This post is way overdue, I’ve been meaning to get to it for like ever but at last the time has come. This blog has been a perpetual home tour for over four years as we’ve improved all the spaces over time. I promised a home tour last year and finally got around to assembling some pictures together in a slideshow.
I never consider my house “finished” more like styled and comfortable and lovely for today, but ready for changes whenever the mood strikes. And y’all know I’m big on decorating during the holidays. So I rounded up a bunch of images, some you’ve seen, others you haven’t.
[slideshow id=3]
I’m a little bit coastal, a hint modern, but a traditional girl at heart. I like clean lines, the contrast of dark wood and white together, neutral paint on the walls with gray undertones, classic furnishings, comfort, sculptural colored glass, elegant mirrors, natural light, pearlescent finishes, and subtle geometric textiles. I decorate with Target pillows on my fancy tufted sofa. I thrift a lot. If something is not the color I want it to be, chances are I’ll paint it white. Or gray. I collect white ceramics. I love branches and botanical motifs. And me and the color blue, we got a thing going on.
I know what I want to see when I walk through my front door. What feels like home. Not everything is DIY, but if I can’t find what I’m looking for, I’ll buy retail and tweak it so it suits me. This is a home we’ve built ourselves from many years of hard work and plenty of elbow grease. A house that echoes our memories and is filled with our personal touches.
I don’t decorate to impress friends or to be featured in magazines. It’s happened to me and I am blessed because of it, but the truth is I decorate with what looks beautiful in my eyes and what is meaningful to me. From the art on the walls to the flower clippings from my yard.
I think we all have that power to make our homes a reflection of who we are. It takes time. Years even. It’s a slow process and it should be. Decorating your home should not be rushed. It’s a process that requires one small step at a time, one room at a time, but when complete, leaves you feeling like the saying goes, “There’s no place like home”.
Enjoy the slideshow!
*For those having trouble seeing the slideshow, you can see all the pictures here.
.Enjoy
Sorry Chica…but the slideshow isn’t showing up.
Sorry guys, it works on my end, it may be a JavaScript issue, will look into it!
Anyone else having trouble seeing the slideshow? There’s just a big, white space where the pictures should be.
I’m not seeing anything either.
Same! No slideshow :(
I don’t see a slideshow? But I would love to :)
Nada
Zero, Zilch
Me neither. Just white space. Maybe it has to do with the version of Java we need to view it?
Beautiful…every room, every corner, every detail.
It makes me feel good to look at it so it must
make you feel great to come home.
Well done!
Can’t wait to see it!
The only thing wrong with your lovely house is that it’s not mine! I love absolutely every thing about it. Thank you for inspiring me.
Still nothing… but I’m sure it is beautiful :)
Just letting you know that I only see white space, too. Can’t wait to see the slideshow!
Ummm I also see only a big white space in Chrome.
And no white space but no slideshow in Firefox.
using Chrome & IE on my pc and seeing only white space as well. oddly enough it loads fine in Chrome browser on my Android phone. hmmmm
Nope, I tried it in IE and Chrome, and nothing. Checked for updates in Java, I’m good there. :(
I’m seeing it fine on my iPad
Thanks Anne! Not sure what the problem is for others but looking into it.
Kate
Kate,
I can pull it up on my Iphone and Ipad using Safari. However, white space using Chrome on my Mac. Assuming it is a Chrome issue???
Beautiful home by the way!!
Thanks Lauren, I’m wondering if it’s a Chrome issue!
Kate
I just see a big white space also…dying to see these pics!
I’m using Safari and I can’t see it either.
Just tried in Safari and it says ‘Blocked Plug-In’.
I can see it on Safari on my iphone, but not Chrome, IE, or Firefox!
So not just Chrome.
White space on my mac book on safari.
not showing on chrome or ie, 6pm est.
I am using internet explorer and nothing. :(
Shoot! I was looking forward to seeing it but again, using Chrome and theres nothing but big white space. Will check back later:)
Just white space on Safari on my macbook.
Saw it on my iphone. Sorry you’re having problems…but it’s definitely worth waiting for. Great work Kate!
no slide show for me either in safari or firefox :-(
Hmmmm…viewed it just fine on my iPad. (Commented on visual beauty earlier. ;)
Just tested Chrome on my iPad instead of Safari…still works.
