Cozy on the Cove

Bill and Linda Schwartz’s New Blaine, Ark., home is truly a balance between comfort and design. Their 2,800-square foot home is just the right size for the couple … but with enough room to easily accommodate their children and grandchildren and with their additional 1,800 square feet of outdoor living space, it’s perfect for parties.

Schwartz owns Schwartz Stone Co., a residential and stone company his father began in 1949; so it was a given that the home, which began as a “weekend place,” would incorporate stones. “We owned the lot,” which sits along a cove in Dublin Bay on Lake Dardanelle, “so I talked to Reese [Rowland, architect with Polk Stanley Wilcox] about designing the house,” Bill Schwartz said.  “It was just going to be a weekend place,” Linda Schwartz said, “So he drew it much smaller. We loved the design so much, we added to it … it just got bigger and bigger. So we thought ‘Let’s sell our house in Paris and move.’” “Yes, we’d talked about living in a rural area. So when we decided to make it our permanent home, we wanted to still have a ‘lodgy’ feel, but we need being on the water we’d want to have a large outdoor kitchen, patio and fireplace.” Rowland is a Schwartz family friend. So it was easy to take into account their personalities and style while designing the home.
“Bill and Linda wanted an open space for their kitchen and living spaces and as many views of the lake as possible. They also love the outdoors, so we definitely wanted to create a great outdoor kitchen and patio space. We designed the house as series of pavilions. Using heavy timber tresses and tongue-and-groove wood decking on the ceiling.” The outdoor kitchen features a large fireplace, stainless steel grill and seating for four. The upper patio has ample seating with several dining and pub tables; a lower patio has a fire pit for cool fall nights. The Schwartz quarry, which is still family-owned and operated is located in Paris, so each of the many stones used to construct their home was quarried within six miles. The exterior of their home, including the fabulous patios, uses Schwartz’ chopped Smokey Mt. Blue dry stack. Construction of this lakeside dwelling took about two years. “Building with stone is labor intensive, so it takes a while,” Bill said. They worked with now-retired builder Bill Reith. Reese’s design was right on the money; the Schwartzs didn’t change a thing.

A.
The great room, which consists of the living and dining rooms and kitchen, are awash in sunlight. “The home stretches from east to west, which follows the sun’s movement. With the large windows in the ceiling, we take full advantage of this,” Rowland said. The covered patio along the rear provides shade and prevents overheating in the room.
In the winter, a large chestnut drystack gas fireplace provides warmth.
Linda used neutral colors in the main area. A comfortable latte-color sectional facing the fireplace and large flat-screen television follow this theme.

B.
Linda chose black countertops in the kitchen and black furnishings in the dining room, and designer Lona Hayward added touches of crimson throughout to add splashes of color. Cherry-blend flagstone is used on the floors throughout the main living areas.
Wood timbers and braces and pine along the ceiling and maple window casings and cabinets add warmth.

C.
The master bedroom, just as the majority of the rooms, features a fantastic view of the lake. A pair of rattan wingback chairs, with jewel-toned cushions and pillow, sits on either side of French doors. The side tables and lamps are dressed in coordinating fabrics.

D.
One of the most spectacular features of the home is a stone sink in the powder room. The sink was honed from a solid stone, quarried from Schwartz Stone; it weighs nearly 1,800 pounds.

E.
A portico leads from the main house to the Schwartz’s garage above, which are guest quarters. Schwartz’s company quarried all the dry stack stone, pavers and ornamental stones shown here.