Building an Empire

You would almost expect Marie Antoinette to descend the stairs at Angela and Edward Moody’s elegant west Little Rock chateau. The couple purchased the home in 2005 and quickly began work on a 2,500-square foot addition, that included a swimming pool, guest home and outdoor kitchen/entertaining area, to complete their 8,100-square foot dream home on eight beautiful, secluded rolling acres.

Though she played a prominent role in the decoration of their home, Angela Moody hired some help to create a style, which she refers to as “French empire,” with furnishing and flourishes reminiscent of centuries long ago.

“My husband and I love antiques, especially European-style furniture,” Moody said. “We wanted to furnish the home with pieces that we could pass down as heirlooms.”

The foyer offers visitors a taste of the theme of the home with 10-foot tall, dark stained-wood doors that open to an elegant gold chandelier with crystal accents hanging from a grand vaulted ceiling. The polished marble floors add elegance to the space, which is decorated with family portraits, antique tapestries and period pieces of sculpted busts and statues from floor to ceiling.

Gold is a major color accent that is repeated throughout the home. The formal sitting room is reminiscent of royalty with rich neutrals of brown and cream in flocked patterns against the backdrop of dark-stained wood walls. Heavy gold drapes pool on dark wood parquet floors and echo the gold accents found in candelabras, mirrors, picture frames and artwork throughout.

The formal sitting room — which is divided into two separate furniture groupings of wingback chairs, loveseats and a chaise lounge reminiscent of 17th century Europe — opens to a formal dining room. The dining table seats 10, and a golden chandelier adorned with a barrage of hanging crystals sets the mood for any dinner party, formal or casual.

Crystals are a repeated accent throughout the home. Many hang from chandeliers, while larger ones act as sculptures on side tables and pedestals. The Moodys also had lamps clustered in crystals custom made. “I just love crystals,” Moody said. “They are beautiful and create good energy in the home.”

The Moodys are also art fans. They have built a collection of very interesting works, created mostly by Arkansas artists. The work of one painter they admire most, Eric Maurus of Hot Springs, can be found throughout the home. One of his most striking, yet fitting, pieces is of a woman from the Empire period dressed in large collars and jewels. Dripping paint and hazy details in the painting give it a dark, yet mysterious impressionistic air. A recognizable work by popular Arkansas painter, Donald Roller Wilson, greets visitors at the hallway leading from the foyer to the kitchen.

Moody’s favorite room in the home is the sunroom, which is decorated in the same style as the rest of the home, but in bright whites and yellows to accentuate the vast amount of natural light the room receives. This space is perfect for an afternoon of reading to the couple’s 20-month-old daughter, Eden. She even has her own child-sized LazyBoy to relax in.

From the sunroom, Moody can enjoy the view of her eight rolling acres. Horses from a neighboring property can often be seen grazing in the distance. The sunroom leads out onto a raised patio, adorned with iron furnishings, that descends to the pool and garden area. The Moodys’ English-style garden has precisely-manicured lawns scattered with neatly-shaped topiaries elevated in elegant pots, and sculpted busts echo the classical theme from the home’s interior. A pristine blue lap pool surrounded by a light-colored stone deck is the center of attention in this outdoor space. An elevated hot tub with cascading waterfall sits approximately one foot above the pool and offers a serene and picturesque setting to spend a cool fall evening.

The Moodys love to entertain, and their fully-equipped and modern outdoor kitchen is the proof. At first glance, there seems to be enough seating for a celebration of royal standards with a grand dining table to seat eight, two intimate tables to seat four each and ample bar seating. The outdoor kitchen is a study in pristine — clean whites in the stone floor, granite countertops and concrete white-washed fireplace. Cream-colored tiling along the backsplash and in accents throughout the kitchen gives the neutral-colored partyroom a little flair. A flat-screen television is positioned above the mantle for game-day celebrations.

“We love the outdoor kitchen,” Moody said. “I do all the cooking and grilling too. We really enjoy entertaining friends at our home.”

With its French country-style and tranquil rural setting, the Moody home is relaxed, yet as elegant as a Versailles palace.