A Designer Brought a “Good Bones” 1960s Home to Life with Colorful Maximalism

Rather than tear out perfectly good modern updates, over the last five years Christie has used her design skills to layer their personality into the three-bedroom home. A glossy, moss green tile backsplash now energizes the kitchen, a hand-painted floral mural wraps the primary bedroom in color, and throughout the home, “color, mixed patterns, original artwork, family heirlooms, and plenty of pieces tell a story.”

It’s a space that feels collected rather than decorated — and proof that you don’t need a full renovation to make a home feel personal. But the couple hasn’t completely disregarded the house’s 1960s history. They’ve “slowly layered in changes that make the home feel distinctly ours while still honoring its original architecture — including restoring the front bay window with a local artisan.”

“I identify as a colorful maximalist with practical tendencies — someone who believes homes should feel deeply personal, joyful, and actually lived in,” Christie explains. “I’m also a working mom of two young daughters and an interior designer, so my perspective is always balancing beauty with genuine, real life.”

The family’s personalities shine throughout all of the rooms, and because there are two little kids (and two cats!), nothing in the home is “too precious.” Toys live next to collected treasures.

Christie emphasizes that these are spaces “designed to be used, not just admired.” A Lego hamster sits on top of Christie’s Pierce and Ward design book. “My daughter’s art is hung in a frame right next to my Matisse poster. I have Christmas ornaments that live on my bookshelf; they’re too cool to store away for 10 months out of the year.”

For Christie, designing homes means creating spaces that are cozy to be in and “unmistakably tied to the people who live there. That’s what I practice in my design firm, and that’s how I’ve designed my home.”

• Pendant — Lia Pendant from CB2
• Yellow Chairs — West Elm
• Dining Table — West Elm
• Rug — Revival
• Frames — Thrifted or Target
• Lemon Vase — Michaels
• Wall Vases — Created by me, Christie Kristl Co.
• Floral Tile — Pewabic Pottery
• Paint — Sherwin Williams, Pure White

• Backsplash — Zia Tile
• Paint — Sherwin Williams, Pure White

• Furnishings — Previously owned
• Paint — Lower portion of the room is Sherwin Williams, Dark Auburn

• Wallpaper — Spoonflower
• Paint — Sherwin Williams, Drift of Mist
• Blanket— Etsy
• Crib — Hand-me-down from when I was a baby!
• Rug — Rugs USA

• Entertainment Center — West Elm
• Phone — Tin Can
• Books — Michelle Obama – The Look, Maira Kalman – Women Holding Things
• Rocks — Collected from a trip to Provincetown
• Bull Figurine — Gifted to me by my sister from her trip to Peru
• Table Lamp — Target
• Ceramic Cat — Custom piece by Laurie Eisenhardt Ceramics (local ceramicist)
• Top Drawing — From my daughter
• Lamp — Anthropologie
• Matisse Print — Etsy, Framebridge frame
• Black Mat Print — Studio McGee from Target
• Pillows — Etsy
• Paint — Sherwin Williams, Pure White
• Couch — Interior Define
• Bookcase — iKEA
• Lamp — Thrifted
• Curtains — TwoPages
• Vase — Alexandria & June
• Pillows — Etsy
• Rug — Revival
• Paint — Sherwin Williams, Pure White

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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