CONWAY — Tim Morris was carefully sketching the words to a Bible verse on a wall Wednesday in the Conway Symphony Designer House in The Village at Hendrix, getting ready for the tour that begins Friday.
Morris, a decorative design artist, has joined more than a dozen other designers to create a distinctive look in the live/work townhouse for the fundraiser.
Helen Lockhart, coordinator of the design project, said she thinks the public will be impressed with the unique spaces in the three-story, 3,100-square-foot townhouse in the mixed-use development east of Harkrider Street.
“I think it’s a great group of designers, and I think they have put together a great variety of design — there’s something that appeals to everybody,” Lockhart said. “Things I might look at and say, ‘That’s not really me,’ it’s still beautiful.”
Lockhart, who owns Red Chaise Designs, used her skills in the living room using a palette of red, gray and black, plus a little sparkle.
Although it’s hard for her to pick a favorite space, “I love the drama in my room and the Two Trendy Designers spaces. I love the glamour there,” she said, referring to the teenager’s room. One of three bedrooms, it pops with turquoise, silver, black and green, including a hand-painted design on the wall.
“Every room in the house, whether it’s a high-energy room or a very subtle room, every room offers these neat little design things,” Lockhart said.
In the master bedroom, for example, she said a candle on the nightstand wasn’t just lit to look used; a little wax was dripped onto the piece used as an end table.
“There are little things in the spaces that if people take time to look around at, I think they’ll be really interested,” she said.
She’s planned a tiny surprise in her living room design, too, but people will have to take the tour to see it.
Also hidden throughout the live/work unit are innovative storage solutions, Lockhart said.
“In the kitchen, people need to open the cabinet doors — they’ll find some neat storage surprises,” she said.
Dalencia and Charles Hervey of Conway have purchased the townhouse, which was built by Kevin Watson, and Dalencia plans to open a shoe store on the first floor.
They had some input in the home, including the finishes in the kitchen, and they chose the verse from Lamentations that Morris was painting on the wall in the stairway leading to the third floor.
“Something to keep in mind, most things in the spaces are for sale,” Lockhart said.
Volunteers in the rooms will have price lists. Pieces must be left until the end of the tour, Lockhart added.
The Conway Symphony Designer House will be open Tuesdays through Sundays until Saturday, Oct. 16.
Advance tickets for one day are $10 and are available on the Conway Symphony Orchestra website, www.conwaysymphonyorchestra.org, or at Quinn Insurance in downtown Conway through 4 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $15 at the door once the house opens.
A run-of-show pass for unlimited admission is $30, and group rates are available.
Tickets to a Preview Party, which will be Thursday, are $50 and are available through the website. Seating is limited.
Special events during the tour also include Art Happenings and Ladies Night Out at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27; The Art of Speaking throughout the day Sunday, Oct. 3, and Vocal Designs at The Village, a concert featuring several local soloists, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Proceeds will support Conway Symphony Orchestra educational and outreach programs.