Home Tour!

This weekend was a big one…I officially took over the new house!

I don’t move in for a couple more weeks, but I am so grateful for the extra time to clean, organize and stand in the middle of each room, silently contemplating decor and furniture placement (this is very creepy, but totally the way I do it).

So, on Friday you met my yellow couch, today meet its new home…it’s time for a home tour!

Living Room

When you walk in, the first room you see is this cozy living room. The walnut floors run throughout the house (I’m a lucky girl!). It was built in 1954 and the hardwood is original. It’s a shotgun-style home, meaning each room opens into the next.

This style home is so named because you could presumably shoot a gun in the front doorway and the bullet would hit the back wall, but since I don’t like guns, I tend to think of it as an extra long runway, Tyra Banks-style. America’s Next Top Model, watch out.

Living Room, looking toward front door

Here’s another view of the living room, looking toward the front of the house. That’s the front door and – I’m going to go ahead and call it – my favorite window in the house, right in the entryway. There’s a massive tree right outside of that window and the view is wonderful. I’ll share pictures soon.

Also of note in the living room is a huge hall closet and a laundry room (you can somewhat make out the door to the far right).

Moving on…

From the living room, you step into an open area I’ll be using as a dining room/office/DIY central. It’s the perfect space for my newly painted table and chairs. I love the built-ins that frame the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen…

I mentioned the home was built in 1954 and this is where 1954 really comes up to greet you. I’m so digging it. First off, those counters are let’s-share-a-milkshake-after-school red. At first, they threw me, but now I’m loving the cheery pop of color. The cabinets have been repainted, but they are original to the home.

The open shelving – discussed here – is going to be a fun place to store my many,many mason jars (three have been moved in already). I’m excited to be able to display pretty food like coffee, flour, oats, beans and seeds in jars, and stash the rest in the cabinets. It’s the first house I’ve lived in without a pantry, but I think I can make it work.

From the kitchen, a wide hallway leads to the back of the house.

Here’s the bathroom. Again, retro, but I’m loving it. The floor is my favorite part of this room. I’m contemplating the colors, or lack thereof, I want to bring in here. I’m leaning toward a simple white shower curtain, since the room is so vibrant on its own. Then again….we’ll see.

Last but not least, my new bedroom. I can’t wait to cozy this place up. I especially love that there are three windows in the room and they let in a ton of light.  That might make waking up for those early morning jogs a little easier.

So that’s the house! More pictures to come as I get moved in. Special thanks to my lovely mama for helping me scrub it from top to bottom today – it really feels like home now!

Question: How old was the oldest house/apartment you’ve ever lived in?

The Story of the Yellow Couch

So, remember the vintage, patterned couch I debated about here?

It’s time to be formally introduced.

Couch, the Internet. The Internet, my couch.

It’s snuck into the background of a few photos, like this one

and this one.

However, this is its blog debut. Let’s get y’all acquainted.

The fabric has yellow, gold, green and gray tones running through it, in a loose floral pattern, and the the back cushions are all beautifully tufted (oh how I love tufting). It definitely reads yellow from a distance.

Now for the kicker…

I found this couch at a Salvation Army Family Store for $200!

I have bought a lot of furniture in my relatively short furniture buying life and this just might be my favorite (I can’t choose, I love them all so much…).

The couch was manufactured in furniture mecca High Point, North Carolina in 1972 by Young’s Furniture Company. After a little Googling, I found out the company was started in 1946, but sadly, went out of business a few years ago.

And in a little cherry on top of the vintage furniture sundae, the original delivery tag is still attached, noting the February 2, 1972 delivery date of the couch to a furniture shop on K Street in Washington, D.C.

Just to put the “vintage” in “vintage couch” into perspective, Washington, D.C. looked like this in 1972:

Photo Credit: Dorothy Marder (I think I have those sunglasses.)

And, the Watergate complex break-in, which led to scandal and the eventual resignation of President Nixon, happened in June of that year.

So I’m not saying my couch had a place in the Watergate scandal, but I’m not denying it either…

Anyhoo, I can’t wait to build my new living room around this quirky little (possibly historic) sofa. I’m already planning on pulling out the gray tones, to balance the retro with some modern touches. The pattern once scared me, but now I think it will be a great foundation for a fun, sunny room.

Oh, and did I mention it’s uber comfortable? I know, second fiddle on a decor blog, but totally important since it’s my one and only couch.

