LIVING SPACES

By Nancy Peevy | Photos by Chadwick Turner

A Family Affair

Each family member contributed to make this home their own work of art

Each furnishing in Scott and Jordan Franklin’s home tells a story, and each family member had a part in creating it. From art collected during travels to paintings and pottery Jordan and the kids created to pieces handed down from their parents and grandparents, including rugs Jordan’s grandparents got when they lived in the Middle East, every piece comes together to make their house a home.

“Our house is mid-century modern, but we’ve eclectically collected things throughout our lives, and the pieces within our house tell that story,” Jordan said. “I wanted the house to look like a piece of artwork. That was my goal — that everyone contributed in their own little way to the overall masterpiece. The way we took on (the house) was that each little nook needed to be curated because it was its own piece of the painting.”

Jordan, who has an art minor, enjoys owning and creating art and pottery. The Franklins call the wall inside the front door their “pop art wall,” which features an array of colorful artwork.

“We decided that instead of buying T-shirts wherever we go, we’d find art from our travels,” Jordan said. The house includes pieces from Belgium, France, India, Qatar, Mexico and more.

All the artwork throughout the house “has a story behind it, and that’s why we keep it displayed,” Jordan said. To pass those stories down to her children, she puts a note in an envelope on the back of the artwork, telling where and why they bought it, or how they got it. “I am a big memory and tradition person,” she said. “Whenever our pieces get handed down, I want our children to know why they were special to us because those stories don’t always get translated.”

Scott and Jordan both grew up in Northwest Arkansas but moved to Alabama for 10 years. Deciding to return to be nearer family, the couple knew where they wanted to find a home — a hilltop area in Fayetteville that was equidistant from their families.

A house built in 1950 popped up in that area, and Jordan was immediately interested. Originally 1,100 square feet, a winghad been added to the house in the ‘80s, enlarging it to about 3,300 square feet. The Franklins bought it while still in Alabama, even though the house was in bad shape with a hole in the roof and rotting floors and windows. Jordan’s parents live in Rogers and her dad, a former contractor, became their “eyes on the ground,” and her mom was a sounding board for Jordan throughout the project.

The remodel, which added a mudroom, pantry and garage, took 18 months to complete.

The project became a family affair. In the beginning, Scott was skeptical about how impactful the renovation would be. However, as time went on, he got more invested, picking out paint colors and suggesting what he believed would make this house a home. Jordan said the first time he really jumped in was regarding the fireplace. Scott was set on painting the bricks a warm, red-orange color. Now, the fireplace is a focal point of the living room.

Even the kids played a role, with 10-year-old twins McKenzie and McCoy and 7-year-old Madelyn Jane (MJ) weighing in with their preferences, including window seats in the girls’ rooms. “We wanted to make sure the kids had their own special spaces but also that they curated them,” Jordan said. “So, I wanted them involved in the design and decorating aspect. A lot of times during the remodel, we would bring them with us so that they could walk through their space and dictate where they wanted things.”

Each child picked their own room colors and décor to reflect their personality. “We wanted them to be fun and for them to be inspired when they walked into their rooms,” Jordan said. “I didn’t want their walls to be white; I wanted them to feel at home and welcome.”

MJ’s room is purple, and McKenzie’s is yellow. McCoy’s is everything Razorback. “His Razorback room is his pride and joy,” Jordan said. “Everything is signed.”

The kids love the playroom with multiple shelves for toys and a chalkboard wall to draw on. With three creative children, spaces abound to display their artwork, including hanging clips next to desks in their bedrooms, a magnetic wall in the playroom and a huge wall in the mudroom.

In the five years since moving in, the kids have redone their rooms several times. “We wanted them to be able to hang all their art on the wall and do all those things and have something that’s precious but not so precious that they can’t change it up for themselves and have their own design technique,” Jordan said.

The home’s location is another bonus for the Franklins. “Both of us grew up in the country,” Jordan said. “We live in the city, but we wanted to feel like we’re in the country, so it was the perfect location, being a dead-end street.”

The family enjoys the mountain bike trail right across the street and being close to sports and other events at the University of Arkansas.

Jordan and the girls also started a garden this year, planting tomatoes, cucumbers and okra. “We’re not starting big,” she said, laughing. “I keep living humans alive, so plants are not high on my list. We’ll see how they do.”

The big backyard features a ropes course, trampoline, hammocks and a basketball half-court in the garage with 16-foot ceilings. A putting green was a must because the whole family enjoys golf. Jordan played golf at Hendrix College in Conway.

The outdoor kitchen makes a great place for hosting friends and family while grilling and watching football. And there’s plenty of room inside to host family dinners for up to 45 people.

“It was strategic in making sure that we were the entertaining house,” Jordan said. Because that is what the Franklins love: sharing their masterpiece with friends and family.