stephmodo: Real Life Home No.7: Colorful + Ecclectic

Real Life Home No.7: Colorful + Ecclectic

• 09 June 2011























The theme for this week's "Real Life Home" is color, color and more color! Quite different from the other spaces featured in this series, this Portland home shows us all how fun life can be when we brighten things up a bit...literally. One of my favorite aspects of the "Real Life Home" series is appreciating decorating styles that aren't exactly like our own--styles that uniquely reflect another person and his or her aesthetic. Peeking into this happy, color-swathed Portland home is a visual feast prepared for you by my friend Sara. And now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, I can honestly see why colorful interiors are so popular up here--a wonderful strategy to counteract the gray!

{above photo} Sara's Francophile bedroom (she and hubby speak fluent French)--this girl is not afraid to mix and match color and patterns--I love that! Personal favorites include the chandelier, zig zag bedding and that to-die-for-chartreuse trim.

For those of you just tuning in, this series showcases living spaces decorated by people who are not formally-trained interior designers; people who mix new finds with antiques and secondhand pieces from Craigslist (or the like). People who have figured out, on their own, what looks and feels good in their living space.























Sara and her husband are lucky enough to have a little guest house in their backyard--the perfect respite for friends and frequent flyers like grandma and grandpa. They had a lot of fun with this renovation and made sure to add the family's signature pops of color inside too {below image}.










































Loving the appearance of that chartreuse again--what a pretty contrast against the exposed brick wall. And let's talk about that cobalt blue door...isn't that beautiful? I feel like I need that now.
Also notable is the chandelier and the growth chart mounted on the wall to document the stature of her two, sweet kiddos.

Below you see the exterior of Sara's home as well as a portion of her kitchen. The hues of blue compliment the pops of red so well. Putting those colors together was simply brilliant!














































This angle makes me want to revisit our open shelving discussion.

Last, I want to share these colorful, "kid spaces" Sara created for her two toddlers. I feel so happy looking at them! Highlights include that funky pillow on the sofa, the upholstered chair in Penelope's room (such a cute girls name, right?) and the painting over the changing table. I love the gentle reminder that nursery art does not have to be juvenile per se, in order to be appropriate for a childlike space.


























All of the people who've shared their living spaces specifically for this series expressed feeling a little timid about putting it all out there, Sara included. I hope you consider leaving a little note here on this post, sharing any thoughts you might have about this colorful, ecclectic, inspiring space. It means a lot!

More beautiful spaces designed by non-designers:

Real Life Home No.6 - Amy (calming neutrals)
Real Life Home No.5 - Lynne (whimsy + details)
Real Life Home No.4 - Emily (clean + textural)
Real Life Home No.3 - Kirsten (whites + woods)
Real Life Home No.2 - Maria (white kitchen love)
Real Life Home No.1 - Cherilee (mid-century modern)

all of these lovely images are courtesy of Portland-based Heather Keeling Photography. Merci Heather!

26 comments:

  1. I adore color! The pink door is my favorite

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  2. I love all the color! This feels to me like the most "real" home so far-- I can imagine people and a family in it. I guess that means it's my style, so I should come back when I need decorating inspiration!

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  3. I agree, this home feels very real, which helps me see how I can apply some of the bold colors in my own home (something we greatly lack here!). I am in love with so many of the elements, but especially the pillow with "Penelope" on it. I've now been inspired to making something similar for my daughter. Thanks!

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  4. Ok, now I'm beyond hooked!
    Happy day, friend!

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  5. Awesome! I love Sara, and I adore her house. It so perfectly reflects her fun and spunky personality!

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  6. I tend to be a bright color fan myself. While all the neutral houses look so pretty in a picture, I can't imagine living in them and trying to keep them looking so perfect. I love this house in all its bright bold glory.

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  7. Such a happy house! I love it all... especially the to-die-for bedroom!!

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  8. All the homes you've showcased have been lovely. I'm not sure what it was about this one, other than I'm from the northwest as well, but it has encouraged me to think about how I might inject pops of bright color in our home to help offset the frequent gray days of our area. Thank you!

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  9. Beautiful! I love that you are featuring homes of those of us who really enjoy design but are not professionals...even better when they are also fans of thriftstore/Craigslist items! Great series. And now I'm thinking about painting my front door!

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  10. I love it too! It looks so put together and, at the same time, real. I'll be bookmarking some ideas. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. love, love, love this. i love when people aren't afraid to be bold with color and she does it so tastefully.

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  12. I love love love color! The chair on the bottom left photo is perfect!
    Ashlyn

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  13. LOVE the color! Truly inspiring. :) The kids rooms are my favorite.

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  14. this is such a colorful, cute home! the bedroom is my favorite!

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  15. I love the chandelier in the first bedroom, the colorful chair in the little girl's room and the colorful rug in the other little girl's room.

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  16. Oh! Oh! Oh! Absolutely love all the color. Gorgeous home and so well styled!

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  17. Color makes me happy and I'd be smiling forever in this home! So beautiful and fun. A place you want to be.

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  18. Yes! That blue door with the red chair and pale blue walls is beautiful.

    In my current home, I've shied away from bright colors expect for certain accent pieces. Now that we are moving I am looking forward to using more color in a more substantial way which is why this post is particularly inspirational.

    I really enjoy this series. Thanks Stephanie!

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  19. So many great details without feeling overwhelmed. Well done, just love the color!

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  20. So many great details without feeling overwhelmed. Well done, just love the color!

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  21. So cheery! It makes me smile just looking at the pictures. I can only imagine how joyful it feels in real life. Thank you for sharing!

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  22. thanks for all the house love. reading the comments is like a big hug. merci.

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  23. Wow! i love the color of the door, pink and purple. Kid friendly colors and yet so beautiful to look at for adults. Wonderful hose, eh.

    Cheers,
    Cathy@custom digitizing

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Thanks so much for taking the time to drop a line. I really appreciate it!

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