Name: Heidi Schmalbach and Lauren Oholendt
Location: Austin, Texas, Eastside
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 10 months
For anyone who thinks that you cannot use all of the colors and possess many collections without living in a home that is messy and chaotic, we would like to submit the home of Heidi and Lauren. They are the last to argue that they have a lot of "stuff" and that they have readily embraced all of the colors of the rainbow. They have managed, however, to create an absolutely stunning and endlessly interesting home while still capturing a calm, bright coziness.
Taking their own advice and buying what they love, Heidi and Lauren have managed to orchestrate their belongings into a symphony of color and shape. It seems that everywhere you look there is something interesting that has a story and provenance that is just waiting to be discovered. Femininity and soft touches are abound, as are bold hues and a broad spectrum of artwork. We are smitten with the brilliant integration of color, texture, pattern, form, and detail. Quite simply, we'd like to move in!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our style: Cozy, Warm, and Inviting. Whimsical, Feminine and Colorful.
Inspiration: French and English country cottages. Creating a place where people like to gather and linger. Making spaces to highlight our many collections!
Favorite Element: The high wooden ceilings and all of the light we get. The colors in the kitchen and bathroom and the original glass front cabinets.
Biggest Challenge: It’s a rental! We would love to paint more but we’re restricted to a couple of accent walls. The kitchen can also be challenging when we have dinner guests…it’s small and everyone loves to congregate there.
What Friends Say: That they feel like they are in a magazine and that everything is so “fancy.”
Biggest Embarrassment: The laundry room. It has no hope. We just keep the door closed.
Proudest DIY: Creating a space that’s uniquely ours, fun to live in and to visit, and with absolutely NO budget! Oh, and the JFK pillow.
Biggest Indulgence: Weekly trips to thrift stores and garage sales in search of the next treasure.
Best advice: Don’t think too much. Buy what you love and then worry about finding a place for it.
Dream source: A Parisian flea market
Resources:
Almost everything comes from local thrift and vintage shops! Corner Collections, Goodwill, Savers, Blue Hanger, and Top Drawer are some of our favorites. The side of the road works well too.
(Thanks, Heidi and Lauren!)
Images and Story: Jessica Blake Tata
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the link is broken!
just saw the first picture, but i have to say TOTALLY stealing the lights around the kitchen sink window. Great looking and will help with the fact that I have to cross a long kitchen in the dark to get to the light switch. Going to Ikea to stock up on some of their new solar light strings.
Link is broken, but from what I can see I totally am liking this. However, I don't get the small dining table in the kitchen. It doesn't really seem to serve much purpose as there is clearly a large dining table right out side the kitchen. It seems like it in the way more than anything.
Love it! So cheery!
love what i can see of the white wingchair in the living room...
even without a full (working) house tour, i see the flow in the place and it's just so inviting. i would love to visit for a dinner party...or maybe a board game night!
Yep, link's broken!!! :'(
love it, but by god, that brown couch is terrifying.
Great representation of true Austin Style!
grrr... darn link
someones got some flowers to dead-head.
I'm having trouble with the link. It's says File not found.
is treerings really using the comments section (twice - check the profile) to promote her own art/business?
that ain't right.
Can't see the full house tour, but the preview pics do indeed look messy and chaotic -- not that that's a bad thing if it's a conscious choice. I think some stronger colour on the walls might help unify the miscellany.
Broken link but I LOVE what I see so far! So bright and cheery and whimsical!
Link still not working. I'd love to see more!
The link isn't working for me, either, and I'm dying to see this one!
still broken :-(
STILL broken.
sorry everyone!
link is now fixed - enjoy the tour.
one of you has a really sweet bike.
cool place, too.
there are several really nice "things"... they would really sing with less noise
This place feels so home-like. I did a double take at the WV license plate! I'm a WV girl - always will be at heart. I love this place. I love the quilts.
completely inspiring.
Although I noticed to have such a bold use of color means limiting the colors of paint on the wall.
That would be hard for me!!
I'm on record as hating tile countertops, but Heidi & Lauren's makes me a liar! That entire kitchen is fabulous, not to mention the rest of the house.
Not my style but really think this such a happy, fun home.
Very Anthropologie meets vintage flea market bohemian girly.
lots of THINGS. thing overload, i wonder?
however, these things are WONDERFUL and the two of them obviously have great eyes for color and balance. not to mention, they look pretty tidy. you'd have to be with that many "smalls" to pick up dust!
ooh, and i have a VERY similar peacock picture made out of feathers, too!
Total knockout. My hat is off to anyone who can use a ruffled shower curtain and a painting of a tall ship in the same room. The whole place is delightful.
very cute
Now that I got to actually see the full tour-Wow!! I love your home! I especially love all of the pictures hanging on the walls, even on a lampshade(!), and think I need to do this in my own home. Thanks for letting us take a look into your home!
This is adorable! How can you not smile when you see this place???
I really hate shoes on the floor, no matter how cute they are. I also don't understand the use of aprons as window treatments...did I see that right? Otherwise, there are some really cute areas in this place.
