What's Your Style? Making a House a Home

We have lived in our house for over 14 years. Neither my husband nor I have ever lived anywhere for such a long time.

 

While its original owners were thoughtful designers who added touches that gave their new home old-house charm, over the years we have learned to add special features that have made it distinctly our own.

We began with a style. Mark and I are especially fond of the Arts & Crafts movement. This style is all about making your home simple and functional, and bringing the outdoors in as much as possible. We wanted our home to be colorful, inviting, and warm. And so, gradually the white walls succumbed to yellows, reds, and greens, and we covered everything we could with wood. The journey began in the dining room:

I am one of the luckiest girls in the world because not only do I have the most wonderful husband a gal could ever hope for, but he is also a gifted wood-worker. He added wood to the ceiling, a wainscot to the walls, and he framed every window, of which our home has many (another major selling point.) We special-ordered a frieze from a company who makes reproduction wallpapers in the Arts & Crafts style and loved it so much, we decided to carry it into the family room:

Mark continued incorporating the Arts & Crafts style in that room by chipping away the old brown fireplace that overpowered the room and hand-cut the tiles for our new one, adding built-in bookcases on either side.

We filled our home with colorful Arts & Crafts light fixtures:

...and have added furniture pieces that are made in the Arts & Crafts style including this clock that I gave Mark for our 10th wedding anniversary:

...an A-frame sideboard and mirror in the foyer:

...and a Morris chair:

We've carried over the Arts & Crafts period with the artwork that we've put on our walls as well. Each has a special meaning to us because we've bought the pieces on different trips that we've taken together. Here are two paintings that are reminiscent of Japanese block prints (popular in the Arts & Crafts movement) that we found on an anniversary trip to Orcas Island, Washington:

We've brought the outdoors in with this piece we found on a trip to Boulder, Colorado:

And we continued with the presence of wood with this carving we found on San Juan Island, Washington:

And while we've had a lot of fun carrying the Arts & Crafts style throughout our home, that doesn't mean that we haven't deviated and included other things that we love just as much.

A little bit of country on a door in our downstairs hallway:

A hodge-podge of favorite things from our fireplace:

Framed oils that were painted by my grandfather:

The handmade Seasons quilt hanging in the staircase:

...and some cute above the kitchen sink:

What we've discovered along the way--and our home is still constantly evolving--is that it's important to choose a style that is inspiring to you, put some sweat into creating it for yourself if you can, save your money for special pieces that will last, and pepper it with meaningful items that make it uniquely you.

For home is where our stories unfold. It's my hope that those stories, and the people who tell them, will feel warm, comfortable, and loved.

You're welcome to stop by anytime.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear what your style is, and how you've made your house a home.

Oh! And I've also got a winner! Congratulations go to Jacky Scales! You're the winning comment on my Happy World Card Making Day post! I'll be contacting you via email to get your address so I can send you your Cards by Cath cards, Jacky! Woot!

Comments

[Vanessa Menhorn]

Hi Cath! Wow, you have a cosy home! Love your style, everything looks very inviting! Our home is still a building site and we haven`t got enough space yet to make everything cosy and to add our style...But we do have ideas! It`ll only take a bit... I`d love to combine old things with new ones for example. Have a great day!

Hugs,
Vanessa

[Brooke]

We are seriously lacking in the making our house a home department. I bet you wouldn't believe that we don't even have a single picture hanging on the walls - I know!! Our home is modern and I'm not quite sure where to start with a style. I know I want a little shelf in the kitchen to put some antique kitchenware on, but how will that work?

[Marilyn Moore]

I loved seeing all of your beautiful pieces. Your home really is inviting.

[KarenB]

Your home is beautiful! I especially love the carving from San Juan Island, just stunning and what a conversation piece it must be too.
Our home has been mostly neutrals and very hotch-potch without much style for a while. But it is very cosy! We are in the process of moving house and our new (tiny) cottage will be very much "Australian bush" themed - warm timbers and light coloured walls, with lots of light wooden accents.

[Layle]

Fun to see this piece of you, Cath. Thanks for sharing!

[Chris]

Raising 3 children, two of whom are expecting my first grandchildren, the third child is expecting an engagement ring, taking in my mom who is suffering with a neuro-muscular disease, eating at a 35 year old dining room table that was brand new when we got married, having the same man in my life for 41 years, entertaining best friends from when we were 12 (45 years ago), caring for a sister-in-law in nursing home, and a mother-in-law with dimentia, flowers from my garden, hand made embroidered frames from my daughter-in-law, a big screen tv, cooking in pots my mom got when she got married in 1951, dusting my grandmother's singer foot treadle sewing machine in the living room, my overindulgence in scrap products (all necessary to my happiness,) my new indulgence of machine embroidery (I told you I am going to be a grandmother,twice!), a place to share, talk, laugh, cry, argue, smile, hug, create, and find the joy!

[Miss Pat]

Aaahhh *big sigh* Cath. I feel like I've just visited - but you weren't home! We need some conversation my friend!