House Tour: Full House, Full Color

By Josh Hafner; Photographer: Nancy Nolan
In a home bustling with eight kids, finding a little peace and quiet is all about starting with the right hues in this Little Rock, Arkansas, home.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Hues of home

Aqua blue rises up kitchen cabinets, across a backslash and onto the ceiling of Tom and Cynthia Frazier's home. It spills onto the adjoining family room's marine blue sofa, turquoise chandelier and blue chairs. In that rolling wave, the Fraziers see a beach, one in Florida that the family of 10 adores. "It is like looking into a pool of water," says Tobi Fairley, an interior designer who built an impressive national brand on colors that pop. She calls the Little Rock, Arkansas, kitchen one of her most iconic spaces. "It has that mesmerizing effect."Tobi's bold colors permeate the house: soothing blue in the kitchen, yellow and gray in the master bedroom, and all three hues in the dining room. The colors reflect the diversity of the home's dwellers while, like the Fraziers themselves, coming together as a whole. (When Tom and Cynthia married in 2005, they each had three children, and they foster two more.)In the kitchen, a 15-foot island provides ample seating. Tobi used custom lamination to vinylize the barstools' ticking fabric for easy cleaning.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Aqua action

Floor-to-ceiling blue cabinets and tile appear seamlessly serene thanks to color consistency. The all-aqua look aids visual flow and acts like a neutral. "It was daring to let me leap and make every surface that color," Tobi says. "It's easier to do that with colors you find in nature." 

3 of 12

Neutral cocoons

The living room adopts the 80:20 color rule. Creamy neutrals cocoon the majority of the space, letting the designer get colorful with a few accessories. 

Advertisement

4 of 12

Gathering spaces

Mixing shapes, sizes, styles, fabrics and finishes creates a fresh look in the open family room. The varied patterns on the sofa, chairs and ottoman work together thanks to a shared blue scheme. 

5 of 12

Constant comfort

Blue creates a calming feel throughout the dining and living space. 

6 of 12

Polished patio

The interior's soft blues, grays and yellows transition to the covered front porch, which has ample seating for dining, relaxing or napping. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Carpet flair

Underused attic space now serves as this cheery teen bedroom. Carpet tiles jazz up the floor and can be individually replaced if stained or worn. 

8 of 12

Design play

Tobi creates spaces lit with bold patterns and bright hues. In keeping with the designer's use of gregarious colors and patterns, accents also inject spirited flair. Unique lighting makes a distinctive statement in this bedroom.

9 of 12

Dotted dream

Decor is spot on in this bed and bath with round motifs like dot wallpaper, a circle mirror and pompom linens.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Colorful transitions

The master suite repeats the same fabric on bed and bath windows, but uses two different treatment styles."One of my talents is transitioning color space to space," Tobi says. "There's no purple-and-red room next to an orange room." Instead, Tobi smartly segues from one space to the next by adding and dropping hues. "I might create a flow from black and white, to black and white and yellow, to yellow and blue," she says. 

11 of 12

Meaningful patterns

In the Fraziers' master bath, striped wallpaper and patterned shades echo the color and patterns of the bedroom but with a different treatment style.

12 of 12

Buying guide

Architect Carolyn Lindsey, Yeary Lindsey Architects, Little Rock, Arkansas. yearylindsey.comContractor Scott Greenwood Construction, Little Rock, Arkansas. (501) 868-9062Designer Tobi Fairley, Tobi Fairley and Associates, Little Rock, Arkansas. tobifairley.comThroughoutAccessories, fabrics, furniture and lighting Tobi Fairley and Associates. tobifairley.comDecorative painting by Tracy Rivers. Angelfish Studios. angelfishstudios.netDecorative pillows Sew Much by Monica Smith. (501) 952-3768Paint Sherwin-Williams. sherwin-williams.comRugs C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery. candfcarpet.com Tobi Fairley and Associates. tobifairley.comUpholstery  Robby Chism Upholstery. (501) 257-7932Window coverings  Mountjoy's Custom Draperies. (501) 455-2216KitchenAppliances Metro Appliances and More. metroappliancesandmore.comBathroomsMirrors Tobi Fairley and Associates. tobifairley.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com