Crash! Modern Cozy Chic

My friend Jen graciously let me come Crash! her home just before she started packing it all up for her impending move.  As an interior designer too, she definitely has a natural talent for an effortlessly chic space, but guys, you're gonna die over her little guys nursery! (*metaphorically only- please don't actually die over a room*) As this living room clearly shows- the key to using several colors in a room cohesively is to have something to unify them all.  In here it's the center pillow and the artwork.  And hello 6 patterns?  It doesn't look crazy or busy, just modern, cozy, and welcoming.  Well done, Jen!

Statement lights and large artwork are my current fave for any dining room- the right art and lighting can make a space!  And who are we kidding, I'm always a sucker for antique home details and molding.

I'll stop beating around the bush, though, the real show-stopper in the home is the dwelling of the littlest resident.

I dare you to try and find a more stunning crib!  He's a lucky little man.

Mod crib and a vintage dresser?  He'll be the coolest kid on the playground.

Thanks Jen for letting me share!  Pop over to her new site, Vibrant Way Interiors and say HI.  Good luck with the move, Jen and I can't wait to see what the next home looks like!

Crash! A NEW Era

It's been quite a while since I posted a "Crash!" feature- almost a year actually!  Let's not do that again.  This time, I was a house crash-er at my parent's new (ish) house. About 3 years ago, I shared a mini home tour (which was looking back was mostly vignettes) with you just before my parents moved out of the home I grew up in.

For some silly reason, they wanted to live closer to their children and grandchildren.  So they sorted through 30 years of living in one home, held a huge tag sale, packed up the rest, and moved about 2 hours away.

Flashing to the present, Mom is just about as addicted to blogs as I am.  She decided to take the new house as an opportunity to reinvent her style, and reinvent she did!  She used to gravitate toward antique and Americana and now, while the antiques are still present, the home has a fresh, airy feel.

I am definitely a product of both my parents.  Example: the white bookcase above.  The base of the bookcase showed up in the last tour, but looking a bit differently:

My dad built the hutch top/bookshelf and my mom refinished and painted the whole thing.  I kind of love it.  Like the true librarian she is, Mom uses stacked books throughout the house to tell a story with the titles. Notice: Homes, Not so Big House, Living in New England, and House of Dreams

Mom's most recent furniture refinishing project shows up in the dining room.  The antique table that I grew up abusing using, got a fresh coat of paint on the base with some light distressing.  It looks like it was meant to be this way all along!

Mr. Fiddle Leaf Fig there is the sibling to my dying IKEA one.  Clearly Mom's doing something right because he's more than doubled in height!

Mom's styling stamp is all throughout the house (with Dad's approval of course), but his styling is evident on his dresser: vintage toy car, cut book "P" that he and Mom made a la Anthro, and a vintage cast iron mailbox bank.  Mom might have had her hand in the pile of books, though.  I believe one of the books is titled Man of my Dreams.  How delightfully cheesy are they?? (xoxo)

Even the outside has their touches all over it.  A pop of color door with new, beefier trim around it, neutral shutter, a bountiful garden and a sweet house number sign off etsy (if my mind serves me right).

While they had 30 years to personalize their last home, I think my parents have done quite nicely in the relatively short amount of time they've been in this house- isn't it beautiful??

If you live in the central MA or Boston area and want to see your home Crash!ed on the blog, e-mail me (karen@yearofserendipity.com) a few pics and a bit of the story of your home.  I'd love to make this a regular feature! 

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Crash! Charming Antique Cape

In this, the second installment of "Crash!" I invaded the beautiful home of a former coworker from days of yore.

Susan, her husband Andy and their adorable daughters Jenny and Laura have called this home for just about 4 years.

Built in the 30s, each previous homeowner has added on to it a bit, leaving their personal stamp and making this house truly unique.  Cape style homes around here built 40s and after are pretty cookie cutter, so the distinct non-cookie-cutterness of this older cape is quite refreshing.

Susan, being an architect by profession, definitely has the architect's eye with a designer's touch.  Every piece feels like it's telling a story.

Does the china cabinet look familiar?  If you've ben reading here for a while it should- it's the very same china cabinet that I bought and painted for my dining room before realizing that it just didn't work.  I'm so glad that it found a perfect home in Susan's dining room!  And the yellow is far superior to it's interim gray- so cheery!

One of Susan's stamps on the home so far (aside from her awesome decor) has been to open up the kitchen to the sunken sunroom below.  The sunroom has much grander plans for the future so I won't be sharing that today, but it totally helps the kitchen feel ridiculously open and bright.

This home is a great example of how kids and their accompanying clutter don't have to dictate your style.  The IKEA expedit bookcase (now Kallax) really is ideal for this no matter your budget.  Susan uses the lower bins to hide all the Disney princesses within little hands' reach and draws the eye up to adult level with more sculptural elements on top.

It's the little details that most wouldn't notice that always catch my eye.  Isn't the striped carpet runner mitered at the landing a striking touch?

Even the girls' rooms have an adorably vintage flare.  And as we all know, I'm a sucker for built-ins.

Throughout the home, you'll also find beautiful collages made from vintage prints that Susan's artist mom creates.  This one from the master bedroom was my personal favorite.

I know I swoon over antiques regularly, and this home was no different.  A few of my favorite pieces of furniture were the bench and chair found in the master that had been passed down through her family.  Cool antiques just become even cooler when they have meaning behind them.

Thank you, Susan, so much for letting me into your gorgeous home!!!

Are you in the Boston area and want me to come Crash! your home?  Shoot me an e-mail here with a few photos and a little about your home.