4,500 sf.
Am I on apartment therapy?

2 things I like most about this tour:
the carpets! ohh-lala I'm in love, I'm not usually a fan of dark walls but the colors you've selected really do the red textiles justice.
but the things I love the most are the hounds - the little one is even cuter than the big on, if that's possible!

But I also like the dining room chairs (total score on your part) and the paper on the powder room walls.

the only thing i do not like about the tour is you don't get a feeling of progression through the home as you click through the slide show. I would appreciate a rough floor plan so I know where I am.

I agree with yul, this is a (beautiful!) large house...not the sort of thing I want to see on Apartment Therapy, especially during small, cool month.

Beautiful house! I could live in that bathroom.

yul & jessica,

We love small spaces at Apartment Therapy, but also have always shared tours from homes of all sizes - we think that inspiration, ideas and enjoyment can be found in all homes, regardless of the square footage.

I have no issues with homes of any and all sizes being shown on AT. Inspiration comes in all sizes, even (or perhaps especially) during Small/Cool.

I wish people could get past making such a literal jump from the site's name to what's shown here. But yul, since you made the "painting of man = gay art" comment on another thread, I guess it doesn't surprise me.

Love the wall paper in the bathroom!

Lake Forest is a reaaaaaaally traditional town, we have a few clients there. Its nice to see that you went the traditional route but took a lot of the stuffiness and formality out of it and added some fun elements- I love the sign on the bathroom door!

Some really nice details. One thing I really appreciate is that the blogger didn't go nuts with tons of photos, as they easily could have with this large of a space. Thanks.

This is a beautiful house. I do not like this style at all but for someone that does not like this style I would say its well done. I do like the bathroom.

Puppy Pug yikes and grown Pug are adorable.

Is 4,500 sq. ft. a typo? Because if it is that large, there's a lot missing from the tour.

Clarification: I'm not thrilled with this tour because I'm not getting much of a sense of the space at all. Even though there are shots of several rooms, most have a vignette sort of feel or are at odd angles that make this feel more like a house call than a tour, especially if you consider the size.

What is the powder room wallpaper, please? Years ago I saved an ad from the manufacturer but I don't have it anymore and I can't for the life of me remember the name! I was thinking about this only the other day so it's serendipitous that it would show up here.

Lovely house, by the way.

Not my style either, but it feels surprisingly comfortable and un-stuffy. Love the powder room wallpaper and the upstairs bathroom.

And of course I love the unabashed use of pug decor - I have the same in my home!

Wow people, what nerve being so critical. I don't like alot of the stuff that's picked out of the garbage and called thrifty cool but I don't tell you it looks awful. Your snobbish behavior is just as unattractive as the styles and people you criticize. So tired of the trashing.

It is a handsome home. Reminds me immediately of Werther's Originals and cut glass candy dishes filled with buttons and spare keys. Love your quote, 'You only cry once when you buy good quality', I'm going to steal that. I am dying to paint that front door though, maybe red or charcoal grey high gloss. Cheers!

"Wow people, what nerve being so critical. I don't like alot of the stuff that's picked out of the garbage and called thrifty cool but I don't tell you it looks awful. Your snobbish behavior is just as unattractive as the styles and people you criticize. So tired of the trashing."

Beautyeverywhere - where are you seeing people being critical and snobbish? I see some like myself saying its not our style but its well done, comfortable, un-stuffy, etc.
or pointing out the elements we really like.

I think you maybe reading into the nice compliments not being nice, confused by your comment.

Traditional done beautifully! I love the layering of patterns and bold reds throughout the home... Kudos!

Geeze, tough crowd. So, you live in 450 sf instead of 4500. Okay, you don't have as many bedrooms, or a big eat-in kitchen, or a ton of closets, or a separate family room, or 4 bathrooms....... But, so what???? Steal some paint color ideas, or study the way the homeowners displayed their photos, or decide to wallpaper your bathroom. Whatever! The point is, decorating is decorating. If you've read one of my rants before, sorry for repeating myself, but when I lived in a studio (late 80s-early 90s), I didn't have apartment therapy. I used to study Architectural Digest for ideas! And I have to say, I think I did a great job with my little place. So stop complaining. Yes, you need to use some imagination when you look at these big house tours, but if you open your minds you'll find inspiration anywhere.

