The owners are trying too hard to achieve their "Sophisticated Bohemian" look, whatever that is. It looks like an overly-staged consignment shop.

Oh that throw on the couch is fabulous! As is the king and queen art. Otherwise overall feels a bit too brown for me.

Thanks Muesli for the sweet comment on the throw, and thenomad.. a little harsh with your comment, but hey everyone has their opinion! :) i love my treasures :)

A magical place full of killer one of a kind pieces of furniture. I adore the lighting - and that green ceiling medallion! I could spend hours just looking around. What great light you have too. Well done!

The re-upholstery is great, I'm trying to do dining room chairs and I know how hard it can be!

I love it, because there's interesting stuff to look at all over the place. Like my house.

i never like 'nautical' themes in the bathroom, but that shower curtain is amazing!

Where did you get the throw that's covering the sofa? It's great!

thanks guys, the throw is a find from the alameda flea.. we sell every month at booth E20. There is a guy usually way far back who sells really cool textiles, i always have to swing by and check out :)

delightful! while there is a WHOLE lot going on, i think the unifying "color scheme" (which i would describe as creamy white, with lots of brown wood and warm colors) makes it look sophisticated and not chaotic.

You have a great eye and a charming home. Wish Mignonne weren't on the other side of the continent.

I love the island in the kitchen - very cool. Also, the dining room is really lovely. Very warm and inviting. I get the bohemian vibe. It'll be fun to see how this place evolves over time. Thanks for sharing!

A bit too cluttered for my taste.

You two own so many fabulous things. I especially love the wood and textiles, and I second the opinion on the kitchen island, it is a gorgeous piece of furniture. Nice space!

I, too, like the dining room a lot. Spare but not clinical; nice relaxing color scheme!

this is definitely not my personal style, but I must say it looks loved and lived-in, and completely unpretentious. nothing about it seems contrived or staged. kudos

Thanks for sharing your house with us. but the style is so all over the place that it feels cluttered to me. reminds me a little of the estate sales that i go to on the weekends in the Oakland/Berkeley hills.

Everything is so fun and interesting. I LOVE it!

I love this place! Hard to believe you've only lived there four months. It looks warm and homey and very lived it!

I really love this! It's so eclectic and homey at the same time, and feels very warm and relaxing.

This is my favorite tour to date. It's always great to see an artist's home. Even if the furnishings and things aren't your taste, you can learn a thing or two about clever ways to display things. I had a lot of fun looking. Thanks for sharing your home.

The home feels inviting and well-loved.

I can see how some might see it as "cluttered". It still looks thoughtfully put together, not like a bunch of junk thrown around. Personally, I would get stressed out living in a place with so much going on, and I envy those who are able to get along just fine in that type of environment.

Thanks for sharing your space and can't wait to check out your shop. My daughter lives in Berkeley and I'll be in the Bay area this weekend! Wondering about the artist of the print with the birds. Looks familiar to me. Both my inlaws were printmakers/wood cut artists/illustrators, very active in the 50s and 60s....so a lot of art these days is looking familiar to me.

Love it!

Thanks Kristine! The piece you mention is by a ca artist Millard sheets,( 1907-1989 ) from the 50's titled three gay birds..
http://www.californiawatercolor.com/artists/millard_sheets/biography/

Hope to see you at the shop!

Love, love, love this place! I adore that wonderful chair with the contrasting upholstered seat - gorgeous!

Well, as the saying goes: if you can't say anything nice ...

oof, so good. Though, I wanna hang your queens and kings pictures, and get the stuff off your records (they're gonna bend and get ruined!). Then again, I have the front of a vintage television, and a broken acoustic guitar leaning against the wall in my hallway, so who am I to judge?

Doesn't strike me as cluttered. There is a lot going on but it doesn't seem chaotic - seems well-thought out. Love all the artwork, the use of color, and the overall feel. "Sophisticated Bohemian" indeed.

Oh you have a "Katrina" on your sideboard. Cool.

