A Family’s New Jersey Home Was Rescued from the ’90s — and Every Room Is Packed with Style
Name: Sandy Jandu, spouse, 6-year-old daughter, dog, and two cats
Location: Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Type of home: House
Size: 1,900 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years, owned
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Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Our home has so many weird quirks and angles and surprises — kind of like the people who inhabit it.
It’s a three-bedroom builder-grade from the 1990s, chock-full of 45-degree angled halls and nooks to nowhere. We have worked our tails off to bring it to life, and while our home has a ways to go, it feels like OURS.
My daughter uses every space available to color, craft, imagine, and raise a ruckus (along with our dog). My spouse has spaces in the home where it’s open and minimal, which is his style, and I have spaces that are curated and collected like I like — and there’s pet hair on every surface.
It’s very important to me to feel like I belong. And that anyone who comes into our home knows that they belong, too. So our home reflects comfort and cozy, with varying color stories and hand-painted murals (created by me). And our art choices are collected and intentional and filled with family memories.
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is what we call “the blue room.” It’s painted in Blue’d Up by Clare Paint, which has a hue that runs from cold to warm depending on the time of day. So if I’m having a morning cup or tea or a nightcap before bed, I can see something different.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Escaping the ’90s
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A wall sconce for my powder room renovation. It’s GORGEOUS!
Any advice for creating a home you love? My mantra is simple: Do what you love. Always. Trends are meant to act as inspiration, not the golden rule. So if you love something (a style, a piece of furniture or art, a tchotchke from your favorite film), and you have a home for it? GO GET IT.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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