Love the glow from the paper bag lamp covers, and her tree-stump end table!
I hope the comment section for this lovely artist house doesn't get filled with snarky comments from people who want each home here to be a minimalist/mid-century modern space.

Home, or museum....who can tell? No snarky-ness here, but wow...this is a case of design WAY over function. I DO, however, appreciate her creativity. Just wonder how she actually LIVES here. To each his own, so I won't judge. It's definitely interesting!

P.S. Those paper-bag lampshades seem like a fire waiting to happen. (Please take care!)

I love your mix. Organized clutter, gallery-like, enough white space for some breathing room, eclectic and dazzling. I love the way your papier mache spheres keep showing up. I'm inspired now to make one of my own, paint it with blackboard paint and hang it in the bathroom for people to write on while they sit on the throne. Design and function unite...urban detritus can be a beautiful thing! What are your bricks made of? I can see the cardboard as mortar...I really love this wall! The light in your place is fantastic!

I really like it too! very creative, whimsicle, and inspiring! def not too serious, which i appreciate in living spaces!

While the wooden hangers throughout the house might be considered amusing, I don't think I could EVER find a wire hanger decorative. Agree with paper-bag shades as fire hazard; it's a definite no-no.

not hapenning

I think this is awesome.

There were a couple of recent house tours that looked like hipster sorority/frat houses that left me really disappointed, but this just renewed my faith in AT. Thank you!

Very cool and eccentric home! Great art: the bathroom ASBO is very amusing!

you must have $100s of dollars worth of wooden hangers. love the idea of hanging art from a hanger on the moulding.

i currently recycle everything i can get my hands on, but you've inspired me to look deeper and see that some of the items can be made into works of art.

How are you making the yarn out of paper, I need to know. :D

Not a fan. The house has so much potential to shine. I third the comment on the brown paper bag shades... not a 'bright' idea at all.

Definitely not cookie cutter design. Amazing how much whimsy you've managed to create on little cash. Inspires me to look deeper and find some creative ways to fill out my own home.

Such a colorful orgy of history! I can see the layers of 20 years of living! If these walls could speak ...

This house is brilliant, and it's hard to believe someone lives here! It feels more like a gallery to me. How did you make the paper bricks? They look like fun :)

Very fun and personal, loved all the wire near the ceiling to hang stuff on. Wished we could have seen the kitchen.... it is hard to get a feel if I can't see the kitchen. :)

Is there a MERKIN on that tree stump side table?

Parts of this looks more like an art installation at a museum than someone's home. Not sure what to make of this.

For everyone scared by the paper light shades, if Cesa is a green evangelist it's a fairly safe bet she's using compact fluorescent lamps or even LEDs. CFLs produce very little heat - certainly not enough to ignite paper.

I'm just not sure what to think. Every time I wanted to love it (Asbo spelled out in the bathroom! Hangers! Bookshelves!) I came across something that jolted me (those lampshades are a total fire hazard unless they've been treated with something to retard the fire which is so un-green.)

I appreciate that it's all done to suit the person living here and THAT I really do love.

I love it. If you are an artist, why should not your home be a living work of art? I also love the idea that this is a moment in time captured here and the space will continue to change and evolve.

i think this is pretty fantastic

I love the genuineness of it...raw...a tad un-safe but raw nonetheless....

calamityayne..........I think that IS a merkin!!

fwiw, i think the bags are cloth, not paper. and with cfl bulbs they aren't a hazard. they also appear to be propped off the bulb, which means air is circulating around them. my guess is that she is a great deal smarter than you are assuming. she's managed to make it to grandmotherhood and continued to be creative and canny. i think she rocks.

crazily creative! i <3 it!

I'm digging it. If the paper-bag lampshades were truly a fire hazard, the place would have gone up in flames long ago, so I'm sure Cesa's got it under contro. All hail the mighty merkin.

*control*. gah.

Really beautiful and original. This is so refreshing - I love it!

Cesa, mi casa es su casa, if you ever come to NC.

I feel like this house could be my friendship litmus test. If you see it and aren't inspired and in love, then we can't be friends, it just wouldn't work.

Interesting homes inspire. This looks like a place that no matter how many times you visit, you always notice something different. Thanks.

BRILLIANT.

Like living in MOMA.

Original. Bravo!

I have mixed feelings. I applaud the artistry and the recycled nature, but not everything works for me. (Since it's not my home, that's not important, of course!)

