Some people might think a brother-sister-husband living arrangement is a little crazy, but this Ohio trio is happy to report they get along quite well (for the most part and to most people's astonishment) and make good use of their time collaborating on creative projects. Matt is working as a graphic designer and Amanda is an interior design student, who in her spare time runs the vintage Etsy shop half caf and the blog Here's Looking at Me, Kid. Her husband Phil is a school teacher and don't forget their little dog Archie who watches over everything.
Since the purchase of their home virtually every surface has been renovated, restored and remade. Walls torn down, floors removed, fresh paint applied, and new baseboards installed—the works. Even if many hands make light work, there was still enough to go around. The pictures speak for themselves as their light, bright and open spaces make vintage feel clean and modern feel lived in. We hope you enjoy their work as much as we did! Enjoy the tour!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our style: Matt's style is graphic modern with vintage elements. Amanda's style is eclectic vintage with a bit of kitsch. Phil just goes along with whatever! The style of the house is a collaboration between the two of us siblings.
Inspiration: We can't help but be influenced by all of the inspirational interiors found on design blogs like AT. Sometimes we get ideas from the homes we see online, and sometimes they just motivates us to keep working hard. Also, in our hunt to for unique items for our home, we tend to find cool things that we weren't really looking for, which in turn inspires the rest of our home.
Favorite Room: We love the living/dining room area. It's a place everyone can gather to be together and still do our separate things. There is a lot of tabletop space for our activities, like computer gaming on laptops, crafting, working on school projects, and eating lots of food.
Favorite Element: We might as well face it. We love watching television. One of our great joys are classic movies and having movie watching marathons. We only have one living area, unlike homes which are fortunate enough to have a formal living room as well as an informal living room. So we only have one spot for the television, and if it's not easily viewed, the design of the space just wouldn't be functional. That being said, our favorite element would be the fireplace wall. It visually separates the dining area from the living area, while also housing important functional elements. We were able to build the wall around ductwork and load bearing beams. We also implemented a pvc pipe for transporting wires from the television to the adjacent media cabinet. (Head over to Unplggd to catch a behind the scenes look at the install!)
Biggest Challenge: We're fresh out of college (Amanda's still in college, actually) and have little to no funds at all. Everything we do has to utilize all of our available resources, like family friends with extra construction materials, thrift stores for furniture, and freebies like the industrial pieces we acquired when the local Hoover Plant closed down a couple of years ago.Also, living and working in a construction zone is a major challenge. Since Matt moved in almost two years ago, there has always been a part of the house under construction. It's difficult to entertain friends when the only bathroom available is up a flight of stairs which are barely passable.
What Friends Say: "Where do you find all this stuff?" and "When will it ever be done?" The answers are "I use my super secret thrifty powers!" and "Never!"
Proudest DIY: Pretty much everything in this house has been a DIY. The house began as a traditional Midwestern bungalow, although without the desired architectural elements, such as wide baseboards, trim, and beautiful hardwood floors. We ended up replacing almost all of the trim in the house, but the first major renovation was knocking out the walls between the dining and living rooms and then ripping up the carpet and damaged wood floors which were underneath. They were replaced with new wood floors which we laid after rebuilding the fireplace. It had been adorned with traditional cherry wood mantle with a ceramic tile surround. We made it larger, to facilitate the air ducts and support beams, and turned it into a great design element with a coat of paint. The T.V. is mounted on a rotating arm which is sunken into the wall. The wires go through the wall and come out at the base, where they connect to the media equipment in the cabinet.
Besides this area, we are also working on the kitchen. We drywalled the previously laid in ceiling, put in recessed lighting, painted the cabinets white, put up a tile backsplash (which is still a work in progress), and gave one wall a coat of blackboard paint.
The office also received a makeover with new lighting, fresh paint, and new hardwood
flooring. This area is still pretty new, so we're still feeling out how we will decorate and such. The carpet upstairs was ripped up to reveal the original wood flooring. Also, the stairs leading up to the 2nd level were all carpeted when we moved in, but right now we're working on refinishing them to match the rest of the house.