Absolutely gorgeous Kate! Each and every detail is done to perfection. What a lovely home you have created for your family. I’m using Safari on my iPad and the slide show worked perfectly for me. Thank you Kate for sharing your home with us. Such a treat to see!
Can’t wait to see it…not working on Chrome on my PC.
Beautiful! Love your livingroom curtains….. where did you get them?
I made those with a fabric pattern I designed Christina, I’ll release it this summer!
Kate
Shoot….I can’t see it either. On a Mac with Safari. Oh the anticipation…. ;)
Got it to work on my iPad and it’s lovely! Beautiful styling. It all makes me want to go clean my house really good :)
Your home is GORGEOUS!! You have mad talent, I wish I could decorate so beautifully!
Works on my ipad, but not the laptop. Just beautiful.
Just BEAUTIFUL! What did you do with the rug you had in the living room? I was salivating over it. Is it for sale? ;)
Hi Ms. Lizzy, I still have it, I switch it out with the other rugs in the house in the fall/winter since it’s cozy! Right now it’s in my garage…. :)
Wow. Absolutely gorgeous.
This is an amazing home and you have done such a beautiful job! I love it all and best of all it reflects you and your great style!
Xo Nancy
Powellbrower.com
Slideshow didn’t work for me either, but the link you provided to view pictures worked perfectly. Your home is so beautiful!
The slideshow never did work, so thank you for the link!! Your home is just beautiful……….. I love your attention to detail in all the rooms.
Absolutely beautiful!! Looks like something out of a magazine. How can I search your site for more information on your family room…particularly your window treatments. I really like them. :) Thanks
Hi Kelly, did you mean the living room? Those are a custom design I made – the family room has no windows, strange but true!
Oh my goodness! Your house is gorgeous! I love seeing all of it put together! :)
The slide show didn’t work for me either.
Your home is absolutely beautiful. May I ask about the white (or cream) comforter on your bed? Not the one you have folded at the bottom from BB&B. I am looking for something in cream, not quite a quilt and not quite a comforter.
Hi Jerri, mine is white and from Restoration Hardware, but I believe they also have an ecru or cream shade too.
Kate
It’s like an HGTV dream model home. Wow. Stunning. (The slideshow never worked for me so thank you for the link.)
I love how done your home looks even though you say you aren’t done, you’re a true designer;)
Great pics too,
Bianca
Wow! So beautiful!
I clicked on the pictures link, no slideshow showing for me using Chrome.
Hi Kate, I’ve been following your blog for sometime now, but I’ve never left a comment. Your home is so beautiful, you can definitely see all the love and hard work you’ve put into it. Thank you for Sharing it with us. You are incredibly talented, Lori Swearingen
Where did you get the rug in the study? i NEED it!
Here is the source of the rug in the study Penny: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Green-and-Ivory-Outdoor-Area-Rug-710-x-10/6233344/product.html
The slideshow didn’t work but I saw all the beautiful pictures when I clicked on the pictures link. What a gorgeous house inside and out!!!
Absolutely gorgeous! But how do you have plants and foliage and flowers and vases, and a cat? My house looks like a prison cell as anything of beauty will be destroyed in moments by my two beasts? Hence it is all bare (and boring) surfaces. Is there a trick?
Funny you mention it Danj because our cat has tipped over vases too if we forget to fill her water bowl. :)
nor me, it is not there
Kate-
Your home is beautiful. What a lovely space for your family. I am so inspired by you. Thank you for sharing. Tracey
Kate, your home is so beautiful! Love the tour!
Wow! Kate, your home is just stunning! Each and every piece of element and space is just perfect. I love the outdoor deck as well. Can I live there? :) Thanks for sharing your wonderful home.
Lovely! Like a breath of fresh air!! Would you mind telling how many square feet your house is? I have small-space-itis with my tiny little pad, which tends to limit me. But it looks like you used your space so well and it gives me hope that I can open mine up with color, mirrors, etc. Thanks so much for sharing. It’s simply beautiful.
Our home is big Wendy, TOO big quite frankly. It’s 3100 square feet. Matt and I have talked about when we build again closer to the kids junior high and high school in a few years and we will definitely downsize.
Simply gorgeous!
Not working on my iPad.
