Lovely!

What an adorable couple, and a charming house. The breakfast nook is fabulous, and I love the groovy fireplace and the wood accent wall in the bedroom. I also must comment on The Fountainhead on the bookshelf...excellent book!

Oh, no...not The Fountainhead! What a soul-less bit of writing :( That's just my opinion, peeps. Don't tread on me for it :)

That aside, what a lovely home: warm without clutter, beautifully edited and executed. When my house grows up, it wants to be just like this house. I am utterly charmed.

Love IT!!!

Oh I want a wood accent wall soooooo bad! Beautiful job! I really love all the light fixtures as well. Very, very cool.

Overall, I like it. Let me get the negative out first, and then move on to the things I like. The living room just doesn't look finished. I understand the minimalistic concept, but it would be good to throw in at least one item that adds some "warmth" and depth to the room.
I love the animal heads and antlers. Also, the built-ins are a great and make the rooms look expensive. The American flag is cool. I don't care for Ikea, because it is so ordinary(I prefer more unique items). However, those light fixtures in the kitchen I thought fit so well in there....and I really like the idea of spray-painting them.

One last note, any neighbor that give you a granite countertop is an awesome neighbor.

Lovely inside and out. I wish I could declutter like that. The honeycomb mirror project (for lack of a better word) is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

there is so much potential here but... i feel like there's something fundamental that's missing. why don't you experiment with space planning (esp. in LR) ?

love your bedroom to death, but do not care for the seemingly "self-upholstered" sofa and banquette seating.

It's so nice to see someone displaying an American flag without irony, desecration, or political message. Your home looks like a happy place.

^ I second that RURAL AND RUEFUL

Where did you get those fantastic skulls?! Love the idea of them as hat stands! Also- jealous of your list of furniture-made by Sean!!! I would definitely hang out at your place anytime! Although, its a bit of a drive-I'm in Canada!

Love all the handmade wood furniture! It's gorgeous, especially the desk. I missed seeing the Rand book on the shelf, but I suppose it'll come in handy if you ever run out of firewood.

It's a nice clean look. The basic cottage has good bones. As an attorney I don't like he Americn flag hung as a wall decoration. That's not what it is. Maybe a print of a Jasper Johns flag would be more appropriate...

Wow, nice job Sara & Sean,

Really like the lights especially the ones in the living room.
That chair the one the 2 of you are sitting on is totally cool.

Just went over to your site seanwoolsey.com.
More really nice simple well designed stuff
Love the coasters how did you make those?
Going to get some of those for sure, make great gifts

Next time I'm up that way will try and look you up
Live down in Baja so it's a bit of a putt, not as bad as from Canada however :)

Later,
BigDog

Amazing. Sean Woolsey was crafted by hand? I wonder if Geppetto was responsible.

Nice! Reminds me a bit of the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland, (and that's a good thing :)

Yikes! Not good to have heavy things hanging above the bed in earthquake country.

Great style, guys. I love it.

I really like the simple, clean feel of this home,
especially all the industrial & vintage details!!

Oh and by the way, LOVE your hair!! So pretty :)

great bones, but a little disappointing decor-wise... i was so excited to click thru based on the cheerful exterior shots, but the inside seems kinda cold & barren. i know u've only been there a year, so I'm sure u have more u would like to do, but i think this place is SCREAMING for some colorful touches... the breakfast nook is so awesome & sunny w that great tree outside, yet it somehow manages to b a little boring & blah. the banquet is so heavy- i think balancing it w some fun throw pillows, a great rug under the table & a vase of beautiful blooms would go a LONG way in cheering the place up. minimal doesnt need to b stark & unfinished looking... i love the hexagon mirror installation & the wooden headboard wall- 2 great examples of simple, yet warm & welcoming.

um, is it just me or is everything on the walls hung too high? (tv, tv shelves, artwork...)

I like this "homemade" home.
You are both so creative, I notice from Sean's site that you have probably made the sofa & cushions and banquet & cushions yourselves! Are those vintage tarps or just really awesome fabric? Love it.
I like how you display things that have meaning to you, not just decorated to fill up space.

What bothered me were the odd comments about owning a copy of "Fountainhead". Now if we submit our home we should expect criticism for reading certain books?

