Vanessa Chaverri-Gratz, a born and raised Texan, describes herself as a “full-time recruiter and part-time interior decorating enthusiast.” She lives in Plano, Texas, with her husband, Josh, and their Shiba Inu, Kona. “My hobbies include purchasing way too many plants, antiquing during my lunch breaks, scouring Facebook Marketplace for gems, and occasionally helping others decorate their homes,” Chaverri-Gratz says. She also maintains an Instagram page, @thegratzlife, on which she frequently posts decorating tips, secondhand finds, and well-styled snapshots of various spaces around her home. 

Chaverri-Gratz also greatly enjoys “all things holiday” and decks out her house, which she and Josh have owned for two years, to celebrate. “I’m the girl who starts decorating for Christmas in October,” she notes. Over the years, she has redesigned her space and experimented with a number of styles: mid-century modern, traditional, Parisian, and even a touch of French country. All the while, though, Chaverri-Gratz has prioritized one of her favorite pieces — a green sofa. “My first big purchase was a leather sofa from Poly & Bark, and it’s been the anchor of my home,” she explains. Keep reading for a look at this famous sofa and the other special pieces that make up Chaverri-Gratz’s home. 

My Style: My style is honestly such a mix. Which, in my opinion, is a lot of fun! I am a big believer in mixing styles in general, but at the core of it, my first real “style” was mid-century modern. The clean lines, low profile furniture, and warm tones have always wowed me.

Inspiration: Most of my inspiration always comes from places. Whether it’s an incredibly well-decorated restaurant like my favorite Sacramento spot, Beast and Bounty, a unique Airbnb, a tour of a historic home, or a stay in a boutique hotel like the Santa Monica Proper, I find most of my inspiration from visiting beautiful places. If I had to pick one person, though, it would be Heidi Caillier. Every space she designs blends different textures and patterns in ways that I wouldn’t have thought of. I also think she has an incredible talent of making every space cozy, which is very important to me. I get a lot of inspiration to take risks from her designs. 

Favorite Element: The natural lighting in our home is my favorite element. We have big windows and skylights lights in all of the common areas and during “golden hour” our house is flooded with light. It’s my absolute favorite thing to see. We recently had all of our windows replaced by Maverick windows, and they are such a dream! 

Biggest Challenge: My biggest challenge is patience. I want to do everything at once and I just can’t. There is a lot I still want to do with my home. Like updating the kitchen, getting new flooring, renovating the bathrooms, etc, and it can be overwhelming thinking about the work that needs to be done. We’re in a culture of “fast” fixes and weekend renovations and that’s just not my reality. So I definitely struggle with patience and understanding that it’s absolutely okay to take my time and do things in a timeline that makes sense for me. 

Proudest DIY: To be honest, I’m more of a “buy versus DIY” gal, but I did curate and hang my gallery wall and I am very proud of how that came out. (I also have to give credit to my very hilarious friend, Brianna, of @mintchaico, for coming up with that term).

Biggest Indulgence: Believe it or not, my biggest indulgence is candles! I try to save where I can when shopping for home decor by purchasing secondhand or waiting for a big sale, but no matter what, I will spend big on my favorite candles. I really think they set the mood for a space, whether you are hosting a dinner party or just having a movie night for one! I have to have them in every room. My go-to are Voluspa Candles in the scent Baltic Amber! 

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Our sunroom is by far the most unique feature. It was an add on from the previous owners and one of the most special spaces. I’ve always been a “plant person,” but this is the first time I’ve had a dedicated room for them. My husband and I sip our morning coffee here every day, and it’s just such a beautiful and peaceful place to be. (I buy all my plants from an amazing local nursery, Plants and Planters.)

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? On that note, my favorite purchases for my home are definitely my plants. I feel like adding greenery to my home has been good for the soul. Of course, the air cleaning quality is a definite pro, but something about having plants throughout my home does so much good for my mood and I believe it makes our space feel more welcoming. I have a mix of both real and faux and I love them all. If you’re the type of person who can’t commit to tending to real plants, try out faux ones! I buy all my faux plants from Nearly Natural Floral. 

Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I have this system where when I bring something new into our home, I have to get rid of something that was already there. I have a tendency to see something I love and impulse buy it. The result of that is closets full of random furniture and decor that I don’t have room for or don’t *actually* love. It’s bad for storage and bad for my wallet. So this helps keep me accountable to my impulses and ensures I really evaluate an item before taking the leap of purchasing it. That’s my best storage/organization tip: One in, one out!

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? I would say my best advice is two-fold: 1. Don’t miss out on the absolute treasures you can find in thrift or antique stores. Not only is shopping secondhand great for the environment, but also it’s great for your wallet! I personally also love the history that comes with finding a great vintage or antique item. My mom started taking me to antique stores as a kid and she’s always been really talented when it comes to sourcing amazing items that are affordable, too. I’ve absolutely adopted that practice as an adult. 

2. Don’t be afraid to do exactly what you want when it comes to decorating your home. It’s not hard to google search “how to create a gallery wall” or “what colors go together” and find dozens of guides or lists of do’s and don’ts when it comes to design or decor. But at the end of the day, you are the person who will be living in that space, you have to love it! So if that means you mix floral curtains with a cheetah print accent chair, I applaud you! Follow your gut and nothing will ever be “wrong” with your home. 

Thanks Vanessa!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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