Name: AB Chao
Location: Monroe, LA
Size: 1,900 sq ft
Years Lived in: 4
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Yes, Louisiana. We discovered AB Chao's fantastically funny blog a while back. Although she doesn't post much these days, she continues to upload beautiful photos to her Flickr account. We were so impressed with the shots of her home, we decided to go beyond our usual geographical area and ask her to participate in a House Tour.
AB is so deft at those vignette and corner-of-my-home style photos. The images are truly inspiring. Warning: After viewing/reading this House Tour, you may be tempted to hop on a plane to hang out with AB in her cozy and inviting abode.
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AT Survey:
My style: It's a little mid-century, a little Martha Stewart, a little vintage-y. A friend and I came up with "MOLD" a long time ago for our collective styles: modern + old.
The inspiration for my home: I am inspired by so many different sources it's hard to pinpoint one: I find inspiration all over the place! Lately I have been inspired by the images in Japanese craft books — clean, uncluttered spaces, lots of white, muted colors, vintage florals, sweet little vignettes. I get great ideas from magazines: Domino, Blueprint, Dwell, Metropolitan Home. I also love Scandinavian home design; there's a book called Stockholm Kitchens that makes me want to pack it all in and buy a flat in Sweden. Oh, and my mother will be very upset if I don't list her as an inspiration, but she totally is: She has fabulous taste and is a ruthless editor.
Favorite element: I love the bones of my house — shiplap walls, high ceilings, woodwork everywhere. Mostly I love the way light falls through the windows throughout the day. It gives the rooms this dreamy quality that makes me so happy I just want to sit there and look around. Oh, and my kitchen, I also love the kitchen. And the porch. FINE. I love it all!
Biggest challenge in designing my home: So many beautiful things, so little time. I have a hard time restraining myself and will end up with thirty-seven half-finished projects, too much clutter, and absolutely no self-control when it comes to paint.
What friends say about my home: "Have you run out of things to paint yet?" "Can you come over and decorate my house?" "How do you keep all this white furniture clean?" But mostly they don't say anything because I am too busy talking about my latest project. My friends are very sweet about it.
Biggest embarrassment in my home: The time I attempted to paint the hallway pink (a profound failure) and got so impatient that I started comparing colors on the doorjamb. The hallway is now a gorgeous pale green, but I still haven't repainted the door.
Proudest DIY: The suspended bed on our screened-in porch. It took about a day and cost less than $100 to build. Although I confess I didn't do much of the building — my husband and brother are responsible for that.
Biggest indulgence with respect to my home: All the stuff on the walls: paintings, photographs, etc.
Best advice given or received: Something that took me a long time to learn is that less is more. Things seem so much more special if there's not stuff all over the place, and there's nowhere for your eye to rest. Also, when in doubt, group things in threes.
Dream source for stuff: Design Within Reach, Anthropologie, Kim's Antiques on Gilmore Girls
Resources:
Appliances
Stove: antique Chambers Espresso Machine: Francis Francis! Mixer: KitchenAid
Hardware
Came with the house: Bakelite in the kitchen, original doorknobs/pulls in the rest of the house
Furniture
My couch is from Ethan Allen, circa 1973; my mother bought it before I was born and it's still going strong. The slipcovers were made in 1981, a testament to white cotton duck.Chairs: Slipcovered hand-me-downsDining room: The table and piano were my grandmother's, and the Eames chairs were free: My favorite college history professor gave them to me.Our Bed: West ElmOther beds/various furniture are from this GREAT vintage furniture store in downtown Monroe called "Clarence's Old Stuff." No, seriously.
Accessories
West ElmIkeaVarious thrift and vintage sourcesAnthropologieCB2
Lighting
IkeaTargetMy mother's hand-me-downs
Paint
All Martha Stewart, all the time
Flooring
All wood floors original to the house
Rugs and Carpets
eBayMy grandmother
Window Treatments
West ElmIkea
Artwork
Meredith Pardue KennedyJoey SlaughterLisa CongdonLeigh TysonMyselfMy daughter MadeleineVarious others
Thanks, AB!
• See AB's blog here: Blog, and her Flickr account here: Flickr
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(Edited from a post originally published 06.05.07)
Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this AB!
view lisa (editor)'s profile
I love your art! Especially the abstract paintings.
view peggy's profile
Really a beautiful home.
view SFAmanda's profile
Lovely - truly an inviting southern home. I love the colors and the walls. And the artwork too.
We used to stop in Monroe because it was about halfway between one set of grandparents in Mississippi and the other set of grandparents in Arkansas. Unfortunately, we mostly saw the mall on I-10...
view amy (rustyletter)'s profile
beautiful and homey all at once. makes me want to be 7 years old again, but still really stylish.
view catoasapun's profile
My mother grew up in Farmerville and Monroe, and my father is from Ruston -- so amazing to see someone from Monroe here!
I'll be in N. LA in a few weeks -- do you have any good recs. for places to shop while I'm there? We usually stick with the antique stores in West Monroe, but I would love some new places.
The house is gorgeous -- I love the yellow table.
