Secrets to a Simple, Resourceful Home

“Only have things you love. Obviously, some things just need to be functional, but when it comes to decorative pieces we try and only get things we have a strong emotional reaction to. When we get stuff to fill a spot and not because we absolutely adore it, it tends to fall flat.”

Name: Sage Gregory and Gracie Ellison-Shortridge
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 2,331 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, rented

Sage and Gracie share their inspirations, challenges, favorite elements and more from their sweet and resourceful Portland home:

Our Style: Bright and clean! We like to keep things as simple as possible while still maintaining warmth and personality. An all white base with lots of personal, colorful details is our favorite; it allows us to go through phases without breaking bank.

Inspiration: To be honest, it’s hard for us to pinpoint specific sources of inspiration. Of course, seeing beautiful photos of other people’s houses always gives us ideas, however, we find ourselves happiest when we look for items that strike us and hope it all comes together cohesively.

THE REST OF THE SERIES

• Part 1: Sage & Gracie’s Story
• Part 3: Sage & Gracie’s Resources Room by Room

Favorite Element: The windows! Our bedroom has solid french windows on three walls and another window on the fourth. It makes our room freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer, but our plants are thriving. The whole house has a lot of beautiful, old, mismatched windows that keep the whole house full of light.

Biggest Challenge: Trying to work around this lopsided, wonky house. Since it’s so old, lots of walls and ceilings aren’t level (which makes hanging art difficult). The house also has lots of awkward doorways, wall segments, and even a stairway leading nowhere (which doubles as storage). It all adds character but is definitely challenging.

What Friends Say: Most of our friends think we’re daring (read crazy) for all of the white, though we think it’s easy thanks to the wonders of bleach and baking soda.

Biggest Embarrassment: When we first moved up here we went a little wild at IKEA. Don’t get us wrong, IKEA is amazing, but it started to feel a little too much like an IKEA catalog. We had like thirty of the white pots they make and realized things were getting out of hand. We read something once along the lines of “don’t buy everything at once or all from the same place,” and we try to stand by that; it keeps things a little more balanced.

Proudest DIY: We made our closet, which was a big project because we wanted it to work with storage we already had. It’s birch, which was a great way to add much-needed warmth to our room.

Biggest Indulgence: Our bed. This year we upgraded from full to king and that was quite the splurge for us. We had to get a new frame, mattress, and went all out for a new down-blanket and pillows. Definitely felt like an adult after that purchase.

Best Advice: Only have things you love. Obviously, some things just need to be functional, but when it comes to decorative pieces we try and only get things we have a strong emotional reaction to. When we get stuff to fill a spot and not because we absolutely adore it, it tends to fall flat.

Dream Sources: We’re always pining over something at Grand Marketplace or Palace.

THE REST OF THE SERIES

• Part 1: Sage & Gracie’s Story
• Part 3: Sage & Gracie’s Resources Room by Room

⇒ Show Us Your Home! How to Submit to Apartment Therapy

See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
⇒ House Tours on Pinterest