Ha! Once I sent the comment saying it wasn’t working on my iPad it started to work! Lovely, just lovely. Kate, you inspire me. Thank you for the slide show
Your home is every bit as lovely as expected. I had to smile when I saw the chandelier in the master bath. When we added a master bath I wanted one but it wasn’t ‘code’, so I had my contractor put in an ugly fixture flush with the ceiling, we had it inspected and after he left we put a beautifully chandy there. Shhhhhhhh ;). Did the same thing in the master bedroom although that was code. When we moved a few months ago, they were the only things we brought with us and they’re sitting in the garage for now. Somehow, they don’t quite work with the log cabin theme we’ve got going on at our weekend place, and our rental…well, there’s regular height ceilings and no ceiling outlets.
Did you notice in one pic your family room sofa looks blue and the other more taupe? Me thinketh it’s probably blue. Love your outdoor spaces and am jealous you get to use it most of the year in California! I also noticed the arbors lining the corners of your house and how perfectly trimmed they are. That’s not easy to do when they’re so high, but they really help to define your exterior. Love it!
Hi Doreen the family room is THE most difficult room to photograph because it only gets light from the adjacent kitchen and dining and always looks “off” to me so that may be the reason the sofas look different when I brighten them in Picasa.
Cool, crisp and comfy. LOVE your
style. Beautiful house and lovely job
decorating it.
Oh, your house makes me swoon and you are right, everything is done for you and your family. Just happens to be magazine worthy. Your taste is impeccable!
Slideshow isn’t working for me.
Absolutely STUNNING!! You need to hang out your shingle as a decorator/designer. You are soooooooooooooo creative. Great job!!!
Fantastic Kate! I remember seeing the various posts when you were doing the different parts of your home. You do a great job at DIYing to make your house a home.
Kate!
I’ve been following for years and it is so nice to see everything at once. I love what you said about taking it one room, one step at a time. We just bought our first house and I am a little overwhelmed by it. I just need to embrace it and enjoy the little successes!
Question: Do you like your hardwoods natural/blonde since you are usually drawn to darker finishes?
No Abigail, I do not like the blonde floors! I will say they hide dirt a lot more than the dark wood on the stairs and I dream of dark floors but the thought of refinishing them at this point makes my head hurt. :)
Just beautiful! I love the exterior of your house and wished
I have the same big trees on the side of my over a hundred year
old house instead of a big Oak tree! Where’s the baby grand??? I was excited
to see it!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Marz, the piano is in the living room, forgot to add a shot of it! It’s next to that mirrored apothecary chest.
Your home is beautiful! I have a chandelier above my bathtub as well and I LOVE it.
I feel exactly the same way… it is challenging for me to have even a room “reveal” before I’ve edited the pictures I’ve already changed (although to my husband I say enhanced :) something.
Have a great weekend!
Amanda
Out of all the blogs I read (and that’s a heck of a lot), your house has to be my hands down favorite. Wow! It’s the color. Every room has a different color, but yet the whole house meshes so well. Really, really, really nice. :)
So kind Meg, thanks, and thank you everyone! It’s been a long process and never “done” but we love it.
What a gorgeous home!! Love all the detail and colour!! Thanks for sharing!!
Beautiful!! Everything looks perfect. Your home feels very peaceful and calm. Thank you for sharing.
Simply Perfect!! I love how inviting it is!
Just beautiful! Every last detail. I feel like my style is very similar to yours. And blue is also my fave! We just built a custome home and I completely copied your white backsplash accent area to a T. The white chair rail border with 4×4 diagonal tiles inside. I loved it so much I had to have the same thing in my house. And it looks wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration!
Kate, your home is every bit as lovely and gracious as you are! I LOVE how you said that you decorate for your own tastes, and not to be featured in magazines. I think that’s precisely why you have been featured so often. Your home reflects you!
Loved the tour. Inspired me to think about some changes around here….
Gorgeous! I especially love your patios!
Wow Kate, your house is stunning! I love it
Beautiful home! I love all the colors and pillows and gorgeous accents. Also, I have the same comforter in our master bedroom and absolutely LOVE it! THanks for sharing your home!
Kate, your house is lovely and the color pallet is precisely what I’m trying to infuse into our new home.
Two questions:
1) The lovely blue, blue/green orbs in your entryway and living room, where might one find those?
2) The pendant fixture in the corner of one of the children’s bedrooms, where is that from?
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Alexia, I won those glass orbs a few years ago in a giveaway! Funny right? I know Pier One has a few smaller versions in blue. If you mean the small white hanging drum shade pendant in my son’s room, that’s from Lamps Plus.
