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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.

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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.

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

Resources of Note:

LIVING ROOM

    • Sofa: Value City Furniture
    • Wicker Chair: Pier 1
    :• Shelving, IKEA EXPEDIT, Target, Sauder
    • Trunk Coffee Table: Antique from a yard sale
    • Art, Assorted sources: The large brown and white piece is a DIY interpretation of my favorite ski resort trail map. The yellow print with sailboats is by Amber Perrodin. Several others are framed pages from Anthropologie catalogues.
    • Roman Shade: DIY
    • Chandelier: Crate & Barrel

DINING ROOM

    • Table: Pier 1
    • Chairs: IKEA STEFAN
    • Pendants: IKEA 365+ LUNTA, large pleated glass

KITCHEN

    • Island: Upcycled gardening table
    • Shelf brackets: IKEA EKBY VALTER

BEDROOM

    • Side tables: CB2 Harvey in Lobster
    • Dressers: IKEA MALM
    • Area rug: West Elm Pebble Rug
    • Closet design: hand painted
    • Antique mirror and trunk: family heirlooms
    • Bedspread: IKEA
    • Curtains: dyed painters dropcloth

OFFICE

    • Desk: Pier 1 (but updated with some paint)
    • Filing cabinets: yard sale (updated with some paint)
    • Bear Rug: handmade

PAINT

    • Living Room/Dining Room/Stairwell: Behr/Burnished Bronze; Behr/Summer Field; Behr/Venetian Gold
    • Master Bedroom: Benjamin Moore/Stone
    • Office/Kitchen: Behr/Powdered Snow
    • Shiplap Walls: Rust-Oleum Ultimate/Kona

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.
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