I definitely thrive on living in a pretty, organized space. Though I've always loved decorating and dreamed of having a pretty home to live in, it wasn't until I started teaching that my home really became my sanctuary.
At the time I lived in a beautiful apartment in a historic part of the city. My days teaching in an inner city high school were pretty intense. Coming home to a quiet, tidy, pretty space helped me to relax. My home quickly became my oasis.
After I met Andrew, I moved into his house, a two bedroom bungalow that is over 100 years-old. Since then, I've made lots of changes and definitely transformed his bachelor pad!
We are definitely ready to leave the city and head for the woods as soon as we can, but until I finish this PhD, it just doesn't make sense to move. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for me is that there are so many things I would like to change about this home. Most are small projects like paint and fixtures, but it's just not a good investment of our time or resources. Instead, we are now beginning a long to-do list of things that need to be done in order to have the house in selling condition in a year or two.
I must say, I love the character of older homes, but I look forward to having a newer space in the future. One of the things I long for the most is storage space. Old homes are definitely short on closets!
As I often catch myself dreaming about a larger, newer home, I remind myself to be grateful for this space. This home has treated us well. We have made so many wonderful memories here, and there are so many days I'm grateful for the small size as I try to keep tabs on a toddler!
My decorating style has evolved significantly over the past few years. In fact, our next home will probably look quite different from this one based on the decorating lessons that I've learned while living here.
More and more, I'm finding myself drawn to rustic, natural elements. I'm also love color. However, I've learned that color is best in art and accessories. I made the mistake in this house of painting all of the rooms bright, vivid colors. When I moved in with Andrew, the dining room was royal blue and we painted the living room a deep red! Yikes.
It was fun for awhile, but I got sick of those colors fast. I've learned that its best to keep the walls neutral and bring in color through other elements. A couple of years ago we got rid of those brightly colored walls and painted the living room and dining room a more neutral, taupe shade. It really helped to brighten things up and made the space feel so much bigger. I really don't have decorating rules. My philosophy is to fill your home with things that you love. Many of our items that are on display have sentimental value, and when we travel we like to buy pieces that remind us of our adventures.
We'll start the tour with our living and dining room, which is where we spend most of our time.
This is the view from our dining room into our living room. We have tall ceilings and windows, which is very nice and makes the place feel a lot bigger than it is. I bought this dark green sofa and love seat 11 years ago! Again, I learned a lesson that its best to stick to neutral colors when it comes to long-term furniture. I've been tied to this color of green for a long time, but I like earthy, dark colors so it works. I also switch out the throw pillows seasonally to mix things up a bit. We used to have a nice coffee table but exchanged it for a more kid friendly ottoman last year.
When
I first moved in with Andrew, we bought this painting together. It was
our first art purchase. I love this painting and expect that it will
be in our home for the rest of our lives. Notice the tree theme.....
This is the view from the front door into the dining room. Our dining room is multifunctional and includes our desk and home computer. I really like that these two rooms are joined together creating a larger, open space.
I have a love/hate relationship with this bookcase. Andrew picked it up second hand many years ago when a nearby business was closing. This thing is solid wood and sturdy as can be. I love it as a place to display photographs and decorative items. However, it is in dire need of some work. And I hate those gold accents. I did add some wrapping paper to the back of the shelves and changed the hardware to dress it up a bit, but I still think it's ugly.
Once we move into a new home, I'll give this baby a good paint job and it will be good as new. In the meantime, it works. And yes, that is a record player and a stereo. My husband is old school when it comes to his music!
This is our little office space in the dining room. Its not the most ideal place for the computer, but we lost our home office once Liam was born so this is it. We have a piece of plexiglass on top of the desk to protect the surface. Last year I added some wrapping paper under it to dress it up a bit. I like how it adds a little pop of color.
This antique sewing machine is one of my most cherished possessions. It belonged to my grandma. I remember sitting with her as she sewed clothes for my dolls. It's a constant reminder of her and how special she was to me.
Andrew and I bought this piece of artistic glass last year for our anniversary when we were at a music festival in southern, Illinois. We love trees so when we saw this, we both agreed that we had to have it! Notice the sweet little heart at the bottom of the trunk.
This stained glass, which Andrew's parents gave him several years ago, hangs above our front door. It was already here when I moved in, and I love it. I couldn't think of a better piece of art to represent my arborist, banjo playing husband.
It's pieces like this that represent what our home is really about. It's a reflection of us, our family, our personalities, our love for one another, and this magical life's journey that we share.
