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Oh Happy May!

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!

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MORE TO LOVE:
Hillcrest Cottage Featured on House of Turquoise!
Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before
Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before

What fun it was having our kitchen remodel project be the Before & After feature in At Home in Arkansas Magazine for the whole month of April!

To continue the fun, we’re kicking off the month of May with our before and after blog series on this project, rolling out more before and behind the scenes photos, design drawings, as well as the entire portfolio collection of after photos by Karen E. Segrave, shared for the first time ever!

Let’s go back to the begining – the walk through and the before photos, which include some great action shots of the family at work! I didn’t want to disturb the cooking and cleaning while snapping photos and taking notes, as it was helpful to observe how the kitchen functioned (or in this case didn’t) for their big, busy family on an everyday basis.

Without further adieu, meet the Barber’s “before” kitchen!

(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)

Note the many activities happening at once – dishes being unloaded, dinner cooking, grocery bags just unloaded from car to counters, homework being done in the midst of it all – can anyone relate? Multitasking is already a chore, but with the current layout of their kitchen, it was nearly impossible to have various activities going on simultaneously without bumping into someone or knocking something over. Though in need of style updates for sure, the first issue we tackled was function and space maximization. I’ll walk you through what we changed and why in the next post!

Thanks to my wonderful clients for being candid and willing for me to share where we started so that you could fully understand and appreciate the drastic difference of where we end up.

Stay tuned for the the next post, revealing the redesigned plan!

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MORE TO LOVE:
Oh Happy May!
Designer House Reveal: The Before
Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

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#latergram of our fancy feeling outfits for a dear #latergram of our fancy feeling outfits for a dear friend’s 1920’s setting dinner party a couple months ago. ✨ 

This summer has flown and it may take me till next summer to properly relish all of the memories we’ve made this one, but it’s been my favorite in a long while, being in this life here with you @forrest_addison_roberts . Love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond! 🚀 💫 ♾️ 😘

#summer2023 #memoriesinthemaking #latergram #thatsdarling #loveis #1920sfashion #balloonarch #balloondecorations #couplestyle #couplestyle #dinnerparty #blushandgold
#flashbackfriday to this budget friendly breakfast #flashbackfriday to this budget friendly breakfast room update in a client’s Air BnB makeover! 🤩🙌🏼 Swipe to see the before, and find on @weekendermanagement to stay here! ✨ 

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#thatsdarling #kitchendecor #breakfastroom #diningroomdesign #kitchendesign #homeimprovement #interiorinspo #beforeandafterhomeedition #kitchengoals #homesweethome #theartofslowliving #thehappynow #flashesofdelight #diyhomedecor #verilymoment #pursuepretty #interiorstyled #interiordecor #airbnbhomes #airbnbdesign #airbnbdesigner #interiordesign #kjlartanddesign
Still savoring yesterday’s destination DAYte (da Still savoring yesterday’s destination DAYte (day-date) in Hot Springs with my love. ☀️💚💗 The “spa city” holds such a special place in our hearts, being woven in to our story since before we were “we”!

Our first adventure here together was random and last minute, Forrest being the only nearby guy-friend available to help me retrieve a Facebook marketplace sofa in Hot Springs for my new little rent house amdist starting over following a major life transition. I treated him to brunch at Eden restaurant that day as a thank you!

Fast forward 6 months - he’d asked me out, we’d dated less than a month, gotten engaged, AND eloped 😂🥹💞 returning to this charming city for our mini-moon that weekend at none other than Hotel Hale, where Eden is located. 🥹🌿

6 months after THAT - we returned again to celebrate our wedding with friends and family, hosting a small reception at The Reserve, followed by another visit to our favorite bath house rowtel @hotelhale ! We come back every winter and summer (and as often as we can in between) to celebrate our love by strolling through shops, winding through the park, eating and sipping our way through our favorite restaurants. 

Hot springs will forever be a magical place with you, @forrest_addison_roberts ! ✨😘

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#hotspringsarkansas #hotspringsnationalpark #bathhouserow #sweetsummertime #lovestories #hotspringsar #gratefulheadpizza #hotelhale #edenrestaurant #superiorbathhousebrewery #traveldestinations_ig #couplesofinstagram #romanticdestinations #dateideas #datesunder100 #thatsdarling #arkansasonly #nationalparkservice
@athomearkansas perfectly captured and titled our @athomearkansas perfectly captured and titled our July kitchen feature, “Happy Place”, as this space became just that! 💗 It will forever be one of my favorite kitchen designs. From the amazing space plan improvement, to the opportunity to infuse pink, to the sweetest clients (fur-client included) - we will cherish this happy place always!