I love Mignonne! We miss you in downtown Oakland! You have a lovely home. Your treasures are displayed so nicely, and that dining room is fab.

Wow, the dining room is to die for. As for the cluttered comments, I have to admit that looking at some of the pictures I had the irresistible urge to tidy up all the books.

Looks like the basement from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

What a charming place, definitely one of the nicest house tours ever! I don't find the house cluttered at all; and I love it all, from the little pieces to the big ones! I am envious of having access to the Alameda flea market, I am dying for some things with a bit of spanish flair (rather hard to come by in s-w Ontario).
My favourite room: the dining room - I am dying a slow death!

A question - the dude with the unique textiles - would he have a website? I would love to help rid of some inventory. :-)

The only that I don't like (and sorry, I can't help to mention) are the ribbon-cinched sheers in the living room. Personally, I think they would look better without, my eyes are drawn straight to the ribbon and it takes away from the lovely living room.

Thank you for sharing your house with us (hint: you can invite me any time!).

Lovely. Very similar in taste to my aesthetic, except I have a lot more color going on in my house, and not as big of a collection of cool stuff (give me time though!). I love the hand holding the sponge in the kitchen. Where's it from? Also the blue chair with the white ottoman in the bedroom is gorgeous. I'm sure that's one-of-a-kind. Love the queen and king screens too!

Individual pieces are nice here and there but overall feels too cluttered for my personal tastes.

Thanks for the peek into your home. Obviously, this style is not for everyone but I appreciate the chance to see something different. All the mid-century modern does get a little boring!

Oh man. I think I just had a intense moment of revelation. Seriously, life-changing revelation.

My boyfriend and I have been at complete odds for years, because I keep trying to force our apartment to evoke the "modern" look (which is hard to pull off in an older rental), and his style can be described in two words: antique and wood. I've been frantically struggling with how to incorporate his style in a way that I would feel comfortable with (because all I could think of was, "DARK DARK SO DARK") and this... This tour was like an angel descending from Heaven to tell me, "Silly girl, THIS is how you can do it!"

I'm not kidding. Seeing this tour has completely changed how I'm going to go about decorating my homes for the rest of my life. You've managed to blend together vintage/antique and WOOD without making it feel like a the claustrophobic home of an elderly shut-in!

I feel like I have an entirely new lease on life now that I don't have to submit myself to the masochism of modern design anymore!!!!

THANK YOU FOR THIS TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very unique and lovely home! Great mix of furniture styles here, and it all works so well together.

I think it's all a matter of opinion and that's the beauty of life and design... I don't feel like we live in a cluttered space at all, and assuming allergies... a little much... I think it's awesome that our home can inspire Zhahira. Things that reflect our travels ( local or afar), family... including a ten year old, and our combined tastes live in our home. It's nice to come home and know that even if we can't afford all the expensive decor pieces out there- that maybe one day we will be able to, at least we can get creative and have a home unique in itself! Thanks again Zhahira for your most sweetest comment, it truly was inspiring in itself ;)

Fusty dusty estate sale leftovers sitting in a cluttered consignment shop
= contrived Bohemian.

That is one of the most beautiful living rooms I've seen for a long time.

Love the print in the kitchen, with the chair and the jug on the table. That looks a little like a Steuler West German pottery jug - is it? Emma

I love how you bring together fabrics, rugs, and interesting, artistic bits and arrangements.
Beautiful antiques. I love your style and sense of detail. Thanks for sharing your home - very inspirational!!

