Let’s begin with the exterior. I have always oohed-and-ahhed over this home for as long as I can remember (since high school age when I first got my driver’s license). I have always had feelings about this home, so when we decided to move back to our hometown we wrote a letter to the owners asking if there was any chance they would sell and they did. We feel incredibly lucky and never looked at any other homes. She’s the one!

The one hesitation I had about this home was that the interior was heavily renovated in a modern way. I wish it had come with more original character, so we vowed to prioritize adding as much antique charm as possible. Recently, we hosted a home tour with hundreds of local people walking through our home. I was so happy that many people assumed the antique-inspired renovations we have done were original to the home. That remains my biggest goal!

Porches – Porches are so romantic to me! I love having my morning coffee on the porch or watching the kids run around with fireflies. It’s the perfect place for popsicles and Halloween decorations alike.

Playhouse – We added a playhouse. It’s actually in our front yard (you can see it in the corner of the first pic above). We have a large lot and a ton of trees and our house is very set back from the street (so it is charming and not obtrusive). But I will say, it’s the most I’ve ever enjoyed not having an HOA. I can’t wait to decorate the playhouse for Halloween and Christmas.

Landscaping – In this photo, you can see a bit of our front yard. We’ve worked really hard on the yard since owning this home. I’ll have to show you more in the future. Last fall, we added two apple trees, two cherry trees and a fig tree. We are planning to make a few improvements each year until it’s our perfect secret garden space.

We added a magnolia tree as I was reading Magic Lessons at the time and I became obsessed trying to incorporate inspiration from the book into my home.

Daybed Swing – People always ask us if we really use the hanging daybed and the answer is yes, all the time. My husband likes to sneak out there to watch baseball on his phone and I snuggle the girls there all the time. Our favorite time to lay on the daybed is when it’s raining outside.

Sources: Patio Rug, Round Table, Bistro Chairs, Hanging Plant (similar), White Chairs.

Entry – From this angle, you can’t see that the other side of the door is a warm pink, but you can see my bat door knocker. And our cute little pug, Pumpkin.

Diamond Wood Floors – I’m SO glad we chose the two-tone floors. I will be honest, I was nervous! I LOVE how they turned out. The dark color is the color for our entire home and the light color is used on in this space for the pattern. They were done by a wood floors company at the same time we refinished the floors throughout the home.

For the round crystal chandelier, we found it from Pottery Barn. It looks just like an antique (with much simpler install). We ended up using the smaller size in the entry and the larger size at the top of the stairs.

Swans – I have started many vintage and antique collections since moving to this home. Swans are a big one. I love how they are both beautiful and creepy. I collect a lot of brass items including candlesticks, butterflies, bells and boxes.

Stairs – I spent a very long time choosing the art for the stairwell. What do you think? The portrait is a pastel and I love her so much. The little ting piece above is by Esther Pearl Watson, one of my favorite folk artists.

For the runner, I went with this light colored runner because it was the best choice at the carpet store we went to. In hindsight, I wish I had gone with antique runners and one day if these need to be replaced I probably will. For now, we are loving the light colored runner.

Seating – In the front section of our living room, there was a little extra room so we added a checker and chess game table along with antique chairs. Turns out my children LOVE checkers and all my bad karma from being too competitive as a child is coming back to haunt me.

The bench is super special to me because it came from my grandmother’s home. I have thought about painting it since it’s lighter than the entry table it sits beside, but so far I have left it alone. What would you do?

Living Room Decor – I absolutely love our living room. We use it so much and in so many ways beyond simply watching TV. We went with a frame TV this time and I’m always surprised when people really think it’s a painting.

When we first moved in, we did a short round of renovations that primarily included practical fixes and decor. This room got a lot of love. We added a new antique-inspired fireplace, pressed ceiling tiles, dentil moulding and a ton of oil paintings.

Sources: Chesterfield Sofa, Pink Velvet Chairs, Rug (similar), Floor Lamp.

Fireplace Renovation – For the fireplace, I knew I wanted to go with electric fireplaces because I wanted something we could use in all seasons (with and without heat) to add a cozy glow to the room. We went with this fireplace insert (we used it three times in the living room, our bedroom and my husband’s office). Love it!

The paint color we used in our living room is Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams and the tile color on the fireplace surround is Oyster Shell by Fireclay Tile.

Fireplace Insert We used the Dimplex Revillusion fireplace insert three times in our home. It’s an electric fireplace insert with a cute chevron brick pattern. It has the option to provide heat (or not) so we use it year-round. I am planning to share a full review soon, but we love it! Note- the glass cover is a separate purchase and we purchased ours directly from Dimplex.

Antique Collections – Since curating a layered look takes a long time, I decided to start with the first floor and work my way up. SO currently our living spaces downstairs are very full of art and antique finds that bring me joy. Over time I plan to add more. This is a plan that can take years, but I enjoy it a lot of prefer not to rush it.

Powder Bathroom – Our powder bathroom on the first floor is the one most often seen by guests so I decided to go all-in—filling it with paintings from floor to ceiling. The woman in the center-right in the yellow blouse is my grandmother Corina and for sure she’s the inspiration for the whole space.

