Name: Kate Payne, educator and author of "The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking", her documentary photographer wife Jo Ann Santangelo, pup Isobel (and the occasional Airbnb guest, including Husky Ada).
Location: East Austin, Texas
Size: 1100 square feet
Years lived in: Rented almost 1 year
We first took note of Kate Payne's hypnotizing and down-to-earth brand of home style when we covered her cheery and colorful kitchen last year. One look at the warm and welcoming home she shares with her wife and it's obvious Kate loves the lost of art of homemaking (and luckily for everyone, she teaches those skills as an author and educator).
Kate and Jo Ann are avid thrift store shoppers, and nearly everything — from furniture, to accessories, to clothes — is vintage in this house. This gives the entire space a wonderful feeling of authenticity. This is a one-of-a-kind kind of home. With vignettes sprinkled in corners and on tabletops, you want to walk through each space learning the story behind every item.
Anchored by a number of bold and colorful elements, like the big red curtains in the living room, the blue vintage sofa and that unforgettably bright kitchen pegboard, the rest of the home has a pleasantly unstudied charm. There's always some kind of food project going on, from pickling to canning and more, and jars full of colorful foods are a surprising and constant accessory. A true renaissance woman (she works as a freelance writer, canning instructor, gives workshops and much, much more), Kate's recently branched out to selling home items, like flour sack kitchen towels and aprons with her saying "Step away from the take out menu." Good advice and cute stuff.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Treasured — there's hardly anything in my house that doesn't have a story. I may not know its original story, but that just makes it more intriguing.
Inspiration: Found objects and old wood things. We are always on the look out for antique and vintage finds, like those you might see in Anthropologie-esque home store displays. Spoonflower.com — I love looking through all the designs of fabrics and selecting a few to incorporate into various rooms, usually just a throw pillow or curtain, but it's a good place to start until you can buy larger design-y pieces.
Favorite Element: Our basement. I'm a fermenter and basements are generally unheard of in Austin because of our limestone and caliche soils. What a treasure we have — I have foraged wild plums soaking in gin down there right now. Plumtopf!
Biggest Challenge: It's tricky getting to the backyard during parties where we entertain back there. The house's original owner sealed the back door that formerly led back there through the workshop/office room.
What Friends Say: We often hear, "It's so homey!"
Biggest Embarrassment: I'd like to repaint the bedrooms, but we've been too busy and aren't sure how long our next lease will extend {sigh}.
Favorite DIY element: The kitchen pegboard.
Biggest Indulgence: Organic bed linens. Luckily we've been able find them on sale online or locally, but it's important to us to not skimp on comfy and pesticide-free sheets. Oh, and I will own a Hoosier cabinet one day, which can be pricey if they're in good shape. I adore them for their look and functionality.
Best Advice: Localize your décor (area by area or room by room) until you can afford to do larger, extending themes throughout your house. Create a space you love to be in.
Dream Sources: A blank check and being let loose on an antique market and estate sale spree!
Resources of Note:
• Just about everything is vintage! But check out Kate's kitchen tour for info on kitchen gear.
Find Kate's incredible homemaking tips and ideas on her website, Facebook and her blog, The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking. Kate's "Hip Girl's Guide to the Kitchen" (tentatively titled) book is slated for April 2014 release.
Thanks, Kate!
(Images: Adrienne Breaux)
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The picture of that magnificent dog mid howl was priceless! The home itself looks open and lovely. Uncluttered without being minimalist...my ultimate goal, which is far far away at the moment
Love that shower curtain! Where did you get it?
Great use of space in the kitchen although it does give me a little anxiety. I wish the peg board was painted the same red as the wall. And I wish the curtains down by the oven were just black to blend in with the floors or something.
The dogs, the shower curtain, the hammock... so much to love in this house!
I like the bit in the corner where the curtain rods were hung at different lengths with different rods and curtains. Never would have thought of this and it gives the space a little architectural detail. Interesting.
I think that's actually caught mid-yawn, not howl?
"there's hardly anything in my house that doesn't have a story. I may not know its original story, but that just makes it more intriguing." love that
the little dog runs the place, you just know that.
So happy and cheerful! love it! Are you sure you only lived here for a year???
Great book collection!
Gorgeous Husky!!
I would rather see a cozy home like this one than a 5000 sq ft. show home that is staged.
This home has a unique style and the owners have the good sense to not follow every design trend. It is uncluttered and lovely.
Super cute. I love the abacus with the little birds! And I would much rather see a home like this than something that looks like a page out of a perfectly staged mid century modern catalog.
Super kitchen & outdoor area, so cheerful!
Althought not my style, I think the home is charming. I don't see where it's cluttered. (?)
I do love that shower curtain and that baby blue sofa! *sigh*
This home has more authenticity and warmth than any so called slick interior design look. Personally,I enjoy seeing the endless variety of how people create a home environment that speaks to their own spirit. Thanks for sharing your home!
Charming. Reminds me of old school designers like Tricia Guild and Terrance Conran -that kitchen arrangement was classic of one of his designs. Love the stove/oven in the table- so clever! And plants everywhere! Very organic, inviting and unpretentious, a place most of us would feel comfortable to visit. Love the functionality and fun.
Nice! The little touches, the natural light and wood are all wonderful. You can invite me over anytime!
What a warm and inviting home! And all that gorgeous light,sigh,how I envy !
Vincent B., I'm fairly new to commenting here but have lurked on and off for several years. I'd say that this blog's true intent is confusing. I love the articles, personally, and find little fault, but I do see where the conflict arises. Some (like me) want to see real homes (preferably apartments) that showcase design elements both affordable and unique; while others are design aficionados (I suppose) who want to see stunningly designed homes by "real people who didn't stage it all." Never is everyone pleased.
