Day in Little Rock: House Style

Angela Frierson Shirey shares a newfound interest in interior design and making a home a home.
A reality that many Little Rock residents have experienced recently is the excitement, worry, and overwhelming joy of buying a new home. Buying a new home means packing the necessary items, moving every item you own, down to the half-used tube of toothpaste (and then unpacking that half-used tube of toothpaste); determine how you will style and use each space in your new home, then repeat this step once or twice; then settle into a new pace and pattern, which even includes the driving route you’ll take to and from said new dwelling.
One of my growing interests as I “matured” is designing my home. Studying interior design and designing beautiful, relaxing and fun spaces are new interests that I have fully committed to.
So many sources of inspiration abound: apps that share photo-filled boards like Pinterest, that highlight creative images and videos like Instagram, and that link to informative articles on Houzz. All of these sources generally lend ideas upon ideas and confusion upon confusion. (The right kind of confusion, of course.) It all makes way for a day of shopping in Little Rock.
Little Rock offers a range of shopping destinations to suit all design styles and budgets, from the cost-conscious clientele to the must-have luxury clientele. I have friends and co-workers who live for weekend estate sales, and yes, there’s an app for that too. Every weekend, I’ll drift into a few nationwide brick-and-mortar stores, which have a huge selection of indoor and outdoor outlets of all brands, styles, and price points.
Little Rock is also blessed with an extensive collection of high-end and stylish shops in the Design District on Cantrell Road and in The Heights. Inside these service-oriented boutiques, I received excellent advice from experienced design professionals who are the best at their craft and often provide meticulous in-home delivery and installation services. (Hanging perfectly spaced and leveled wall art was not taught in my business classes. I need help.)
On average, I tend to fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. While, like many others, I enjoy the thrill and challenge of creating a home that I’ve designed and spotted the perfect sofa, lamps and wall art for, leaving the process to a interior designer usually results in ultra-sophisticated or whimsical designs that my mind never imagined. The final price may also be something I would never have imagined, but for one or two rooms, it might be worth it.
In a nutshell, Little Rock contains many home decor stores and boutiques that I need to create a personal space to feed my family, entertain friends, and call home. With each season comes new trends or just a desired refresh that will indicate how space will best serve you during this time of life, whether it’s time to expand your space for a growing family or time to downsize your space. for anything. reason, and all the seasons in between.
As we move forward into 2022, I’ll step back onto my balcony, gaze among the trees, enjoy a chilled flute of Prosecco, and revel in what a beautiful town, Little Rock, we call home.