Love the cape buffalo with hats! So fun...also think the lighting is very creative. I get where you are coming from with the flag but please read the Flag Code if you really respect the flag...it is never supposed to be used for decorative purposes. Otherwise, very cool home.

I think the folks making comments about the lack of throw pillows, rugs, and colors are coming from a completely different design perspective. This home is truly about functional living with very little in the way of extraneous decorating.

The homeowners clearly have an eye for design but, if you'll notice, that design is typically incorporated into objects with a function; even the skulls are acting hat rests.

I absolutely LOVED the DIY upholstery/slipcovers. A beautiful and hand crafted protest against being drawn into consumerist culture? It is certainly not ghetto looking - just homespun and simple and fresh - and I suspect that it is the fact that they do not look 'finished' in the way store products do that has caused negative comments.

I get the feeling that this is a home for living and having people over and enjoying a home aesthetic without being ruled by it. I mean, why concentrate on throw pillows in the nook when you have those windows!

That being said, there sure are a heck of a lot of uncovered bulbs in that house.

Also, I love all the people commenting about the flag when I see a ZILLION homes on AT with Buddha all over the place with no comments whatsoever about co-opting a religious figure from another culture. (Excepting, of course, practicing Buddhists which probably would not have Buddha bookends anyway.)

I do not get the feeling that they are only using the flag for decorating purposes at all. Much better this than people who leave their tattered flags up on poles outside their houses to be 'patriotic'. Tattered flags make me want to Hulk smash somebody.

The bedroom looks so peaceful and organic. The recycled wall and ceiling lights are my favorite elements. I've been a long convert to the CFL bulb but, *sigh* how can you resist an Edison bulb?

Trivia ...

The fireplace is a Malm, made by the same company that produces the freestanding fireplaces sold these days through Design Within Reach.

The model in the house tour is called a Malm Fire Duke. I know this because I happen to have the very model myself, 'cept mine's got the red porcelain enamel finish. Found it on craigslist. The seller even had the sales brochure and price list from when the unit was new, in 1969. I couldn't say when Malm discontinued this model, but I'm fairly confident it's been quite some time.

@Scissors: Anything is fair game to comment on when one submits their home for our ____ (fill in the blank: delight, envy, perusal, critique).

Funny you should be bothered by the comments vis a vis the Fountainhead since, if silence is any indication, the actual homeowners aren't.

Loving that wood wall in the bedroom. Everything you own feels like it has a purpose, I like that. Great home!

Love the wood in the bedroom but the rest of the place just looks unfinished to and devoid of color.

I absolutely adore this home. I am one who generally prefers more color, but this is so serene and uncluttered. The lighting throughout is what really makes it for me. Also, any house with a Vader cone fireplace = instant love from me!

Lovely outdoor space. As for the inside, one person's minimalism is another's "something's missing". The decor seems drab to me, except for the fab flag and mirrors. But really like the built-in bookcase and wood wall in the bedroom.

I, too, love the flag--and am always surprised to see The
Fountainhead have a life beyond sophomore year college or a neocon bookshelf.

Brilliant - just love so many of the thoughtful touches - clean, giving all the wood and wire, light and lines room/space to speak for themselves. However, I think the spacing of furniture in the living area lacks (do I dare say... Feng Shui) - Jamming a couch right up against the wall with a leather arm chair jammed up against this same couch chokes out the movement of the eye and kills the spirit of the room - it also wouldn't hurt to add a few touches of... something -- color, furniture, plants, books - whatever. I wish I had his talent in building and designing furniture and lamps! Wowo!

Ok, I like your stuff and the lack of stuff but in the kitchen you need a single pedestal table for that nook. The table is beautiful but not right for that space, I would be stubbing my toe.

love everything, hate the couch.

I love it. You guys showed a level of restraint in the decor that makes the space reminiscent of Shaker-style homes, with a modern twist. I don't think there is a thing missing, and I love the flag. You homemade furniture is unbelievably gorgeous. Well done!

Gorgeous bedroom wall! Not feeling the Fred Flintstone sofa & banquette, though.