So, that’s that. You’re now properly introduced to my friend, the groovy yellow couch.

Question for you: Have you ever found a great piece of vintage furniture? Do you wonder about the past lives of your antique or second-hand pieces?

The One Where I Crush on Phoebe’s Apartment

Psst…if you’re looking for the Mason Jar Sewing Kit I’ve entered into the Pinterest Challenge, you can find it here. Please share your Pinterest-inspired projects – so fun. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check it out here. Have a great day!

 

Do you remember Phoebe’s apartment on Friends?

Sure, Monica’s massive apartment got the bulk of the airtime, but I’ve been watching some old episodes lately (oh Nick at Nite marathons!) and I think I would move into Phoebe’s in a heartbeat.

The eclectic mix of furniture and artwork makes the place so cozy. I’m in love with the weathered green hutch in the background and the tufted green couch too (we’ve discussed my love of all things tufted). Even though all of the items are mismatched, that soft green color – see it also on the chair legs, pillows, and curtains? – pulls it all together.

So pulled together, in fact, that the mermaid coffee table kind of blends in!

Phoebe was always my favorite character, so maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her place. Or maybe it’s due to our mutual disdain for mass-produced furniture (remember the episode with the apothecary table)?

So, which Friends character’s apartment is your favorite?

Phoebe’s?

Monica and Rachel’s?

Ross’s?

or Joey and Chandler’s?

All of the Friends’ apartments and the coffee house were the brilliant work of set designer Greg Grande.

HGTV Dream Home 2012

Every year, HGTV gives away a house. A whole house.

And every year, I think how overwhelming it must be to win a house. A house! But overwhelming in a good way of course – a problem I could certainly get on board with.

This year’s house is in Utah and its rustic exterior and interior match the landscape. As with most of the giveaway houses of the past, I like some of the decor choices and I’m not a fan of others. Let’s explore:

I love the front door and the hardwood floor (which flows throughout the home) is stunning. I’m also intrigued by the art on the wall. What do you think? It looks somewhat modern, but understated.

The great room is a stunner. That stone! I’d move in for the fireplace alone. Two things I’m not a fan of in this room: The painted white walls above the stone (I’d much prefer a more rustic stained wood) and the blue-checked chairs (they seem a little out of place to me).

The master bathroom is beautiful and naturally sunlit. Is that penny tile? I like the way it’s neutral but still visually striking. Ah, and a bathtub. In my bathtub-less existence, the mere presence of a tub inspires high marks from me.

If the great room fireplace sells the house, this fireplace is the cherry on top. I love outdoor living space and the stone makes this a natural extension of the interior. In continuing the looking-a-gift-horse-in-the-mouth theme of this post, I’m not a fan of the glass-topped decorator tables or the blue striped pillows. But I’d gladly overlook them as I settled in with a book in this spot.

To see all of the rooms in the 2012 HGTV Dream House and register to win the house (really! a whole house!) check it out here.

What do you think? What rooms do you like best?

Home Tour: Mom and Dad’s House

What’s more Christmas than Mom and Dad’s house?

My mom is just as into decorating as I am (go figure), and even though our styles differ sometimes, we love scouring antique stores together for pretty house treasures.

Mom goes all out at Christmas. Check out the house, all decked out for the family coming together in a few weeks:

The dining room is where all the good eating happens at the holidays, so it’s the logical place to start. The antique buffet is a centerpiece for decorations, with a pop of red among the lit garland.

The table is big enough to fit everyone and is dressed with a small tree (when not stuffed with yummy food).

Next up, the living room. It’s a big room, right in the center of the house. The brick and wood paneling always make it a warm room, but it’s even cozier at Christmas.

The fireplace shines with garland and graceful gold reindeer and the tree lights up the opposite corner of the room. Mom makes sure every table has a bit of Christmas on it, whether it’s a manger scene or a favorite old Christmas card.

(Ignore the foot in the third photo – boys don’t understand the importance of pretty pictures.)

In the kitchen, mom’s new sideboard is decked out with burlap trees and a little DIY project (fill a glass candle holder with cranberries and a vanilla candle, then wrap the votive with some twine). Don’t you love the Victorian Santas?

Another easy DIY – if you have a pretty Christmas card, frame it! You can use a framed photo you already have and replace it after the holiday.

So, that’s end the house tour at Mom and Dad’s. How’s your Christmas decorating coming? Who hosts Christmas in your family?