Accessible Dream Home Update || Decorating

beautiful home of SerenaMitnik-MIller and Mason St. Peter. Photo by Jason Rothenburg.

We renovated a 1961 mid century home and gutted it from top to bottom. In addition to being our dream house, it’s also an accessible dream house. You can follow along from the beginning here and here with bathroom inspiration here and here, kitchen inspiration here, lighting here, a discussion about universal design here, plus our first week in the new house.

You guys! We’ve been living in our house now for almost 2 months and it feels so good. Like soooooo good. Especially now that we have a drive way (goodbye muddy shoes, muddy car and muddy life) and interior railings. We love it. It works so well for our family and I look around often feeling so much gratitude for our little slice of heaven. Even though we still have boxes to unpack and spaces to organize I must say we are much further along in feeling “moved in” 2 months after the fact than any other move I can remember. It really helped to do a lot of purging before the move–going through the closets many times + a huge yard sale–and it also helped to do a slow move, where we were able to bring carloads over at a time and unpack things and put stuff away before we actually moved in. My goal was to pack as few boxes as possible and it worked.

While we’re still getting organized and settling in we’re also in the decorating phase. We are using most of our previous furniture, but some of it doesn’t work in our new place and some spaces–primarily the great room–need new furniture to maximize the space. Additionally I am going for a different look than I’ve done in the past. One of the things I’ve loved most about watching Marie Kondo’s show is the idea of creating a space that sparks joy. Since we already did so much purging before the move, I’m not feeling a huge pull to de-clutter my home right now (although I try to edit/purge in small ways on a regular basis) but I am trying to be intentional about what I bring into our new space and making sure the items we purchase spark joy.

I’m craving a very neutral palette in the great room, with minimal pops of color brought in through plants, art, photos, and other decor. The above photo is such a great capture of the direction I’m looking for. To me, it feels at once very relaxed yet refined, almost fancy, at the same time. That look has been achieved through the careful editing of pieces that are beautiful and well made, but lived-in and loved at the same time. Of course the styling is 100%. So there’s that.

That being said, I know my taste and comfort levels and I’m sure I won’t be able to go quite as neutral as the photo above. Part of it is logistical–like I love a white couch (and we actually have one in our bedroom) but unless it is 100% guaranteed stain proof fabric I’m not putting a white sofa in our main room for my girls to practice their tumbling moves on. But a girl can dream. The other part of it is that for some reason I just always end up pulling a little more color, thinking it can’t be this neutral, even though I really do want it this neutral. It’s like a reflex or something. Plus, I think my taste will be a little less bohemian and a little more modern. Also, coffee tables! Fun fact: We’ve never owned a coffee table before! For some reason I never wanted a coffee table in our other rooms–I liked the idea of open space for toddlers to run around with one less thing for them to bang and bruise their little legs on–but now I’m wanting coffeecoffeecoffee tablestablestables!

So far we haven’t made any major furniture purchases (update…maaaaaybe I got those club chairs) but below I’ve made a board of some of the pieces I’m loving. I know I just said “no white couches” but I love the shape of this so much and it only comes in white or dark grey… so for the sake of a good inspiration photo I just threw it in there. Most likely we’ll want a sectional… but something a little sculptural like the sofa below. Also, the rug pictured is one we already have and will most likely be using in the space and I did purchase those jute floor cushions already. (And wouldn’t you know it, my girls are using them to practice their tumbling moves.)  

sofa/wall hanging/small planter/floor cushion/coffee table/club chairs

Here are some other neutral spaces I’m digging:

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Whatever direction we go and whatever pieces we end up with I’m excited to get our place really put together. Anyone else ever do a white couch with kids? Also, any great sectional you can recommend that are beautiful, comfy and also stand up to wear and tear?