Bar Cart – I currently work as a cocktail writer most weeks (see our cocktail recipes) and in doing so for more than a year I have amassed a huge liquor collection. It’s split between here and the dollhouse bar (below). Learning new cocktail recipes is one of my passions. I found this art piece at Scout Design Studio and the wooden swan shelf is an eBay find.

Green Paint – I love the color in this room- it’s Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke. It’s such a unique, moody green and notice how it looks wildly different from photo to photo.

Art Collection – This photo by Julie Blackmon started it all for me, as far as my art collection goes. My sister purchased it for me, as a gift, a couple years ago right before we found this home. Since then, I have been steadily building an art collection.

Fun fact: 75% of the furniture in our home is antique that we sourced locally. The flea markets in this part of the country are incredible. I have always admired antique furniture and having the chance to build our space based on it has been really fulfilling.

Dollhouse Bar Cabinet – The dollhouse bar has a fun story behind it. One night, I was rewatching my favorite movie “Knives Out,” and I noticed that the giant dollhouse in his living room was actually a bar. I looked them up immediately finding that they run between $6,000 and $20,000 (I know, right??!). The next day, I found one on an estate sale auction and was able to win it for a fraction of the retail price. To me, this is the best evidence I’ve found that we’re living in a simulation designed in our imaginations. Dream big, dream weird, friends! I’m kidding/not kidding.

Kitchen Island – Our kitchen is the main room we have not renovated, aside from matching the hardwoods and adding this 10-foot island. I found the green stools from Schoolhouse Electric. I am mulling over design ideas slowly and we plan to complete it in the next few years.

This kitchen was very spare on storage, but had a lot of extra wall space so we added some white storage cabinets. That has been a big help.

Hidden Trash Can – Here you can see the part of the kitchen we kept as is, and a solution we came up with to make it more functional for phase one. We added this double trash can and built out the counter to make it deep enough to accommodate our coffee gear. Above that, I added a brass pot rail to store our copper pots.

Breakfast Nook – This little breakfast room right off the kitchen was such a fun jewel box to decorate. I do the majority of my food blogging in this space since the lighting is usually best in here. The built in corner cabinets are my favorite original feature.

Stairway Landing – Now, we’re moving up to the second floor. This landing at the top of the stairway goes all the way around to access our bedrooms, the laundry room and my office. I decorated it with vintage mirrors all the way around.

Bedroom Fireplace – In our bedroom, we added a fireplace. For the design, I pulled inspiration from my favorite horror movie, Rosemary’s Baby. We built this fireplace as a replica to the one in her apartment from the movie. When building new pieces, I find it really helps to reference a historic photo and stay as close to it as possible.

The wallpaper and painting in this room are from artist Lulie Wallace. I’ve been a fan of hers for more than a decade and have loved every evolution of her work. The painting makes me smile every day.

The biggest departure we took from the movie design is instead of a black marble surround I chose a tile that coordinated with our wallpaper. We used Fireclay Tile in the color Peabody.

Antique Lighting – Lighting was a huge project for me this year. The home only came with a few chandeliers that were antiques from the early 1900s when it was built, but we added dozens more. I will be honest, it’s almost always more steps and sometimes antiques even need a full rewiring. To me, it is worth it and a major way we added charm back into the home.

Kids Bedrooms – Our girls are old enough to choose their own bedroom themes now. Nova chose a space and science theme. Marigold chose a princess bedroom.

This photo shows my favorite peek through of the house with a floor to ceiling kids library for our 8-year-old daughter.

Kids Bathroom – This is a children’s bathroom. We are still in the process of decorating it. The wallpaper is Hygge & West Storyline in the color Delft Blue. The paint color is Farrow & Ball’s Breakfast Room Green.

Moody Office – My office is the most moody space in our home and since it’s a very small room, the wallpaper and intense red paint color made a huge impact. I found this rolltop desk from Marketplace.

The display of small gold frames is the first spot in our home where I decorated with family photos. I hope to add a few more moments like this.

My snake is by Paige Dorsey Barnes. I commissioned her through Liz Lidgett gallery. Someone remarked that it looks like “Adam and Eve” theme, which was not what I was going for, but I love it.

Guest Bedroom – We are moving up to the third floor now. This floor consists of two guest bedrooms (we have a lot of family and friends with young kids), a full bathroom, a lot of bookshelves and a bit of living space.

The guest room has a lot of angles so I knew I wanted to use a busy wallpaper. I chose the London Rose Wallpaper which is an OG. The paint color is Foxy Brown by Benjamin Moore. We used this jute rug with flowers.

My favorite wallpaper and color combination in the whole house!

The kids guest room is set up, but not very decorated yet. We chose Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball, which is a soft beige pink. The twin beds look antique, but they are from Chris Loves Julia’s PB for kids line.

Sources: Beds, Rug, Quilt, Chandelier.

Saved the best for last. I am thrilled with how this sweet little nook turned out. It’s surrounded by our home library and the perfect little tea party spot.

Butterfly Nook – We used the Hygge & West Butterflies wallpaper in the color parchment for this small nook. I am strongly on team when it doubt, wallpaper the ceiling too. I love the cozy, vintage feel it adds to this space.

