Emily’s Rochester Merrypad

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Name: Emily Winters
Location: Rochester, New York
Size: 1,350 square feet
Years lived in: Owned for 2.5 years

We saw a sneak peek of Emily’s home when we looked at how she dressed up her hearth. We also spied into her closet when we saw her awesome freehand painted ikat walls. Now we’re finally getting the whole tour of her house.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

I’ve been reading Emily’s blog, Merrypad, for awhile now and finally got the nerve to ask if if she’d be interested in welcoming us in for a house tour. Emily has been lovingly restoring and decorating her home, a 1940′s American Foursquare in Rochester, New York. Like many older homes, Emily’s is a never ending work in progress — and lucky for us, she blogs about it along the way. Now, with this house tour, we get to see how all of Emily’s handiwork has come together.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Cozy Upcycled/Comfy Modern

Inspiration: A combination of West Elm Catalogues + Anthropologie window displays.

Favorite Element: The shiplap walls. I loved the texture and interest that the paneling brought to my bedroom, so I went wild and also installed it in the dining room and in the entryway. It’s warm, easy to install, and an affordable way to dramatically transform a drab space into a primary accent wall.

Biggest Challenge: My vision is bigger than my pocketbook. I spend a lot of time bargain hunting and searching for recyclable/upcyclable finds to make a buck go further.

What Friends Say: What are you working on now?

Biggest Embarrassment: The guest room. Lately, it’s been a dumping ground for unused décor. It needs lovin’. Kitchen is second on the list because it’s still a work-in-progress.

Proudest DIY: The deck. We removed the old one board-by-board and sold the lumber on Craigslist to offset the costs of new construction. In its place, we designed and built a new, 275 sq. ft., 2-tier wrap-around deck with matching pergolas.

Biggest Indulgence: Dinnerware. Rather than using a matching set of dishes, I’ve grown to love my mismatched collection of plates and bowls. When I’m shopping and find a piece that I like, I add it to the collection without hesitation. There’s a whole cabinet in the kitchen filled with extra pieces, but only two of us live here. We could serve 50.

Best Advice: Don’t fear the dark paint.

Dream Sources: Blu Dot, Flor, LoveSac, Anthropologie

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Resources of Note:

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

OFFICE

PAINT

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Thanks, Emily!

Images: Emily Winters

• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.