Kate
Fabulous!! Wish I could move in with my family!!! You have a beautiful sense of style, and THANK YOU for sharing it with all of us!!!
Thanks for sharing Kate! Your house is so beautiful and you are so inspiring! I really love your style and it’s so unique. You have done an amazing job!
Very lovely home, what a blessing.
Slideshow starts immediately on my ipad.
I love your kitchen, family room and tented patio area. Lovely. You are lucky to have such beautiful light in your house. Thank you for putting this together!
Kate, your home is beautiful!! So cozy, so homey, so well styled! Love it! Can you tell me where you got the fab pendants over your kitchen island? We’re renovating our kitchen next year and I may need the same ones :)
Susan
Gorgeous! I thought the blond floors were so light and lovely. Even though there is a lot of dark floors showing right now, I think the trend will swing back quickly because dark floors show dirt so badly. I made the mistake of putting them in my previous home–won’t do that again!
We have a big home too (5,000 square feet) that we bought at bottom dollar because it had been vacant for a year and not been updated since 1971. It had wild animals living in it after being vacant for a year, so you can imagine the state of things. We have 6 kiddoes and the space is nice, but it is a lot harder to keep clean–not just dirt but tidy too. It seems like there’s more space to make a mess in, lol. Anyway, DH is ripping out walls today–the updating has begun. Lots to draw from here for inspiration.
What wall tile was used in the upstairs bathroom? I really like it. Also, what kind of camera do you have that takes those beautiful pictures?
Hi Ann, I use a Nikon D90 DSLR, I talk more about the kinds of lenses I use in the About page. The tile on the wall was featured in this post:
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/02/the-lucky-backsplash/
WOW, WOW, WOW. You have a gorgeous home. I love the clean lines and the bright colours. Just gorgeous :)
I read a lot of blogs, but it is rare that I leave a comment. But I had to say that your house is absolutely gorgeous. Every single room! Wow!
Hi,
beautiful home! where did you buy the dolhouse furniture from ?
Just gorgeous. Congratulations on finishing a whole lot of decorating and work; love the cheery color scheme.
I really like the natural wood pieces you have sprinkled throughout, particularly the tall wood cabinet in the living room. Have you posted on it before? Would love see a full shot of it.
Beautiful, beautiful!
So so beautiful! You have created a gorgeous space. Question: what paint color is the gray half bath with the bellesol type mirror and wainscoting? I have a very similar bathroom and looking to change the color gray it is currently painted to something more like I see in that picture. Love it!
What a fantastic job you have done. I love, love, love the blues and greens. It looks so clean and fresh.
Thanks for the tour! EVERY ROOM looks great. I’m in love w/your master bathroom ….. “Calgon take me away” [remember that commercial? :)]
Gorgeous – gorgeous – gorgeous every single square inch – inside and out. You have done a beautiful job and made a wonderful home for your husband and children. I am sure they love everything you do for them.
Wow! Your home is absolutely stunning!!! The exterior reminds me of something you would see in Italy and your taste is impeccable!!! Awesome job.
Vera
Thank you for sharing your home… so, so, pretty. The hardwood floors are beautiful throughout the home. How do you clean/care for them? Anything in particular you use? We just had our hardwood floors refinished and I’m wondering how other people care for their floors.
Hi Re, to clean our wood I use a basic Swiffer during the week. Every other week I clean with a simple vinegar + water solution, or rotate a hardwood floor cleaner.
Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!
One word……Fantastic!
Love your house Kate. You’re an inspiration!
Ms. Kate,
Well said and good for you! I enjoyed the pics of your beaYOUtiful home, Thank you for sharing, you inspire me.
Kate, I adore your home! It has inspired me to lighten up our home. Really looking forward to incorporating many of your ideas. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous taste. Many blessings to you and your family!
Love it…would you come do some work on my house?? :)
Beautiful home! Could you share where you got your gold table and x benches from in your master? I also love the bench in your daughters room! Beautiful!!
Gorgeous! Worth the wait. Hx
Hi Kate,
I’ve been following your blog for quite sometime and love it! Thanks for lots of inspirations for my own place! I’m not able to see the slideshow on any browser or machine, any other way to take a peek?
Thank you for opening up your home to us – it’s breathtaking! I enjoy your blog so much and much of that is because we have a very similar aesthetic!! Our home has the same ‘feeling’ as yours, but of course, it is still quite different with my own personal slant. Thank you for inspiring us with your amazing taste and helpful DIY projects!
