The Story of a House, Part 3

First, let me say without equivocation that my house has two identities – the first, everyday identity is one I’ll call the sweatpants and sneakers house and the second is one that I’ll call the Spanx and high heels house.  You have been seeing Spanx and high heels, without question.  And it’s not just that the house is spotlessly clean, or that there are fresh flowers everywhere.  It’s that if you look in my family room below, you’ll see a hand cut cordial glass, a roaring fire, and a book that is perched on my ottoman.  I mean really – lovely to look at, but certainly not the way it looks right now as I am writing this.  The reality in our house is more like dirty sweatsocks on the floor, ESPN on TV, and fluffs of golden retriever hair dancing in the air.  The furniture placement is different, as the camera sees walkways and transition areas as yawning gaps of nothingness.  So, the photographer and I styled those gaps throughout the house with things stolen from other parts of the house. Thus, Spanx and high heels. 

The paneling is knotty alder, simply waxed with beeswax – a lovely scent when we first moved in.  The fireplace is styled after a fantastic  magazine cover that I saw when we lived in London.  I had it with me morning and night for two years, while we were planning and building, but now I can’t find it. 

My proudest acquisitions for the room are Cedric the deer – not shot by any of us – and scored at my favorite haunt, the White Elephant; the Scottish red deer antler chandelier; and the leather tiebacks for the drapes, which are in reality horse cinches.  Two were great deals, the other was not.  Not too hard to guess which wasn’t!

One of my favorite quirky spots in the house is this pass through to get to the kitchen.  I found these really great hats at another fun antique store – The Uncommon Market.  My kids’ friends are constantly putting on the World War I steel helmet and parading around. 

We all look at amazing images in blog posts and magazines and then at our own rooms, no matter how lovely, and think yuck!! That’s the difference that lighting and styling can make.  But a family home is by necessity very much a sweatpants and sneakers house and pretty rarely does it put on those Spanx and high heels.  And that’s really the way it should be, don’t you think?

 Kristin