Jo Blatti
Where I live: I live in the Kingwood area of Little Rock, right on the edge of Cammack Village. My daughter Annie's family, especially granddaughters Amiya, 8, and McKenna, 1, are frequent visitors.
Occupation: I am a historian and project director of First Person Plural (1stpersonplural.org), an oral history and public programming project that explores the experiences of diverse Arkansas women who came of age in the last half of the 20th century. We work with educational institutions statewide to share these life histories. I also research and write on other topics and occasionally consult for nonprofits.
My favorite space is: The living/dining area of my 1950s ranch-style house.
Why? It contains art and collectibles from many of the places I've lived and worked. In many cases, I know the artists, which makes these images doubly special. The piece de resistance is the quarter-sawn oak cabinet my maternal great-grandfather made for my grandmother when she married early in the 20th century. My mother carried the piece around the country and the world. I keep books in it, including my grandmother's, which were handed down. At holidays, festive pictures of my daughter and granddaughters replace the historic family pictures atop the cabinet.
If I could make one change to improve this space, I would: Perhaps paint the walls a lighter color, but for now, we just use the space and enjoy.
HomeStyle on 06/09/2018