A Homebody Claims Decorating’s Hobby, but Her Home Is Professionally Beautiful

Name: Katie Varela, husband and three kids
Location: Lake Forest, California
Size: 1,700 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned

My husband, Jon, and I live in this three-bedroom home with our three kids, ages 13, 11, and 9.

We moved here a year and a half ago from a neighboring city and a house that was under 1,000 square feet, so this 1,700-square-foot home feels like a mansion to us!

I’m a work-from-home copy editor and am also an introvert and homebody, so my favorite hobbies involve our house—decorating, thrifting, and Craigslisting.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Vintage, traditional, collected, eclectic.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I thrift new treasures each week, and the last thing I found was a vintage butterfly mounted under round glass. The last new thing I bought was this pink pot from Anthropologie. The thing currently in my online shopping cart is a stair runner from Annie Selke!—I’m planning on getting this one.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t worry about style labels! If you like something, go for it, even if it isn’t the same style you are “supposed” to use.

What is your favorite room and why? The living room is my favorite room because of the fireplace, the built-ins that hold all our family treasures, the painted wall above the mantel (a labor of love I completed a few months ago), and the fact that it usually stays clean!

Thanks, Katie Varela!

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