This colorful home is located a few blocks off the Bentonville Square in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. “I’m from Arkansas originally but lived in Northern California for a while, and the area reminds me of the best historic squares in a small California town,” interior designer Whitney Romanoff tells us. “Old trees, young people, great energy. It’s very easy to walk to great food, drinks, and local art. The premium downtown location really inspired our design for the space.”
The homeowners are a young, recently married couple in their early ‘30s with a new golden doodle pup, Fig. “We envisioned this home being a magnet for their friends—the spot that everyone gravitates to for a pre-dinner cocktail before a night out or the place that the crew decamps to at the end of the evening for a nightcap and a vinyl listening session,” Whitney recalls. “They have a very eclectic and adventurous taste in terms of design, art, and color, and were very inspired by the vibe of private social clubs in London and Paris. Their top request for the space was to both create a flow that was well-suited for entertaining large groups with multiple areas for congregation and conversation, but that could also serve as a cozy, private retreat to relax and unwind.”
Whitney’s design firm, Meet West Studio, was focused on an aesthetic update on the first floor and the couple’s primary bedroom. “We didn’t move walls, but refreshed each space with paint, lighting, wallpaper, furnishings, window treatments and art,” she explains.
When you first step inside the house, an eclectic lounge sets the tone. “This room is a collection of so many things the client loves—chocolate velvet, honed marble, and playful forms,” Whitney explains. “Part of the client’s brief to us was she wanted to incorporate furniture with organic shapes in an unexpected layout. We wanted this space to have a boutique hotel lobby vibe that would draw people in—a spot that could be comfortable for both cozy lounging near the fire and a post-dinner drink with a good record on.”
The focal point of the lounge is a custom Arabescato marble fireplace surround. “Our first furniture selection was the powder blue mohair vintage swivel chair sourced from Steph Schofield as a cornerstone of the color palette for the space,” the designer recalls. “We then layered and built around that piece with the chocolate velvet Kagan-style sofa, oak nesting tables, and the iconic Etcetera chair in peachy upholstery. What I love about this space is that this collection of pieces feels like a gathering of old friends that now lead different lives but always have fun when they are together. There is an interesting chemistry at work that gives the new construction home some soul.”
In the dining room, they added a table from Maison Madeleine. “We loved how the solid walnut top coordinated with the client’s existing hardwood floors, and the scalloped edge detail and burl legs added a whimsical, playful element to the room that continued but didn’t distract from the eclecticism of the adjacent lounge space. These spaces could be part of the same conversation,” Whitney explains. The artwork is ‘Mexico #1’ by Robert Petersen, sourced from South Loop Loft in Chicago, and a soft neutral rug and classic walnut Moller dining chairs ground the space.
The Meet West team used a light touch in the kitchen, where they replaced a busy granite countertop with honed soapstone and repainted the island cabinets in Railings by Farrow & Ball. They added statement lighting, a new zellige tile backsplash, unlacquered brass hardware, and funky barstools wrapped in leather and a natural Sherpa for a little warmth and a masculine touch.
The den serves as another gathering place for the clients. “This is a space for the homeowners to hang out while cooking dinner or host a chill movie night,” Whitney says. “We paired a vintage Persian rug with the olive-green sofa, a recovered pair of vintage Halabala chairs in eucalyptus-tone velvet, a 1970s Leon Rosen brass coffee table, and channeled cherry red ottomans.” The shelving features a mix of objects, ceramics, books, and art that contribute to the overall collected feel.
The primary bedroom is all about the dark and moody vibes, thanks to a blue grasscloth wallpaper the client requested. “We loved it and leaned into creating a moody midnight vibe, which could be an enveloping escape from the rest of the house,” the designer says. The matched the trim and ceiling and added vintage velvet window coverings. There is a mix of vintage and contemporary art that adds a subtle electricity against the dark background, but still contributes to the dreamlike feel. “We love how the cerused oak nightstands and Colin King for Cultiver Goods bed throw add to the visual rhythm,” she says.
The final bold moment in the home is the powder room, where the client hoped for an abstract pattern on the walls. “We partnered with Porter Teleo to create a custom colorway of their Petales hand-painted wallpaper pattern,” Whitney shares. “The colors remind us of the tones of sunset, and we love the pairing of the deep oxblood and magenta tones of the abstract poppies against the dreamy peach and blue tones of the field.”
The designer says it was a fun and seamless process. “The clients came to us with inspiration that lit our fire and then let us do our thing. The project took a little less than a year but was extended as we were wrapping up when the clients told us they were expecting and invited us to design their nursery. They fell in love with their home and the personalized, custom feel.”