I think this might be the first tour that absolutely felt like home to me. I think it's what my mom's house would look like if she had my taste in color and kitsch.
wow feels like home.. thanks for helping me overcome my fear of colour. i just wish i knew how to achieve this kind of look without it all looking like clutter..
I LOVE IT! I would absolutely feel at home here, and that was exactly what I was going to type before I saw that the two people above me had said the same :). I love the space, and it makes me feel much better about the fact that my own home doesn't really strictly follow a set design scheme.
Love it, love it, love it!
I just looked back and saw that everything is from the thrift store or the side of the road. That explains why it feels like home to me! :). My home is that, with a couple of older Ikea pieces and my kids' artwork thown into the mix. Of course, I have not done nearly so great a job as they have...
I absolutely LOVE the coziness, charm, and character in your home. Bravo on a very sweet space!
Definitely feels comfortable and lived in. As hard as I try, I just can't stay away from color, either! Thanks for sharing!
I envy people who can put in their house what they love without wondering a million times whether it's coherent, reflects good taste e.t.c. i wish I could do that without remorses or fear for being judged for having bad taste. There are really nice things in there and really ugly ones but they are their things and this is what a home should be like...
I really like the mostly-white background and ADORE all the crocheted items. The place gets a lot of natural light, which is great.
I'd need a stiff drink before I could go into that bathroom, though. Oy!
Love this! Love the colors, it is so cheerful! Also I disagree with previous comment about the "terrifying" brown couch. I think it looks great and I love the accent pillows!
I agree with jaxforprez! There's nothing terrifying about that brown couch. The bright throw pillows and homemade afghan make it feel quite sweet and homely. Sometimes that's the point.
Ladies, I know Urbanoutfitters when I see it. In fact I recognize quite a few of the items, because I own several of them. Give a little credit to chains, because they are a cheap way to add to that found it at a garage sale/thrift store look. Love this look, and totally my style.
Love it all but the kitchen. I agree with some of the posts, what's the table doing in the middle of the floor other than just getting in the way. I totally get if it's not there it would feel like a gap perhaps. But with so many people hanging out in the kitchen when you have friends over it seems like functional open space. A recent AT post featured a great little island that for me would make the space more workable. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/jennifers-bright-and-airy-mish-mash-house-tour-115936
Great styling, you guys!!
Wow, there's a lot of stuff going on here. But I love that it all looks like it means something to the people who live here.
I also think there are a LOT of really interesting pieces and art. Each picture had something I wanted to know more about. Well done gals!
This is so cute and happy! I love how homey and comfortable it feels. Very lively and a lot of personality. :) Also, I'm surprised that they've lived here less than a year - I was thinking about what a pain it would be to move all the knick-knacks and art! But kudos for doing it and assembling everything so quickly - I think the abundance of stuff on the walls is a big part of what gives it the lived-in vibe. I like how the mix of stuff is rather eclectic but it all comes together very cohesively.
Kitsch
scary how much I loved this place. the quirky pieces and bright colors were so much fun. and I really liked the JFK pillow!
This is definitely my favorite house tour so far. I LOVE the fruit "calendar."
The vintage quaker oats tins shamed me a little- I'm eating generic oats right this minute.
makes me think of vintage shopping on congress!
true austin style and i like it.
Busy eyes, busy hands, busy hearts. You girls are alright.
Love it! adorable.
Sweet happy home. I love what you've both done! I could definitely feel relaxed here - exactly what a home should be - filled with things you both love.
Loving this crazy little house! Delighted that they chose to play up the bright vintage kitchen tile, instead of trying to tame it with neutrals. Albeit unintended, this house is a friendly nod to the "Keep Austin Weird" concept. Kudos to Apartmenttherapy for finding it & sharing it.
This could be the setting for a Fannie Flagg novel, and I mean that in a good way.
LOVE all your colors, all the crocheted stuff, and the way you hang your art work!!
...and leave your kitchen table where ever it works for YOU
;)
Definitely not a less is more approach but whatever floats your boat.
Too busy, but bold sense of color.
is this a thrift store or a house tour?
way too much junk shoved into every corner, filling up every space, and covering every wall!
Three words: edit, edit, edit.
Such a warm, happy & vibrant home! I love it, thank you so much for sharing your lovely home with us. :)
xo
Melis
Yes, alot of stuff. But, I think your sense of style brought it all together nicely. Love the colors, your artwork, and the "homey" feel. And, I like the small kitchen table. It's extra work space, a place to put your grocery bags, or to sit and have your coffee, etc.
The only thing I found out of place is the Ikea wardrobe in your spare bedroom:) It just didn't go with the rest of the decor.
Wow. I love it. However, when you two decide to edit and have a garage sale, please let me know!
I really don't understand why people think the table in the kitchen is out of place. Not only is it functional for sit down prep work, like snapping beans or peeling potatoes, it's also an invitation for someone to join you for a friendly chat while you work.
It's not often that I see a house tour that gives me a warm fuzzy I-wish-I-could-move-in feeling, but this one is the exception. Love the collections, love the colors, love the side-of-the-road aesthetic. Brava!
