What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? My favorite element has to be the "secret" attic hideaway that's turned into the most comfortable studio ever. Nobody ever suspects what's hiding behind that door!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? It's been difficult to make sure there is enough seating to entertain our rather large family without making the house feel overcrowded. And of course, there has to be open floor play space for our nieces and our dogs! We have to be conscious of the flow of our floor plan and make sure there are always nooks for people to gather in. And of course, everyone ends up in our teeny kitchen! Good thing it's also equipped with a nook.
Our resources? Obsessively combing through home and design websites for inspiration past and present! We go with what works (and is budget friendly). Antiques and family heirlooms, craigslist vintage finds, and ikea staples have all found their way into our home.
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If vet school doesn't put me in debt for the rest of my life ... I think I'd like to some day live in a house exactly like this. This by far, is the cutest "Small Cool" yet! I can't stop staring! <3
i love the simplicity. i've always envied those who are able to keep such a simple decor style with few (but flattering) colors and shapes....i tend to go all over the place with my decorating...colors, styles, etc...
oh! and i especially love the grouping of white candles over the fireplace....its gorgeous!
So lovely and tasteful!!
That shade of green is so soothing. I'm feeling less stressed just looking at it.
Love the green, and I'm absolutely green with envy over your hideaway studio.
"Obsessively combing through home and design websites for inspiration past and present! "
Sounds like me right about now.
Ok LOVE IT.
Two questions;
The pillow in the first picture and the text artwork in the second? Where are they from please :D
(Please tell me whereever they are from sells to AUSTRALIA! hehe)
I am absolutely drooling over the color! It looks so cozy and modern. My favorite small space so far.
Thanks for all the sweet comments! I woke my poor fiance up just to read them to him.
Art4friends - the pillow is by Julia Rothman through Urban Outfitters. It isn't available anymore, but you can see and purchase her work at juliarothman.com. Her stuff is pretty freakin great.
And I made the text art. The words are the opening paragraph from Ayn Rand's Anthem. I hadn't started on the studio yet, and had to use the dining room table for a workspace. Needless to say, we ate dinner on the couch for a month straight!
Thanks for all the kind words and votes - I am so tickled!
Love the text art behind the dining room table!
i love the wide crown molding
love the grey walls in the bedroom, mixed with the green bedding. great job!
Love it! The wall color is amazing, and that couch is pretty great.
What's the art over the bed? Thank you!
I love your home! Gorgeous kitchen, and I LOVE that use of attic space! Looks so cozy and private. The whole place is so peaceful.
AND, this is definitely my favorite small cool, because I also live in Royal Oak!!
And who did the art in the bedroom?
Your place is lovely, great flow!
I really like this green wall color you have going on. Also, are those spice racks on the left side of the kitchen picture? If so, would you mind to share where they are from? I need something like that!
What a beautiful place, I love the slate green and your Text Art is just awesome! I also couldn't help but notice the white versions of the Kathie Olivas Benny & Two-faced Hazel, I have a black Benny & Bird myself!
I love this little house! The decorating is so cohesive. Each room is distinct but has the same cozy-modern feel.
I also like that the furniture isn't all straight up modern. There's a little midwest personality in there which makes the space very accessible. Great job!
I LOVE the mix of furnishings...the creativity in every corner. You must love to come home!
I am so inspired to create my own Ayn Rand text artwork! Anthem is one of my favorite books.
Also, my parents just moved to a new house and have couches of that exact color, a gray tile fire place, and have been trying to figure out what wall color to use. I am emailing them pictures of your gorgeous house in hopes of inspiring them to find a similar color.
