James & Shanna’s Comfortable and Cozy North Carolina Home

Name: James and Shanna
Location: Northgate Park, Durham, North Carolina

When I moved from Los Angeles to Durham, North Carolina for a job at Merge Records, I was excited to be able to have an entire place of my own. I rented this two-story bungalow near downtown and a block from a park, and started outfitting it with mid-century finds from Craigslist and thrift stores. When my girlfriend Shanna moved in, she complemented my tendency towards minimalism with plants and textiles and Bailey – her “Carolina Brown Dog” rescue.

The house is rough around the edges – the wood floors are scuffed and nothing is level. But we’re proud of what we’ve done with the place: Painting nearly every room in the house, installing shelving (which you can see in the living room), disguising the water heater in the kitchen with a corkboard face.

Our home is inspired by the places we’ve lived and visited, and a desire for comfort, entertaining, and minimizing cleaning! I’ve shared pictures of our favorite rooms: the living and dining rooms where we spend most of our time, plus a peek at the kitchen and landing.

Thanks, James & Shanna!

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