More Home Posts:

• Wallpaper in Elsie’s Home
• Stair Runner Carpet
• Princess Bedroom Tour
• Dining Room Wallpaper

Let me know if you have any questions or need any extra links in the comments! xx- Elsie

We worked with professional contractors (this is not a DIY). However, I thought it would still be helpful to explain in depth the process of designing and building this room.

As with any project that is uncommon, there was a good amount of planning and problem solving that went into creating this magical space.

Related: You can find all of my room tours here.

When we purchased our home, it had a two-story entryway which is sometimes referred to as a “lawyer foyer.” It’s a hallmark of a 1990s McMansion.

You can see in image one above the way the entry looked as you were standing in the front door. In image two, you can see how it looked facing the front door (looking up).

The entryway was the only part of our home with a two-story ceiling (except the stairs, I guess) and in the third photo you can see how it looked from the second floor.

If you are looking at these photos thinking, “Why would you ever change this,” I completely understand. The first time we viewed the home I remember liking these details—it was not something I anticipated changing at first.

After living in the home for about six months and I was planning the renovations for the living spaces, I began to consider closing off the two-story entryway. The main reason was that the entryway had a weird vibe that did not appeal to me and it was difficult to decorate.

The downstairs ceilings are really high, so I was not concerned about the entry feeling low (it still feels great). Also, our home gets a lot of natural light from our many sliding doors in the living spaces, so I was willing to part with some natural light.

Here’s how it looked on construction day. I remember being so nervous and having that “no turning back” feeling. It was so surreal walking on the new floor for the first time.

After the floor was added, we drywalled the ceiling and added electrical. Then, we had wood floors added in the new room upstairs. The new room upstairs did not connect to any other rooms—it connects to a foyer at the top of our stairs.

I had a lot of fun planning what we could use the hidden room for. It is the size of a walk-in closet, so I had to find a use for it that worked for that size.

We could have left it open with an arched opening or something, but I decided that hiding the door with an armoire (like Narnia) was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I could not pass up. I loved the idea of having a unique room that is a complete surprise.

Next, I went shopping for an armoire. I shopped vintage armoires for several months. I wanted the biggest size that could fit well in our space, so I shopped based on those measurements.

Most vintage armoires have a lot of drawers and stuff inside, so I looked for one that was a simple boring closet inside. I found one on Etsy.

After the armoire arrived to our home, we started the process of building it into the space. We decided to build it into the wall so that it didn’t have so much depth and would not obstruct the landing room door.

We also had to remove the legs (this was heartbreaking) because of the constrains of making it fit into this nook with a roofline that was not flexible.

In the end, I am thrilled with how it looks! You can see the full hidden library tour here. To make it look more integrated, we added a busy floral wallpaper. Lastly, we cut a functioning door into the back of the armoire and added a handle on the inside.

Now when people walk into this room for the first time, I can tell they have NO idea that the armoire is a doorway and it’s my children’s favorite party trick to show people for the first time.

Sources: Similar Wallpaper / Augustine Evans Art Print / William Cleary Art Print (both art prints are by Janet Hill) / Arched Mirror / Rattan Lamp

Budget Sources: Wallpaper / Arched Mirror / Rattan Lamp

Please step inside!

Here’s what the inside looks like. We added built-in shelves on both sides and then painted the entire room the color “Silent Film” by Behr.

My older daughter is learning to read, and it’s been the happiest year making memories in this space and collecting books for them to enjoy now and in years to come.

Sources: Star Chart Art / Harry Potter Custom Art / Handful of Stars Print, Moon and Stars Print, Shadow Puppets Print / Chair

The rug and chandelier are both vintage from Etsy.

If you have any additional comments, I’m happy to answer them.

In the end, it was so worth it because I absolutely love our living room and our family enjoys it every day—from reading books by the fireplace to listening to our favorite records and doing puzzles.

I struggled with our living space’s open floor plan and sought out solutions to make each space feel distinct and individual. In addition to adding arched openings, we did a floor-to-ceiling mid-tone green in the living room to give the space its own personality.

Related posts: How to Draw a Floor Plan, How to Hang Curtains, Entryway Decor and Wallpapered Ceiling, Library Dining Room.

This space is one of the biggest transformations I have ever been a part of. Please feel free to audibly gasp when you see the before photo below.

If you look closely, you will spot dozens of small changes, but at a glance it appears that the glow-up is 90% “the power of paint.”

Here’s a quick overview of the remodels we did: Replaced tile floors for hardwoods, rebuilt the fireplace from scratch, reconfigured lighting (and added a chandelier), and moved the air vent to make room for our giant wall of built-ins.

Green Built-in Shelves:

The green built-in shelves add storage and do so much for the room, visually. We store a large percentage of our children’s toys in the cabinets as well as our record collection.

I opted for shelves that are not adjustable, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how we would use them and made sure they were big enough to display our largest art, records, books and decor.

This was my first experience with custom cabinetry and it was worth the extra money and effort to me. I love how they reach the ceiling and look like they were always a part of the home.

