Welcome to the Villa Marre, or as you probably know it, the home of the Sugarbaker Design Firm from the legendary TV Series, Designing Women.  When show creator and Arkansas native Linda Bloodworth Thomason was imagining the perfect façade for the antics of her characters Julia, Suzanne, Mary Jo and Charleen, she imagined them inside this amazing Second Empire masterpiece. But this iconic home had already lived a remarkable life in the 100 years prior to the television shows premier!
 
Built after the Civil War, at the height of the Victorian Era, this Second Empire beauty is one of only two of the type in the Quapaw Quarter in downtown Little Rock Arkansas. The home was built in 1881-82 by Angelo and Jennie Marre. Marre was an immigrant from Italy, who operated a number of successful liquor stores and Saloons in the area. With his fortune he built this amazing home as a sign of his success and wealth. The only thing more impressive than Marre’s home was his temper, which landed him in jail on more than one occasion, and caused public run ins with everyone from business competitors to judges and lawmakers.
 
Over the years and through multiple owners the home has undergone multiple facelifts and makeovers. Many hands have touched these walls, including famed architect Charles Thompson, who gave the interior a trendy update in 1910 by blowing out walls and covering up original flooring: a design trend that sounds extremely modern!
 
Having long outlived its infamous builder this historic home still pulls visitors from all around the United States to tour its halls. This stunning tour home hosts dinners, weddings, engagements and more. For the historic preservationist it is a joy to see such an exquisite example of the Second Empire style at its height; for a GenX-er, it’s fantastic to look at it’s façade and remember the REAL night the lights went out in Georgia!

Villa Marre Website: http://villamarre.com/

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