Situated a stone’s throw from Airship at the Pumphouse, Lee Anne Stelte’s Pineapple Cottage welcomes her White Line Designs clientele with charming curb appeal, functional and fashionable furniture, and personalized decor that tells her story. While her Bentonville oasis is curated for her lifestyle, the same experience can be expected when walking into any of the residential or commercial projects she designs. To her, beautiful spaces should reflect the stories of the people doing life in them.
The California girl grew up in Arcadia with a heart for architecture but attended graphic design school in Pasadena. Her Hawaiian heritage, SoCal upbringing, and creative passions inspire her work today, but her journey from the West Coast to Bentonville began with a craft business.
“I started a business called Country Seasons when I was maybe 22,” she said. “I made these wooden decor pieces that you could hang for different holidays and started going to craft fairs. One year, this gal walked up to me and asked if I would be willing to sell wholesale; she had a handful of grocery store gift shops.”
Soon, Stelte’s Country Seasons creations were in 100 stores with a showroom in Chicago, but she hit a bit of a speed bump in 2002. “I was selling my products on QVC, but the economy was changing, and my stuff was starting to get knocked off. I thought, ‘I need to do something.’” Her sister convinced her to use her artistic talents to paint residential murals and, through her retail business, Stelte had made some connections in Arkansas. “I started landing these big homes in Fayetteville and every time I'd be there, the homeowners would ask my input on something like which tile to choose,” she said. “It happened more and more, so I just started to teach myself.”
The crafty mom got her “big break” when one of her mural clients started a real estate development company and needed a lead designer. She pitched her first contract and shortly after had her hand in everything from construction design to street naming on over 100 projects across Northwest Arkansas.
“You have the ability to create whatever life you want,” she said. “I had this lightbulb moment, but some people never wake up.”
The girl who once admired her architecture colleagues now has decades of experience working as a lead designer on commercial and residential development projects, functioning as both a creative consultant and project manager. Aside from her designer's eye and professional resources, Stelte’s greatest assets are her ability to uncover client stories and identify complementary contractors to craft spaces that transform the living experience.
“I want to know: ‘Why are you doing this? What is the purpose behind it all?’ I really want people to dig and discover their story because I’d rather they have nothing and negative space than a bunch of junk.”
At the Pineapple Cottage, Stelte’s space showcases her heritage and hometown, as well as her artistic proclivities and progressive design tastes, all while accommodating the functional needs of a business, and gathering space for family and pets.
Pets not unlike Trace and Blueberry, foster dogs from Best Friends NWA.
Founded in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society is a national organization working to end the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats in shelters across the US. In Arkansas, Best Friends supports shelters, provides grants and donations, and helps to develop and grow foster and adoption programs.
“Dogs belong in homes, not shelters,” says Best Friends NWA Senior Marketing Specialist, Linda DeBerry. “Studies have shown that dogs who have spent even a short period of time in foster care are likely to be adopted sooner than those who have not. When you take in a foster dog, you’re giving them an opportunity to decompress, relax, and learn to “dog” in a home setting. This gives them a vital leg up toward finding the loving home they deserve.”
While Best Friends NWA does not normally bring in pets from outside of Arkansas, Trace and Blueberry - who enjoyed a field trip to Stelte’s Pineapple Cottage - are an exception. “They are among the hundreds of adoptable dogs who have been moved out of shelters in Los Angeles to allow those shelters to take in pets who have been lost or displaced because of the fires,” DeBerry explained. “Our center is one of the many shelters and rescues working together to provide support and relief for our colleagues in LA.”
How fitting for these California natives - Stelte, Trace, and Blueberry - to come together in this happy Bentonville home. For Stelte, designing a happy home shouldn’t be about keeping up with the Joneses. Instead, she urges her clients to focus on opportunities that enhance their personalities, passions, and lifestyles. “Of course, I would love to pick everything for my projects, but at the end of the day, it’s not me who’s living there,” she said. “If you have a friend who’s going to give you a hard time about your backsplash, they don’t need to come over. Let’s design something that fits you and your story.”
“Watching my clients walk into a finished project with speechless smiles - it’s the best.” This experience was manifest in the happy faces of Trace and Blueberry as they explored Stelte’s Pineapple Cottage with wagging tails, collecting affection around every corner.
This is the kind of environment Best Friends is looking for in pet foster homes. According to DeBerry, any loving home where a pet is cared for is an ideal home to foster, and it’s a great option for those who aren’t able to take on a pet full-time. “Best Friends provides everything you need to care for your foster pet: food, toys, bedding, and any medications your foster pet may need.”
As Stelte continues to expand White Line’s portfolio - both residential and commercial - her work offers an inspiring reminder that design is about more than just aesthetics. Her projects are a testament to the power of intentionality, where every detail serves to provide joy and deepen connection with self and loved ones. In the end, creating these connections is what makes any space truly beautiful.
Best Friends NWA
If you are browsing the pets in care who are available for adoption at Best Friends NWA and find one you’d like to meet, email the staff at adoptnwa@bestfriends.org to schedule a meet-and-greet. Learn ways to support the animals at Best Friends NWA by visiting www.BestFriends.org/Northwest-Arkansas and follow along on Instagram @bfas_NWA.
Dogs belong in homes, not shelters. When you take in a foster dog...this gives them a leg up toward finding the loving home they deserve.
Lee Anne Stelte
White Line Designs started with a passion for art and home design. In Stelte’s 20+ years of design work, her ultimate goal is for people to feel good in their home or work environment. She designs for projects ranging from residential to commercial bringing unique products that will be aesthetically and functionally pleasing. 479-263-6867 • leeanne@whitelinedesigns.com