Custom Tiled Fireplace:

We designed our fireplace from scratch after the original fireplace got (accidentally) destroyed during floor renovation. I took the opportunity to dive DEEP into Pinterest for a style that matched our home and felt classic and traditional.

The elements of the fireplace I love most as the addition of the bench to the front (or as my 4-year-old calls it “the stage,” haha) as well as the herringbone brick firebox. This is a working gas fireplace that you can turn on with a remote control.

I first chose the subway tile from Fireclay Tile in the color “Rosemary.” Next, I found a paint color (Meadow Sage by HGTV Sherwin Williams) that matched the tile as closely as I could find. I am really happy with the match, and most of all, how it all feels very intentional and cohesive.

Shop My Living Room:

Sources: Pink Velvet Sofa / Maze Rug / Coffee Table / Boucle Chairs / Chandelier / Tile / Rattan Sconces

More Living Room Tours:

• ’70s Pink Living Room Makeover
• Emma’s Main Living Room Tour
• Cozy Living Room Makeover
• Elsie’s Living Room Tour (Before + After)

The first impression I had of the two-story entryway was very positive, but after living in the home through our first Halloween and Christmas, I realized I would strongly prefer a one-story entry. Way more cozy and easier to decorate.

We closed in the second story (the new space we gained in the second floor became this children’s library) and we added cozy decor, like herringbone wood floors, molding details, and a wallpapered ceiling. It is truly my dream room!

Related Posts:

• Green Living Room
• 10 Decor Books That Will Inspire You
• Elsie’s Art Studio
• Elsie’s Library Dining Room
• Where to Buy Affordable Art Online

This room underwent a big transformation. Below, you can see how it looked the day we moved in. I remember it having a feeling of it being “big” and “nice,” but it lacked personality and style. It took two full years to complete, but I am very proud of the room we created.

I love herringbone wood floors. We added them in the entryway as well as in our main bedroom. The rest of the house is plain white oak that matches. We kept the original front doors and painted them.

I love having a double front door because I keep two matching wreaths on them, swapping them out throughout the seasons.

Our transformation process was slow. I didn’t have a vision for the best way to update this space until living in the home for a full year. I think that for trickier spaces, it is good to give yourself time to think of every possible idea.

If I would have renovated the home before moving in, there is no way we would have closed in the second story, or added the arches to define the three attached living spaces. Some ideas come slowly and it’s worth the extra time.

Here is the view when you walk into our home. I love how the colors play together and the arch gives you a peek into the next room. We splurged for the wood moldings, and I think they make the room much more interesting.

Paint Color Sources:

• Interior – Marshmallow by Sherwin Williams (my go-to clean, bright white)
• Outside of Door – Meadow Sage by Sherwin Williams
• Inside of Door – Pinky Beige by Behr

Our floors are white oak with a soft white wash stain.

Decor Links:

Wreaths / Wallpaper / Console Table / Mirror / Floor Lamp / Rug (Vintage) Chinatown Art Print / Chandelier /

My Favorite Etsy Shops For Vintage Rugs:

• Oushak Rugs
• Turkish Ruggram
• Jewel Rugs Collection

More Wallpaper Rooms in My Home:

• Elsie’s Office
• Narnia Wardrobe – Hidden Children’s Library
• Elsie’s Guest Bedroom
• Kids’ Shared Bedroom

My Number One Design Tip:

My number one design tip is to add something vintage to every room, and add something deeply personal. For this room, my personal item is this bowl of photo booth images we’ve collected with our children.

Other ideas are photo books, framed kids art or framed family photos. I prefer weird photos like Halloween costumes or candids over professional portraits. xo, Elsie

See my other rooms here:

• Hidden Children’s Library
• My Movie Room Tour
• Kids Shared Bedroom Reveal
• Elsie’s Guest Room Tour
• Library Dining Room

This room brings me incredible joy! Ever since I was young and broke, living in a loft apartment, I have always found a way to work an art studio into my space. In some of my first apartments, I went without a living room to to fit in all my art supplies. Priorities, right?

Now that I have two young kids who love art, I am thrilled to share this space and make memories together.

Before + After

Here’s a photo of what the room looked like when we purchased our home … and how it looks today! We were able to use the base of the existing cabinets and build on to them to bring the shelves all the way to the ceiling.

We removed the trim and reinstalled it for a professional built-in look. After that, we painted the cabinets using this method and then painted the walls to match.

I found this little easel at an estate sale and I found the chandelier on Amazon. In this room, I keep all our acrylic paints, painting supplies and all my ceramic supplies.

In the photo above, you can spy my bags of clay hiding under the desk. It’s a magical creative space. The best part is that my children and I use the space equally. It creates a lot of messes, but it’s absolutely worth it. (Resisting the urge to insert an “It’s a Beautiful Mess” haha).

I spent a lot of time mixing and rebottling paints into squeeze bottles. A lot of people have asked me if it’s for aesthetic or functional reasons. Honestly, it’s so much of both. I do find them so practical to use, and they are also much more beautiful than bottles of craft paint.

I collect nicer acrylic paints (and also oil paints) as well. My favorite brand for fancy acrylics are Golden and Nova Color.

Looking for budget-friendly art and drawing supplies? Click here!