I like the throw, too & the King/Queen art. What are those?! How about that couch?! Must have been hard work. Also, not normally a fan of nautical-themed anything, but you 2 nailed it! The kitchen island is inspired -never would have thought of that use for that piece. Others' creativity really impresses me. Honestly, this home is not exactly my style, but I can APPRECIATE it. And there are certain elements that I really like. And yeah, 4 mos?! We've been here 6 yrs, and we're still not done! I always follow the rule...if you don't have something nice to say... I know when people say negative things, it kind of takes the wind out of a person's sails. So, I either find things I DO like, or I shut my yap. :)

@ LittleOwlSki: I don't know if you're talking about the orange-y jug/pitcher on the kitchen island, but if you are, I *believe* it's Fiestaware. The pot w/ the handles next to it is pretty awesome as well! We have family who make beautiful pieces like that.

eileen marie-I agree completely. People who offer up their homes for tours are pretty brave. Each one can't be everyone's favorite. Why make negative downright mean comments when someone is being gracious enough to show you their home? To all the meanies out there: How would you feel if the same were being said about your home?

As a fellow artist who exposes their work for comment, I sometimes wonder about people's opinions. While I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, and negative comments can even be helpful, people can really get carried away. They react as if they will be forced to live in the space in question, as well as change their entire wardrobe and lifestyle in order to adapt to their new environment, and they won't go without a fight. It's like getting irritated at someone for ordering themselves food you don't like. While I wouldn't say your home is my style, I don't want your style. I want MY style, and I want you to have YOUR style, and if everyone else wants to have Martha Stewarts style, that's just great. I can only hope that the bitter comments will fuel your desire to continue to be unique.

I agree with you AbleandBaker. As an artist I don't want my home to look like everyone else's home,or like it came out of a Room and Board catalogue. So many of these house tours are nice, but they look as if no one ever lives there.
Have a little tolerance for other's styles.
I am embarrassed to read all the negative & nasty comments here. Shame on you.

I think you have done a marvelous, inventive, and inspiring job of making this home your own. I love the library table as a kitchen island...brilliant. And thank you for not painting and distressing all those beautiful old wood pieces.

I would love to hang out here.
yes, there is lots of stuff, but it all looks interesting to me. The place looks like it has a history.

So if you come home from the market one day to find me lurking in the corner... just don't mind me... I won't disturb you... much... really!!

Seriously though... love your home! I have been tossing up whether to make my lounge the dining room and the dining room the lounge... your dining room has inspired me to make the switch! :)

love it!

this pic is magic! http://g-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/2923714/21_Johnelle_and_Brian_100711-0067_rect640.jpg
:)
& those little details like the corks under the kithen work table...
love the couch! :P

"While I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion (...) people can really get carried away"
yup!
I guess it's stronger than them, something like being upset at others because don't go under their style&RULES
I always think that all the bitter may waste the person :-|

I really love the green chandelier in the kitchen. It's so whimsical.

The kitchen "island" is my favorite piece. Clever, functional and good-looking all in one. Love the ceiling medallion and the bedding in both bedrooms. The colors work well together in the living room. Good eye. Dining table a great piece too.

Really lovely. You are giving the old house it's soul back. Nice to see people who love old houses and are willing to put the work into them. Also appreciate that there were more shots of the room layouts than of the vignettes. I like seeing how the spaces flowed. As for it looking "staged" well, for one you have only lived there a few months, things soften with time and for second, if I were going to put pics of my house on the internet, you'd bet I'd go over everything with a fine toothed comb! Nice job.

To offer your home for everyone to see shows you love your home.
It is not my style as I am not a fan of vintage so I can't really appreciate all you have. I do know having so much in my home would cause chaos inside of me.

If you contact me directly I can give you the name of a really superb and inexpensive upholsterer. Upholstery in Oakland can be 10X what it is in a small town in the Central Valley. Yes, it's about 90 miles, but I am so happy with this guy I'm reupholstering everything I can as quickly as I can (and I'm moving back to the Bay Area as fast as I can, too) :-). Lots of things on AT are not my personal style, but I admire people who develop a style. It will be fun to see what and who they are 10 years or so down the road, too.

I love your house! Did you paint the abstract art? I particularly like the multicolored painting in the second pic above.

Thank you for showcasing the house and ignore the ugly comments. Continuing doing what you're doing. Your home looks so comfortable and a fun place to visit.