Anyway, Kristina, very nice house. I love how your little quirky touches took the edge off traditional. Kudos.

Yep, tough crowd, always is. Most of whom do not know what the heck they are talking about. The few 'real' designers we have usually give constructive critism not just bomb what they don't like personally. Take what you want from each article, leave the rest. JMHO

I really like a lot of this. All the rugs are fabulous. And your pugs are so cute! I have one who looks a lot like your bigger guy, and how I want a puppy like yours too! I like the library(?) area especially - the room with all the books if that's what it was. I am not as much a fan of the bedroom shown, I feel like the curtains clash and I don't like all the pillows on the sofa. But I love a lot of the elements of this. Nice job.

Any chance of finding out where they got the picture of the pug? It's lovely. I'm interested in having something similar done of my dog.

"Geeze, tough crowd. So, you live in 450 sf instead of 4500. Okay, you don't have as many bedrooms, or a big eat-in kitchen, or a ton of closets, or a separate family room, or 4 bathrooms....... But, so what????"

I suggest you stop reading so much into the comments. Exactly two people complained about the size and two of us said we would have liked to see more images that gave us more of a sense/view of the home itself and a better feel for the layout. I get the feeling the tour does NOT do the home justice.

@elankat: You're right. I'm responding to the crowd in general, not necessarily on this particular post. Square footage is a huge complaint around here. Happens all the time. And I really hope it doesn't deter people from volunteering their homes in the future. That would be a shame.

Holy Jesus Christ on a cracker, is 4500 square feet a fantastic use of resources. No wonder we have the "ridiculous out-of-control superwasters" rep. Just because you can....

@shanalulu: Go big or go home. If I could I would live in a frackin castle right in the middle of Times Square, and don't pretend to be holier than though because you live in a smaller place. people like you make me twitchy. Capitalism baby, love it or leave it.

Sorry, but I have to agree with 'em. Why is this AT worthy???? Cool wallpaper in one room does not a house tour make! I also agree that it's pretty out of place during small-cool month too. Many of the decor choices strike me as "TJ Maxx tacky". If I wanted to see a home like this there are dozens over on the Better Homes & Gardens site. Not my cup of tea.

I guess AT is changing... a lot! moving to a stuffy suburban style. I liked it better when it was about city living and it's many challenges. I'm missing it.

This is a gorgeous house - very inspiring! I love the way you have added little touches of something new or whimsical to the traditional look: zebra print pillows, the pug picture, art work by your sons (I'm assuming), and even the bright, Southwestern-feeling painting of the church.

The array of textures in the living room is stunning and makes for a space that is at once cozy and dressed up.

Geez, can't we all play nicely? It's a house for heavens sake, not political statement or religious philosophy. Don't like it? Scroll on by. :)

@jacksonlalonde: and people like YOU make ME twitchy. Capitalism is leading us down a pretty damn destructive path, and I'd rather choose more wisely. I know all having big, cool shit is fun and everything, but it's not smart or wise or something we can keep up indefinitely. Your beloved capitalism is a U.S. thing, as is my right to be "holier than thou" and try to advocate caution while people like you 'Murrkah-centrically ignore reality and yell "WHOOHOOO!!!" As for "love it or leave it," I think my prior comment indicates that I'd like us to leave it, or are you suggesting that if I don't wholeheartedly support capitalism, I need to find another country? Shove off.

@k2yhe: it won't be long before we can no longer pretend that this is the case, that oblivious overconsumption by some doesn't affect us all, and that a smarter course of action is not only warranted, but necessary. I know it'd be more rock-n-roll or whatever if everyone committed to keeping up the "everything's cool, keep consuming, y'all!" message, but I'm not going to keep my mouth shut and pretend everything's fine just because it'd make you more comfortable. In 2010, a giant-*** house IS a political statement.