I love these older homes--they are jewels to me. I grew-up in Orange County and one of my first jobs was in Costa Mesa. I like the wood wall in the bedroom and the mirror installation and what a nice neighbor--wish I had some nice one's like that. As for the flag I wasn't offended, but I don't know the code for displaying one either. I only know the ways the flag has been desecrated purportedly under the guise of freedom of speech. I also, despite this being a site about design, wouldn't feel comfortable giving you my opinions, especially if you didn't ask. I don't tend to assume that is what you are seeking. Thank you for the tour and I wish the best in your lovely home.

Thanks for opening up your home to Apartment Therapy eyeballs.

It looks a little cold and empty in some spots, but I do admire the DIY-ethic.

(Also, as a recent Orange Curtain escapee, I must say, Ayn Rand in an East Side Costa Mesa home doesn't really surprise me.)

btw - flag trivia: it's displayed correctly here, with the union (stars) to the upper left.

The picture with the flag, desk and the couple is awesome!! The grey upholstered pieces look rather sad and so very much the same with the L shaped seating and the round tables. Don't know why it comes across like that......it'd be nice if the stressless chair was floating in the room opposite the sofa sectional. Looks like it could use a bit of a woman's touch, if ya know what i mean.

I felt like the design in this house was more about people wanting other people to think they're cool (hello strategically placed Ayn Rand book) more than anything.

That's probably why a lot of the space is cold in some areas.

That said, I did like the plants hanging on the porch and the interesting light fixture in the bedroom a lot.

Very homely and quite a work in progress (the sofa and kitchen needs a little help) but there are some very inspiring pieces here -- that fireplace is hot, and the bedroom wall looks brilliant.

The outside doesn't seem to match the inside. The outside is lovely and cottage-like. The inside just doesn't have enough color for me.

love the kitchen! so nice that it hasn't been over remodeled, nice and natural.

Wow, that Sean is a handy guy. :) I like the idea of a hand crafted minimalist design. For my own sanity, the placement of the leather chair in the living room is wrong. The chair should face the sofa to create a conversation area and balance out the space. Sorry just a pet peeve. I love the sofa and banquet, though.

I agree with many posters that the living room seems to be ...missing something at first glance, or awkwardly arranged. Especially in the picture facing the window, couch and leather chair. But from other perspectives it actually comes together a little more than I initially perceived.
I would describe the vibe as whimsical, spartan. And I like it.
As for all the book commentary - What is the deal?! I'm sure that at least some of you snobs have far "worse" hanging around your nightstands and bookshelves - a Twilight book, or Fifty Shades of Grey or The Help, or the latest Oprah book club offering. Let the perfect post-post modern intellectual cast the first stone ...
And since the book is in their bedroom, it hardly seems like its meant to make other people think they're "cool" in that context.

Seems a bit unfinished, but since I like having lots of artwork and knick knacks in my own home, I'm sure minimalist style is not really for me. I like the flag on the wall and LOVE LOVE the light bulb/track lighting fixture in the living room.

Dig the house.
For once, I would like to see a highlighted house tour that didn't have a link to the house owner's design services, store, etc. Where are the folks that don't have something to sell? Is it just me?

Great aesthetic. Feels right.

Ok. I love the house. I love the couple, they are just all sorts of cool and adorable in that " I want to BE them" way. That didn't sound creepy in my head. I love the flag. Who cares if it is displayed correctly, incorrectly, upside down. These "codes" are a legacy of a time long, long gone by when silly superstitions and empty rituals dictated everyday life. What if I paint a Porky pig on a flag, what effect does it have on this country, its peoples' patriotism, its freedoms, its political standing, or relationship with other nations? NONE. Also their flag in the living room is offensive, but a gaudy Old Navy flag t-shirt with rhinestones is ok?
That's off my chest. Nest item: the living room light fixture. AT, please, please invite these two lovebirds for a special steps-by-step DIY! I also live in an old house with no lighting, and a puppy that chews chords on lamps. If not, would Sean or Sara mind messaging me privately with instructions? :)

Too cluttered to be minimal. Too bare to be comfortable. Mostly self-conscious with some interesting but poorly integrated ideas...

i really like the house, but i was taken aback by the painting in photo 30. cultural appropriation suuuuuuucks. whack white kids need to quit treating native culture like a trend. hipster racism is still racism. and i really did like the rest of the house!

Great light fixtures throughout. The fabric choice on the sofa is too drab and I'll
Fitting. The custom build furniture is wonderful. More full room photos and
less knacks would be helpful.