Last week, I received an email from a reader named Jill Weston. Here is an excert from her email:
"I was just wondering, and maybe this would be a little too much to share on your blog, but I've noticed in your photos how beautiful you decorate your house! I was wondering if you would be able to do a little side post on your house decor and show it off?! You have great taste and I just thought it'd be inspiring to see how you've decorated your house!!! If you don't want to, I completely understand as it would maybe showcase your life more than you wanted! But if you are willing to, that'd be fantastic!"
I told Jill I would be glad to do a side post on my house decor, but I didn't think it would be terribly interesting or inspiring. However, I did have to decorate my house on a really tight budget, so maybe it can be of help in that regard.
Let me give you some background first. 3 years ago, we were paying a mortgage on a cute little house in the city. After the birth of my 3rd child, my dad offered to give me my grandfather's house which had also been one of my childhood homes. It needed alot of work. It hadn't been updated since we lived in it in the 80's, and it had been rented out to several families over the years. Still, it was a free house, so we sold our house and dove into remodeling. The next few months were a mix of fun and overwhelming stress. It was fun to completely remodel a house, but it was stressful to try and get the look I wanted for little money. Also, we did most of the work ourselves, so it was exhausting. I remember being up all hours of the night painting, and my poor husband worked on it every night for months. I had a newborn at the time, so it was crazy! I'm going to go through each room and give you a little background on the items in it.
So, without further ado, let me give you the tour...
Entryway
I got this entryway set on sale from Brookstone for half the cost of the Pottery Barn version. We use this piece to store our coats, bag, hats, shoes, and many other things. The bench is great for sitting down to put your shoes on before you go outside.
Kitchen
This is my kitchen, and the source of many headaches during the decorating process. As you can see, it's a pretty big kitchen with alot of cabinets and drawers. We could not afford to replace the cheap 70's woodgrain cabinets, so the only option I had was to paint them. I decided I wanted to paint them green, but it was really hard picking out the shade of green. I finally settled on this shade. We lucked out and got all our appliances in a friends and family sale. So, we got stainless steel appliances for the price of the basic white ones! Counter tops were the hardest thing to pick out. Naturally, I wanted some sort of natural stone, but with a counter top this long, we would need to be millionaires to afford it. So, I ended up going with some laminate that looked like stone. It has some flakes of green in it that match the cabinets. My favorite item in my kitchen is the island. I got this on Final Sale from Pottery Barn. It had been $800, and I got it for $400! It was worth every penny! The flooring is laminate and it is the same throughout the whole house except the bathrooms. I would have loved to have gotten hardwood, but it wasn't in the budget. These floors were only $1.37/sq. ft. They have held up well.
Living Room
Ah, the living room. The most used room in the house. The major problem with this room was the super ugly fireplace. The brick and mantle were very dark, and the inside of it was disgusting. We cleaned it out and spray-painted the inside black with heat resistant paint used for grills. Then we painted the outside and mantle white, but let some of the brick show through for a more rustic look. Also, all the molding you see around the room was dark-stained wood. We painted it white as well. The combination of these things totally transformed this room. It instantly brightened it up and took it from 70's to modern for very little money. Yes, that is popcorn ceiling. I hate it, but my dad forbid me to get rid of it, so I'm stuck with it. Yuck! I try not to look up if I can help it! I've had this couch since college. It is in shambles underneath that slipcover. My next furniture purchase is definitely going to be a couch, but, just so you know, a slipcover is a cheap way to make your couch last longer until you can afford a new one.
Dining Room
Well, I bet this looks familar. This is where I take my indoor outfit pictures. The table and chairs are from Pottery Barn. This is Pottery Barn's cheapest dining room table, the Metropolitan. I'm not sure if they still sell it or not. It has a leaf that can drop in the middle, so this table can seat up to 8 people. The chairs are the Napoleon chairs from Pottery Barn. I bought a chair every few months over the course of a year. The light fixture is from Crate and Barrel. This is the only light fixture in the house that I splurged on. All my other fixtures are el cheapos from Lowes.
Boy's Room
This is about as clean as this room ever gets. My boy's share this room. They each have a TV on their dressers, so they can play their respective video game consoles. Surprisingly, it works out pretty good. The bunk bed is from Pottery Barn, and it was a gift from the grandparents. If you are wondering what those things are hanging from the vintage GMC poster, they are Yoshi's of all different colors. My son insist on hanging them from that poster. LOL!Hallway
Not much going on here, but I love my runner. It's also from Pottery Barn. See a theme developing here? I told you I wasn't very inspiring.I wish I had a before picture of this bathroom. It was disgusting! It also had a very long and ugly yellow countertop that almost blocked the door. You had to side step to walk into the bathroom. Needless to say, we tore that out and bought this little vanity from Home Depot. What a difference that made! This bathroom also had carpet. Gross! We replaced that with porcelain tile from Lowes.