We wouldn't be able to do even half of the work on this house without the expertise and help of our father. He is one of those guys who literally does it all. He's a great help and is extremely generous in the time that he has put into our renovation projects.
Our Indulgence: Hardwood flooring. The house was move-in ready with carpet, but we just adore the look of hardwood. Now I don't think we could ever live somewhere without them.
Best Advice: Feel out your space and let your imagination run a bit before making any design commitments or rushing out and buying new furniture. Don't worry about living in a stark space for a while. We had been living in the house for close to a year before we even hung much of our art on the walls. We slowly collected lighting, furniture, and accessories throughout the past couple of years, and while nothing is perfect, it's much more personal and lively than it would have been if we had rushed to fill the space with whatever we could find at the time. Sure, we would love to be able to afford a nicer sofa that fit the space, but that will come in time.
Found Treasure: Most of the furniture in the house was found at thrift stores, on Craigslist, or on ebay. But the found treasure that is most valued would be the old barnwood from a family friend. We were able to use the wood to build the dining room table and the top of the coffee table in the living room.
Had Forever: The burlap curtains in the dining room are from Amanda's dorm room 6 years ago.
Dream Source: A warehouse full of eclectic furniture and accessories. Covered wall to wall with beat up industrial signs, MCM furniture for dirt cheap prices, vintage textiles, and unique tchochkes. That would be a dream come true!
Reality Source: Thrift Stores and Craigslist.
Resources:
(Northeast Ohio really has a great supply of thrift stores and antique malls with affordable prices. We're always on the lookout for possible new additions to our home, even if we don't really need anything at the moment.)
Furniture: The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Craigslist, eBay, Ikea, the orange shelf is from cb2, the living room side table is from Urban Outfitters.
Accessories: Thrift stores, Antique stores, craft shows, Etsy, some pillows are from Dwell Studio and Urban Outfitters.
Lighting: Recessed lighting from Home Depot, Dining Room lighting was from a garage sale, office lighting from cb2, living room lamps from eBay, Phil and Amanda's bedroom light from Ebay, Matt's bedside light is from Target.
Rugs and Carpets: Flokati rug in living room is from Ebay, Phil and Amanda's bedroom rug is from Urban Outfitters, Matt's bedroom rug is from Ikea.
Beds: Phil and Amanda's bed is just a frame from Sam's Club. Matt's bed is from Ikea.
Artwork: Living room and entryway art was all found at thrift and antique shops. Dining room poster was from the Hurricane Katrina Poster Project. The signs in the office were from local antique shops. Art in Amanda and Phil's bedroom are from Etsy, with the exception of the flock print which was from 3 Potato Four. Matt's posters: from Vahallas Studios, Cleveland AIGA (promotional poster), Scott Hansen, and antique shops.
Flooring: Lumber Liquidators
(Thanks, Matt, Amanda & Phil!)
Images: Amanda Johnson
Very nicely done, the clean lines with just hits of vintage and graphics looks great. Your home has a Scandinavian aesthetic to it.
My god Archie tooooo adorable, what breed is he?
view b77's profile
This is one of my favorites. It feels wintry and warm all at once. Thanks for sharing.
view brittanykate's profile
Job well done! I would never guess 3 people just out of college lived here. The spaces are so well edited. You have acquired some amazing pieces of furniture that you will have with you forever. I love the fireplace wall color! It looks very sophisticated as an accent next to all the white. I also love your dining room table. This is one of my favorite house tours. Amanda-good luck finishing design school! It's not easy!
view Sarah627's profile
Very nice! I love how bright and airy all the rooms look in the photos.
view suzy8track's profile
I love this, what a great space!
view CalamityCJ's profile
where is that awesome "can't buy me love" poster from?? would be a perfect christmas present for beatles obsessed boyfriend!
view cdeegs's profile
LoriSF: Archie is a Yorkshire Terrier. We keep his hair short for the most part... which means he's barely recognizable as part of his breed!
cdeegs: I actually made the Beatles poster with a sheet of plywood, a pack of vinyl Helvetica stickers, and a can of black spray paint. I laid the stickers on the plywood, sprayed over the board with black paint, and removed the stickers. Then I just screwed the board onto my wall. It'd be a great DIY project for you to give your boyfriend!