I always have issues, though, with the idea that just repurposing something (like the mattress springs) as "decor" without actually upcycling them into a new, better use is merely delaying their eventual landfill use. (To truly be green, I think the new item needs to be something the next generation will want to keep and continue to use. Which is very difficult to do. So maybe it's greener to simply submit metal to a recycling foundry that melts it down for new products...)

I can appreciate eclectic tastes but I don't find anything charming about this home. Sorry :/

Very interesting tour. I really enjoy seeing places such as these, even if most of us don't live that way. Inspiration can be found here for sure. Thanks!

I hate to sound mean spirited, but what happens when this woman is no longer living here? Won't all her non-trash be thrown in the trash...?

Maybe I don't understand. Is it that all the things that happen to be in Cesa's home are previously owned or that all the things Cesa has owned (since she started this project) are in the home? I mean, is it a *no waste* project, or is it a *hey-I'm-only-going-to-have-previously-used/owned-stuff-but-if-something-actually-maximizes-its-utility-I'll-put-it-out-for-recycling-or-whatever*?

I would rephrase "Almost every item in her home is recycled from her own (or bemused neighbors') waste". Sounds funny, no?

sometimes you can tell when people live alone and more than likely have 50 cats.

THIS is one of those times.

I really love the organized chaos of this apartment! Lots of color, life, and inspiration in every photo. I can definitely tell an artist lives here!

I especially appreciate the use of picture rail molding for coat hangers - I've definitely been there myself.

Make this in earth tones, and I can see myself living there.

Thanks for sharing!

Wow, what an unusual variety of creative recycled pieces. I'm in awe of the recycled newspaper bricks any particular reason you chose to block the fireplace? I also like the stacked cut logs in the last photo/s. The wire and hangers sort of creeps me out though. Interesting and whimsical.
Thanks for sharing!

My cat would love this house to explore.

To each their own, it takes all kinds, and all of those cliches.

It reminds ME of an episode of Hoarders thouh.

yep, that tree stump side table has a bush. YAY!

Yes, bushy little tree stump side table.

What this says to me:

A) I want to be inspired

B) I want to be inspiring

C) I love to make art

D) All of the above is not relegated to one room or area, but instead is the purpose of the entire space, and

E) I don't care if others are impressed or uncomfortable by this approach.

Love this.

"This mess is not a home"??? There've been a lot of nasty comments on AT, and I've authored some of them; to me this comment is the worst of all. What nerve. I'm disgusted by this level of criticism, especially given the lack of pretension in Cesa's responses to AT's Survey questions.

It works! You can see that thought was put into it. It is like a gallery, the white walls make it all come together. I'm a neat freak & a minimalist & I even think this place is pretty great. I don't find it to be messy at all.

Wow, that is some work space:) Very anti-Apartment Therapy(lol)

Seriously, I admire your creativity and orginality. And, for some reason, I just love your rusty can sculpture!!

You do something that I really, really believe in. That is to re-use what would normally be thrown in the garbage to create work of art. I'm going to come back often for much needed inspiration.

*****Thank you for sharing your home with us, and forgive some of the people who do not know what "constructive criticism" means!!*****

Serious creativity to be sure. But, someone mentions their time machine and you don't think that warrants a follow up question? Call me nosy, but I want to know where she's going with that one.

TO: Betty14

Tell us how you REALLY feel!!

Though I would need a different sort of space I love that this is a Grandmothers home. Imagine how fun it could be!
Love it.
Thanks for featuring all different sorts.
Andrea

Love the parts but not necessarily the whole. It does seem like a happy space.

you know, only 10% of the population actually likes abstract art. The other 90% feel intimidated, annoyed, mystified, assaulted, confused, etc. Really creative people don't usually work in the mainstream. Why would they live in it?

I just jumped from this to Anne's Neat & Neutral house tour and back again. wow! the 2 spaces could not be more different.

while I could not take the risks in design that Cesa has with her recycled home (coward that I am) - there is a warmth and love in the space that is welcoming to me. I love all the creativity and color.

And I found Cesa's space to be neat and tidy.

I experienced Anne's space as neat and tidy and bland - a beige home. the furniture is stylish and yet everything blended together for me - nothing stood out. Anne wrote about showing her Moroccan tea pot in a prominent place - I had to go searching for it. really. If this works for Anne, then that is a good thing. It is too pale for me, beyond calm.

Cesa's - I would love to have tea with her.

thx

I love the creativity and "think for yourself" spirit in this home. What a great home for an artist to be able to express themselves in. I have often seen installations of things that I wish I could have in my home so, I applaud Cesa's using her home to express herself and use installations to make her and her home a happy one. Thank you for sharing your home with us!
xo
Melis

Although I don't understand the wall in the hall, thank you for sharing. Fascinating and very beautiful.

