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When Marla and Bill McCrary bought their home in Little Rock’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood two years ago, they had to use a little imagination to see its potential. “I knew it had really good bones,” says Marla, who also loved the home’s large lot and swimming pool. However, she and Bill weren’t as excited about its 1960s vintage interior décor. “Flocked wallpaper, celery green carpet, paneling in every room. We ripped everything out, down to the studs!” she says.

The mother of two young girls, ages 7 and 4, Marla wanted a functional space where her family could be comfy and cozy, and she wanted to brighten up the space. “My other house was dark, and I wanted this house to be light, airy and happy.”

With the help of a team of experts, Bill and Marla were able to pull off a full-scale renovation in just five and a half months. Realtor John Underhill provided decorating tips, and contractor John Shaw oversaw much of the renovation, including reconfiguration the downstairs living areas to promote a more open floor plan where the family could utilize the space more effectively. “John Shaw is talented,” Marla says. “He never missed a day. Whatever he told us would happen always did.”

Having renovated another home in the Heights several years before, Marla decided to take on the challenge of contracting the kitchen herself. “I knew exactly what I wanted,” she says. The result of her vision is a casually elegant space equally as appropriate for entertaining as it is for family dinners. The madura gold granite countertops and tumbled marble backsplash by Inside Effects create a warm, Old-World atmosphere, while custom cabinetry by J&S Cabinets is finished in a rich walnut glaze by Hanke & Leech to complement the stonework. The pale buff wall color and antique white trim balance the kitchen’s darker surfaces and keep the room light and open. A kitchen bar accessible from the family room completes the transformation. “In my old house, we were shut off in the kitchen so I never knew what my kids were up to. I love that my new kitchen is open to the den,” Marla says.

The kitchen’s light color palette is carried throughout the downstairs living areas, unifying the rooms and providing a neutral canvas for the home’s furnishings and accessories. Pale blue toile draperies in the formal living room and an antique buffet in the dining room are characteristic of Marla’s traditional style. “I enjoy traditional, but I like to have a few funky pieces too,” she admits. A striking oversized wall clock in the dining room and the kitchen chandelier provide touches of whimsy that make Marla’s style all her own and make her home a stylish, yet comfortable family retreat.