Cheers!
view jem's profile
PS -- Is the wall painted with bricks and windows that runs along the levee still there?
view jem's profile
Thank you, everyone! This was so much fun.
jem: try the above-mentioned Clarence's -- it's really hit or miss, but Clarence himself is a hoot. It's on DeSiard. Also there's Inside Indigo on 3rd in the Garden District; it's a fun place to look around. I always find lots of stuff on Antique Alley, though, so definitely go there. And yeah, the wall is still there!
view abchao's profile
Wait. AB Chao of Television Without Pity? Awesome! You guys rock ;) It's weird when internet worlds collide!
view bluestar's profile
wooowwwwwwwww
view New York Muhtari's profile
bluestar: yes - the one and the same ab chao. i was just as excited as you when she agreed to the house tour!
view anh-minh's profile
Well now we know she can write AND decorate :) Seriously, the house is gorgeous, I just sent this link to my husband with a little note that said "THIS is what I want our house to look like." Just gorgeous.
view bluestar's profile
Jem, check out Mojo's on Trenton Street when you're on Antique Alley in Monroe. My husband Doug does all the T-shirt designs--you can preview online at shopmojo.com
view mpardue's profile
Absolutely charming....but gnomes.....gno, gno!
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
Thanks for the suggestions -- I'm so looking forward to my trip.
Thanks again for sharing the pictures of your house -- dreamy and beautiful.
And I'm so happy the wall is still there!
view jem's profile
Chao Camp!
view kristin's profile
the yellow table looks like this ikea table just repainted. is this the one or is this an antique? if it is the one, how did you repaint it?
view olya's profile
Beautiful! All those shell chairs look so happy. I could stare at that bedroom photo for hours...
(p.s. Olya, that Ikea table comes in yellow, it's just not shown on their site.)
view Anna at D16's profile
Thank you Anna! :)
view olya's profile
I usually like homes posted here, but it's always the stories that sell me. Your home is beautiful and warm, obviously "lived-in." And the obvious pride and affection you have toward the place in which you live makes it all the more charming. Bravo!
view mplsjacob's profile
This is totally my style and hits me in the heart.
ps: I love your stuff on TVwoPity.
view gathering browse's profile
Your home is gorgeous!
view Harley's profile
this home is so nice and cozy it makes my eyes fuzzy...
as much as i love all the rooms and decor, i thought the inviting chair with rumpled blanket was a showstopper!
view miss's profile
Ethereal...
view bombie's profile
such a lovely house...and i love the sheets in the bedroom! where are they from?
view kccr's profile
Where's the rug in the dining room from?
view mindybates's profile
kccr: the brown and white set is from Dwell -- I think the pattern is called "Silhouette."
mindybates: It was my grandmother's -- it's pretty old, I'm not sure where it came from. Sorry!
view abchao's profile
such MOLD-y goodness! there's a creative eye at work in this home, not just someone who decorates-by-the-numbers...
view KBinBC's profile
Rock on Louisiana! Beautiful place. I spent a summer in Monroe during my college years.
view southernwayfarer's profile
who made the paintings over the fireplace and the bed?
view damova's profile
Don't hate on the gnomes! They're so cute, how could you not like them?
view ll's profile
Love this... although, the crossover between AT and TWoP makes me feel funny inside. :-)
view shani-o's profile
I'm inspired, inspired, inspired! thank you!
view sm98101's profile
Just lovely!!
view lwray's profile
An absolutely charming, sweet home. I love it!
view anne's profile
I love the suspended bed! You really made it? Are there directions somewhere?? :)
view Chatoyante's profile
I love this! Would you possibly divulge the shade of green you used on the wall in the living room? It's the exact shade I've been thinking of. Thanks. Abosolutely stunning & inviting home.
view mamabythesea's profile
Chatoyante: there are no directions; we just made it up. it's 13 2x4s wide and suspended with covered cable.
mamabythesea: the paint is from wal-mart (don't judge!) and called "breadfruit."
view abchao's profile
Where did you get that stainless table in the middle of the kitchen? I have been searching all over for one just like it!
view shayna's profile
it's my dream house...
view pindik's profile
I too like Kim's antiques on Gilmore Girls except I forget its not real..take made me giggle..
Your place is dreamy, makes me want to come and stay for a mini holiday read, draw, paint and drink lemonaid...pink lemonaid.
view LoriSF's profile
I love your shiplap walls. It looks like you have a combination of shiplap and sheetrock in some of your rooms. I would love to ask you more about your shiplap walls as I am renovating a home that also has shiplap walls. My contractor says to cover them up, but I would love to paint them like you did, as well as the ceilings. Your home is so inviting and soft. I would love to have that also. Thank you, Kathy
view KathyJB's profile
hi from downunder..about the yellow table..love it too..anna at d16..would u mind telling me which dept it would be in and is it wood or metal?..or anyone? thankx..daniela
view mishmashmoo's profile
My family lives in Monroe, LA now--what a nice surprise to see this post! We were originally from Lake Providence, LA if anyone knows where that is.....
view flixbix's profile
This home was really CUTE! thanks for sharing with us! : )
you guys always have the best places!
Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards & More'
www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com
view jenniferramos's profile
First of all, this home is gorgeous. Second of all, I checked out the links to see more (blog doesn't seem to exist anymore but the Flickr profile is still there). AB is HILARIOUS. I was laughing so hard at both the pictures and the captions. Beautiful photographs, paintings, design...
I'm a little confused about her location, though--on Flickr it reads "Los Angeles" (and there's a link to a web site--hashai.com--that only has the name on the home page and that's it).
Clarification, anyone?
Take care,
I.
view Ivan Chan's profile
This is so beautiful and understated.
view amelie de lune 's profile
a great house! I especially love the kitchen, the modern dining chairs with that traditional rug, and the beautiful upright piano----
view L1bby's profile
I really, really love this home, it's one of my absolute favorites. It's just perfect!
view d-love's profile
Oh, that hanging bed is fantastic! If I can find a house with an open space like that, I would love to set up my bedroom like that. Or maybe even some sort of daybed out on a lovely, closed-in porch. Dreams... :)
view Camolai's profile