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This Stacie Bloomfield home tour explores a 1970s ranch in Northwest Arkansas, where colorful artwork, practical updates, and family routines shaped a welcoming interior. Illustrator Stacie Bloomfield and her husband, Nathan, moved into the house in 2009 after relocating from Springfield, Missouri, for his PhD studies in mathematics. Purchased from Nathan’s mother, the home gradually became a reflection of their shared life.
Stacie Bloomfield Home Tour: Bringing Light Into a Ranch
Low ceilings and few windows made the house feel dark. To improve the interior, the couple installed skylights and painted the living room walls white, helping available light reflect around the space.
Because they did not expect to stay permanently, they focused on smaller improvements that suited their tastes. For a similarly dim room, testing white paint samples in different lighting conditions can help reveal whether a shade feels warm, cool, or overly stark.
A Chalkboard Dining Room With Personal History
Positioned between the kitchen and living room, the dining room combined white wainscoting with bold chalkboard walls. At the time of the original tour, the family had enjoyed those walls for five years. Visitors contributed drawings and messages, turning the room into an informal record of friendships and gatherings.
The idea also connected naturally with Bloomfield’s work as an illustrator. Rather than keeping every surface pristine, the room invited participation. If trying a similar finish, follow the paint manufacturer’s curing and conditioning instructions before writing on it, and keep a soft cleaning cloth nearby.
Original Artwork and Affordable Decorating
A large octopus illustration by Stacie Bloomfield hung above the sofa, creating a distinctive focal point. Her artistic influences included quilt patterns, favorite animals, and carefully selected color palettes. An etching of Albert Einstein, also by Bloomfield, added another personal detail to a bookshelf.
Much of the home’s decor was thrifted, received as gifts, or made through DIY projects. With Nathan studying during most of their time there, affordability influenced their decisions. Paint offered a relatively accessible way to change the atmosphere of individual rooms without replacing everything.
When decorating around a prominent artwork, repeating a few of its colors in smaller accessories can help the room feel connected without making every item match.
A Kitchen Updated for Everyday Cooking
The couple renovated the kitchen themselves three years before the original account. Both enjoyed cooking, and preparing breakfast together for their family became a valued daily routine.
For a kitchen update, begin by identifying the tasks performed most often. Convenient storage and clear preparation surfaces can be more useful than purely decorative changes. Electrical, plumbing, and structural work should be assessed by qualified professionals where required.
Shared Spaces That Supported Family Life
Bloomfield was five months pregnant with their daughter Violet when they moved in. By the time of the tour, the couple had two daughters and had adapted the house to be child-friendly and childproofed.
The living room served as the household’s main gathering place. Nathan graded papers in a houndstooth armchair upholstered by Bloomfield, while the children danced on the rug or colored in notebooks. The relatively open floor space helped family members remain connected while pursuing different activities.
Although Bloomfield had a separate studio, she also used a dining room desk for photo editing, product listings, and email. A compact work area in a shared room benefits from contained supplies and clear surfaces, especially when children use the same space.
A Home Documented Before the Next Move
After five years in the house, the family was preparing to relocate to Edmond, Oklahoma, that summer. The photographs captured a period of considerable change: Bloomfield had moved from managing a coffee shop toward a career in illustration, while Nathan’s graduate studies had shaped much of their time there.
The Stacie Bloomfield home tour shows how thoughtful lighting changes, personal artwork, and affordable decorating can give an older house a distinct identity. Its most useful lesson is to prioritize changes that support everyday life while leaving room for creativity, family activities, and meaningful objects.
