This Farm-Meets-Bohemian Cleveland House Has a ‘Boffice’, and You Might Want One Now, Too
Name: Erika Wasilewski, my husband, and our three rescue cats
Location: Fairview Park — Cleveland, Ohio
Type of home: House
Square Footage? 1300 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m living in the hardworking city of Cleveland, Ohio, with my character of a husband, Ian, an insurance recruiter by day and musician by night. We have three adopted cats, two from our local APL and one from our back porch! They provide us with so much love and comfort and a lot of trouble, too!
I founded the lifestyle brand and blog Peony + Honey and I’m a radio host, but I’m currently on medical leave while I deal with some chronic autoimmune issues. When my health took a turn for the worse last year, I decided to make our home a sanctuary for me. I surrounded myself with pretty things and created a peaceful space that truly feels like home for us. My life motto is, “Do what you can with what you have when you can,” and I stick to that! When we’re low on funds, I hit the thrift stores for cute decorative pieces that make me happy, and when I’m feeling down, I get a new plant so I have something living and thriving around me.
Instead of each room in my home matching, I try to give each space its own identity and feel. For instance, I wanted our guest room to feel like a rustic retreat where guests could feel like they’d just checked into a quaint Airbnb, whereas my “boffice” (what I call my beauty room/office) is my girly sanctuary with peony wallpaper, a custom hot pink neon sign, and a giant 8-foot by 6-foot gold ornate mirror. My boffice is a tiny bedroom, but packs a big punch!
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Farmhemian mid-century modern
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room in our home is my front living room! It’s very special to me because my family helped me pick out all the frames and artwork for my gallery wall, and it’s the room in our home that gets the most sunlight. On bad health days, it’s wonderful to lay on our comfy couch and soak in some sunshine indoors! We also have a Samsung Frame television that displays artwork when you’re not watching TV—super neat! Overall, the space is boho and farmhouse and mid-century—all the design styles I adore!
If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? The only thing I would change is I wish we had a basement, so I had more places to store all my extra home decor pieces and vintage items I just can’t let go of!
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? This is so funny, but I’m apparently now that lady who buys plants off of Facebook marketplace! I saw someone selling a mature rubber plant and had to have it! I convinced my husband to drive me a half hour away early on a Saturday morning to buy this plant. When we arrived, the kindest elderly man was selling them because he was moving out of state. He told me his plants were his babies and asked me to take good care of it and gave me great advice for caring for it. I just thought that was so sweet, and I’m so happy we could give it a good home! I named the plant James after him!
Any advice for creating a home you love? Surround yourself with pretty things. Don’t worry about sticking within a certain design style, just choose what you love. When I look around my home and see all of my collected treasures that I adore, it makes me feel home.
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*This submission’s responses have been edited for length and clarity.