Answering Some Common FAQ about our Home

It’s a season of change around our home, more projects to share with you and it’s a great thing because it means I can just share what we’re doing around here and I don’t have to really think about creating content. I thought I’d share a few frequently asked questions we get about our house from new friends that have come over these past few years and even old friends who find new things that happen in our home, haha!

Sometimes my friends come over and they’re like, “So what’s new?” They know me so well.

What year was your home built?

1952 and our home sits on a former citrus grove. We’ve lived in our house for 7 years (as of 2018). We plan on dying in this house if all goes according to our plan, lol.

What is the square footage of your home?

1750 exact right now. 3 bedrooms, two bath. One of the bedrooms is my office and the other bedroom is Benjamin’s home office and shared guest room. We will be adding another living room/guest area and full bath this fall, adding an additional 425 square feet of living space. We’ve been talking about this for years and finally saved up the cash and are excited to get started once our plans are approved by the city.

How much of the house did you redo yourself?

Most new visitors think we gutted and redid the entire home, but most of our work is superficial. 

I only painted, changed out light fixtures (I believe in splurge on lighting) and added curtains which I think makes our home feel more comfortable. I gutted both bathrooms (hired a contractor to replace the floor tiles and add subway tile up the walls), replaced the carpet even though it was new I didn’t like brown and wanted a low-pile cream carpet.

I hired a contractor to add French doors from the living room to my office to covert a bedroom to an office. I wanted the room closest to the front door for clients to be able to come in and out quickly. It also makes the living room feel larger. I say “I” because I bought this home when Benjamin and I were dating. *wink*

Together, we redid the entire backyard and the laundry room, and also replaced the backsplash as seen here.

We also converted the storage shed into a photo studio.

And I can’t forget the second patio area that’s connected to the photo studio.

You can say we’ve been busy and there’s always a project going on!

Were the floors and kitchen island like that?

The wood floors, flagstone and kitchen were already done when I bought it. The owner before us owned a flooring a cabinetry company and did a great job with the kitchen and floors so we left them.

At first I wasn’t too keen on the flagstone island but then I really started to like it and made it work. I think sometimes you have to live with your home and see how it can fit in instead of thinking you have a particular style and changing everything up immediately.  We get so many compliments now on the concrete island. The floors are easy too, and when you already have a cottage style look, it works.

Where did you get your dining room chandelier?

It’s called the Darla 6 light by Visual Comfort as found here. There this one in a gorgeous finish if you want a clean brass look. There is also a gorgeous feminine twist with this chandelier.

If that’s out of your budget there are many replicas online as seen here, and here.

What is this? (pictured below)

Below is my French mount soap by my kitchen sink and I bought it while on my trip to South of France. It keeps your soap from sitting in a dish and getting mushy. This soap can last two years! You can buy one without having to visit France here, but I think you should just visit France and bring back a great souvenir :)

What project are you wrong on next?

Two things, actually three. Benjamin thinks it’s two, hahahahaaa.

1 – My office closet is getting a makeover from California Closets, see what it will look like in a few weeks here.

2 – We are currently expanding to the back. We are taking the space of the backyard porch area and adding a family room and bathroom. This will also serve as a place for our guest to retreat.

3 – Benjamin will now get his big boy man office to himself which means I get to decorate it Ralph Lauren style! He has forgot that this will happen once the queen bed is out of his office :)

Where did you buy your office desk?

I bought this desk which comes in several colors, from Hayneedle, it’s by Thomas Stanley Furniture one of my favorite furniture lines. I love that the front is a bookcase and the back has so many drawers and additional storage solutions for me to keep close on hand. This is the best desk I have ever had and I highly recommend it.

How would you describe your decor style?

I would say my interior decor preference has changed just like fashion, but it also depends on the house you buy too, such as the character of the home and what you decide remains untouched. I would describe it as traditional meets coastal cottage. I do have maybe 20% modern touches but that’s about as far as I’d go with modern.

I’ve been told coastal by guests, but we don’t have anything that resembles sea life nearby since we’re in Phoenix. I’m guessing some of that look has to do with our color palette.

All I want guests to feel when they come in is comfortable! Cozy! Casual enough to make themselves at home.

Where are your favorite places to shop for home decor?

I shop everywhere to avoid a uniform look, I like it to look collected and lived in, warm hues and color. I find comfort in homes that have a lived-in feel. Furniture, rugs and lighting are a mix of Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, and Wisteria. I also love One Kings Lane for the larger antique items like our sideboard in the dining room. Absolutely worth it!

A majority of our framed artwork is from antique stores, or maps I’ve collected from travels. Home decor are usually things I purchase while traveling – a framed silk scarf from Switzerland, bowls from Thailand and antique stores are great places to find unique pieces that make a home feel lived in, and cozy. Dinnerware is a mixture of Ballard Designs, Horchow and Anthropologie.

If you haven’t shopped Horchow, you should take a peek. It’s Neiman Marcus’ home store. But I shop EVERYWHERE.

My favorite places to shop locally in the Phoenix area is Scottsdale Marketplace, The French Bee, and Antique Gatherings.

Who is your favorite interior designer?

For almost a decade I have followed Erika M. Powell of Urban Grace Interiors. She’s based in Florida and I could spend hours on her website and study her work. She used to blog regularly before kids and now she’s primarily on IG, and I just adore her style. Her home tour can be seen on Garden & Gunn here. I would move in her home in a heartbeat, her style for her home and what she creates for her clients is move in ready for me!

See her dining room below.

PHOTO: EMILY FOLLOWILL FOR Garden & Gunn

I also love James Farmer who I discovered on Ballard Design’s How to Decorate podcast who coincidentally went to college with Erika and they’re friends. I realized I owned his book Porch Living when we were looking at ideas on how to decorate our porch. He came out with a new book, A Place to Call Home, and I had to get it, his style is amazing!

JAMES FARMER / FARMDALE PROJECT

Did you install the skylight and purposefully left the beams exposed?

When we redid our roof shingles, we decided to add a skylight to my office which gets very little light facing north. We had a hiccup with the beams. I said leave them be! We will showcase them and stain them.

One of the many things I love about living in an older home. You can just get away with so much unique character that it continually fits the style of the home. You can see the post here.

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Questions? Feel free to ask them below.