Girl's Room
Naturally, the little princess got a bedroom in the house all to herself. After 2 boys, I had such fun decorating this room. This was my room when I lived here, so I think it's neat that it's now my little girl's room. Those are stick on decals on the walls. There used to be more butterflies, dragonflies, and such behind the crib, but my little girl has peeled some of them off. Darn kids!
Master Bedroom
Ah, my sanctuary! This is where I come to hide out with my son's laptop. We just got this furniture a few months ago, and I couldn't be happier with it. I've slept in a full-sized bed my entire life. It's so nice to have a big King to stretch out in!
Master Bathroom
This bathroom is not as pretty as the guest one, but it is more functional. It had the same ugly yellow countertop. We ripped that out and replaced it with this granite-looking laminate. We put the same tile in here but 12 inch squares instead of 6 inch. This is also my laundry room. There is a shower in here, but it's nothing fancy, so I didn't take a picture of it. I did give you a picture of the toilet, though. LOL!Closet
The Grand Finale - my crazy, disorganized closet! I can't believe I'm showing you guys this! I'm so embarrased! LOL!
Well, I hope you all got something out of this little home decorating post. Thanks to Jill for the idea! Please email me or comment below if you have any questions about where an item came from or if there is anything else you would like to know. We repainted every room in the house with paint from Lowes, so if you want to know the name of any paint colors, I can provide that information.
Oh, one other thing. We have a really old shed behind our house. My dad said it is over 100 years old. It was in terrible shape when we moved in. We pressured washed it, my husband built new doors, and then we painted it. Here is a before and after. It's amazing what a little paint can do!
Before
After
WOW Bonnie, thanks for letting us into your home. I know it's a pretty private place, so I'm happy we're all able to share it with you. I really like your kitchen and it's really like how you decorated. It makes me want to decorate our place more. Haha! I'm amazed at how clean you keep everything with all your kids. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful home! You may think you aren't great at decorating, but believe me...I wish I had half the decorating sense that you do! I just have no clue how to organize/decorate my house. And your house is so clean! Thanks for sharing a bit of your private life with us!
ReplyDeleteYour home is just too beautiful and spotless for a family with 3 young kids. Great taste in every details. I shouldn't be surprised as you're so talented in dressing yourself. Please, share us your secret of working full time, being a mom to 3 kids, maintaining a beautiful home and being so presentable everyday!
ReplyDeleteAmber @ Long Island
Thanks for sharing, Bonnie. Your home is GORGEOUS!!! I love all of the remodeling you did. Maybe you should think about getting your own show on HGTV? LoL.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, not only is your house so beautifully decorated, but looks so warm and elegant! Love the green kitchen cabinets and the touches of green throughout...and your closet didn't look disorganized at all! :)
ReplyDeletep.s. I thought that was the Pottery Barn Metropolitan table in your photos! I bought my sister/brother-in-law the same one! Love PB, but their prices...sigh...
You have a beautiful house Bonnie! Thanks for sharing. You did a great job decorating!
ReplyDeleteThe nightstands in your room? Are they also pottery barn?
ReplyDeleteBonnie - you did an EXCELLENT job and on a budget? That laminate flooring looks like wood! I love it. I loved every room. I agree - it is sooo clean for having 3 kiddos! And you work full-time!! Wow
ReplyDeleteWow Bonnie you really do have such a beautiful home, thank you so much for sharing! It looks so cosy and neat. I love the outside as well, it looks like you have a bungalow (do Americans use that word?! Not sure, I mean all the rooms are on the ground floor!)
ReplyDeleteOh and also - I'm in awe of American fridges. People in the UK just don't have huge-mongous fridges like that (well, no one that I know does, we don't have the space!)
A family friend has a house in Florida with a massive fridge like yours - when I stayed there I just kept opening it, rearranging the contents, getting things out, putting them away and just being really weird with this great big freaking fridge!
I have told you before in OOTD posts, but your home is just beautiful. Very warm and inviting. Thank you so much for opening up yourself to your readers. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for opening up your home to us Bonnie! Thank you! It's absolutely gorgeous! I love how you painted your fireplace...my dream home will have a white brick fireplace, oh and white molding all around the house! And your kitchen is perfect! Thank you so much again!!!
