Welcome to my home
After taking down the holiday decorations, I reshuffled a few pieces, hung some new artwork and decided to take new pictures of my place. I first posted pictures of the entire place back in April when I first moved in. I'll do additional posts on the kitchen, bedroom and guest room/office. Hopefully these aren't too repetitious for you.




When I was taking these pictures I was also thinking of things that I wanted to point out to you. Someone commented recently about not being able to afford a saucy house. I disagree. I don't think saucy has anything to do with how much you spend on furniture or accessories in your house. I think saucy has to do with making your home reflect you and your style. The key to this is looking for things that you love.

What I wanted for my space is someplace that made me happy, so I filled it with things that I love. I love reading and wanted a really comfy chair where I could curl up with a good book. I also use mirrors throughout my space -- not because I love looking at myself (far from it), but because I love to see my house reflected in itself.

I kept my main walls neutral, but with a bit of color. (Paint used in the living, dining and kitchen is Sherwin Williams' Softer Tan and Basket Beige. The blue/green color is Sherwin Williams' Hazel.) I brought the punches of color in through the artwork and the fabrics, as well as painted accent spaces (like the circle behind the mirror in the living room and one wall in the bedroom.)



The artwork you'll see on the walls is either mine (a couple of the photos) or are pieces I picked up on eBay, through LJ friends, local art festivals or local artists shows. I am a firm believer in original art (although I have done framed posters before or reproduction art from places like Z Gallerie or Storehouse). I also believe you can "find" art in unique items.







As you can see I live with animals -- 2 cats and a dog. They are all mostly light colored, so I try to pick furniture and fabrics that are light colored as well. That's also another reason for the leather chair -- its simple to wipe the pet hair off of. I think you have to somewhat adapt your space to who lives in it. No, I don't have kids so I can keep accessories out on display. However, if I did have kids, I'd still try to incorporate the accessories I love ... I'd just put them on shelves or up higher, out of reach.



More things I love: candles and fresh flowers.



I found this very large round mirror at an estate sale years ago. Its 36" in diameter and very heavy. It brings in a lot of light to my space and really opens it up. To accent it, and bring in some more color, I painted a circle behind the mirror using a nail, string and a piece of chalk.



Another thing I'd mention is to keep your eye open for pieces of furniture that you love and don't fall trap to the catalog mentality (e.g., everything has to come from the same place). I love the style of Ray and Charles Eames and had my eye on these white plastic eiffel chairs. I thought they would look great with a simple, dark dining table, which I found at Crate and Barrel. Surpringly the chairs are less than what I would have paid if I had bought the chairs that matched the table. So, for a cheaper price I got a style I love, a classic design and a very functional dining set for a reasonable price. Don't think that if something is a classic design that its out of your price range. Think creatively.



The buffet is an old dresser I picked up at a yard sale about 15 years ago. I restained it a dark stain and added the fun, coral knobs. The knobs and picture frames are from Anthropologie. This is now one of my favorite pieces.



To come: kitchen, bedroom, guest room/office

To help answer some questions:

Eames furniture (dining chairs and chair in living room) is from www.dwr.com
Dining table is from Crate and Barrel
Couch, slipper chair and entertainment center is from Storehouse
Various lamps are from Z Gallerie, Hold Everything, Target, and Lowes
Block shelves are from West Elm
Other pieces of furniture are from local stores, thrift stores, or antique stores
Accessories are from Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls