Reader Design: Angela's Authentic Space

Yesterday was International Women's Day, and today, we're all about praising authenticity, love, and strength in this powerful StyleMutt community. Angela, who is hosting us in her home today, is a perfect example of all three of those things. This home for six plus her dog is a clear labor of love.

From Angela:

“I’m not sure if I really have a specific style. I just buy what I like. But it could probably be described as a little midcentury modern, a little boho, and a little Scandinavian. I aim for all of the rooms to flow together and feel cohesive. ”

“My goal for this house is for it to feel comfortable and to be a haven for us to relax and unwind. We are very informal, and the majority of items in our house are thrift or clearance finds. I never want our kids or guests to feel like they can’t touch something.

Our living room is our main hangout place..we have fires in the winter. The kids play piano and my husband plays guitar, and most nights we are having a dance party to our favorite songs on our Alexa.

The dresser in our living room is one of my favorite pieces. I found it on the Facebook Market place for $25! We keep games, audio books, art supplies, and of course play-doh in the drawers.”

Function is absolutely key for this family, and Angela has made small changes to improve life from day-to-day. An example?

“Another goal of mine is for our house to be completely functional and realistic for our family. We turned our front entry coat closet into an office nook this last summer. We now each keep our coats and shoes in our own bedroom closets. It’s a lot less clutter, and this space is much more functional now.”

Angela's use of neutrals and plants makes the home a place her entire family can look forward to spending time in. It's clear this family loves to be together, because they've created a space that reflects their personalities and their values. 

Angela, thanks for hosting us today - and congratulations on your stunning home! Follow Angela along on Instagram at @restoring_home to see more. See you next week!

Reader Design: Jessica's Vibrant Space

Well folks, somehow we're now in 2018. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break because 2018 is here with a vengeance. 

Take New England for instance, the home of today's reader design tour. It's currently piled with two feet of snow! Thankfully, Jessica has her vibrant and eclectic home to keep her warm! 

A little about Jessica:

“I live in a 1934 Craftsman Bungalow home with my dashing husband, Christopher, our dopey mutt, Murphy, and silly dog-like cats, Marla and Sylvester. We’ve been here for just over four years, the last year being the most significant design-wise inside. Since then, I’ve taught myself how to hang french doors, rebuild floor molding, and board and batten. I believe you can build anything with a nail gun. My design eye was heavily influenced by my Mom’s desire to create cozy interiors throughout my life. Apparently we had a knack for feng shui and didn’t even know it. I keep at a design until I get it balanced and just right.

My home has rapidly evolved more in tune with my personality over the past year. For years, I had well-loved hand me downs, but I’ve begun to embrace (and trust my gut about) a wilder, more vibrant feel. I’ve always been an eclectic collector and a lover of color. I’m an avid fan of the glammy ‘20-30s, mid century, and the boho vibes of my grandmother-in-law’s Southern California home. I love idea of challenging myself to combine my BBB (big, bold & beautiful) antiques/thrifted goods with my husband’s California roots. My home has since grown into a modern-eclectic-glam abode that’s super cozy to all who enter.”

In the dining room, Jessica paired a Spanish revival sideboard she found at a tag sale with a custom 7' poplar table by Mason Dixon Handmade and vintage brass bar cart. Jessica's husband lovingly jokes that the home is "a modern Italian dream based in 1970s Miami," and no room says it better!

This place is just chalk-full of meaningful finds, 'more is more' design, and elements that satisfy all five senses - specifically "incense, good tunes, the velvet blue Article sofa, pretty pattens, and all the home cooking." There are also fun collections that Jessica has accumulated over time, almost by accident, of globes, decanters, and candlesticks. So much to please the eye, and the heart!

If there was a perfect place to wait out this storm, this would have to be it. Thank you for inviting us in, Jessica! Follow Jessica along on Instagram @imjessicabrigham for more.

See you next week,

Reader Design: Lara's Canadian Hide Out

Hello, dear friends! Today, I'm writing to you all from my new home: sunny (yes, sunny... for now) Seattle, Washington. I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Canadian border, which we're headed across for today's tour. 

Meet Lara and her eclectic home in Ontario, Canada.

Lara is a style mutt through and through and describes her own style as a mishmash of tastes. 

From Lara:

“I am a child of the seventies, and that is reflected in my home. The house I grew up in was all earth tones with lots of wood, and that is something I am still very drawn to.

And plants, of course. I’ve been decorating with houseplants since I was a university student living in a dorm twenty years ago. It’s come as something of a surprise to me that houseplants have made such a huge comeback after years of being relegated to granny status! But I love it. ”

It's hard to remember a time when plants weren't 'in' - who could even imagine passing on all the huge benefits of having greenery in your home!? Thank goodness that, eventually, everything comes back into style. Lara has actually has over 50 plants in her home and definitely takes after her grandfather who was an agronomist for the Canadian government.

Lara's home evokes major #calihomevibes, despite the fact that she has yet to visit the state. It's "light, bright, and casual, with a bit of edge." After a recent trip to her home country of Latvia, Lara realized that she's subconsciously been pulling in some European elements as well, with the focus on earthiness and comfort. Like many homes in both locations, Lara has created a space that pulls you in and invites you to stay a while. 

“First and foremost, I want my home to feel welcoming and homey. I want people to feel comfortable, but also, hopefully, a little inspired. I love a home that exudes creativity and reflects the personalities of the people who live there, and I hope that my home does that.”

Now, it just so happens that these tendencies of Lara's are totally 'on trend' right now... but Lara assures me that she's been decorating her home this way for years!

“It’s funny because I don’t think my house has ever been as on-trend as it is now! My style has been very similar for many years, but the “jungalow” look has never been as hot as it is now!”

Things break away from the laid back and neutral scheme a little bit once you reach the bedrooms, where Lara is open for lots of color exploration and pattern-mixing.

“As much as I love earth tones, I also love color, and the kids’ rooms are where I feel I can really let loose with that.”

The bedrooms also show off Lara's thrify side - from the band posters used as art, to the clearance sale mid-century dresser that Lara's husband Rob miraculously brought back to life. 

The rooms are just fun - lucky kids who get to call those home!

Lara, thank you so much for showing us around. Your home is clean, simple, but perfectly reflects your sweet family. 

Follow Lara along on Instagram @thehydeoutblog for more inspiration, courtesy of our neighbor to the North. And thanks to Kiely @kielyramosphoto for capturing Lara's home so beautifully.