Capitalism has made it possible for you to be sitting on your computer cruising the internet tubes at 12:04am seething on design blogs about how much you hate american over consumption, sweet cheeks. Capitalism is not an american invention, it's not a 'U.S. thing', have you ever been outside the states? Your advocations only make me seem more rational by comparison, and lady, I can use all the help I can get in that department. So good luck with your tirade though, really, fascinating stuff. I'll spare the readers further eye rolling by taking your inevitable rebuttal in stride.

@jacksonlalonde: Let me see if I get this straight.

a) A better way to put it would have been "capitalism is something that characterizes the U.S.," not "capitalism is a U.S. thing." Forgive me for taking a shortcut and forgetting that you'd probably pick apart what I said AND assume that I'm some sort of country bumpkin with no knowledge or experience of other places.

b) Nobody is ever allowed to be concerned about the path their society is taking, because the path up to that point has also led to their ability to voice that concern. Now that we're here, we can only say favorable things about how we got here and where we're going? That's obviously ridiculous, played out, been done to death. Every time someone like me says "we should probably consider taking a smarter path," someone like you says "but you cudnt type dat widout a computr so shut up!" Righty-o.

c) Calling someone "sweet cheeks" as a not-so-subtle sexist swipe at the validity of a woman's expressed opinion is totally kosher.

d) You're right, I'm wrong, what I say is a "tirade," what you say is "rational" (despite preaching continuing conspicuous overconsumption), and everyone agrees with you and will of course roll their eyes at me because advocating caution is clearly nuts.

Got it.

@jacksonlalonde: I missed the "seething" thing. File that with "sweet cheeks." Strongly expressing an opinion, as a woman, must mean I'm angry and crazy! (Do you want to make an assumption about my race and paint me an "angry black woman," too?) How dare I question the status quo, and on a design blog! There are spaces where people like me are allowed to say what we think, and this is Not It! Okie dokie.

Looks very middle America. Exactly what I would expect a suburban home to look like in Illinois...I can't and never will understand sticks used in decoration like pic 19!

A few comments:

The two pugs are adorable.

I don't like the way this is shot at all. It's not just the vignettes--there is just no orientation of how the rooms work together.

Without any sense of the space, I just don't see what AT readers can be expected to draw from this tour other than some pleasant color choices.

And a note to the editor: I know you want to capture the largest audience you can and that AT has not been growing like your other sites--I think posts like this are part of the reason. A 4,500-square-foot house in the suburbs is about the furthest thing from what many of us believe the mission of AT to be. With that much space (and in an upscale location like Lake Forest) there is little need to be smart about storage or judicious with resources. I have said it before--if AT could just add a site for "dream homes" and move this kind of content over there, there would be a lot less sniping about responsible living and conspicuous consumption.

This house was built in the 1960s. Living in an older home, one that otherwise might have been torn down, is not a political statement. Leaving it empty, to prove a point, would have been the political statement. What happened to reuse, reduce, recycle?

I really don't get why people who are not into large homes can't just close the post and move on with life. I love seeing a diversity of spaces, both in size and in style, and would be greatly disappointed if the scope ever narrowed here.

Besides, posts like this are approximately 5% of the total on this site. Scroll up or down two inches and you're bound to see something small, probably Brooklyn-based, and furnished to the nines in thrift store wares.

And the moral high horses- please put them back in their stables.

Oh dear. One more for the "am I on the right site?" camp.

Also agreeing that the pro capitalist/nouveau casual chauvinsm comment was pretty ridiculous.

I won't even comment on the Lake Forest issue.

Some of us like *decor.*

In any shape, from any angle, in 'burb or city, with pugs or siamese on the Dwell-- or Pottery Barn-- bedding.

It doesn't always have to be about clever storage for a shoe collection or "responsible" book display, an "ingenious" family success story about fitting Jon and Kate plus Eight in 200 square feet by double-bunking and erecting temporary walls, or how someone in Park Slope furnished 5 rooms for $11 by cutting up an Ikea Lack that they found in a dumpster.

