I always say this house brought me back to life, the same way I brought it back. Originally built in 1912, it was a labor of love, to say the least. Open floor plan, well-placed staircase, and a vibe of history and experience made it the perfect choice for a single girl in her early 30s… who had absolutely no idea what she was getting into! I’d like to take credit and say I had vision the day I closed on this beauty, but I didn’t—just a desire to create a space for myself where I felt safe.

Each room renovation took shape through its own volition, really. I’d find art, or wallpaper, or a vintage rug that spoke to me and I’d bring it home. Over time, what you see now just sort of happened. It was kind of like breathing for me. This house is now a place where the loves of my life gather. There’s art and food and music and jokes and a pretty epic kitchen floor to dance on—it’s everything I had hoped for—a place to feel safe, and so very alive. See what her home looked like before the renovation: Before and After: This Kitchen’s Colorful Floors Will Be Your Favorite Thing

As a corporate executive, people tend to think I’m calculated and controlled and terribly logical, which I suppose is true. The design of my home, especially the gallery wall, is proof that there is an organic, emotional, and unplanned part of me that can be quite beautiful. That wall didn’t start out as a gallery wall; I didn’t have a vision for it. I collected pieces throughout my travels that inspired me, that made me feel something. From Regensburg, Germany to London, England to a thrift store in Bryn Mawr. I got to a place in my curation when I looked at them as a collective and just began hanging them.  [The whole house] is a self-driven design and highly personalized, as it came intuitively through me and not from a professional designer. I hired contractors to help me carry out the implementation, but used only my diverse collection of art to inspire my work.

My Style: Maximalist.

Inspiration: Growing up in art museums, the fur department at Bloomingdales, and the Italian Market, the matriarchs in my family are credited for my maximalist aesthetic—artful, indulgent, and free.

Favorite Element: The bathroom wallpaper. It makes me feel like I’m in fairy tale in the most enchanted garden that ever existed. My favorite aspect is how the vases on the vanity mirror complement the paper. And it’s bold, and assertive, and lovely—all at once.

Biggest Challenge: The kitchen was the biggest challenge because it was SO dysfunctional and had SO much wasted space.  It required A LOT—removing windows and walls and crossing of fingers. I gutted the whole thing. A couple of things saved me here:

1. Expertise: Paramount Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Downingtown, PA had gobs of experience with old homes and the best customer service EVER. The owner, Jay, never told me no—he just found a way to bring my ideas to life.
2. Vision for functionality and flow: What do want the space to feel like and how do you want to entertain it. I was very clear on that before I drew the new floor plan on a napkin (swear).
3. Bravery: I chose patterned floors and blue cabinets, what? Yes, this could have gone terribly awry! Be brave. Do something different. Find things that inspire you. Leave a mark.

Biggest Indulgence: The kitchen tile floor, for sure. It was hand-painted in Spain. I can be caught dancing in there on the regular.

Proudest DIY: The gallery wall. I didn’t realize my home was a tribute to the matriarchs in my family until it was done. Every room has a nod to them. The gallery wall symbolizes the very best of my mom—her beauty and patience and ability to see the good in things that are flawed. This collection of art spans the globe in origin and period. The most expensive piece was €600 from a dealer in Regensburg, Germany and the least was free, from a bookstore in my hometown. My favorite memory in this room? My best friend’s mom telling me I should hand out headphones like they do in the galleries. Life, made.

What’s your best home secret? Any meaningful renovation project is about balance. By that I mean, source around. Something magical happens when you marry a Crate & Barrel coffee table with a 1950s amber glass ash tray and oil painting you scored for $25 in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. Try it, you’ll see.

• Bathroom Trim — Sherwin-Williams 6285 Grape Harvest
• Living Room & Entry — Sherwin-Williams 6105 Divine White
• Dining Room Trim — Sherwin-Williams 6758 Aqueduct
• Kitchen — Sherwin-Williams 7005 Pure White

• Cowhide Rug — IKEA KOLDBY
• Chairs — CB2 Noelie Rattan lounge chairs with cushion
• Lamp — CB2 Solis glass globe floor lamp

• Greccio Leather Sofa, Granite — Raymour & Flanigan
• Coffee Table + Side Table — Crate & Barrel
• Additional End Table + Lamps — Home Goods
• Art — Various flea markets and thrift stores throughout the world

• Vintage Persian Rug — Custom Cut
• Acrylic Lucite Dining Chairs — Wayfair
• Gray Weather Dining Table — Wayfair
• Custom Painted Vintage Sideboard — Yard sale
• Knobs — Anthropologie Lusso
• Bench — Wayfair (Blue)
• Stools — CB2 Flint gold 24″ counter stool
• Modern Milk Glass Chandelier
• Custom Window Treatments (to match SW 6758 Aqueduct)
• Art — Various flea markets and thrift stores throughout the world.

• Contractor — Paramount Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
• Cabinets — Kraftmaid Cole, Color: Rocky Mountain Sky
• Range — THOR 36″ Professional Range with Six Burners, Convection, Natural Gas (HRG3618U)
• Hood — Thor Kitchen HRH3604U 36 Inch Wall Mount Ducted Hood with 700 CFM, LED Lights, Baffle Stainless Steel Filters in Stainless Steel
• Other Appliances — Frigidaire Gallery
• NewAir Built-In Wine Cooler and Refrigerator — Amazon
• Countertops — Dekton Spectra
• Floor Tile — Hand made in Spain!
• Backsplash — Beveled Matte Subway Dark Gray Grout
• Countertop “White Ware” — TJ Maxx, Home Goods
• Lighting — CB2
• Lighting — Pendants , CB2 Discontinued

• Wallpaper — Osborne & Little RHODORA
• CB2 Fixtures — Black Flush Mount Light
• https://www.cb2.com/black-flush-mount-light/s572169
• CB2 Fixtures — G25 silver tipped light bulb
• Velvet Curtain Panel with Tassels — Target Opalhouse; Teal Green
• Vanity — Wayfair
• Vanity Mirror — Target
• Floor Tile — Metro Hex Matte White with Black Dot Porcelain Mosaic Tile
• Wall Tile — Park Slope Glossy White 3 in. x 6 in. Ceramic Bullnose Wall Trim Subway Tile

Thanks, Lauren!