Thanks so much for your lovely inspiration!
this is nearly IDENTICAL to the layout of my house. that living room is exactly the same. i'd love to see an exterior shot of this home! beautifully done!
to answer a few questions:
h144 and stegersaurus: the artwork in the bedroom is from etsy - altardbeast.etsy.com (crazy, creepy stuff. i love it.)
lovelydarkanddeep: yes, those are spice racks. we use two kroken spice racks and the rajtan spice jars (both from ikea). and i label the spice jars with a white grease pencil - easy to find what i'm looking for, and then easy to relabel 'cause you can just wipe it off!
btoddster: i was wondering if anyone would catch benny and hazel. the regular colorway hazel is hiding out in the bedroom but i couldn't fit her in the picture!
Woo hoo for Royal Oak!
beautiful living room! however, I was a little disappointed by the bedroom - it could use a little more personality, in my opinion.
What shade of green is that?
Oh, please tell me if you know where I can find a floor lamp like the one in your living room. It's gorgeous!
hi everyone. your sweet comments are making me blush!
oliviav (and everyone who likes our paint color): it's Ralph Lauren's Tenaya Green from home depot. it's cozy on cloudy days, and actually brightens up quite nicely on sunny days.
kajr: that floor lamp is an antique i inherited from my grandmother. it's solid and heavy, and makes a lovely warm light. and it's got a 300watt bulb and three 60watt bulbs. kind of an energy sucker but the only lamp that can light up our 1930's-no-overhead-lighting living room.
thanks everyone, keep voting! we are so excited to be a part of this contest.
Thanks for getting back to me with that info!! :)
Well, shucks. The lamp would look great in my 1930's-no-overhead-lighting living room, too :) Guess I'll just have to keep attending estate sales... Thanks for replying!
i stand corrected:
mama bear says that lamp is actually from my great-grandmother. it's even older than i thought.
She's lying about the spice rack - she labeled them for me but I do have to say she did a nice job with the decore and it's a lovely retreat from life outside our walls.
The hide away attick room is sweet. Question is, is the door a hidden door?
Very nice job.
What sofa is that?
Hey can you tell me from where did u get the white table thats in the attic...the setup is lovely..
Love the place! Your choices for wall paint colors is fantastic!
hi everyone...
guinoatesgotbumped is absolutely right, i did label the spice jars for him. he does far more cooking than i do. and i have yet to graduate past good old salt and pepper!
jesikka: the sofa is from macy's. it's called the tyler velvet sofa. that's the loveseat in the shot, the full sofa is facing it on the other side of the coffee table. they are super comfortable for lounging around. and dog hair easily wipes off with either a used dryer sheet or a damp washcloth.
khadija: that white table is from west elm, the bridge side table. they still have it, but with a different print. i'm still contemplating getting the coffee table that goes underneath it and moving it to the living room. i think the smaller scale will work better for us.
You have done a great job with this - I especially love the little attic area with the sloping ceiling - reminds me of my flat. And the greeny colour you've used is fab - even though it's quite a cool colour it looks neither cold nor dark - lovely!
I absolutely love the colors in your home!! Whoever painted did a stellar job!
I love your attic, great idea for the space, Im always trying to figure out what could fit in my attic under the sloping walls.
Is that a couch or two seprate chaise loungers?....ps same colour in the attic as in the rest of the house?
Can you please tell me what color your bedroom is? I am moving in the next few weeks and planning the new colors. I love it!
rosamware - those are two chaise lounges pushed together and clamped from underneath so they don't come apart. they are ikea kramfors. and yes, the attic is the same color as the kitchen, ralph lauren "burlap".
oh, on the other side of the attic are long, low bookshelves. they're a nice fit because of the low ceilings!
elizrlin - i love gray, but had to paint the bedroom twice to get the right shade. and actually, it's two shades. the wall with the pictures is ralph lauren "parched teak" and the wall with the window (as well as the other two walls not in the picture) are ralph lauren "boulder grey". the two shades work really well together, and i had to go look at the room to remember which was the darker wall!
What was your attic like before, what it difficult to finish it? did you put stairs in to access the attic? I would love to be able to use my attic, but i'm affraid it will be too expensive to remodel it.
Can you tell me how you made the Anthem text art? You have a lovely home!