Sometimes, god forbid, I like to see how people with a little money in their bank accounts, and a little elbow room to move around in, decorate their space. If for purely aspirational reasons or vicarious thrill. As the shelter magazines continue to blow off the shelves like withered Autumn leaves, I rely on AT more and more for that thrill. Why can't the site evolve?

I could understand the square-footage fuss, or suburban woes here more were it NOT Small/Cool season.

If you think "this kind of house" represents the majority of posts on AT, you are simply not paying attention. Cuz it's not.

Kristina, your home is gorgeous! I am in awe of your amazing master bath--that soaking tub is calling my name. and i have serious shower-envy. the marble countertop is beautiful.

i especially love the beamed ceilings and the overall craftsman-style of the home. really warm and lovely. thanks for letting us in!

Is this a 1960s colonial? Don't think so.....All of the external details (and the windows) indicate midwestern craftsman....

A house is a political statement??? Shiver me timbers!!! Five humans and two dogs live here -- that's about 640 sq.ft. each. Not so extravagant after all....

I live in a Chicago suburb, and my house is neither tiny nor huge. Same with my decorating budget.

I'm as inspired by houses like this as I am by the efficient urban spaces.

Also, I've lived on both coasts and in several countries, and I can tell you that "traditional" decorating isn't limited to "middle America." Comments like that just demonstrate an unfortunate provincialism.

I have to agree with posters that have questioned why this is an AT post. AT has definitely emphasized unique and smaller stylish spaces. I definitely think it is more challenging to make a small space beautiful on a low budget, and AT has been a source of support for me as I try to do that.

After seeing this post, I think my parents' house and my aunt and uncles' house belong on AT. They are both lucky to have really huge spaces, and have put a lot of personality into them! Of course I dream of having my tiny half-house on AT, but it would make me smile to see my more economically fortunate relatives on here as well.

I have always thought that if I want to see a big, pretty suburban house, there is plenty of bandwidth devoted to that. I gravitate to AT because I feel like it is a place for the little guy. Me. I've felt less and less like it represents me lately.

I can see both sides here re. the inappropriately large size of this house for AT, and the fact that anyone should be able to appreciate good design, regardless of the size of one's home. The problem with this post is that there is no editorial effort to direct what exactly about this home is transferable to those who live in smaller spaces. As one poster mentioned, there are a lot of publications (online and paper) that cater to those with large spaces and means, what makes AT special is that it is for people who are invested in smaller spaces regardless of means.

If AT is going to showcase large, expensive spaces, there has to be more effort on the part of the editors and writers to show why these spaces are appropriate for AT. Simply stating, "it's good design" is lazy thinking and writing.

And no responsibility falls on the reader?

Safe & comfortable decor- quintessentially & unapologetically "suburban" (right down to the "f^ck you, I love pugs" pillows) .

I see no daring choices or clever design solutions & that's okay (for living), but even while this home looks like a nice place to pop popcorn & watch a movie while your best friend's mom makes a chicken dinner in the kitchen, I'm having a hard time relating (as opposed to more inspirational posts here on AT). Something about the Joanne Fabrics School of Formulaic Pattern Combinations: ie Floral & Check- together at last 101.

On a good note- the powder bath has a nice rich look & is a lovely room.

heather77- "Also, I've lived on both coasts and in several countries, and I can tell you that "traditional" decorating isn't limited to "middle America." Comments like that just demonstrate an unfortunate provincialism."

Excellent comment and so true.

@shanalulu: For the sake of my permanent record I would like it be known that I call my dad sweet cheeks, twas hardly sexist. My dad is an angry black woman though, so you might be on to something sweet cheeks.

P.S. I just went out and bought a new humongous shiny flat screen TV, bigger than I will really ever need... want to come over and watch 'An Inconvenient Truth' with me?

And for the record to you-know-who, some men find the use of "dude" in the context of an argument to be just as sexist as "sweet cheeks" is to women.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and suggest that perhaps its just as (if not more) difficult to furnish a very large house on a budget. Rooms look odd without furniture. Living in a small space, I know what it is to decorate on a small budget. I don't know how well I'd do in a much larger home, even with a much bigger budget, to cover renovations and furniture.