They are expensive, though, and I genuinely like using craft paint for a large amount of the projects we use like stuff for Childhood Magic and art with my kids.

My wrapping station is truly my pride and joy! I have spent my ENTIRE adult life wishing for just such a perfect little gift wrap station. I love it so much. You can also see that my pottery glazes and half-done pottery is stored here.

This is all my old leftover wallpaper. Honestly, I just love it as a decoration. The patterns together make my eyes very happy!

If you have any questions about making your own art studio or the supplies I use, I’d love to chat in the comments. xx- Elsie

When we first moved in, our home was bare, beige and sterile (see before photos here). Adding built-ins made a huge positive difference in the feel of our rooms, as well as how we use our home on a daily basis!

The best compliment we receive on our remodel is that it looks like it was built this way. I love that we took it back in time by imitating historic homes rather than reaching for newer trends. Built-ins add instant coziness!

Related: 10 Inspiring Home Decor Books and My Used Book Collection.

When deciding how to decorate our dining room, I was torn between built-in bookshelves and wallpaper. Both had the potential to add a lot of personality to the room. I chose built-ins because I love to collect books, and I knew it could be styled endless ways.

Here’s a link to my dress. It comes in lots of colors. I recommend sizing down one size.

The light fixture is one of my favorite details in the room. It is called the Meme Tulip Drop Chandelier, and it was gifted to me from Stray Dog Designs. It is a true work of art, as it is hand sculpted.

Room sources: Table and Chairs / Article, Chandelier / Stray Dog Designs, Sconce Lights / Etsy, Tablecloth / Amazon, Rug / Apple & Oak Nashville.

The jade pottery is a DIY (I thrifted glass and ceramic vases and painted them).

When it came to filling the shelves, I wrote a post about my used book collection. The majority of the books filling these shelves are books I purchased used.

I am very proud of my spooky book collection. Whatever type of books you are passionate about, a home full of books is my favorite type of home.

Let’s talk about the fireplace for a moment. I had a fixation on adding as many fireplaces to our home as possible (we started with one and ended with three).

We added this non-functional fireplace (also called a “candle fireplace”) to the dining room. I love that you can add some glow and twinkle to the space.

I found an antique mantle at the flea market and we used it as the base for this fireplace. I had to source more corbels and design around it. I love how it makes the whole room feel more antique.

Thank you so much for reading. If you’re interested in more room tours and home content, here are a few of my personal favorites from this home:

• When an Open Floor Plan is Too Open
• My Movie Room Tour
• Art Studio Tour
• Narnia Hidden Library
• Green Living Room

The room did not attach to any other rooms, and we spent some time thinking of what we could use this small space for. One day it dawned on me—we could build a hidden children’s library with a Narnia closet entrance!

Obviously, this room is a showstopper and the most unique room in our home, but the biggest benefit has been a huge increase in reading interest for both my children (ages 7 and 4).

Today, I’ll give you a tour of our secret library and explain how we created it. By the way, if you’d like to see how our two-story entry looked before converting it, you can see a photo here.

Related: How We Built a Hidden Room

When we added the ceiling above the entryway (converting it from two stories to one), we were left with this space that connects to a landing at the top of our stairs. We decided to turn it into a Narnia closet with a hidden library for our children.

First, I sourced an antique armoire from Etsy. Next, we had it integrated into the wall and the drywall patched. After that, we cut a door into the back part of the armoire to create an access point.

You can see in the photos below how it looks closed and opened. The new door is 5 feet tall, so adults have to duck to enter, but it is accessible for children and adults.

Anytime we can’t find our kids they can be found in this room reading and playing. It makes us so happy!

Let’s talk a little about the foyer. This is a small landing space at the top of our stairs. It has wall and ceiling wallpaper that creates a big look. From this space, there are doors to the stairway, our main bedroom, the hallway where more bedrooms are and this armoire.

Many times I have shown guests the armoire and no one ever notices anything special about it until we push open the hidden door inside. It is true magic!

Speaking of true magic, here’s a video tour of our hidden library:

Sources: Wallpaper / Augustine Evans Art Print / William Cleary Art Print (both art prints are by Janet Hill).

The dark green paint color is a custom match. We took a swatch of the wallpaper into the paint store and they matched the deepest color for us to paint the doors and trim.

Wallpapering a ceiling is a good way to make a room feel smaller, cozier and more dramatic. This space had little to do vibe before we added the wallpaper, and now it is one of the most designed spaces in our home.

Art sources: Star Chart Art / Harry Potter Custom Art / Handful of Stars Print, Moon and Stars Print, Shadow Puppets Print. The rose painting and the mirror are vintage finds.

I found an Etsy shop that makes these customized wizard prints and my kids think they are hilarious.

When it came to collecting books for my children’s library, this was the fun part! Let me know if you’d be interested in an expanded post on this subject. I collected hundreds of used books locally.

For new books, I focused mostly on series for early readers since our 7-year-old is currently learning to read. I collected all the series I loved most as a young child as well as new series that friends recommended.

So far, my 7-year-old is loving the Elephant and Piggie series (which she can read on her own), The Magic Treehouse and The Ramona series. It’s been so inspiring watching both my girls take a larger interest in reading this year.