Thanks for the compliments! :)
view amandaPlease's profile
I love Mandi, Phil, and Matt! Great post! Cheers to my friends. I have been lucky enough to visit a few times (so far) and the home is even more gorgeous in person. Truly talented minds and awesome people
view VanessaMeryl's profile
Wow, what an inspiring home, so full of charm and personality!! I adore all the artwork and wish I had a knack of finding cool things on craigslist...
view SweetChicEventsChicago's profile
amanda good to know I would of not known her was a Yorkie...he is precious and I like the hair shorter and that he has more black hair then the gold brown color.
Your blog is great!
view b77's profile
paint colors?
view LaDonnaNichole's profile
That fireplace is fantastic, as is the ceiling in Matt's room. In fact, for me, the whole place strikes a perfect balance between colors, textures, sizes. And then there's Archie, the wonder yorkie.
view rosenatti's profile
WELL DESERVED!!! Mandi has great style in everything she creates and curates.
view racheloncegentry's profile
Um, you have a fantastic place. It is really not my style at all but I still love it. Great job.
view wormy's profile
what is the paint on the fireplace wall? love it! and i've been wanting to do a blackboard paint in my kitchen for ages.
view the polish chick's profile
nicely done! i adore the the quilted fabric runner on your dresser. now i gotta find a way to make one!
view valbythebay's profile
Great space! I also love that y'all are brewing Maxwell House -- it's refreshingly unpretentious. :)
view graefix's profile
Great work, guys!
view JoJenks's profile
Love the large art on the wall!! fabulous ~~
view laura trevey's profile
Amanda, great photography! Youu would never know that there is anything under construction, it all looks so clean and inviting. I love the bare surfaces, your bold but restrained use of color, and that DREAM of a mantel piece!
view LeahDC's profile
Perfect! I love the living situation- it's rather sitcom worthy. The furniture is to die for.
view radioriot's profile
Great tour. Nice blending of styles, a real home, clean and approachable and graphic. Well done!
Art Chantry is a God!
view suitcasey's profile
LOVE the floors.
My kitchen is very similar in layout. I think you'd be very pleasantly surprised with how much bigger it feels when the upper cabs are removed.
Try it!!!
view SwedishChef's profile
You're all to be commended. Great job. What are the paint colors, including the white?
view txbelle's profile
Thanks, everyone! As far as paint goes... we are horrible at keeping paint chips around. Sherwin Williams has our colors on file at the store, should we need more. But I do know the white walls are "Pearly White" and the trim is "Bright White," both from Sherwin Williams. The green fireplace color was color matched, so I won't be able to give you a name for that one. If someone is really interested, I could probably find the color mixing number combination for another store to duplicate. I'll check in with Matt about the colors in his room and the office.
view amandaPlease's profile
It may be silly, but I'm beyond delighted to see someone's place from Canton, Ohio on here! (So close to home!) It looks fantastic! I love the collection of milk glass.
view ELEillos's profile
What a great place! It looks like you guys have really great natural light.
Does anybody know who made the op art in the living room? I missed out on buying one just like it earlier this year so I'm still hunting for one.
view coyotbeck's profile
PERFECTION!
I tried painting the ceiling in my bedroom almost the exact shad e of blue since we have high ceilings and I thought it would be amazing. You don't even notice it. I'm jealous!
