Back in the Quarter

When Dan Roda and wife Elizabeth Michael moved to Little Rock from Philadelphia a couple of years ago, they wanted to be -- as Roda puts it -- "where the action was."

For the couple, the action was in Little Rock's Quapaw Quarter area, specifically the Governor's Mansion Historic District. They bought the Hemingway House, a can't-miss-it blue Queen Anne-style house at 1720 Arch St. which was built in 1895 according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Listed at more than 5,000 square feet, the house bears the accoutrements of a 19th-century "Victorian" -- 14-foot ceilings and prominent, ornate wood work -- but also features elements the house predates by more than a century, such as big, bold light fixtures, including a magnificent breakfast-nook chandelier by Pine Bluff glass artist James Hayes.

Roda, general counsel for Rock Capital Group, and Michael, director of content and social strategy for Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, bought the house from a couple who were downsizing. They made no major structural changes, but they updated the light fixtures, painted and created an awe-inspiring library filled with art books and curios. And they appointed the house with pieces from Elizabeth's family, which owns Paul Michael Furniture and Home Decor, a chain of furniture stores that began in Lake Village. "Thankfully, with a big house like this we get the family discount," Roda says.

Putting out the welcome mat

The Hemingway House is one of six historic dwellings open to visitors during the Quapaw Quarter Association's 53rd Spring Tour of Homes on May 13-14 in the historic district. Saturday's events include:

• Afternoon tours of homes, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

• A Candlelight Tour, which will begin with a tour of the homes from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., then dinner at 7 at the Governor's Mansion, 1800 Center St. After-drinks will follow at 1711 Center St. Organizers ask that no high-heel shoes be worn in the homes.

On Sunday, afternoon tours will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. During both afternoon tours, docents will discuss the homes. Neighborhood businesses will have specials or discounts. Food trucks and activities will be available along the tour route, as will complimentary trolley rides.

Tickets for the afternoon tours are $20 in advance; $30 on site. Children 10 and under are free. Candlelight Gala tickets are $125 each;

$1,250 per table. Proceeds will benefit the association's historic preservation efforts. Tickets and more information are available at Quapaw.com or (501) 371-0075.

Roda notes that this is the first year since their move that the tour has been in their neighborhood. (The 2016 tour took place in Hillcrest.) "QQA is a good organization, so it's good to be able to support what they're doing," he says. "And if having people trample through our house for a couple of days raises money and awareness for the QQA, we're all for it."

Which makes Patricia Blick, executive director of the Quapaw Quarter Association, happy.

"I think this is a fun house, because it's a historic house with a young couple that are doing a lot of projects," she says. "Of course the furniture is unique and interesting because of Elizabeth's family connections."

Michael says she was attracted to the house because of the neighborhood "and also, I love old things."

"I never wanted in live in the suburbs or someplace that lacked character or a story," she says. "When we came into this house, it kind of ticked off everything we wanted. And it was already updated -- there were no updates we had to do, which was a huge plus." She praises the previous owners, who, she says, "have all taken really great care of the place."

Best of both worlds

The couple have done a notable job of combining old with new. Michael went to furniture markets for the decor. Designers from Michael's family's stores also helped. Prized heirloom pieces include a dining room table that was made by her father of locally harvested and reclaimed wood.

Nearly all the considerable amount of artwork in the house is by Arkansas artists. The house is also chock-full of gewgaws from the couple's travels. They entertain often in a backyard that includes a fire pit surrounded by seating. The area is adjacent to an apartment that resembles the main dwelling and serves as quarters for Roda's widowed mother when she visits.

"It's been so much fun just kind of piecing everything together and getting to know the house," Michael says.

Her favorite part of the house is the staircase. "It's definitely where, during holidays, I spend a lot of time decorating this area and a lot of photos are taken here." When they have a party, a photo booth is usually set up there, too.

Michael says when they moved in, "mainly what I wanted to keep traditional [was] anything that had to do with the floor." She wanted hand-knotted Persian rugs in a traditional style. "The thing I agonized over the most was picking out the rugs, really, because ... they kind of all start to look the same." At an Atlanta rug supplier, she found rugs colored with natural dyes, then put on rooftops to dry. The sun bleaches the color to give the rug an antique look. Making a decision to go with light sofas "was really hard" -- the couple have two dogs and people tried to discourage them. The answer: washable fabric.

"I think the best advice I got was 'Just buy things you love and it'll all make sense,'" Michael says. "That's really what I did. And then Dan had some input."

HomeStyle on 05/06/2017