Being the vintage lover that I am, I have also been collecting Nancy Drew and I am currently working on the full set of Goosebumps books.

Want to see more room tours?

• Elsie’s Low-Waste Closet Renovation
• My Movie Room Tour
• Kids Shared Bedroom Reveal
• Elsie’s Guest Room Tour
• Library Dining Room

In our last home, we added a projector and remote controlled screen. We loved watching movies and TV on the big screen. Then, after adopting our children who have low vision, we felt it was an even bigger priority as the larger screens are the easiest for them to see.

We use our theater room every single day. It is one of the rooms in our home we spend the most time in. We love family movie nights and, of course, watching TV after our kiddos go to bed.

When it came to decorating this room, I searched endlessly for home theater inspiration, but so much that was out there felt very sterile and I wanted a cozy, comfortable room.

We designed this room to be practical, kid-friendly, and pet-friendly as well.

U-Shaped Sectional

We had a challenging time finding the right sofa for this space. I liked the idea of one large U-shaped sofa instead of a sofa and two chairs or love seats. I bought and returned two different sofas before landing on this one that is truly perfect for the space.

After returning two different types of fabric sofas, I decided leather was the most practical choice for our family with has two young children and two elderly dogs (in other words, frequent messes).

I nearly purchased this sectional from Pottery Barn, but the price tag made me pause and the style wasn’t quite right. A U-shaped leather sectional is a big investment, as they are very often over $10,000.

Then, I saw this U-shaped sectional and I knew it could be perfect, and the price was much more affordable. It’s still a big investment, but I felt great about it after comparison shopping.

The style of it is the perfect mixture of what my husband and I both like. We chose the camel colored leather and the brass colored legs.

The huge pro about this sofa is that it came pretty quickly (within a few months). A lot of sofas I was looking at had more than a six-month timeline, which is hard to do when you have no sofa like we did.

We’ve used it more than a month now and I can see that it is going to age nicely, as our other leather sofas have in the past. There is plenty of space and it’s large enough for two families to sit on comfortably.

And a random feature it comes with is a phone charger, which I use a lot more than I thought I would.

Here’s a link to our sectional (pictured above). It’s hard to tell, but we have the brass legs. Here’s a link to our round white coffee table (it’s very kid-friendly).

My husband insisted on keeping carpet in this room (it came with this carpet) because he says it’s better for the sound of our theater experience.

Movie Room Decor

When it came to decor, I knew we wanted to decorate pretty simply, but stay on the movie theme. I love a theme!

For art, we collected all kinds of art inspired by our favorite movies. My husband and I have a shared love for 1970s horror movies, so there’s a lot of that as well as nostalgic favorites. The matching art prints shown here are from Prints And Giggles.

You can find more cute & affordable wall art for a TV/movie room in this post!

The paint color is Conifer Green by Behr. The green curtains are this velvet pair from Amazon. They match the paint color really well. I found the moroccan pillows locally, in Nashville, at Lucky Collective.

This wall is almost exclusively Etsy art. I love to purchase art from Etsy because it’s unique, special, and each purchase supports an aspiring artist!

Art links: Hocus Pocus House Print / Gremlins Print / The Office Print / The Shining Print / Rushmore Print / The Sound Of Music Print / Jurassic Park Print / Twin Peaks Diane Print / Twin Peaks Comic Print / Rosemary’s Baby Print / Peggy Olson Print / The French Dispatch Print / All Of Them Witches Print / The Shining Bathroom Print / Eternal Sunshine Print

*Note: Etsy artists don’t always keep their work up for a long time, so I replaced a few of these with similar pieces.

Popcorn Machine

We received our Great Northern Popcorn machine as a gift and it is one of our most loved and used gifts of all time. We love making popcorn for our family movie nights.

You can read more about my popcorn machine in this blog post I wrote.

Tips For Planning a Home Theatre Room

The only items we splurged on for this space were the projector and the sofa. The projector directly affects the quality of your movies and TV, so I recommend getting the nicest one your can budget for.

• We had a less expensive one at our last home and then upgraded here since we want it to last a long time. I recommend checking out Epson projectors—both of ours have been from them. You will also need a ceiling mount if you plan to mount it to the ceiling.
• Screens are very inexpensive. I recommend a 100-inch screen, and you can go bigger if your room will allow it.
• Choose a dark wall color. It adds to the theater experience.
• Keep a hidden stash of movie candy. I always keep these gummy bears, Reese’s Pieces and I “collect” Haribo at all times. It’s a revolving collection, but if I ever see one we haven’t tried I buy it (my personal favorites are the watermelon and the happy cola).
• Keep it casual. I love the simplicity of this room. It’s easy to clean, there’s nothing fussy about it and I don’t worry about little things like a spill.

Movie Room Ideas (Without a Room)

Of course, not everyone has a devoted movie room! In our last house, we added a remote control screen and projector to our living room in exchange for a big TV. You can see all the links to that room here.

