Name: Laurel, Conor & their children Gianna & Michael
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Size: 1,400 square feet
Years lived in: rented for 3 years
Laurel and Conor have turned a rental house into a warm, comfortable family home. A creative person by nature, Laurel sewed most of the curtains and organized the decor. The small house has plenty of room for children Gianna (5 years old) and Michael (2.5) to play and for talented artist Laurel to have an art studio.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our style: Traditional contemporary with a personal twist
Inspiration: Bauhaus, traditional Italian style; having a sense of humor with fabrics, patterns, textures, fine art, graphic design
Favorite Element: Having an art studio for Laurel in our home
Biggest Challenge: Making everything multifunctional (or overcoming the urge to) due to our LACK OF SPACE.
What Friends Say: the nicest thing anyone said was "Gosh, I just want to stay here."
Biggest Embarrassment: Our hillbilly front porch. No matter what we do with it, it looks like a dressed-up version of the Clampets' at best. May at well say it loud, since it's right out front for the world to see!
Proudest DIY: Not sure there's one we can zero in on. Laurel is most proud of taking a cookie-cutter colonial and transforming it into a very personal, pleasing place that both reflects the people who live here and serves their needs.
Biggest Indulgence: Shell mosaic armoire
Best advice: Only have things [in your house] that you LOVE.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • most rooms are butter-colored (owner-chosen), but behind the shell armoire is an aqua that Laurel mixed herself.
FURNITURE
- • Dining room table, chairs, sideboard and trunk in living room: Urban Retreat (an independent retailer in Reston, Virginia).
• "Petrie" couch from Crate & Barrel.
• Ottomans (with storage and tops that flip into trays) from Target.
• Side tables from Pier 1.
Couch: "Tulsta" IKEA chairs; Laurel dyed the slipcovers with Rit dye.
• Coat hooks from Anthropologie.
• Shell Armoire from Jean-Pierre Antiques in Georgetown.
LIGHTING
- • Living: Target bases, Pier 1 shades.
• Master bedroom: Anthropologie lampshades, IKEA and Target bases.
• All overhead from owner
ART
- • Kitchen: Hatch Prints, Gianna
• Living room: small woodblock print from Time Zeitler; large painting above piano by Laurel.
• Laurel's photographs in the hallway
• Kids' Room: Woodblock prints (unknown artist), Gianna's portrait by Laurel
• Master Bedroom: Icon "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" print, unknown artist, purchased at Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome, where the original icon is enshrined; sculpture by Laurel
• art in studio by Laurel
Thanks, Laurel & Connor!
Images: Rachael Grad
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
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Lovely house! I really like the tree sculpture/photo holder thingy hanging next to the bookcase. Where is it from?
Pottery Barn. Thanks! (o:
I'd say a nice home. Nothing to get me all excited about, nor anything that bothers me. Having an art room is always such a treat.
I do think it's funny when people think 1400sq feet is small.
I love your colors and home...but what I really want to know is where did you get that purse!?!
the orla kiely purse was at bloomingdales last year. i picked up one up.
Me too. I live with a man, a cat and a dog in about 700 square feet. 1400 would feel palatial.
I have a similar use of the Expedit bookcase in my place. It divides our living room into living space and composer work space.
Nice job of personalizing a rental. The placement of the chair smack up against the bookcase bothers me a bit, but not too much... I guess it works for you! Thanks for the tour.
I love your use of the over the door coat hanger for cooking pans! And I love the tile in the bathroom. This house is charming and simple. I also like that the kids rooms are not overly boy or girl themed, even without both of them in the same room I think that's a definite plus.
Oh it's so cute & cozy - I love it!
I love SO MUCH about it... the bedrooms are standouts for me, but I have MUCH LOVE for that telephone & telephone table!
Thank you for sharing your lovely home!
lovely home!
Hey neighbor! (I'm in Takoma Park)
Love your place -- so refreshing to see a home that really looks like a home! Where did you get the bench next to the door? I love it.
Nice home. Nothing to jump and wave about.
All I want for Christmas is a jaw-dropping, over-the-top, and totally inspiring house tour! If you guys could do that for me, I'd be one happy camper. Something like the guys from NY with that oh-so-fab renovated rental. (Can't remember names right now. On my third glass of wine ;) )
I second housefrau's comment about the telephone & the table it's on - so pretty!
I love the tree on the wall at the very first picture. Where is it from?
1400 qualifies as cozy maybe. There's dozens of little post war houses in our neighborhood that are in the 1100-1200 range and i love them. Families of five grew up in some of these homes. There's a lovely feeling of air and proportion when you drive through those neighborhoods compared to new developments where every developer is maxing the square footage and height allowed for the lot.
It's rare that large homes have the charm of smaller homes inside as well because there's usually some unnecessary den or sitting room or entrance vestibule filled with things bought simply to fill space.
Give me 1200 sq ft and I'll happily raise a family in it.
Love the porch by the way.
I love your beach/ocean photo in the bathroom. Can you tell me who it's by? Also the orange dandilion painting on the dresser. Thank you for sharing your cute family place with us. With two kids in a smallish home, I love seeing other families' creative use of space.
Adore your daughters room, what a wonderful place to grow up!! Lucky girl.....
I just love this house -- I think I may have looked @ this place 12 times in December! I think it looks so personal -- I would never know the family living there is renting. Great job!
Laurel
I like your reading area, i love books & magazines,
that looks like a cozy place to read a book.
from washington state.
Laurel it is obvious that you are very creative I would suggest that you edit/remove some elements from your interior design. You may be more comfortable with clutter around you, but I find it distracting and would opt for more closed shelving to clean up the clutter. It is easier to keep small spaces tidy too.
The same goes with color. Edit and remove a few.
I liked your bedroom but I wondered if you would actually ever close those large heavy drapes and sit in that small space.
I prefer the barn doors, but it looks like you picked up some book space you needed.
Hey, TwitteringBirdie in Takoma Park! The bench by the front door is from Urban Retreat in Reston. It's a great place. (www.urbanretreatfurniture.com) I've gotten several pieces from them. They're small, chic and locally-owned. (o:
Just to clarify for those who may be looking for a spread in Architectural Digest: Our house is on AT b/c it's small, rented and we're doing innovative things with a challenging, temporary space. When I own a home and intend to spend enough time and money there to renovate, I will invite your comments (AmOneta) on "barn doors" and other renovations. It sounds like you know exactly what to do.
I think you've done a nice job ... lots of personal flair which is what makes a home a home.