LIVING SPACES

Living with Purpose

A home that exudes color, creativity and devotion to helping others

In 2010, a trip to India changed the lives of Brad and Lisa Vinson. The two were visiting friends who had moved to northern India to start a textile business and combat generational poverty. The company makes women’s accessories and offers its employees a fair living wage – providing families with access to health care, good nutrition and education.

“The desperation and need we saw in India was unlike anything we could have prepared ourselves for,” Lisa says. But with the jobs created by the textile company, individuals “experienced redemption from their prior lives… Rather than begging, they now create. Rather than scraping by, they now thrive by earning a living wage. Hopelessness has become hope.”

Seeing this renewed sense of purpose among the workers who were “creating beautiful things” deeply affected Brad and Lisa.

Back home in Bentonville, Brad and Lisa joined a growing number of entrepreneurs on a similar mission to create jobs in areas where they are desperately needed. The result was Remedy Road, a socially conscious boutique in downtown Bentonville whose mission is to not only sell beautiful products, but also to create awareness of the artisans who made them.

By partnering with like-minded manufacturers and brands that employ artisans based on the principles of social justice and fair trade, the boutique is empowering these companies to provide an improved standard of living, a wage that exceeds “barely scraping by,” access to health care and a sense of value, purpose and hope.

“We just want to be able to create change,” Lisa says. “If you’re going to buy something, why not buy something that’s helping someone or doing good?”

Using an unconventional and progressive business model, the Vinsons went against traditional modes of thought that prioritize making a profit. They opted to think outside the box with a venture that is ultimately about helping others, not the bottom line. “It was never about making money… We just wanted to be able to create change,” says Lisa.

So when Brad and Lisa realized they needed a new home to accommodate their growing family, they decided they wanted a home that reflects their personal and professional mission: living with a sense of purpose and being intentional about helping others.

While building their 4,500-square-foot home on an acre-sized lot in Bentonville’s Scissortail subdivision, Lisa says, “the goal was to use as many brands that do good things in the world as we could.” Working with Goddard Design Group, she also tried to source as much as possible through Remedy Road.

When she turns on one of the many beaded chandeliers in her home, Lisa is reminded of the women in South Africa whose fingerprints are on the clay beads. Each bead is hand rolled by a woman whose work enables her to care for her family.

“Chandeliers light the rooms I’m in most and are a bright reminder of the hands who crafted them,” Lisa says. “Having things in my home that have more meaning than just stuff is extremely important to me.”

Everyday items like the artisanal rugs on the stairs, which lead to the kids’ bedrooms downstairs, help her family keep life in perspective. The rugs came from a small family business in Turkey that is giving back to its community by generating jobs for locals.

“Every time my kids walk up or down them, I want it to be a reminder that there’s more meaning in this world than the hustle-and-bustle. I want the stairs to be a reminder to slow down, enjoy the small things and remember there are those who are in a very different situation than yourself.”

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The couple is effectively teaching their son, Harris (14), and daughters, Lillian (11) and Veia (4), about the importance of helping others. Discussions about Remedy Road’s mission and impact are common in the Vinson household.

Furniture, lighting, rugs and throws that provide jobs for people who need them most are also available to the public through Remedy Road. “If people want to special order furniture or lighting, we can do that. That’s a whole other area we would like to be in,” Lisa says.

A self-described “out-of-the-box thinker” in her personality and décor, Lisa loves color, unique and vintage pieces, and mixing old with new. “Who else is going to do a blue cabinet for the kitchen island with pink chairs and navy blue? But it’s fun! The kids will never be bored,” she laughs. “The color in my house is a constant reminder to choose happiness and have fun. We get so busy and overwhelmed. We really need that reminder.”

The Vinsons’ goal was to have an open floor plan with no wasted space, but Lisa also wanted the house to be functional and fun. She thought about the smallest details and credits architect and builder Blake Melton for making it happen. A hidden door leads from the dining area to the master bedroom for easy access, while kitchen items are creatively organized in a large pantry with a swinging door that includes a functioning ship porthole.

Another porthole functions as a pet door for the family’s three dogs and four cats. Throughout the home, Lisa incorporated whimsical items with a story – such as antique curved mirrors, furniture from India, a blue velvet door, and an array of colorful artwork, including two llama paintings created by Lisa and Lillian.

Full of meaning and purpose, with plenty of creativity and fun, the Vinsons’ home is a welcome reminder to live with purpose and intentionality.

HOME PROS USED

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Builder & Architect: Blake Melton, Mark Melton Construction Inc.

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Cabinets: Morgan Millworks 

Carpet Installation: Tom January Floors, Inc.

Custom Vent Hood & Mantle: Brandon White, L&L Metal Fabrication  

Décor, Furnishings & Lighting: Remedy Road 

Designer: Lisa Vinson; Goddard Design Group

Doors: Velvet, designed by Lisa Vinson; all other doors, Quality Millworks 

Drapes & Fabrics: Goddard Design Group; Selah Design Studio

Exterior Paint Planning: Corrie Rusch

Flooring: Lester’s Hardwood Floors; Accuracy Tile

Landscaping: Duncan Landscaping and Irrigation

Mirrors: Family Vintage; Remedy Road 

Painting: M&L Painting

Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson

Pool: Luxury Pools by O.A.K. Homes

Professional Organizer: Lauren Smothers, Restore the Home

Ribbon Décor: Hello Holidays

Wallpaper: Lisa Vinson; Goddard Design Group