Now, I don't know what their budget was, but they've been working on this house for six years, which means they couldn't afford to go in and do it all at once. That suggests to me that they've worked with more modest finances than many of the large houses we see on here that have been totally re-worked.

Kristina, it seems to me that you've done a good job. I'd love to see 'before' photos, and I was disappointed that there weren't more photos for this tour. I agree with everyone else that LOVES your rugs, and I think you've really succeeded in creating a family friendly home - its comfortable. Also, your bathroom is to die for.

I agree with whoever else said that the plaid curtains in the bedroom seem a little strange with everything else going on.

Lovely overall.

whenever I see "sweet cheeks", I picture good ol' Mel calling his arresting officer "Sugar Tits" & it makes me laugh. However, if it were said to me to my face, I'm sure I'd get a wee violent. I'm working on that.

Hey Kristina -- did you ever imagine your home would spark off such a big debate? Wowzers.

I especially liked your bathrooms and kitchen. Congrats on getting your house finished in a way that you love to live in it.

dcirene and hunted--brilliant comments. There is no WHY here. This looks like a home from Better Homes and Gardens without the resourceful craft ideas. They could have at least focused on how they manage the stuff of three boys--the sports gear, the Legos, the video games and so on. All we learn is that they are banned from the powder room. This post is totally about the decor of a big, conservatively decorated house with "high-end finishes" and custom furniture. Sure, it's tasteful--just not that inspiring.

If you are slamming Better Homes & Gardens, you have not seen BH&G lately.

If this post was made to be more about the kids issues and their paraphernalia, what would *I* have to learn from it, me, with no kids, no sports gear and sadly, no Legos? Relevance to one is irrelevance to another.

I actually think you would LOVE Better Homes & Gardens. There's a TON of "living with kids" stuff (and really stylishly!) in that mag and on their site. I don't say that as slam, either.

Love the bathroom color--care to share what it is?

Re: to "I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and suggest that perhaps its just as (if not more) difficult to furnish a very large house on a budget."

I feel that I have to point out that Lake Forest is one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Illinois - so I don't think budget is an issue here...

I thought there were some nice pieces...but like a lot of people said, it looks like a pretty standard upscale suburban home. Very Pottery Barn-esque (not that there's anything wrong with that ;))

I have to say, the more I look at the photos, the more I like it. The red study is actually kind of great, with that dynamic rug and the bench with those custom bookshelf units. I'm also falling in love with the dining table and chairs.

Hi Kristina! Thank you for posting your home. I was wondering what your bathroom color is? It is perfect, along with the rest of your home.

I don't see anything remarkable about this place unless you're going by square footage, the probably $100k for the custom-this, custom-that furnishings and the fact that this house probably goes for $2-3m in Lake Forest.

"TJ Maxx tacky"
Exactly.

Kristina,
I like the bookshelves. Can you share the source?
Thanks,

Dearest Patrick,

I am not slamming BH&G at all. In fact, you reinforced my point exactly (now there's a first:). BH&G has tons of smart ideas, many of which are clever and resourceful and not expensive. In this post, I found very little that was helpful or interesting or original. Just your garden-variety tasteful-enough suburban house with fancy bathrooms and a top-of-the-line kitchen.

P.S. Who's to say you shouldn't have your own Lego set, just because you don't have kids?

Love the powder room wallpaper!

I would pay you money to use that amazing bathroom!

Shanalulu - what do you mean about the "ridiculous out of control superwasters" - are you referring to this house? If you are - I disagree. This was a house already built and remodeled/decorated to suit the family. They didn't build a mcmansion - that to me is environmentally friendly in itself.

Bedroom with plaid curtains - love the material on the pillows, etc.

I am pretty sure AT has readership in the suburbs, and those readers are loving this house tour (and skipping over the comments).

Finally! There is a huge movement right now and it's going back to traditional! I am so sick and tired of the utilitarian Ikea, mid-modern, loft, artist thing!

