21 Dec 2012 Bringing the outdoor charm indoors
by Jan Spann
Perhaps because our lives include so much technology and a hectic pace, some often seek the solace of nature. A trend in home design for the last decade has been the outdoor room, which is especially appropriate in the moderate climate of Central Arkansas.
Our outdoor spaces can evoke memories of a campfire while we’re nestled in and surrounded by our creature comforts. A fire provides an inviting focal point for gathering, and it’s also a way to bring food into the mix.
Rooms can be as simple as chairs gathered around a fire pit and as elaborate as an outdoor kitchen with appliances and formal seating. We’ll explore both.
Jeff and Dana Goff built their West Conway home in 2008, and when they decided to add an outdoor space in 2011, they again turned to local builder Luke Porter. In addition to due diligence looking at other outdoor kitchens, their inspiration came from the cedar and rock of their home, and the 14-foot cedar ceiling and stained-concrete floor bring a rustic elegance to a spot where the Goffs enjoy just hanging out.
Another key factor was to retain the view from the living room, a splendid view of the woods surrounding their home. The open frame of their outdoor room provides that, and after flipping the kitchen and fireplace on the plan, the fireplace is also a focal point from the living room.
“We’ve found we enjoy the space more than we imagined,” said Jeff. “Whether it’s morning coffee and the newspaper or evenings snuggled in a blanket, in front of the fire watching TV, this 700 square-foot space has been a great addition.”
As empty nesters, the couple also enjoys the area for entertaining. “I bought the sofa because it’s modular and allows us to adjust the seating arrangement,” said Dana.
The couple’s running club comes for an annual disco ball and karaoke party, where sofa and chairs are pushed back for the dance floor. Family events are also important. Two of the couple’s three sons live in Conway. Dana’s son attends the University of Central Arkansas, and Jeff’s newly married son works for SWN. Jeff’s younger son attends the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The space is great for football games and any other time when the couple wants to gather a crowd.
While building the outdoor room, the builder also enclosed a screened-in porch, which became Dana’s office. She works for Acxiom, and Jeff works for Hagan Newkirk Agency. Dana noted that this addition brings them to a point where they can relax and enjoy what they have. It seems their empty nest has been filled with wonderful ways to share their home with family and friends, as well as to just sit back and relax.
For Buck and Michelle Buchanan, the house they selected for their move to Conway came with a covered patio and fireplace. Buck is the head football coach at Hendrix College, where he’s building a staff and a team. Playing in Division III’s Southern Athletic Association, the Hendrix Warriors’ 2013 season will be the first since 1960.
Moving to Conway this summer, the couple found that the outdoor room offered a relaxing place to entertain the small but growing additions to the Warriors’ clan.
“The Hendrix football program will be relationship-driven,” Buck said. “Our football recruits will be selected for their academics as much as their athletic ability, and it’s important that they connect on all levels of campus life.
There are no sports scholarships because the players’ primary focus is academics.” His former players have gone on to successful professional careers in a variety of fields.
Both Buck and Michelle grew up north of Dallas and married after college. The couple moved to Pineville, La., where Buck helped start the football program at Louisiana College, another Division III private college across the Red River from Alexandria. Michelle taught junior high science for the 11 years they lived in that community.
The couple has traveled extensively abroad, and they have made frequent trips to Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic on mission trips that connect American football to young men’s every day life decisions. Michelle has even participated in scientific expeditions in Antarctica, so Arkansas winters will seem downright pleasant, especially in front of a stoked fire!
Michelle was Coach Buck’s researcher when they felt it was time to move on, and Conway was at the top of her list. “Hendrix College had exactly what Buck wanted in his next career move, and I liked that Conway had cultural activities from both the community and the colleges,” she said. “We enjoy downtown dining, and we have our favorites, but there are still many more for us to try!”
Michelle has found her niche at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as the assistant director for UALRTeach in the College of Education and College of Science. UALRTeach is a relatively new field where students can earn a science or math degree and a teaching license in just four years. The UTeach Institute currently has 16 states with 34 programs, three of which are in Arkansas. During her junior high teaching career, she garnered an “Innovative Teacher National Award,” and now she’s focused on inspiring math and science students to become teachers.
Lady, a golden retriever and Lab mix, completes the family, and the whole crew is looking forward to the Hendrix football kickoff on Sept. 7.
Sierra Club founder John Muir noted that whatever nest
s we make, we all dwell in a house of one room — the world, with the firmament for its roof. Perhaps that is why we enjoy bringing nature into our homes and taking a bit of our homes closer to nature.
A Conway resident, Jan Spann has been gardening for 20-plus years and has been involved with the Faulkner County Master Gardeners for 11 years. She and her husband, Randy, have five children and eight grandchildren.