AT thanks for sharing a house that is not the same repetitive style we see on a lot of blogs. Keep up the good work!

What a terrific and fun place. Makes me want to invite myself over and meander through. Kudos Johnelle and Brian!!!

That was fun and very interesting. The pot filled with lemons on the kitchen island is to die for. Love it, and the island as well. And what a cute handpainted piggie bank in your kitchen. I just have to say, LOVE LOVE your kitchen!!!!!

thanks you all for all the sweet feedback, and honest opinions :). @canadianmango: i wish he had a website, but the flea would be worth a trip to the bay! a little overwhelming sometimes draws a huge crowd! ebay does have some really unique suzanis, and other textiles too.. but never the same to see in person first...

I love this house, one of the best! What an eye and what a success! The light fixture you chose for the kitchen says it all. Bravo!

Wow. The jerks are out in spades today. Just because it's not your style doesn't make it wrong.

Apparently, I like overly staged, fusty dusty, contrived bohemian, cluttered consignment estate leftover design--cause I really dig this tour!
Nice work, and a fun collection of furnishings.
Cheers!

Congrats to Johnelle and Brian for pulling together their home in 4 months for a house tour. And what a tour de force it is! Everywhere you look you see something that inspires the eye. I love the idea of finding light fixtures that are unique to each room and all together they give your home a one of a kind statement. I hope that we will get to peek again at what you have done with your home somewhere down the road as you settle into your space and accomplish those projects on the list. I'd love to see that!

gack! What a great tour! I love your dining room table, as well as your pick of textiles & rugs! There are so many little touches, too many to list, that give your home a welcoming feeling. High fives! I myself live in a big-ish house, with kids, dogs, and various people and houseguests in and out all the time, with a mix of modern and vintage decor, and the best compliment, in my opinion, is when people say they feel comfortable and welcome in my home. Oh, nice pick on the wall color, btw. I have been wanting a "white" room, and have been going nutty trying to pick a shade.

What a beautiful personal space. I can't imagine how anyone sees this as cluttered. I see it brim full of personality. So much better than "cookie cutter". I do have two thoughts but I am not being negative. #1 the book case next to the fireplace in the dinning room could be rearranged to highlight some of your treasures. #2 The "vinyl" collection by a window with added weight made my heart flutter. It looks great but I cherish my collection and treat it with kid gloves and would hate to see your awesome collection ruined. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks lalachris for your suggestion :)! The bookshelf is a total work in progress...never enough time ha! and yes we love our vinyl, and moved the statue thanks so much again for such sweet feedback, and thanks for looking.

You guys have some awesome stuff! Still I want to take away about 1/2 of the doodads in there so I can see the good stuff, but know that I am terribly jealous. :-)

hmmm. I like most of the pieces but the put together isn't working for me. I suspect maybe another 4 months might change this make it more real? Either way, its nice to see budget style that doesn't look like Ikea or PB, my exact cup of tea or not. And you certain have a good eye for the pieces!

I like the dining room the best.

love your space =)

I think this is a great example of "buy what you love and it will work" - love it!

One of my fav tours! So fab and I am envious of your ability to combine stuff and display it. This is how I want my home to look and I thank you for sharing...it made my day...ah, inspiriation, such a great gift to give! Rock on!

thank yo so much Laury for having a look at our tour, and super sweet comment, you just made my day with such a contagious vibe!

Your house is beautiful! I find it so refreshing that there's a house on this site that isn't about living in a design magazine where everything is far too sterile and clean to feel anywhere near being a person's/peoples home. When apartment therapy first started, there were far more homes like yours. In my opinion coming home should feel comfortable, a person should be able to look around and see their life, the people they love and what they stand for reflected. So often on this site I see people imitating what I can see in any interior design magazine and it actually saddens me. I love the light fixtures and the tables in your home. I bet you have wonderful dinner parties! Thanks for sharing.

Loving that kitchen table and chairs and the colour of the funky armchair!

does anyone know where the king/queen print is from? i LOVE it.