Newlyweds Alex and Cailin Goodyear moved from Chicago to Bentonville, ready to continue the adventure they started in 2013 in Florida. After a dream wedding in California wine country, a business opportunity opened for them in Northwest Arkansas and they decided to purchase their first home here. They picked a neighborhood with the right proximity to trails and downtown restaurants.
The Goodyears were attracted to the unique exterior design of the house but, since this was their first home, Alex and Cailin didn’t have any attachments to this house. This meant we needed to incorporate their lifestyle, their story, and their beloved dog into this remodel to make it truly feel like home.
Exterior
BEFORE
The first time we saw the house, Dave and I agreed with Alex and Cailin that the existing courtyard and arches were unique and needed to be perserved.
Alex and Cailin were married in Napa Valley and we wanted to incorporate that part of their story into their new home. Taking inspiration from wine country, we planted grapevines along the quaint courtyard area and Dave transformed a wine barrel into a table. Now, the courtyard is an inviting place to relax for a cocktail hour and host guests. This California-esque theme worked so well with the existing brick arches that lead to the front door. Dave and the guys welded an iron pergola over the courtyard to create a nice contrast with the brick and establish this interesting outdoor area as a gathering place.
We replaced the roof and installed new, energy-efficient windows throughout the house. To update the home’s appearance from its dreary brown and go along with Cailin’s color preference, we installed new siding, trim detail and painted the brick a warm shade of blue. Newly-installed French doors create a path into the house from the spruced-up courtyard and coordinate with the new front door. I love how the wooden doors add warmth to this exterior. And, we created a new home plaque right at the entryway, establishing their new home as a newly married couple.
AFTER
SOURCES
Wine Barrel Table & Tray | Dave Marrs
Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply
Landscaping | Ground Effects
Patio Furniture | Jack Wills Outdoor Living
Brick Paint Color | SW Charcoal Blue No.2739
Trim Color | BM White Dove
Living Room
BEFORE
This living area is fairly large and has an interesting fireplace as a focal point. Cailin first requested a higher quality flooring to protect against scratches from their dog and we chose a durable, engineered hardwood to install throughout the home that adds dark richness and consistency to all the rooms.
As we discussed the interior, Alex and Cailin gave Dave and me full creative control over this project! This left me both excited and feeling the big responsibility to make this remodel for their first home really stand out. We had their permission to take risks as we redesigned the house.
After deciding to take out part of the wall between the dining area and living room, my first risk was an interior-window design between the living room and kitchen. Made from vintage doors, I felt like this special touch would be consistent with the other interesting designs of the home and add a special look to this space as we opened it up. Architectural detail on either side of each window contributed a new and unique character to this traditional rancher.
To complement the new exterior color and design, we painted the fireplace brick and installed a new insert. Dave built a beautiful black walnut mantle to create the perfect touch for this living room with a whole new color scheme and design. The French doors leading to the courtyard became an extension of the living room. Cailin and Alex can open those doors for a nearly seamless path from their living space inside to their gathering space outside.
AFTER
SOURCES
Furniture & Rug | Howse
Art | Juniper Print Shop
Wall Color | BM White Dove
Fireplace Color | F+B De Nimes No. 299
Kitchen & Dining
BEFORE
Most of the space here was taken up by the massive dining area. Right away, we planned to pull some of that as a means to enlarge the kitchen space.
In discussing cabinet color, we discovered that Cailin likes a light color while Alex prefers something dark. To settle on what I thought would be a happy medium between the two, I chose a mid-tone shade of green for the new cabinets we installed.
I love it when we can create much-needed space during our renovations! By moving another wall between the kitchen and a small room, we were able to scoot the kitchen down to the dining space, which allowed for a whole new layout and a long island with a beautiful dark walnut top. The dining area still had plenty of room for a table with space to spare.
New lighting throughout, built-in wine storage for the humans, and an adorable little pup eating area, complete with his own water pot-filler, helped to create a beautiful and functional kitchen for the couple.
AFTER
SOURCES
Island Pendants | West Elm
Kitchen Sconce | Savoy House
Rug | Turkish Trunk
Cabinet Hardware Pulls |Cosmas Pull
Cabinet Hardware Knobs |Cosmas Knob
Dining Chandelier | Wayfair
Dining Table & Chairs | Howse
Floral Arrangement | Bloom
Cabinet Color | SW Pewter Green No. 6208
Office
BEFORE
Alex and Cailin wanted this to be a third bedroom, but also stay flexible enough to use as an office space. We added to the room on one side while pulling some space for the kitchen on the other. Now this is big enough to stand alone as its own bedroom! Additional window light and a closet allowed us to give the Goodyears a room they needed to function with a dual purpose.
AFTER
SOURCES
Furniture | Howse
Art | Melissa Griffith Art
Fan | Kichler
Paint Color: Benjamin Moore White Dove
Main Bedroom and Bath
BEFORE
We also had quite the space to work with as we made changes to the main bedroom and bathroom. The rich flooring carried over from the rest of the house added warmth and worked well with the light, relaxing green shade I chose for the walls.
The Goodyears wanted to keep the little space off their bedroom as an extra room. We updated it and continued the same design feel into the small room that works as a nice sitting room, but could also serve someday as a nursery for a growing family.
Alex and Cailin asked for an updated bathroom and a double vanity. We took advantage of the spacious bathroom and gave the Goodyears a giant walk-in shower with a barrel ceiling to play off the arches in the front of the home. We added a feature wall in a herringbone pattern and installed marble squares on the shower floor for contrast.
We did more reconfiguring in the main bathroom, modernizing and adding elements to take as much advantage as possible of the space in this part of the house. A new layout here accommodated a large double shower, the double vanity, a quartz countertop, and a new linen closet. The arch design over the shower and brass fixtures became the special character elements for this big bathroom retreat!
AFTER
SOURCES
Bedroom Furniture | Howse
Fan | Kichler
Bathroom Sconce | Kichler
Bathroom Rug | Turkish Trunk
Bath Mirrors | Amazon
Cabinet Knobs | Amazon
Bedroom Wall Color | F+B Blue Grey No. 91
Bathroom Vanity Color | F+B Inchyra Blue No. 289
We always love helping couples design their first home- there is just something so special about your very first home together. We wanted to be sure to create a beautiful palette where Alex and Cailin could build a lifetime of memories together!