More of Elsie’s home

1. Green Living Room
2. Library Dining Room
3. Elsie’s Office Tour
4. See what What Inspired My New Home Decor Style

Here’s a photo of the movie room in use and how it looks to us every night when we use it! Thank you so much for following along. I’m here if you have any questions! xx- Elsie

It always ends up changing and evolving in some way by the end of the year (and I never get every item done!), but at the end of the year I am usually surprised how much we completed.

You can see last year’s goals here and last year’s end-of-year recap here. In this post, I’ll share my project list for 2022 and what I decided not to do this year, as well.

Here’s my mood board so you can get an idea of the general vibe and family of colors I want to stay within.

My biggest priorities are that rooms feel super cozy and that they are versatile for my love of holiday decor, themed parties for my kids, and swapping accent colors by mood or season.

Entryway. If you follow us on IG you have seen that I’m already pretty far into this renovation. After much head-scratching, we decided to close in the second story above our entryway.

By adding that new ceiling/floor, we gained an entryway that is much easier to decorate and a little bonus room above the entryway (more on that below).

Currently, we’re adding some moldings to this room and planning to do a wallpapered ceiling. Oh, and we chose herringbone wood for just the entryway when we replaced the tile in November.

Living Room. When you enter the home, this room is just to your left. We are adding built-ins, painting it a moody color (it’s not a dark color, but it feels moody to me in comparison to what I usually choose).

We were originally planning to keep the fireplace, but it was damaged during the tile demo and couldn’t be salvaged. We ended up designing a new fireplace that I love even more. It has a seat and feels really great for the scale of the space.

So, all is well that ends well. I can’t wait to show you this completed space!

Dining Room. This room is being renovated right now. We added a wall with an arched opening so it’s less open (but still plenty open).

I decided to do bookshelves surrounding the dining table and add a faux fireplace. There will be a window seat below the window.

This one is a little more difficult to imagine, but in my brain it is AMAZING and I can’t wait for you to see it.

I was inspired by a restaurant we ate at once that had bookcases everywhere with books and little tea light candles. I think it will be so cozy and fun to decorate.

Powder Bathroom. Augh, finally! This has been out of commission for months since we did the wood floors.

It was surprisingly really difficult for me to design. I still haven’t picked the wallpaper and the paint color, but I’ve picked everything else. It’s going to be cute and blend with the rest of the rooms really well.

Art Room. I have to give Collin credit that he did so much nice work to this room before he left. He built out the shelves to touch the ceiling and they are both more beautiful and more functional now.

Currently, it’s been stuffed to the brim with furniture since we’ve been renovating the other rooms. I haven’t had access to it for months and I really miss it.

It has some drywall holes that need patching (here’s a hack to patch a drywall hole) and needs some minor decor, but it’s close to being completed.

Movie Room. We recently finished this room! Here’s my movie room tour + home theater ideas.

Last year, I decided to buy a pottery wheel and kiln. I was planning to put them in our garage and my husband really wanted me to use this little attached shed instead.

I was hesitant because it didn’t have a water line and or as easy access to our house.

I spent so much time and money in 2021 getting this room ready. Aside from purchasing a kiln and wheel, we had to get a sink added (and they had to make the water tap a freezeproof outdoor one).

I had to get a new roof put on the shed because it was leaking, and I had to get new doors put on because the doors previously had no windows and it was not weatherproofed.

All of that is finally done and now I am just waiting on an appointment to get the kiln and vent installed. We’re so close! By the way, I’m really glad Jeremy talked me out of the garage now.

Landing and Hidden Room. At the top of our stairs, there is a little landing area that leads into our bedroom (as well as the hallway to the other rooms).

Then, where you see the rail here is where the new floor was added above the entryway. So now we have this little extra room that connects to this landing. It’s a small room, basically a large closet size.

I purchased a vintage armoire from Etsy and it will become the door into the hidden room. We decided to make it a kids library inside.

One of my biggest parenting goals for the next 10 years is to encourage my kids to become readers, and I think this will be a good step in that direction.

Main Bedroom. Our bedroom is really big and weird. When we first moved in, it freaked me out because it made all our furniture look shrunken. We had scale issues for sure. It took me a long time to get ideas for the best layout, too since it’s closer to a square shape than a rectangle.

We don’t have enough room for a full living room setup (sofas, chairs, coffee table), but it also clearly needs more furniture than just the bed and dresser. I would say it was probably the most challenging room in our 1990s puzzle.

I’m excited to show you what I have planned, but I’m also still crossing my fingers that we can make it feel how we want it to feel. I’m the most nervous about this room.

Other plans: A few more rooms we have our our list this year either as a “hell yes” or a “maybe” are: Jeremy’s office (it’s almost done, but needs an annoying drywall patch job that would disrupt his work), main bathroom (if our contractor can meet our budget we will probably go for it this spring!) and our home gym (currently functional but needs work to feel complete).

The other thing I am contemplating is adding a playhouse to our backyard. We really loved our last one and if we’re going to do it I don’t want to wait too long since kids grow fast. On the fence with that one.

What’s not our list: I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but we decided not to do our big kitchen renovation this year. The reason why is because if we wanted to finish it by the end of the summer, we need to start now to be on schedule.