I couldn't get pass frame number 19. Got hung up on all the hangers.

I admire her creativity, consciousness and artwork - I daresay that if many of these were an exhibit in a museum, many of us would gladly pay our $30 to go view it...

But as a Home? Well, the corner with the orange chair, standing lamp and built-in bookshelves is quite nice...

I appreciate your sense of creativity and design. I just don't feel totally comfortable in your home. It looks like an artist's display case-is this what you want? If so, you have achieved this quite well. Good luck in your future endeavors.

I love it! What a fun place. A nice change from the pretty-but-dull, fashion-conscious interiors you that show up so often on this site. A nice reminder that creativity isn't just about knowing what to shop for.
(And, colleta, I can't help but wonder if you'd have made the same '50 cats' comment if the creator of this abode had been some happening young male designer, instead of a woman described as a "passionate grandmother"?)

What's wrong with an artist making her living space a gallery, too? I think it's fantastic how alive Cesa's home is. While there is definitely a lot going on, everything is so thoughtfully laid out that it doesn't feel overwhelming to me. I do admit that *I* would probably constantly trip over the hall wall, however it is very cool and I bet the grandkids have a blast playing in it.

TO: posted by amirthecat on May 18th 2010 at 11:14am

What is your point?

Fantastic creativity and there's the red thread. In my taste just too visible, but hey, it's not me living there :)

Thank you for showing me this house, it reminded me that interiors don't always have to be so serious they can be a little crazy too haha. Love it

This is one of my favorite places, if not my absolute favorite, that I've ever seen on AT. I love everything about it! It is so creative and filled with love and art, but I definitely don't see this as being form over function. It looks like a cozy, comfortable, and inspiring place to spend time and create - what more could you want? I would move here in a heartbeat. By the way, I absolutely LOVE the photo of two hands touching in the office - who made that? Is that one of your photos or another artist? I'd love the source, it's such a haunting image to me. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful home!

I would love to hear more about the tennis ball refrigerator! How....?! The tree trunk made of all the different woods is very fun too. And the hangers from the picture rail is soo different - but it absolutely works and makes a very attractive pattern that makes you look twice. Your creativity and courage are very admirable!

the woman has balls...

This reminds me of my dear departed art tutor Lola.
Cesa you are inspiring, can I adopt you as my grandmother ( or if not Mentor??)

you brightened my day

thanks you very much for all your comments . lovly to read . even negativ comments are intresting . in answer to some of them the lampshades are paper bags and so far havnt caused a fire . the hangers in the hall i think of as a flock of birds and when you come in its uplifting to see the hall flying . the wire and springs are part of my materials collection and hang in the studio waiting for the day . i hav no animals . the fridge is stencilled . thanks again and happy making . the time machine is available by appointment . thanks again and best wishes and happy making

YUK !

I bet Cesa's grandchildren love this place. To an adult, a wall in the hall is useless. To a kid, it's the way the world should be. I think Cesa's in touch with the child's sense of the world and the many many possibilities of the stuff in it.

So many things made me smile. Especially the fridge!

This is truly wonderful, and like a dream. Transporting the viewer into a different whimsy of state. Your house is magical and inspired. I am grinning ear to ear.

Hmm... a home creating a bit of a spit fire discussion. I guess we know where the real art lies.

This woman is brilliant!

And don't worry kushkush, I'm sure Cesa has the "those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter" philosophy down pat.

Ummmm...I could not live with this....BUT....I did like the pantry with that beautiful little chest of drawers and the giant black and white wrapped paper ball...and I love the ASBO too....fits the entire tour! Thanks AT for the interesting things you show us!

This kind of aesthetic is one that I aspire towards (though perhaps fall short on). I look to Cesa's home as a source of inspiration, even if her personal design is not to my taste. Thank you for sharing your home!

I respect her creativity and the fact that she lives life on her own terms... However, in close-ups some of the furniture looks dingy and stained, if not downright dirty... It is okay to recycle AND recover and reupholster... And that trio of filthy balls propped on the ladder - is just completely disgusting... Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am in health care, but my question is "Why?"... Truly, it is okay to realize some items are destined to be chucked! Does everything have to be reused?

Wow, what a cool grandma house! I bet her grandchildren love to come over, looks so much fun.
And what is the time machine? please tell.

one of my pet peeves is when people place their furniture against the walls of a room, regardless of how large a room is. you could create a comfy little sitting space in front of the green couch.