I think I'm going to take the tour again.
view rebeldress's profile
Wow! This place is a veritable treasure trove of good ideas. I love the orange lockers. They give the whole dormitory-like living arrangements a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. :)
view kellylc's profile
Wow, I never comment here but I LOVE this. Bravo.
view bobbiebee's profile
simply lovely! Great job! I love the living room!!!
view embot9000's profile
Bravo!
view advocatedog's profile
I loved it! A great example of fabulous thrift store finds! The family room looks cozy; great place to watch 'It's A Wonderful Life'! :)
view turningviolet's profile
very streamlined but still personal. Your doggie is adorable too. thanks for sharing
view Sassy in SF's profile
LOL. I'm LMAO at the subtle "It's a Wonderful Life" message!
And, speaking of that, I absolutely love your fireplace-TV-makeshift mantle set-up. Looks fantastic!
view morgs831's profile
Great blend of vintage and modern design! My favorite pieces are the green chair in the office & your recliners... actually, all your chairs are awesome!
view rebecca312's profile
where are the coffee table legs from? i'm looking for something similar to use to make a desk.
view jessicareese's profile
Thanks for the nice comments everyone! It's really encouraging to hear positive feedback from everyone. We've definitely put in a lot of work, but it's good to have things almost done.
@ coyotbeck: the art on the living room wall was actually from a Sears store in the 60s.
@ turningviolet: It's a Wonderful Life is possibly the best Christmas movie ever :)
@ the coffee table legs were actually from eBay. But you can find similar legs at various sizes from this store:
http://www.ianmaclean.com/
Good luck on your project!
@ txbelle: the yellow paint in the stairway is "Bee" from Sherwin Williams, the gray in the office and my bedroom is "Secret Passage" from Olympic, the blue on my bedroom ceiling is "Misty Surf" from Olympic, the walls are low luster "Pearly White" from Sherwin Williams, and the trim is semi-gloss "Extra White" from Sherwin Williams.
I'd be happy to answer any other questions :) Cheers.
view matteymann's profile
Very nice! Great colors, accessories and art. Such a great example of what some creativity can do.
view queenbee1230's profile
Great Space! Question on the orange locker. I'm about to purchase a set of lockers online and get them painted as well. Did you do it yourself and if so what kind of paint did you use? Otherwise, I was told to take them to a car detailing place to get them painted, but figure that may be more costly.
Cheers
view chicoluz's profile
You guys have a wonderful place! Beautiful and inspiring. And I love the living arrangements, too. So nice to see something out of the ordinary in that respect.
view Thea77's profile
I love this! Every room looks so comfortable and put together. It's not at all my style, but so well done that it makes me wonder why it isn't! Of course, I doubt I'd ever get it all put together so well--I can't believe you've done that much in less than two years.
I especially love the bedroom in the main picture, the artwork (all of it, I think, but especially the Beatles "poster") and the mantle.
By the way, where did you find that size Helvetica stickers? I've only ever seen small ones.
view alahoop's profile
I really enjoy your place. Looks like a relaxing and beautiful home to come back to after a long day.
view Rebecca_J's profile
Your place looks amazing, just really stylish and full of personality. I grew up in Canton, and when I left in the mid-90s for college, interior design in Canton fell into only 2 categories: (a) fox-and-hound hunting motifs (lots of forest green) and (b) country calico and wooden geese knickknacks.
view steviey1's profile
"Brew ha ha" made my day! Great place.
view scootergirl's profile
I love everything. You did an awesome job in every room. It's interesting how you used the fireplace as a divider--very clever. I also LOVE the orange lockers. I never thought about buying lockers and painting them until I read chicoluz's post. Makes me think you could use lockers anywhere, in any room, with any decor, as long as you use the right color....... I'm now trying to think of a place where I could use some lockers.........
view creative license's profile
I absolutely love every single thing about your home! There is nothing that is out of place or looks like it doesn't belong. Well done!
view mrsbsc's profile
very nice! where are the dining room chairs from?
archie is ABSOLUTELY adorable.
view Pooh's profile
chicoluz: The orange lockers were actually originally that color. So, sorry... no help on the paint situation! It seems like having lockers powder coated would be the best bet, since they are metal. Good luck!
