Email
PrintDwell: Be Our Guest
Sitting Room at the Hency Home
Photography by Janet Warlick
Beaver Lake is one of the state’s most popular and picturesque recreational lakes in the Natural State. Taking advantage of this marvelous setting with a home that lives up to the beauty of its surroundings is a task, thus Ann and Dee Hency sought the assistance of Julie Wait Designs and worked with Aubrey Mitchell Pate, ASID, visiting instructor of interior design in the Fay Jones School of Architecture, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Their efforts were rewarded last fall when Pate received a “bronze” award in the Large Residential category from the American Society of Interior Designers South Central Chapter.
“The Hencys plan to retire here in Springdale, and they purchased this home, from friends, and decided to remodel it to fit their taste and lifestyle. We revamped the finishes, resurfaced the fireplace and redid the columns,” Pate said. The result is a home — interior and exterior — that strikes an ideal balance of elegant comfort.
.jpg)
The island is large, and open to the living spaces allowing the “chef” to interact with others while preparing food. Tumbled slate and glass tile surround the pot filler on the stove’s backsplash. “The backsplash was one of my first sources of inspiration for the design of the house,” Pate said.
“Ann and Dee didn’t want a home that was overly fussy or decorative. They desired a serene, comfortable lakehome,” the designer said. “They travel and collect antiques, so we used many of their pieces, and achieved a relaxed feel by using a variety of textures, such as leather and chenilles to soften the hard surfaces.”
The television is hidden behind panels in the built-in shelves, a clever touch. Native stone was used in the new fireplace surround, and Pate incorporated darker blue-grey hues to tie into flagstone used on the deck just outside the room.
The Hencys’ guest cabin is one of the home’s crowning jewels. It’s about 2,400 square feet and evenly divided into two distinctively different spaces — one dainty and girly, the other rustic and masculine. Each features a full bath and kitchenette.
A bright quilt from LL Bean served as the color inspiration for this part of the guest quarters. A variety of bright colors — yellow, salmon, turquoise and blue — along with patterns and fun textures make the space whimsical. The pine floors with a natural finish are ideal and tie into the white washed doors. A spiral staircase leads to additional sleep space.
The other guest space, in contrast to its neighbor, features dark, distressed oak floors and reclaimed wood for the trim, doors and cabinets. Dee and a friend crafted the wonderfully-mastered bed; leather chairs, an ottoman, cowhide rug and drum, also picked by Dee, furnish the living space adjacent to the fireplace. Pate added slate blue color to the walls to “lighten” the space.