It’s perfection. Remind us again why you went to Law School? ;) I do have a question, though….I am wondering if you are a bit like Martha Stewart, whom I have read does not need much sleep at all? I honestly don’t know how you manage to get all this accomplished plus the blog and BHG, mother to young children, wife, etc! PS my favorite space is the concrete porch space outside the master bedroom…I would be out there all the time reading! :)
No regrets going to law school Steph, it taught me so much that I still use today, editorial writing and contract negotiation being two big ones! Yes I sleep 8 hours, I get most of my writing done with kids at school until 2:30 and work on project or take photographs in the afternoon when they’re home. A calendar synched to my smart phone helps too, it keeps me sane!
Kate
Such an amazing style. One, because it is magazine worthy, and two, because it is also so welcoming and cozy. Tough to capture both and you do it perfectly; you are the “baby bear” of décor!
(where did you get the round, silver mirror in the LR?)
Thanks Mia! Here is the source to the round mirror:
http://www.wayfair.com/Kichler-Mirror-in-Antique-Silver-78125-KI13453.html
Your blog name suits your style perfectly! Truly SENSATIONAL! You have done amazing work.
I cannot tell you how much I adore your home! The colors you used in each room are just stunning. My husband and I just bought a house which needs cosmetic work and we are so inspired by your work. I have to ask… What are the names of the color paints you used? I love the white trim you used in the entry way, the tan color of the wall and the grey of the bedroom and family room. Thank you!
All of the paint colors in our home can be found by clicking on the sidebar graphic Genny. :)
Kate
Awww I still can’t see the slide show – there’s just a big blank space. Is there any other way to see it?
Jeanne, there’s a link to all the images at the end of the post.
Kate, it’s absolutely beautiful and serene. I just love your blog! I have a request: a floorplan would be really nice to see, to help orient the space for us readers. Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Your home is beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration!
It’s so nice to see all the photos of your lovely home. You’ve definitely put much work and care into it. I especially enjoyed all the details of your outdoor spaces.
Of course I love the home tour, really why would I not love it! Its AMAZING! I am wondering, how long have you lived in this home? How long does it take to go from home that needs some TLC to this amazing-ness? I tend to get frustrated because it seems so slow to go one room at a time and by the time I get our current house mostly decorated and to its potential it will be time to move again, ugh.
Thanks for an amazing tour. Your home is truly gorgeous!
What is the entry paint color? What is the stair wall color? And what is the wall color above fireplace?
Love it!
Absolutely gorgeous home, inside and out! I have followed this blog for awhile and love everything you do. I was wondering if you coud tell me where your kitchen island lights are from? So pretty!!
your home is absolutely beautiful and i loved reading how it’s all come together. it’s clear you’ve put so much love into creating a space that reflects you and your family. bravo!
Wow, every single one of these pictures looks like it comes straight out of a magazine! You are so talented. I especially notice how you have a consistent palette throughout your home that makes every room flow. I love the coastal, relaxed vibe. Congrats!
I have loved your style since I discovered your blog some time ago. We have very similar tastes, although I don’t really have a DIY bone in my body. However, you have inspired me to inspire my DIY husband to help me see the vision of some of those DIY projects! Ha! And I help or try to help! But I’m better off playing my piano and singing or working in the garden and kitchen than working with tools and paint. I’m really impatient in that department and hubby is an expert with a perfectionist tendency instead of slap it together like me. ;) Thank you for sharing your home and wonderful talent with us. I really appreciate the time and effort it takes to share this part of your life on a blog, and I pray your reap even more fun rewards for sharing it all with us.
Beautiful pictures and a beautiful home! I love your duvet cover, where did you get it from? I’ve been searching for a neutral one that isn’t white for forever and adore yours.
Your home is beautiful! These photos seriously make me want to work even faster on making our home our own. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
What a beautiful home. I love all your colors, they are my favorites as well. I especially love the color of the French doors in the living room. I didn’t see where you discussed that particular color. Do you remember what it is? It is beautiful and really enhances the wall color. Thanks for all the sharing you do.
Oh. My. God. Your home is beautiful!
I’m a little slow on the go in reading this post, but I just had to say… your home looks incredible, Kate! Bravo at making it your own and really implementing a beautiful, cohesive, comfortable style. It’s screams “Kate!” : )