Tashy: I found the large Helvetica stickers at Office Max. They have them in various sizes, but the ones I bought were the largest they had.
steviey1: We know some Cantonians with homes exactly as you've described. :)
Pooh: The dining room chairs are Bertoia side chairs. Matt found a used set on Craigslist, but you can also purchase them new from Design Within Reach.
view amandaPlease's profile
Love the faux fireplace with the wood looking candles... I'm usually not a fan of fake fireplaces but this one works.
view Lafferteezy's profile
Lafferteezy, the fireplace is actually a real working fireplace. The lining needs to be fixed, and until Matt gets the funds to do that, we can't burn logs. So for now, candles it is! :)
view amandaPlease's profile
How funny, here I was expecting somewhere exotic, but it was just plain old Office Max.
I love what you did with them. I might have to attempt one, but with a different quote. Of course, mine will probably end up looking like... a piece of plywood spray painted black. :)
view alahoop's profile
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love.
Sounds like something a rich singer would say LOL.
view Joejeep's profile
I live in Akron and my husband is from Canton so I was so excited to see your house on here! It's lovely!! I'm currently a renter so I'm excited to see that someone locally has made a Northeast Ohio home over to look so great!
view evahesse's profile
I saw the Beatles plywood art linked from elsewhere, and loved the idea.
I laid out some Lady Gaga lyrics on a big sheet of rectangular plywood, but the husband gave it a thumbs down. Ended up going with Beatles lyrics in the ends as well. :)
view Waldorf Modern's profile
Gorgeous! I'm adding your beautiful home to my list of spaces to aspire to...
view LSUgrad03's profile
I'm so glad to see OHIO representing such classy design. Way to snub the stereotypes.
I'd love to come visit this uber-talented family. Hi from up in Avon Lake!
http://finehowaboutyou.blogspot.com
view elfeathers's profile
Hi, neighbors to the south!
I live in Akron - love the Goodyear sign and your house is beautiful!
Keep up the great work!
view CityGrrl77's profile
love that mantle...
view sstrudeau's profile
beautiful house! where are the magnetic spice holders from?
view Ainhoa Vega's profile
Waaay too cold for a northern Ohio winter! I'm shivering just looking at it. I couldn't stand this place in January, although I might enjoy it in spring.
Love Matt's bedroom ceiling.
view kushkush's profile
I haven't clicked through to a house tour on AT in so long b/c they haven't been very interesting, but your place is really, really great! so creative and unique, and I love all the DIYs, esp. your fireplace!
thanks for the inspiration!
view lovelyrita's profile
Ainhoa Vega: The magnetic spice holders are from both World Market and Bed Bath and Beyond. They come in handy because they're so conveniently located next to the stove.
kushkush: Maybe it's all the white? But in the winter, it gets dark around 4:30, and with the variety of lighting in our home, the ambient light actually makes for a quite cozy atmosphere. We probably should've included some pictures taken in the evening as well. But you're right, Northern Ohio winters can be quite frigid!
Thank you for all of the compliments, everyone! We will be checking back to answer any questions.
view amandaPlease's profile
I like the lights over the desks, but photos did not show high enough to see how they were attached (in series?) to the ceiling.
Think it most cool! that the 3 of you make it work to live together. It's the only way we're going to hang together and make it in this economy :)
view KateInHawaii's profile
KateInHawaii: You can sort of see in photo 21 how the surface mounted pendants look at the ceiling. It's a pretty generic mount that came with the lights. :)
view amandaPlease's profile
Absolutely love your place. I came across it through another source and am so happy to have now found the full set here at AT.