ReplyDeleteps. I have one child and even after I clean and "tidy" it still doesn't look as good as your place!! :D
Just lovely - the colors, the fabrics, the furniture. I love your lawn. My husband and I are two phd students stuck in a small apartment in Philadelphia with a full-sized bed for the next year. We can't wait to upgrade to a king!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Jill shared her suggestion with you because I've thought the same thing about the little bit of your house we got to see in your clothes photos. I love, love, love your decorating style!!! You have a gorgeous home! It looks so fresh and simple, yet has so much style. I think it is very inspirational Thanks for posting! :) Oh - one question - where do you get all of your artwork from?
ReplyDeleteWow, Bonnie. Thank you so much for posting this; it's inspiring. I need to make some changes in my house and I think I'll be coming back to look at this post for ideas. You've done an amazing job of making things look pretty while keeping it functional and accessible, and all at a reasonable cost. You have a lot to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteBeth
Bonnie, thanks for sharing your home with us. You have great taste and I'm impressed you did this with a limited budget. :)
ReplyDeleteI positively loved every stop on the tour! My home is decorated in mostly PB and PBK too, and I have that same LON Wrecker sign in my youngest's room - SO CUTE. Your house is very warm and inviting, I seriously am so happy you let us in to look around!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour, I enjoyed it very much. It did not look like it was done on a limited budget. Congratulations to both you and your husband. It is obviously a labor of love, and it shows! You should both be proud. You have great taste and a good sense of proportion, color and lighting. Maybe you should think of doing interior decoration as a hobby....
ReplyDeleteThat was so fun to see your cute house! I think you did a great job with it! I can't imagine taking on a project like that but you guys rocked it! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOMG all I can think of is how tidy your house is with 3 kids! I manage to keep our "public" rooms clean but beyond that: big ick. You've done a fantastic job decorating and you have a nice eye for color. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCindi: I'm so flattered! I've seen pictures of your home, and it's just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAppGal: Thanks! I'm sure you're better at it than you think. We are our own worst critic.
Amber: My secret is a have a good support system. My mom comes over every morning and helps me with the kids. My husband is a very active father. That saying "it takes a village" is so true!
crys: I wish! I love HGTV!
Jen: Thanks! Green is my favorite color, so I use it alot.
Debbie: Thanks! If you need any ideas on decorating a nursery, I'm available. LOL!
Anon: Yes, they are both from Pottery Barn. One is the nightstand in the Sumatra collection. The other one is a filing cabinet we bought about 12 years ago when we were still dating.
Peggy: Thanks! I'm pretty OCD about cleaning. I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing, but it does make for a clean house.
Louise: Thanks! Yes, all the rooms are on one floor, but we call them ranch houses here. That is so funny about the fridge! LOL!
modernmom: Thanks! You are too sweet!
Jill: Thank YOU! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lily: Thanks! I've lived the small apartment life, so I know how that is. Just hold out a little longer and before long you'll be sleeping in that big King-sized bed! It will really make you appreciate it!
Stephanie: Thank you! I get most of my artwork from Target. I love expensive artwork, but I don't have the money to buy it. So, Target has some decent looking stuff for less. If you want to know about a specific piece, just let me know.
Beth: Thanks! I'm so glad you got some inspiration from this post. Good Luck with your remodeling project!
Anon: Thanks! It was a challenge, and there were alot of tears shed, but it all came together in the end.
Jan: Thanks! Those transportation signs are so cute. I love Land of Nod. My little girl's room also has alot of Land of Nod items.
Marie: Glad you enjoyed it! I don't think I'm a good decorator. I'm just good and copying ideas from others. My sister is the true visonary when it comes to decorating. She's amazing! But I'm glad you have confidence in me! Thanks!
Jenni: Thanks! It was difficult but so worth it!
St Germain: Thanks! I'm obsessive about cleaning to the point of being annoying. I'm always going behind everybody picking things up. My mom hates it! LOL!
Your home is lovely, I'm so glad you did this post. I am dying over your kitchen island, I want it!
ReplyDeleteHey Dude,
ReplyDeleteyour post seems to be useful...............................
thnx 4 posting dis........................................
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Thanks for the tour of your lovely home! I love your color schemes.
ReplyDeleteAli
Thanks for sharing these pictures of your home...it's lovely. I like the way you decorated the kitchen...the green cabinets really work.
ReplyDelete