A nice breath of fresh air!

patrick (the other one), yes there is responsibility placed upon the reader, but the point of coming to AT is to see--and evaluate--what the authors and editors have ostensibly curated for us. I wish that this had been more carefully thought through before posting.

This is one of the most inviting and well done homes I've seen anywhere - and its not my specific taste but I still want to see it in person becase its gorgeous!

I, too, would love to know where the bookcases and powder room wallpaper are from. Love them both.

sorry, one more thing: the outside entry is the loveliest i've seen on AT. well done!

I want to know where I can get a portrait of my dog blown up that large?

My some snippy comments today! Lovely, lovely home. I draw inspiration from as many sources as I can get my grubby little hands and big blue eyes on, so thanks AT for an off the usual track post.

Wow this post has 73 comments and over half of them are from people bickering back and forth!! Move on if you don't like the house!!

The wallpaper is from Osborne and Little; pattern Asuka

Kristina--you have a very lovely home--thanks for sharing.

i mostly agree with the "don't like it? just move along." sentiment—a blog post about this house (or any house) is not worth stressing over.

BUT. to suggest that this house is anything but really, really huge is absurd. i was super amused to read the comment downplaying that by suggesting that 1300 sqft of the house could essentially be said to belong to the dogs.

I can't all the nasty comments. I'm going to add my own! :) The problem with the really big houses on AT are that if they are not great, and I mean *great* (remeber the guys in Brooklyn whose who covered multiple posts?), they're ummm, not something worth looking at. Like this one. There's plenty of "TJ Maxx tacky" in this, plenty that's boring or nothing special. I have a hard time believing many readers found "inspiration, ideas and enjoyment" in this tour. It's hard to see anything here that looks "high end" except the space (particularly in that one very nicely done bathroom and to a lesser extent in the very boring dining area). I don't know if that's the fault of the writer/photographer, or if it's the actual house. Not seeing the kids room or the mudroom, which the homeowner specifically mentioned, is particularly frustrating. And which is the bathroom that she won't let her kids into? I didn't see any room that looked like minors needed to be barred from entry.

For the most part I agree with the comments from sally305 and elankat about how difficult it was to image this space through the photos.

But... best dog photo on AT, EVER. (The one with the two dogs, not the one over the sofa. Perhaps she should blow the AT pic up?) What a pair!

@patrick: I had a feeling I might hear from you! Does it help any that I tend to call everyone under the age of about 45 "dude," and that I think a poll of the general public would find "sweet cheeks" spectacularly more sexist than "dude?"

@robin1302: exactly. Nowhere else on AT have I heard anybody factor animals into the "x feet per person" calculation -- because we all sort of realize that it's crap. And in all the threads re: "how much space is enough," "how small is too small," etc., you just don't see many people talking about anything over 1200sf, because this site skews toward small spaces and the people who realize that 4500sf probably isn't necessary unless you're the Duggars.

@tenbar: yes. A 4500sf should be housing more than a family of five, IMO. Not that it's relevant to this family's needs, but to my own experience: I grew up in 1200sf as one of a family of six. By this math, we should have had 5400sf, a house 4.5 times as large, which would have been, I allege, ridiculously, ridiculously huge. Yes, there is a place for the 4500sf homes of the world -- truly huge families, or as multi-family dwellings, because I think five people kicking around in 4500sf is ridiculous. And it used to be that you could say that without anybody freaking out -- I hope it'll be that way again, because my concern re: other people's houses is because I'd like to see our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren have good lives, not because I want to beat anybody up, take away their toys, and make them eat gruel.

@dcirene: that was my feeling, as well. "How do you feel that this place applies to your audience, who might find difficulty seeing how it has anything to do with them or the site's theoretical mission?"

@jacksonlalonde: oh, you saucy minx. You cannot distract me from your wasteful ways and dismissive sexism with your good humor and...wait, is that HD? (Am going to willingly slide into stereotype and divulge, most regrettably, that electronics are not the way to my heart. Do you have anything made of hemp, though? I bet that would work.)

