19 Mar 2011 Home reflects family’s personality

by Kayla Cooper
Mike Kemp photos

Jennifer and Chris Crain have made a unique home for themselves in Savannah Park in West Conway.
After living in a traditional home for six years, they decided their house was not an adequate reflection of their family, so the couple started weighing the options. Since building new construction meant leaving their ideal Savannah Park location, Jennifer and Chris packed up their girls and prepared for an eight-month renovation. The end result produced an exquisitely tailored contemporary home that makes a bold statement to the personality of the Crain family.  

The façade of the Crain home is a contemporary twist on a Tuscan style, featuring large river stone and wrought iron details. The excitement comes when the beautiful black double doors open into the large foyer, where visitors get their first glimpse into a beautifully warm world of color and texture.

Everywhere the eye goes is a new spectacle of art, from the dramatic medallion wall sculpture in the entry to the glass tile backsplash and basket-weave pendant lights in the kitchen.

Taking inspiration from her favorite magazine clippings along with the guidance of designer Tami Risinger, Jennifer was able to combine her mother-in-law’s round wooden table and chairs with plush chartreuse chairs in the dining room. The room is topped off with a chandelier comprised of multiple crystal spheres that catch a rainbow of color.

Moving into the kitchen and adjoining family room, orange and blue pop off the neutral furniture and metallic wallpaper surrounding the wet bar. “We wanted to make the area very open to each other for entertaining,” shared Jennifer. “We love having the extra room for our friends and family.”   

The biggest transformation on the bottom story is the master suite. Drenched in a rich goldenrod color, the bedroom leads into a large master bath featuring a pebble stone shower floor. Jennifer has every girl’s dream walk-in closet in the master bath.

“There was an office in the original floor plan that we never used,” Jennifer said. “So we converted it to our master closet.” The large closet is centered around cabinets topped with marble countertops and leopard print carpet floors.  

Upstairs is the girls’ domain. Camryn, 13, and Caroline, 9, both have their own bedroom suite designed to fit their personalities. Camryn’s room is a girly room with pink walls, black chandelier and oversized headboard mural. Caroline’s room is on the other end of the spectrum with a combination of blue and pink. Fuzzy pink rug, pink light fixture and blue wallpaper make the room Caroline’s favorite place in the house.

As well as each girl having their own special room, the girls also have their own dance studio. “I was always moving furniture around my house for them to dance, therefore a dance studio made sense,” Jennifer said.  

The Crains have renovated their traditional house into the home of their dreams. The welcoming atmosphere and sweet family that live within the walls speak to the success of customized décor.

Jennifer summarizes just how delighted the Crains are in their new home: “I love to visit places, but I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else but my home.”