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Name: Kacy Paide
Location: Rock Creek Gardens – Silver Spring, Maryland
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 5

We first got a peak into Kacy's lovely and well thought out home through an Apartment Therapy House Call. It was such an inviting space, we thought it was only fitting to do a full-scale house tour!

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Kacy, of The Inspired Office, spends her days organizing DC’s messiest offices. As a professional organizer, she spends much of her time sorting through mountains of paper, so she says it’s only fitting that she comes home to an oasis of order. Ironically, she rarely uses her own office. It’s "an act of defiance" for her; instead she lives at the dining table with her laptop. But, as much as she loves design, she confesses her favorite things to design are creative paper flow systems for creative business owners.

Flipping through the pictures is how one might walk through Kacy's home. They're arranged exactly how I walked through her space, starting with the office and bathroom, then moving on to dining/living area. Continue up the stairs to her loft bedroom, which is open and overlooks the first floor. Head back down the stairs, through the living area, and then we head to the kitchen and back to the entryway. Kacy's home is filled with light from the skylights and it gives the place such an open but cozy feel. On our tour, I noticed how everything had a place of its own, yet it didn't feel like a showroom. You can tell it's a lived-in home that just happens to always have order. Not surprising given Kacy's occupation. While Kacy definitely has many dream pieces that she has saved up for, she has just as many scavenged finds thrown into the mix. And she's just as proud proud of them! Kacy had no problem pointing out that the gorgeous rug I was drooling over was only $10 or that her coffee table was a Craigslist score.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Mid-Century meets Southeast Asia. I'm proud of each room's perfect balance between these two genres. My first trip to Bali in 2001 forever shaped my design sense. I just had to recreate that mood at home a world away. It wasn't until taking a part time job at Design Within Reach that I started layering styles.

Inspiration: Balinese hotels, Domino's eclecticism.

Favorite Element: The high ceiling and 3 skylights. You wouldn’t know this from the pictures, but the unit is incredibly quiet.

Biggest Challenge: I'd say it has to be exercising restraint in furniture and decor consumption! There are just so many beautiful pieces of furniture out there that sadly, have to be left behind.

What Friends Say: I can feel my blood pressure falling. I never want to leave.

Biggest Embarrassment: Kitchen. It’s not so bad, but is in desperate need of an extreme makeover.

Proudest DIY: My terrariums.

Biggest Indulgence: My bed. I slept on a mattress on the floor for 3 years because I stubbornly insisted on waiting for this exact bed to come into my life.

Best advice: Edit. Edit. Edit. Your home should be your ultimate "best of" collection. Take it slow too. Never insist on filling a space immediately after moving in. Know that you’ll never get it done. My place changes constantly — it’s a sign of life.

Dream source: That LeCorbusier LC4. It's actually my sister’s. (Is that cheating?) She’s building a modern house and until it’s ready, I’m LC4-sitting. Also, I aspire to own something, anything, from Hudson Furniture. Oh, and something petrified would be nice too.

Resources of Note:

DWR, Muleh, thrift stores, ebay, Craigslist, the garage of some guy in Takoma Park who used to live in Indonesia, things I carried back from Bali

ENTRY

    • Rug: find-of-the-century at a thrift store. It set me back $10. I had recently seen an almost identical vintage limited edition one on DWR’s site for $4,000+ — same colors, details, and measurements.
    • Pendant: PH5
    • Print: Anthony Burrill

LIVING ROOM

    • Rug: FLOR tiles in Cinnibar
    • Coffee table: Craigslist
    • Teak wall carving: ebay
    • Floor Lamp: Tolomeo Mega at DWR

DINING ROOM

    • Table: Muleh
    • Credenza: Cubitec at DWR
    • Chairs: Globus at DWR

BEDROOM

    • Sconces: Nelson at Modernica
    • Bed: Muleh’s “Neo Primitive” by Warisan
    • Photo: taken in Estonia and printed by Full Size Posters
    • LC4 by LeCorbusier

OFFICE

    • Wall shelving: Container Store’s elfa with hand stained and rounded pine shelves
    • Chair: Craigslist chair reupholstered in Marimekko
    • Desk: consignment store in Iowa
    • Lamp: thrift store

ARTWORK

    • The painting at the top of the stairs is by my friend Jordan Faye Block, an artist, gallery owner, and curator in Baltimore. “Francesca” is a part of her “Threads” collection.
    • I first saw the green Anthony Burrill print in the foyer in another Apartment Therapy posting and had to have it. It can be found at Levine/Leavitt.
    • My teak carving in the living room is from ebay, but can also be found at Viva Terra

Thanks, Kacy!

Images: Kimberly Watson

• 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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