“I live in a quirky attic apartment above an early 20th-century carriage house garage. It was renovated into an apartment by hand, and has lots and lots of character! Case in point: There are two different mismatched chandeliers in the kitchen, and one of the bedroom windows opens upside-down. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I love it — it works well with my aesthetic sensibilities. Pretty much all of the furniture in my space is hand-me-down or thrifted. There are some really great secondhand home decor stores in Charlottesville —Circa, to name my favorite — and I love searching Craigslist and FB Marketplace for a good deal,” James writes.

“My space is an homage to people and places I care about. Wall art includes a drawing from a cartoonist friend, broadsides from favorite poets, and prints from travels and makers in California and Virginia (two of several states I’ve lived in). I love having friends over for dinner, and so having gathering spaces and plenty of seating is important to me.”

1. Look at resources like Apartment Therapy, AD, and social media for inspiration, and to develop your eye. What do you like, and why? But don’t try to make your space look like what you see in the photos — trust yourself and what looks good in YOUR space.
2. Don’t be afraid of stuff! Clutter is only clutter if it’s disorganized — if you organize it in a cute way, it’s decor.
3. Everything is changeable — don’t let the fear of failure keep you from trying something. Repaint, rearrange, hang things, and then take them down again. If you paint the bathroom and it looks terrible, the worst thing that happens is you have to paint it back.

Thanks, Katherine!

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

Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form