I love the bench in picture #20. Am looking for something like it. Can you share its origin? I also love the exterior and the front door. Not to mention many of the little vignettes, the bathroom wallpaper, the artwork and the bookcases.

Your house feels like a home that people want to come back to. :-)

Re: "A 4500sf should be housing more than a family of five, IMO."

Okay, but this isn't an apartment building, it's a single family dwelling. WELCOME TO THE SUBURBS.

If everyone felt the way you do, shanalulu, there would be a lot of big old empty houses littering the landscape. What a waste.

@creative license: single-family isn't the only form together-dwellers come in. A giant house could be home to a bunch of roommates, a multi-generational family assemblage, etc. You obviously believe that there are going to be a lot of sad, orphaned, giant houses if we start thinking smaller, while I (perhaps more realistically) realize that people who want giant houses, especially wealthy ones, are probably not going the way of the dinosaur anytime soon, so it's not like we're going to have whole swaths of ghost McMansions.

Which really, honestly, doesn't sound like the most horrible outcome to me. Letting a monster house lie fallow because we're living in, filling with stuff, and heating and cooling smaller dwellings sounds okay to me. I've heard your argument in slightly altered form in people who argue that vegetarian/veganism is bad because all the poor cows and pigs would die, oh noes! Carnivores aren't going to disappear overnight, so there's no danger to the poor widdle animals. Likewise, people who love giant houses aren't going to disappear overnight, so there will likely be plenty of people to live in these giant houses until they fall down or, if you believe the scientists whose job it is to study these things, the **** hits the fan and the least of our worries is a bunch of empty houses.

@creative license: oh, and I'm plenty familiar with the suburbs -- I live in Oklahoma City, one of the leading centers of "hello, would you like urban sprawl with that?" (I know, OKC isn't considered by many to be urban-urban, but you get my drift.) I'm aware of American housing patterns, and there's really not much need to assume that I'm an idiot just because I disagree with you.

@ juliabren...

You're definitely right about it being a very wealthy area, but you'd be surprised by the budgets many of the people stick to. Yeah, its a budget that most people don't have, but its not nearly as frivolous as you may expect, no waaaaaay. I don't think they got wealthy by splurging... just saying!

oh my...I'm getting a bad country decor feel ..the only thing cute in this house are the dogs

Hey Kristina, don't let the haters get you down. I mean really, how rude!! Someone takes you on a tour of her house and you start and argument right to her face about how much you don't like her and her entire lifestyle . . . when you don't know her? What?!? I think a lot of these comments should have been PMs once they jumped the track and rode off into the land of personal arguments between commenters.

I hope you believe that imitation is the best form of flatter....I plan to copy just about everything you did! :)
The dogs are so mint.

@NorNor: AT doesn't have a private message function, AFAIK. Discourse on the way we should live isn't something that should be stifled, IMO, and arguing for stifling discussion about the high-consuming American lifestyle on Earth Day, of all days? I s'pose that IS one way to go.... I'm sure it's not on Kristina's top ten list of favorite things to read, but when you put forth your huge house (especially on a site that tends to skew toward smaller spaces, especially-especially during the yearly Small Cool contest), you run the risk of people saying "wow, that's a huge house -- too huge, IMO." You don't want to hear opinions about your giant house, don't publicize it, or get a smaller house. There's a balance between protecting people's feelings and advocating for the future of the world's inhabitants, and I think it's tipped too much toward the former, largely because nobody wants to think we're in trouble and that we might need to make some medium-sized choices now, lest we have larger changes thrust on us later. It's nicer to be polite and pretend. There are plenty of people balancing us in the whoa-there community out and saying what keeps everyone comfortable, that everything's fine and that people should go ahead and keep using as many of our common resources as they want. Yeah, maybe a design site's a weird place to have the discussion, in a way, but it's a discussion that needs to be had in all kinds of public spaces, not sequestered where only like-minded scientific or hardcore-"green" types hang out -- that doesn't inform anyone, get anybody talking, etc.

shanalulu: couldn't agree more. First, it is ridiculous for people to expect everyone who sees a post that is VOLUNTARILY POSTED FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY to have the exact same (and favorable) opinion. If I posted my house, I am quite sure some people would love it, some would hate it, and some would find it neither here nor there. And I would not call people "haters" just because they have different taste.

