After 11 Moves in the Last 20 Years, This Family Has Found Their Forever Home

Name: Maggie Overby, husband, two children, two dogs, one cat, and four ducks
Location: Sumter, South Carolina
Type of home: House
Size: 3600 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: After being a military family for 20 years, constantly on the move, we are finally in what we hope is our forever home. We have moved 11 times in the last 20 years and when this house came on the market we took the leap without looking at any other houses. I have shared my rental home in Germany and our last rental home here in the U.S. with Apartment Therapy but would love to share again now that I am in my forever home that has no limits.

We spent years in homes that had to be fairly neutral for a quick rental or resale, but now that we are in a forever home I am giving it whatever treatment I want. I am going full color, no holding back! I love adding lots of layers of pattern, color, and no DIY is too big.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Colorful eclectic forever home full of thrift finds.

What is your favorite room and why? Right now it would have to be my kitchen, which I just updated with a mini makeover (cabinets and countertops stayed.) I removed all the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving and painted the cabinets from boring white to blue. I brought in lots of color with lemon wallpaper and a painted hood.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Aside from items for my kitchen remodel my last purchase was a pair of dressers I found secondhand that got a mid-century makeover for my son’s bedroom update.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Just do it! Don’t overthink every decision or be afraid to use whatever you like. If you love it mix it in and it will probably work. Filling your home with things you love is what makes it yours.

This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.

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