When Caroline Harper Knapp moved back to her home state of Texas a few years ago from New York, she knew she would have more space to design a home for her and her family. Having almost 2,500 square feet to work with meant she would get to experiment with traditional home elements that the lack of space in New York had not allowed her to — like a large entryway, a formal dining room, and a living room that offers several seating options.

Caroline runs House of Harper, a fashionable lifestyle site that offers tips on everything from travel to parenting to fashion. Caroline’s home reflects her sartorial eye and love of art — two things she certainly sharpened while living in NYC. However, her traditional taste growing up in a small town of Texas is definitely a tangible element of her design choices, especially in her formal living and dining room spaces. Caroline found a way to marry the old and new together to make her home function while still reflecting her passions. With a large, open-concept kitchen, contemporary art peppered in each room, and her use of rich colors and vintage textiles, Caroline mixes her tastes perfectly to create a warm, inviting space for her family of four

My Style: Transitional, I love mixing traditional pieces with modern fabrics and art.

Inspiration: A combination of the traditional homes I grew up in and around growing up in Corsicana, Texas mixed with my appreciation for clean lines from our time living in NYC.

Favorite Element: There are so many! I love the open concept we created by removing walls and our new kitchen. I guess I would have to say the kitchen island, if I had to pick just one!

Biggest Challenge: Making the most of a small space. Coming from New York, 2,500 square feet felt like a mansion! But after growing our family with two kids and a dog, we quickly filled each room!

What Friends Say: I love when friends and neighbors come over to see the transformation. It was a slow process and took us three years to tackle every room, but it is so worth it! We usually get the biggest reaction from the kitchen as most homes in our neighborhood are known for small kitchens.

Biggest Embarrassment: Definitely our garage. It has become the dumping ground for anything and everything. It is the next project to tackle on my to-do list!

Proudest DIY: To be honest, I am not too talented when it comes to DIY and, unfortunately, neither is my husband! Ha! I guess I would have to say designing the kitchen from the layout to the storage details. I put a lot of thought into every little detail and haven’t had any regrets!

Biggest Indulgence: Because we moved from a small apartment in NYC to this home in Houston, we basically had to start from scratch. Because of this, we took our time sourcing everything we needed and finding the perfect finishing touches. Since we needed so much, everything felt like an indulgence! But, I think I would say the large wall art was the biggest spend outside my comfort zone because we had never purchased “real” art before now. Art is definitely a luxury item, but it completed the space.

Best Advice: Don’t ever just buy something to fill a space. Take your time and invest in things you love and will have in your home for a long time.

PAINT & COLORS
Front door paint color — Sherwin Williams ‘Tricorn Black’
Office built in paint —Ace Hardware Clark+Kensington

ENTRY
Front Door —Doors & Accessories, Inc. (our door is the A2)
Wallpaper — Farrow & Ball
Console Table — Horchow (old)
Mirror — Ballard
Rug —Sourced by Jawda & Jawda (this one from One Kings Lane is similar)
Lamps —Ralph Lauren via Homegoods
Lampshade — Lamps Plus
Orchid — One Kings Lane
Chandelier —Visual Comfort (similar)
Stools — Antiques recovered in Calico Corners ‘Jamil Natural’

LIVING ROOM
White sofa — Pottery Barn
Light blue chairs — One Kings Lane (re-upholstered & painted)
Gold Pillows —Custom
Black and White Pillow — Custom
Gold vase — ARTERIORS
Furry accent pillows — Williams-Sonoma Home
Marble table — Anthropologie
Coffee table — Safavieh
Gold framed art — Minted
Accent tray — Horchow
Rug —London Grey Rugs,
White console table —Mecox
Art — Saba Jawda
Gold bowl — Aerin Lauder
Chandeliers — vintage
Blue sofa chairs — vintage
Blue velvet chairs — Safavieh

DINING ROOM
Lamps — Horchow
Buffet — Canterbury Court Antiques
Mirror — Horchow, old
Dining table — Ethan Allen
Dining chairs — Safavieh
Art — Jawda & Jawda
Chandelier — Visual Comfort
Drapes — Pottery Barn
Drape Rod — Pottery Barn
Bar Cart — Local find

KITCHEN
Cabinets — Custom
Countertops —Calacatta marble
Backsplash — Lowes
Sink — Lowes
Sink faucet — Lowes
French door — Lowes
Breakfast table light — Lowes
Island lights — William Sonoma
Knobs — Period brass
Refrigerator — KitchenAid
Oven — KitchenAid
Built-in microwave — KitchenAid
Vent hood — KitchenAid
Dishwasher — KitchenAid
Breakfast table — Restoration Hardware
Chairs — Ikea

BEDROOM
Chairs — Pottery Barn
Chandelier — Horchow
Bedding — Frette
Oversized silver frames — Pottery Barn
Mirrors — Ballard Designs
Euro sham + quilt — Pottery Barn
Lamps — Ralph Lauren
NYC maps — One Kings Lane
Glass table — High Fashion Home
Bed — Platinum Collection via Gilt
Custom curtains — The Shade Store
Gold vase — ARTERIORS
Accent table — Biscuit Home
Pillows — Boxwood Interiors
Lamp shades — Lamps Plus
Nightstand —One Kings Lane
Rug — London Grey Rugs

OFFICE
Orange Chairs — Grandparents (vintage)
White Desk — World Market
Rug — Lulu & Georgia
Office chair — Overstock
Art — Jawda & Jawda
Picture Light — Visual Comfort
Gold vase — Wayfair
Light — Wayfair
Acrylic chair — Lulu & Georgia
Framed Art — Horchow

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