Home
Family Ties
A Quapaw Quarter family expands their dated kitchen with the help of a talented design team and sentimental influences
BY
Allison Cook
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nancy Nolan

Amber Jones had a chance encounter with architect Jennifer Horton several years ago at Quapaw Quarter Association meeting. “The meeting was actually held in the home I now own,” Amber says. “Jennifer and I really hit it off. We both had young families and lived downtown.” When Amber and her husband Scott were ready to renovate the historic home, they first turned to Jennifer and her husband Jeff Horton, both architects with Herron Horton Architects in Little Rock. “The timing was bad for them initially, and we went with another firm,” Amber says. “However, after some issues, I went back to Jennifer and begged for her help. Thankfully she agreed!”
   
The Jones’ home was in great condition overall. “The back of the house was really what we wanted to focus on,” Amber says. “It’s where the kitchen is, and it didn’t flow right. It didn’t have any stylistic continuity, and I always felt like I was in a different house. It also didn’t have access to the side yard.” For Jennifer, the proportions and details of the original 1890 house played an important role in the remodel. “We wanted to create a kitchen that was comparable in scale to the rest of the house because the previous space was much too small and didn’t afford enough room for a family of five. We also incorporated access to the side yard with French doors and a deck, all while respecting the history and craftsmanship of the original structure.” 

The Jones’ neighbors, Bonny and Paul Wallace became their second family and played integral roles in home’s makeover. “Bonny actually introduced Jennifer and me, and when she passed away unexpectedly, we became even closer to Paul, deciding he would move in with us after the renovation,” Amber says. Unfortunately, Paul’s health deteriorated, and he past passed before the renovation was completed. “He really gave us the push we needed to renovate the kitchen, and we think of him often as we use the space,” she says.

In honor of Paul, Amber chose to decorate the space with masculine touches, including many pieces of Paul’s own hunting and fishing gear and his breakfast table, which he built twenty years ago. “The kitchen is really comfortable with its rustic touches,” Amber says. “The kitchen and breakfast room have become our prep area for just about everything from meals to paperwork and newspaper reading. I feel so lucky to have had such wonderful people supporting me. Jennifer was constantly reassuring me that my ideas were workable, and Paul’s devotion to my family will always be special to me.”

Sources:
Architect: Herron Horton Architects, Little Rock
Builder, doors, custom cabinetry, hardwood and tile floors: C/M Restoration
Original antique lighting restored: Aeon Lighting, Little Rock
Drawer pulls: Van Dyke’s Restorers
Rangecraft marble and granite countertops: AMG, Benton
Lacanche range: www.lacancheusa.com
Dishwasher: Bosh
Shaw original fireclay apron-front farm sink by Rohl
Stainless steel countertops and range shelf: Bray Sheet Metal, Little Rock