Totally digg that aluminium hanging lamp in the bedroom corner! Where can I get???
This is the best tour yet. I would love to hear the details on all the collections. Also feel reassured now that contemporary can (and should?) be mixed with vintage. :-) Phew.
Very Austintatious. In my youth, I would have thought that was a really cool place. I'm a professional scavenger & have learned to edit or my nest would be as overwhelming as I find this to be. it just looks like a bunch of stuff from a thrift store to me. Maybe they should open a store.
Kinda Ugly Bettyish. Love it.
I agree with Delberson, it looks a bit clutterful. I am a crafter and sometimes I tend to over do it with the crafty decore. Indeed it can make a nest look thrifty. I find it adorable but it isn't an environment I'd like to constantly be in
Are those aprons that are hanging on the kitchen window, and on the bathroom window? That's really cool.
Where did you get the big shade for the floor lamp? Love it and I'm not having any luck finding similar. Thanks.
Thank you all for the sweet comments! I know our home doesn't represent everyone's style, but we love our "junk" and absolutely adore being and (and entertaining in) our cozy home.
To answer some of the questions--the small table in the kitchen is actually very practical! We started out with the small table in the dining room and nothing in the kitchen. The small table was dwarfed in the dining room, and friends would actually sit on the floor while we cooked so we could visit! I sit at the table almost everyday, so while it may seem cluttered, it is well used.
The lamps are all from various thrift stores around Austin. Lamp shades similar with the exception of the yellow and white marbled glass one in the bedroom--it's from Target. The large one on the floor lamp is a standard order 1970s shade--$2 or $3 at any thrift place.
The window coverings in the kitchen and bathroom are actually vintage scarfs (though we have an extensive vintage apron collection stashed in the yellow kitchen cart). Cheap, easy and colorful...
Paintings and art are mostly by friends, local artists, or etsy sellers. If anyone has specific questions...feel free to email me at hpscreative@gmail.com and I can give specifics.
Thank You all for looking at our home. : )
Cute, cozy and fun. I'd love to visit!!!
Only because it was mentioned in bio; as an experiment perhaps it would be interesting to see what happens if you temporarily remove kitchen table, thus allowing the lovely kitchen juju to overflow into the dining room.
Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful home. I've always bragged about you and your style. Proud of you, ladies.
Fun, quirky, colorful, and unapologetically home-y. It's got a lot of charm and personality. Looks like a great place for having friends over for casual dinners and just hanging out. My only wish for this (and most) house tours: a floor plan so we could visualize the entire layout.
Thanks so much for sharing your place!
love it!
do not edit edit edit! Minimalism is not for everyone (certainly not for me) and your collection of wonderful things would not look right if you only had 2 or 3 interesting "pieces". Your home is obviously loved, warm and welcoming. I'd sit at that little table and help chop and stir.
Oh My! do I love this little home!
It is simply BLISSFUL. The kind of place that is "mag" and blog worth, not just because of anesthetics but because of its accessibility. AND due to tons and tons of ideas in every corner. Funny little wonderful tables.
Great job! Treasures , they are everywhere but cohesive in its color combo. For example, I love the yellow mustard wall , it goes so great with any color of the moment say brown , purple , black and white accents. So well done.
Then the room with the purple bed! Oh my , the beautiful cream golden leafy sheer curtains !
Sorry for my spelling , was so excited !
Correction: "mag" and blog worthy.
Correction: aesthetics not anesthetics :)
I may have missed others sorry...
I adore everything about this beautiful home ♥
WOW!!! magic magic fun fun magic magic fun fun.
I grew up in Austin and this brings me right back home! I love the way these ladies embrace treasures and display their collections. The apartment is warm and full of personality. The living room is my favorite-- love the freshness of the white wingback chair.
Also having grown up in Austin, as some of the other PPs, I have to chime in and say this is just very "Austin." Not sure how else to describe, but it feels like home to me.
That is probably why no matter how "simple" and "uncluttered" I try to make my house, color and things just seems to sneak in here and there!
I love this place. I just am unclear to what a "bungalow" is. I have seen several AT posts of Austin bungalows and to me a bunglaow is a small house in the woods that has wood features on the inside such as wood ceilings and posts. This house and other didn't have that so not sure what they are calling a bungalow.
That aside you are so lucky to have a nice kitchen and bathroom as that is what usually people have to spend so much money redecorating or fighting with.
I am confused as to the construction of the place since they leave a strange amount of room in the kitchen between the two sides. Enough for you to put a table in even though the table just seems to block your movement in the kitchen but then one of the bedrooms is so small that you have to put a nightstand jutting into the doorway. WEll that isn't your fault and that place is so charming that those things are definetely worth working around.
I have that same couch... and it's insanely comfortable. Insanely. Cute house, it seems so FUN!
This Austinite adores everything about this wonderful, eclectic, colorful bungalow (even if it's not exactly my style). Perfect representation of our town and how it embraces individual style. I tip my Shiner to y'all.