Thank you to my talented co-designer @emmilyy23 especially for finding the Etsy rug that will go down in history as the most perfect runner for a space ever. And to the awesome contractor Pablo Pagliani, without who our design couldn’t have become a reality. 

Thank you @stephaniemaxwellnewton @rettpeek @athomearkansas for the beautiful photos and feature!!

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#thatsdarling #kitchenremodel #happyplace #athomeinarkansas #arkansasinteriordesign #arkansasinteriordesigner #kitchendecor #kitchen #kitchendesign #homeimprovement #interiorinspo #kitchengoals #homesweethome #diydesign #theartofslowliving #thehappynow #flashesofdelight #verilymoment #pursuepretty #interiorstyled #interiordecor #interiordesign #kjlartanddesign
So much growth around here this spring. 🥹🌿 P So much growth around here this spring. 🥹🌿 Plantly, personally, relationally, familialy, professionally, educationally, spiritually, recreationally, socially… so many ways. 🤍 

Liam love has ached from growing pains in his legs as he’s shot up taller this year, and I can’t help but think of many points over the last year I’ve cried out over the same thing in my own way, internally. It’s been a year of repotting and acclimating, shedding withering leaves, sprouting new ones unexpectedly, and pressing through rocky soil at times. But through it all, we water and tend to - our plants, our hearts, and eachother. We received tending to and watering, from our loving Gardener and from one another. We learn what that looks and feels like. We remember, we practice, and keep adding to each new discovery of what helps us thrive. Old downtrodden pathways healing, covered over with new growth, and new pathways (in at least my nervous system and brain that so needed it) being bushwhacked (as my friend recently wished me all the grace and success with 😂🙏🏼) and becoming more familiar: a new normal. 

We’ve been in our home sweet 1930’s cottage for a year now, and I am so incredibly proud of the ways we’ve each branched out and up, roots sinking in deeper through the dark and sometimes rough terrain, finding eachother even there and locking arms deep in the soil as well as holding hands with leaves reaching toward the light together, be it by sun or by moon. 🌳 

“they will be known as might oaks of righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of His glory.” Isa. 61:3b

“and He sees to it that each seed gets a new body of it’s own and becomes the plant He designed it to be. “ 1 Cor. 15:38b

(PS! I released a new podcast episode this week sparked from the above verse. I share how the Lord’s been speaking to me through plant imagery / terminology, things I’ve been learning about our design for consistent watering / rewatering, my heart / ways I’m learning to relate now as I’ve been overcoming some old fear based, faulty thinking, that’s made room for new and beautiful growth. You can listen to it on Spotify on the Unhindered podcast or profile link!🪴)
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It is a delight to work with Kathryn LeMaster. She is a good listener who has been able to help us transition into a smaller home while still keeping the essence of our family intact.

- CINDI C.

My husband and I decided to update our house focusing on the kitchen and bathrooms. We were so impressed from the beginning with Kathryn! She was easy to work with and took our vision and made it all come together! She was extremely professional and we highly recommend her. Thanks Kathryn!! We couldn't be happier!!!

- LAURA D.

I have been doing business with Kathryn for several years, where she had played an integral role to enhance the quality and appeal of the visual impact of our furniture in TV commercial s. She independently picks products that perfectly match each commercial. She is also an absolute pleasure to work with. She is flexible when needed, and always has a positive disposition.

- LAWRENCE ZIGERELLI, PRESIDENT/CEO, FFO HOME

We asked Kathryn to create sets for a food shoot with multiple items. She created sets with for each dish and had them passed them off with the client who was out of town. She was extremely organized and methodical about how she purchased and approved each set. Not only was her work exceptional, her presence made the client feel at ease.

- DERO SANFORD, OWNER, THINKDERO

We highly recommend Kathryn. She listened to us as her clients and executed ideas based upon our design style. We had bought a new house and asked her to help us furnish, design, and style It. We appreciated her detailed drawings and ability to "show" us the vision and plan. She is quick to respond and allows for flexibility based upon timeline needs. Once deciding together on budget, she works toward that goal. She is a lot of fun to work with!

- CHRISTY H.

Kathryn assisted me in styling and accessorizing our new home. She nailed my design ideas and style based on the questionnaire and my comments. I was amazed at how she was able to match my style exactly! It would have taken me years to accomplish what she accomplished in one day. I would highly recommend her and look forward to working with her again in the future.

- BEVERLY R.

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