01 Mar 2025 Retreat in the Rock
By Stefanie Brazile
Just beyond a field of horses, the Retreat at the Olive Grove sits nestled into the woods on the edge of Little Rock. Boasting 4,200 square feet, it sleeps 12 and offers sweeping views of seven acres from large windows and decks around the home.
The three-story house with five bedrooms, four full baths, a great room with a fireplace, library, and a den was purchased two years ago by Kal and Becca Swarna, our March “Couple of the Month” (meet them on page 16). During the pandemic, they decided to combine her gift for design with his passion for construction, and that’s how their business, Simplified Hosting, was born.
“We love exploring the freedom to get away from a cookie-cutter style to create something original,” Becca said. “Now, when I walk into a new room or home, I immediately begin thinking about what it could be — how we can work with its current features and bring in new elements and furnishings to make it a truly stand-out space.”
What Becca thought would be a three-month renovation grew into one year because of unexpected challenges, including Kal falling through a rotten deck board and injuring himself, and because they chose to slow down and do the future vacation rental justice.
The first concern started with a front door that seemed out-of-place and was not welcoming to guests, given that the door opened into something of a mudroom. The Swarnas removed the existing front door and replaced it with 8-foot French doors, so it feels like a true entrance. Being mindful that their guests may arrive well after dark, they added lighting and lamps throughout the house to warm the space. “When someone enters this home, or my residence, I want them to breathe a sigh of relief. Light is one thing that makes an area feel more inviting,” Becca said.
Once inside the home, which features 20-foot-tall ceilings, they removed some walls but left others to create separate spaces where people can retreat for some downtime. One tip that Becca follows in every room is to choose one item as the inspiration piece and to match the décor to it. “For this specific home,” Becca added, “the entire renovation was inspired by the beauty and sustaining qualities — even the color — of the olive tree.”
Knowing the home would be rented by large groups, they were mindful of the appliances needed in the kitchen. They installed a FiveStar stove with six gas burners, a griddle, a grill, and dual fuel ovens. The outdoor view was made accessible to the cook with the addition of a huge window over the sink. They chose Sherwin-Williams’ Greek Villa paint for the walls to balance the modern look with a warm, inviting shade.
In the primary bedroom, the back side of the living room fireplace was enhanced with a modern Ambe corner fireplace. Then, they added comfortable seating and luxe bedding. “I’ve always had a thing for color and texture. If something looked soft, I had to walk over and touch it to feel how soft it really was,” Becca said. “When we lived in India, we spent a lot of time sourcing fabric, down to the craftsmen who carved the blocks used to print designs on the fabric.”
In looking at their budget, one of the biggest splurges on the home was bamboo flooring throughout. “We wanted something super durable and timeless looking,” Becca said.
Another investment was gutting the primary bath, adding dramatic tile and making an entire wall a huge double shower. “It started out as a 60-inch shower, but when we struggled to work in a cabinet build that felt right for the rest of the wall, we finally thought, ‘Why not go even bigger?’ Thankfully, you can find a 98 inch glass shower door online, so we didn’t have to order something custom! When I first pitched the shiny black herringbone tile pattern for the back wall to my husband, I knew it was a risk,” Becca said. “There’s a good reason tile pros charge a lot more for this kind of work! But Kal didn’t shy away from it. He measured and laid the entire pattern out in the living room and then measured some more and began. It was a labor of love, but the look is pure perfection.”
Because the wall tile is a mixed white, which is more neutral, they felt the freedom to go bold with the floor tile. All tiles were purchased from Bedrosians.
Moving outside to the seven acres, which is partially wooded, the couple focused on developing attractive outdoor seating areas, which add to a home’s value. At the Retreat at Olive Grove, new decking and several balconies beckon guests to step outside. A fire pit and patio lights encourage them to remain outside after the sun sets.
“My mom loves to build fire pits, but I didn’t realize how cheap and doable it was,” Becca said. “You can buy a kit [to build] or an assembled fire pit, but I bought the brick edgers for around $120 and assembled it in about an hour. We added small river rock around it, and at some point, we’ll upgrade to large landscaping rocks to elevate the area.”
Whether you are refreshing one room, creating an outdoor seating area or renovating an entire home, she encourages you to choose a focal point in each room, add lighting, let the room speak to you when choosing paint colors and allow the space to reflect your personality. Also, save a bit of the budget for unexpected things. “Then, add pops of color like mustard yellow, navy blues, and my current favorite green — Rosemary by Sherwin-Williams.”
Kal and Becca have merged their talents and abilities to bring new life to older spaces. Whether you’re looking for a place to visit or want your home to give you a sigh of relief when you walk in the door, follow her tips to create your own retreat.
To learn more about this and other properties around the 501, visit heretostayrentals.com.
