22 Mar 2010 Home rich in color, family memories

“We never saw ourselves moving to Arkansas, so we all joke about how fervently Daddy must have been praying for us to move closer to him,” laughed Katrina. 

As their family began to settle down, Katrina decorated her house in a way that made it home. “I wanted to create a place where people can feel comfortable,” explained Katrina. “I want them to feel like they can sit on my couch and tell me anything.” 

Katrina’s eclectic furniture, inspiring artwork, and endearing accessories succeed in creating an inviting atmosphere.

The living room is filled with memories in every view. From the sitting chairs passed down from her parents to the quilt made for Katrina at age 7 by her Granny. Some of the displays include items of memories dearest to Katrina’s heart. 

“Most people wouldn’t put some of this stuff out,” explained Katrina, “but I like to see them to remind me of good times.”

Along with her display of the family silver is the tin can she used as a child to cut biscuits with her grandmother. She places it near a picture of her grandmother, a chef from Norway, who was the personal chef to families such as the Vanderbilts and the Huntens. Other precious items include Bibles from her husband’s great-grandmother and a devotional given to her from Billy and Ruth Graham in which is written a personal message from the Grahams. 

Possibly the greatest legacy of the Dolislager home is the “color story” told throughout the spaces. In the dining room, it comes from the perfectly placed purple chandelier shades. In the kitchen, it’s some of Katrina’s own art. In each space in the home, Katrina played with color to liven and warm up her home. 

Her ability to illustrate the individual color stories in the house stems from a new found love in Katrina’s life – pastel artwork. A few years ago, with the encouragement and support of her father, she began to explore her artistic side when she discovered the technique of layering pastels. 

“I don’t worry about perspective or scale; I just enjoy drawing bright, colorful pieces. I may work on a piece for months before I am happy with it,” shared Katrina. “I just keep layering and layering the pastels because I love the texture of it.” 

Her art has been shown in the Faulkner County Museum and the Governor’s Mansion Art Gallery, and featured as part of a special on her father’s home in Paula Deen’s magazine.

However, Katrina’s art is not the only drawn treasure to be found in the Dolislager house.  Several of her father’s interior design sketch renderings from his school time in France are found throughout the home, as well as a stunning building sketch signed by John Haymson, a famous artist and one of her father’s teachers.  

Katrina and her contagiously cheerful outlook translate perfectly into the interiors of her home. Whether it is the memory items placed throughout, such as her father’s baby lederhosen pants from Norway, or the wonderful supply of fresh flowers displayed about, stepping across the Dolislager threshold is truly a warm experience. 

Katrina said it best as she described her home, “I love for people to stop by any day of the week to see what story my home has to tell that day.”