I've got to know where you got the yellow and white bedroom curtains. I have been hunting everywhere and can't find a set that I like. HELP!
view katrinfrick's profile
it's really lovely... but why banish such a great plycraft into the corner!
view pinstripeprincess's profile
I love your creativity and how you've thrifted your home into gorgeousness. You blog is an inspiration to me! Thanks for sharing!
view prs's profile
this is one of the coolest house tours i've seen in a while. love your use of colors, especially in the bedroom.
michelle
http://cheeseloversinternational.blogspot.com/
view michelleinbrooklyn's profile
Thanks again for all the nice comments! I hope I can answer a few of your comments...
The mantle is something that I really like as well! I wanted something a little rustic to break up all the clean lines. I was able to find a local place called Olde Wood Limited</a href> that sold old weathered beams. They literally had hundreds to choose from. There are two heavy-duty bolts anchored to the green wall that mantle now hangs on. This way, it can be easy taken off if we ever want to repaint the wall.
@ KateInHawaii: Like Mandi said, the office pendants are mounted with the stock fixtures. Wiring was run along the top corner of the wall/ceiling, then along to the holes in the ceiling for the lights. They're pretty unobtrusive mounts.
@ katrinfrick: I believe Mandi got her curtain fabric from Jo-Anns. After that, it was all her and the sewing machine. I'll have to confirm that though.
view matteymann's profile
Actually the curtains are made from Amy Butler fabric. I found it online. It was so difficult choosing a pattern! She has so many lovely designs.
view amandaPlease's profile
I love your place -- I see you have a shag rug - I am thinking of getting one. My only hesitation is cleaning it and the shedding factor ... any words of wisdom?
view lpgaines's profile
I live in Canton, OH and was so excited to see your home. It is gorgeous! Goes to show that you don't have to live in NYC, Chicago, etc to create such a creative space. It have given me some hope while getting my apartment jazzed up. Yay Canton!
view texie's profile
Thank you so much for allowing us to see your beautiful home! It's fabulous!
Would you be so kind as to tell me which seller on etsy you purchased the 'money can't buy me love' artwork?
view arcese's profile
My DREAM house! I love everything about it. Thanks for the inspiration.
view MargeyM's profile
Such a beautiful home. I love the room with the curved ceiling and built in cabinets. I also love the painting that is out of focus behind the dining table display. Any idea who the artist is?
view jp1234's profile
hi guys! Back with some responses.
lpgaines: this rug is a wool flokati rug and shed at first, but it doesn't any more. If you get those "fake" flokati rugs that you can buy at places like world market, they will shed forever. We tried that. As far as cleaning goes... it's a pain. :/ But I love it anyway.
arcese: I made the sign myself using vinyl letters and spray paint.
jp1234: the poster in the dining room is from the Hurricane Katrina Poster Project. It was designed by Lindstrom Tryk Design (Laguna Niguel, CA). Here's a link:
http://www.thehurricaneposterproject.com/index.php?page=poster&thumbs_id=164&sort=default&pagex=0&count=12
view amandaPlease's profile
I'm not one to use the AT lingo in real life but: Good job with editing! That's a skill I am slowly learning. And you have given me newfound hope for white walls - I'm soon to be moving to a farmhouse upstate and need to keep the walls white. Now I know it can look amazing!
And your blog is great as well!
http://fthats.wordpress.com
view misscorinne's profile
So comfortable looking. Love your collections and the way you display them. Thanks for all the great ideas.
view sewbeeit's profile
this place won my heart at "brew ha ha." no seriously, bravo. would have loved to have seen more of the kitchen though.
view claire_quilty's profile
Beautiful!
Esp. love the orange lockers and the green mantle. That green color is to die for!
Lovely kitchen, too!
view StrangerFiction's profile
I love your house. Especially the Ikea headboard, I've been wanting this for my room for a long time. I think your dog is so cute!
view colleen2009's profile
LOVED it! I love collecting milk glass, also. It is so pretty when the candles are light and it illuminates the pieces.
view allioopa's profile