I've also read some grumbling throughout the years over AT censoring comments. I find that funny. See, here's the thing, whomever owns this site may do as they damn well please. Yes, we're the audience and AT does need us, but they seem to understand that negative comments need to be controlled. People are opening up their homes so that the rest of us can gawk and comment on what we'd do better. I think those who allow AT into their private spaces are some brave folks indeed.
As for this tour, Kate's home is a lived in space, real, with many treasures throughout (my favorite is the blue couch). I kept longing for rugs on her floors while looking through the tour photos but that's my personal taste (I'm a rug freak) and not a criticism of someone's decorating choice.
Kate -your home and pups are darling. Thank you for sharing!
I find this place unpretentious and comfortable, though not trendy or super stylish... and that's totally cool. Keep the real spaces coming.
what color/brand is the white paint in the living and dining rooms? it's the most perfect shade of white!
I give one point for the Ba-Tampte pickle jars. I would never have thought to use pickle jars for food storage. Won't the food smell like...pickles?
Renters often have to work with what they're given in the bones of their spaces. I enjoy seeing the creative way individuals do this. I'd much rather peek inside a warm, personal space like this one, than a total gut renovation that ends up looking "perfect," but lifeless. I think I would very much like to hang out in this perfectly imperfect home.
Lots of backseat drivers on this site: I like this, I don't like that. That is why reality tv is so popular: parasitic comments make people feel superior.
If one does not find an apartment to one's taste, one should not comment.
This apartment is adorable.
I think there is genuine merit to a good critique. And its a good challenge to couch it politely and constructively.
I agree the house is darling; it has great potential.
Wonderful home and adorable pups. That couch is spectacular. Great job you Kate and JoAnn!!
This is in response to some of the comments about the types of tours - ne of the best things (IMO) about AT is that it shows how real people live. Stylized rooms are fine, but frequently not livable. I like some elements of this house and some, not so much. Love the embroidered pillow in particular and that shower curtain! Must know where that came from ... also love the little shelf and mirror above the mixer in the kitchen. It's seeing touches like these that keep me enthralled with AT's picks.
@tetegrondona - someone over at 5,000 sq must have thin skin. My comment was also removed and all I did was question the goat fur! Love the husky!
Those bare floors are lovely, and are easier to keep clean with dogs that shed. I have lovely wood floors, and I love rugs. I also have a cat who sheds everywhere and I must vacuum constantly!
Yay! So happy to see Kate Payne featured. Her book is an amazing source for setting up a cool, comfy, welcoming home on a teeny-tiny budget. Plus, it totally inspired me to start doing things like pickling, baking bread, and making my own ice cream (adding a great deal of deliciousness and joy to my life!). I think it's great to see an affordable space on this site. Of course it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but it certainly helps some of us unestablished youngins find some inspiration to make a great, personal home space with what we can get our hands on. Also, I don't think her houseplants are sad - come on lanamal! ;)
Anyone who loves a chihuahua is a winner in my book! I was so thrilled by Kate's book that I posted on her FB page, "Don't take this as stalkerish, but I love you!" Of course, she responded with complete grace and kindness. I love Kate & JoAnn and their home.
as a fellow austinite, i appreciate being able to peek inside of your east austin gem. i love all the wood floors + windows (especially the uncovered sky lights)!
in austin theres a saying: “keep austin weird” splattered everywhere, on bumper stickers, tshirts, etc. that speaks of our eclectic styles...
while i personally may prefer match-y-er curtains or love rugs, i get it that this couple chooses a big snuggly husky more so.
i say pretty nice, homey job for a rent house of 1yr.
so of the folks that dont appreciate this home, thats the beauty of *at*'s versatility, be nice + look again tomorrow, there will be a different offering. :)
It's nice to see a non NYC based tour on here. I'm in favor of more from the Southwest, even if it means ignoring the snooty snarky folk in search of decor that suit s their needs and not that of those sharing their homes. Hello Austin! You did great investing in a home that can be snatched out from under you. Hope you can get that lease renewed; I know how it is. Thank you for sharing.
@tetegrondona & @tinbar - I had the same thing happen. I hads to re-word three times to get a comment to stick on 5000 sq. ft. However, they let comments like the one directly above mine go? Why?
I liked this house. It looks fun and lived in... like real people actually live there and work under a budget. I appreciated many of the aspects I saw, but found some of the photography took away from the actual charm of the space. Some of the shots were downright confusing.
Constructive criticism is one thing; being snarky as a matter of course is another. Civil discourse in this country is becoming increasingly rare & I sense this is why fewer people are willing to engage. It shouldn't require much effort to be nice & then there's karma ....
p.s. last night's State of the Union is illustrative of our national dysfunction....
So now we have to bellyfeel each house tour or our comments will be deleted. While gratuitous criticism isn't welcome, constructive criticism can be considered or ignored by the adult who agreed to put his or her home on the Internet. Welcome to our new happy life or not.....
Oh my gosh, that little dog!! I could barely see how great the house was cuz that dog is sooooo cute!
And by the way, 'snooty' is not a word I would use for the fabulous NY apartments. I, for one, LOVE the NY ones, such creative use of space and furnishings, and also since my daughter has an amazing space in Brooklyn. You don't have to read the posts if they're too snooty for you.
"This home has a unique style and the owners have the good sense to not follow every design trend."
Ever heard of "Granny Chic?"
@lynnindc - Yup, pretty much. I committed the horrible crime of replying to a negative comment here with a totally neutral comment of my own. And it was zapped.
It's pretty creepy, imo.