Second, I agree that this house is ginormous and doesn't fit well on this site. To me the mitigating factor in its favor, though, is that it is an existing house in an established neighborhood and it is not eating up verdant prairies or farmlands in a new subdivision. Still, I believe the subject of "size" and social responsibility is relevant to the conversation. At least these people didn't promote their large home as "eco-" this or "green" that.

Happy Earth Day!

Hmmm, well I am on the less is more bandwagon as I deplore building and every time I see a McMansion go up where there used to be trees and habitat for some living thing it makes me really really sad. However, this house isn't new construction (yay for that!) so all I can do is try to appreciate what they did with their $$ and hope they don't add-on. I do like bits and bobs of the place. Like the color choices for paint in most of the rooms although I think the place lacks cohesiveness - that seemed to be goal otherwise would not see that as a bad thing - I can't really put my thumb on the style as it is traditional (florals, checks, persian/asian rugs) but asian? influenced there and then somewhat modern and even rustic elsewhere. But that is an unprofessional observation at best....maybe it does mesh better in person. Thanks for sharing - looks like a very comfortable place to live and if you like it that is all that matters. PS I like the diversity on the site AT.

Tough crowd, indeed. It takes some cohones to put your home on display, and I applaud anyone who has the nerve to do so--and I don't pay too much attention to anyone who hurls vitriol from behind an anonymous screen name.

Congratulations, Kristina. It's lovely. I really love the upholstered bench in front of the bookshelves in the room with red walls.

And I agree with at least one of the other posters: that may just be the best dog photo on AT yet.

Er, make that cojones--been a long week.

This is a lovely home...it reminds me of my midwestern upbringing. I don't mean that as a dig...it's just very midwest middle class (what I am proud to come from). I agree with many people that it's not really my style, but we should all be so lucky to have such a nice home. My home is much much smaller and I don't have the budget to do everything I would like. But with that said, budget does not have to dictate great design. I don't think I would call this great design, but I'm sure it's very comfortable for the homeowner and that's what is important! Thank you for sharing your home!

One more note...someone slammed TJ Maxx....I think that is a regional thing...I use to live in Indianapolis and the TJ Maxx was AWFUL! But the TJ Maxx where I live now is FANTASTIC! I just bought this stunning yellow glass lamp with a barrel shade...very modern. I was surprised to find loads of cool stuff!

Kristina-

Thank you for sharing your home! Sorry you had to get caught in an AT war.

It was so nice to see a traditional home here on AT. Although not my style, it was indeed a "breath of fresh air"- I am getting sick of seeing MCM!

Your bathroom is lovely.

I also love that round table!

Thanks for the tour. Your house is nine times the size of my own place but, naturally, I still got ideas I'm gonna file away for my own use.

I liked your choice of fabrics, the framed photos in the bathroom, pillows, bookcases, paint colors, bamboo-framed mirror and wall paper in the bathroom are all inspiring -- all of the inspiring elements have nothing to do with square footage. Lovely.

OH, the power room! the powder room! I think I would just linger on that shag carpet and forget to walk off it. :) Btw, that bathroom is as big as my apartment. Hee hee

*powder*, that is :)

Why does it take cojones to put your house on display? I believe most who post on AT want to show off their homes and/or want feedback. I also think it stinks when no one answers the questions regarding resources.

Lovely home. Super cute dogs. The most surprising part of the tour is the owner's quote, "...because I couldn't ask my husband to pay for it again." Now that's traditional.

If you want a super dog portrait in the Chicago area, I recommend David Sutton in Evanston, or Jill Liebhaber at Jookie in Chicago.

I really like the dining room chairs and the book cases with the cross braced sides. What is the source?

gorgeous!

shanalulu...i agree with you and you summed it up well for me in your last post

Very safe and conventional. A nice home, but thoroughly unremarkable and unworthy of attention on a design blog.