This House is What Happens When a DIY’er With a Paintbrush Learns to Love Color-UseOfSmartHome

We bought this house during a housing boom in Minneapolis when houses were flying off the market. For some reason our house had sat on the market for months. It was built in 1949 and only had one owner before us. We wanted something that needed work so we could put our own stamp on it but not something that needed a lot of structural work. Other than some upgrades to the kitchen in the ’70s and the addition of carpet over the wood floors, this house hadn’t really been touched since it was built.

This house is the perfect fit for us at this stage in our lives. We both work from home so we wanted enough space to spread out but not too much that we felt overwhelmed with the size of the house. We love living and entertaining in this space and we have loved making it our own for the last three years. Last fall we purchased an Airstream Argosy that we plan to renovate. There’s a concrete pad in our backyard perfect for parking and working on it and we found out from the previous owners’ grandson that they had an Airstream at one point too, so it feels meant to be.

Recently I’ve been having so much fun adding color and personality to our home and it finally feels like it reflects who we are and I can’t stop smiling when I look at all we’ve done.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Minimal but with flair. I don’t like to have a lot of stuff so I add personality to our home through color and shapes. And plants… I guess I don’t consider plants clutter. Basically it’s a compilation of things that bring me joy. I take cues from the existing character of the house, especially in the kitchen design. I want the more permanent elements of the space to feel like they were always there. I love mixing vintage and modern elements so there are a lot of thrifted pieces throughout our home.

Inspiration: A lot of my inspiration comes directly from what I already see in the character of our home. I also find inspiration in the world around me and lean into colors, patterns, and shapes that make me feel happy.

Favorite Home Element: I love the arch we added to open up our kitchen. Originally, the kitchen was completely closed off and we had the arch built to match the shape of the existing arches in the home. It makes the kitchen feel open, which is perfect because we love to entertain, but it also feels like it was always a part of the home.

Biggest Challenge: My biggest challenge has been utilizing the character of our home and balancing it with my eclectic style and making it feel cohesive. I love thrifting but I hate having too much stuff in a space so I really have to make sure that what I’m purchasing is something that will add to my joy in the space and not create unnecessary clutter.

Proudest DIY: We tiled our kitchen floor and backsplash. It took us weeks longer than we thought it would but it was so worth it in the end to know we accomplished something challenging and we feel proud of the end result.

Biggest Indulgence: Our stove was a splurge for us, especially in comparison to the rest of the kitchen. I wanted something pretty and my husband wanted something functional so we got one that fits both those wants. My husband loves to cook and entertain so it gets used a lot.

What’s your best home secret or advice? Take your time creating a home that feels like you. So often people feel like they need to rush out and buy everything to fill their homes but it takes time to figure out your style and what you like. I always suggest that my clients spend some time living in their home as-is before rushing into a renovation. You need to get a feel for how you use a space and how it will best function to meet your needs.

What do people most get wrong about using color in their home? I think people get scared to overwhelm their home with color but it can be a great accent to add interest to a space. If you look around my home there is a lot of color but most of the wall space is actually white and most of my furniture is a neutral color, so it feels balanced.

What are the biggest tricks/secrets to using color in decor? I like to purchase larger pieces of furniture in a more neutral palette and bring color in through paint accents and smaller accessories. I want furniture that is going to last and pieces I will not get tired of or outgrow if my style changes. Paint and accessories are easier to swap out and less expensive. And don’t be afraid to have fun with your home!

Favorite wall paint color of all time: I just added a few pops to my home using Sherwin-Williams “Rejuvenate” and I love the vibrancy it adds to the space.

Resources

PAINT & COLORS

Behr – Sleek White

ENTRY

Rug — IKEA

LIVING ROOM

Lewis Sofa — Joybird

Throw Pillows — Kaekoo

Rug — Amazon

Gallery Frames — Target

Sconces — Mitzi via Amazon

Lamp — West Elm