Our New Home: Gathering Inspiration
Now that i’ve posted our big news about buying a house, I can finally share some of the inspiration i’ve been getting collecting! As always, I started on Pinterest, because otherwise I would be all over the place with links and screenshots and saved posts on Instagram! It’s been so fun to really dream up what we want our home to look like and, after living in a rental for so long, to have the freedom to do a lot of projects we’ve not been able to before. To say that we are ready to get our hands dirty and make some of our plans a reality is an understatement!
Beginning with general images that caught my eye and saving them altogether was super helpful for me - especially when we hadn’t landed on an exact house yet, because it allowed me to dream and not get too attached to certain houses before anything was finalized (though I still did my fair share of crying through the buying process LOL). I used those images to really hone in on specific styles, colors, and aspects of homes that I liked. Once we found our house and began the process of closing, I was able to reel in a lot of my ideas and pair down to what I felt would fit the space and what would actually be do-able within our budget. I’m really so excited about many aspects of the house we chose that are already reflected in the images I was inspired by - like a two story great room, and an open concept kitchen/living room. There’s also a really fun loft area that we have big plans for! I can’t wait!
I don’t like attaching labels to any project i’m taking on, but if I had to define the style we’re looking for in our new home it would be: bohemian, eclectic, and vintage, with a hint of coastal. Does that even make any sense? In any case, I want to stick to a lot of lights and neutrals, but not so much that it feels sterile or boring.
I’m interested in combining a lot of different textures: paneling, faux fur, ceramic, glass, and textured wood are a few that come to mind. I also want to experiment more in this home with mixing metals and woods within the same space!
As you can probably tell from these inspiration photos, we do already have some specific plans for parts of the house: a tranquil bedroom, and revamped green and white kitchen, a reading and working area in the loft, a cozy outdoor space, and an office and closet space for me (don’t worry Mark is getting the space of his dreams too!).
It’s going to be a lot of work and even more budgeting, but we can’t wait to take you along for the ride! Here’s hoping it doesn’t take us 5 years to finish!
One of the main priorities for me when both looking at houses to potentially buy and considering furnishing a home is light: as a creative person, and also someone who struggles with depression, I thrive on light. Even when on a tight budget and looking for an apartment to rent, i’ve always prioritized large windows with good light. My dream for our new space is for it to feel airy and light, super comfortable and welcoming, but also be a bit more sophisticated than what we’ve done in the past.
Another priority that I want to keep in mind is sustainability. Utilizing vintage stores and thrifting, as well as apps like Facebook Marketplace and Mercari to find secondhand furniture and decor will be helpful on our wallets, and the planet, and I think always make spaces more interesting than just buying everything new! Doing projects ourselves and re-inventing old pieces will also be a huge part of sustainability for us, and is probably the part of furnishing our home that i’m most looking forward to!
One last main priority is organization! I am sort of a weirdo when it comes to being organized, but I have big hopes for this home. Having a bit more space means that we can really make an effort to have what we own be presented and stored in a way that makes it easier to access, use, and enjoy. In my opinion, this also helps cut down on waste and on unnecessary buying. When I have all of these things that I already own and love, right in front of me, it’s easier to appreciate and utilize.