Since we just renovated through the holidays I am not in the right headspace to plan my dream kitchen this season and I don’t want to have any regrets. So, we decided to hold off until 2023 for that project.

If all goes well, we will wrap up our renovations and I will spend next fall and Christmas enjoying our new spaces, using my functional ’90s kitchen to make Christmas cookies and planning our dream kitchen.

As of right now, I think January of 2023 would be a good time to start demo. It’s a huge project that will put us without a kitchen and laundry room for months, and I’m just not feeling that for 2022.

Plus, when I looked at our list of what all we have going this year, it felt like we already have more than enough renovations for the blog, so no harm in spacing out more for the future. I don’t want to stuff my schedule too much or rush through this since it’s truly a dream project.

I’m really excited to share this year’s renovations with you! Which room are you the most excited to see? xx- Elsie

P.S. Click here to read more about my open floor plan.

Each year, I publish a big list of home project goals in January. Here’s my list for 2021. As I looked through it, I was surprised how many things we checked off.

Last year was full of changes, including Collin moving back to his hometown. We worked on DIYs, renovation and decor in my home for almost six years, so as you can imagine, his absence left a mark and I’ve been readjusting ever since.

Another notable change is that this past year, I formed a different vision and mood board for our home. When we first moved here, I was bringing a lot of the 1970s inspiration from our last project with lots of pink and orange.

But after a year of living here and making/remaking mood boards, and Harry Potter and Nancy Meyers marathons, I finally FULLY changed directions. It went from a very ’70s-inspired warm toned mood board to a 1920-inspired feel with a color scheme of more green and neutrals. I’ll talk more about this at the end!

We completed my closet makeover. It was a low-waste renovation, meaning we didn’t rip very much out. Instead, we optimized what the space came with. A year in, I am in love with this closet and have no plans to further renovate in the future. It’s magical!

We also completed my husband’s closet.

Next was the pantry. And yes, if you’re keeping track, that is two pink closets in a row. This is most likely a phase one renovation because we will likely reconfigure this space at the point when we remodel the kitchen. In the meantime, it’s been useful and organized.

My office was my favorite room makeover of the year. Getting floor to ceiling wallpaper has always been a dream of mine, and WOW, it made a big impact. I am so grateful for this creative space both for work and for making crafts with my children.

We completed the guest bedroom in January. It was wonderful to have a welcoming space for friends and family to come visit. We even got a visit from baby Oscar this past year!

Our kids’ bathroom got a mini refresh. I am blown away by how wonderfully the stick-on tile held up (no wear whatsoever—it’s very thick and high quality).

And overall, I am grateful to have a cute(r) space for the kiddos as we don’t plan to fully renovate their bathrooms for a long time.

This year, we did two phase one renovations to our kitchen. The first was adding this stick-on backsplash. It has held up well, and has given our large, boring kitchen more of a focal point.

It was also a chance for me to see how I liked living with patterned tile and I think I would be MORE likely to use it in a future renovation after living with this backsplash.

Our second phase one renovation was this faux painted marble counter. I was nervous to try it, but I ended really enjoying the process. It made a huge impact in how our kitchen looks and feels. We use these counters heavily, and there are a few small wear marks after six months.

I have heard a lot of people say their counters lasted years with no signs of wear, but those were probably people who didn’t have two small kids.

Even still, I would definitely recommend this as a phase one renovation to anyone who is interested in a weekend project. Zero regrets.

We decorated our kids’ bedroom this year and it was a lot of fun. One of my tips for moving with small kids is to make their bedroom feel special and settled in as quickly as you can.

As first-time pool owners, our first pool season was a magical time! We worked hard to get it set up as soon as warm weather hit. It was extremely fulfilling to see it transform! You can see photos of this space here and the pool tour here.

The pink arch buffet was one of my favorite projects of 2021. It was such a fun experience to try something like this.

We updated our breakfast room by adding wallpaper. It gave the room a lot more personality, and I think this wallpaper choice (along with the office) was probably a key part of my style crisis (and inevitable flip flop of mood boards). No regrets.

Let’s move on to the pivots! We made two MAJOR pivots in 2021. The first was our decision to buy the pink house. We were planning to buy the holiday house in our hometown, but when Emma decided to move there as her full-time home, we decided to hold off.

It was more of a five-year plan to possibly buy a second home in our hometown. We weren’t sure what to do and we were constantly discussing the pros and cons.

Of course, I set a Zillow alert in the neighborhood where Emma lives (the cutest neighborhood in the world!). Over the summer, I got obsessed with a big historic home that needed a lot of work.

I love a big project, but my husband was not interested in a big, long distance remodel. He’s was thinking practical and I was thinking with my fireplace-loving heart.

So, when an already renovated (and much smaller) home popped up, we decided to take a look. The stars seemed to align and we were able to purchase the home, paint it pink, and furnish it during the fall season.

We stayed there for the first time over Halloween weekend with our children. We’re so excited to make memories there and be able to visit our Missouri family easily, stay for as long as we want, and bring our dogs with us. We’re extremely grateful … like WOW.

I would also credit this house in some of my style transition because decorating it without any mid-century influence opened up a whole new part of me.

I can pinpoint it specifically to the first time I bought an antique chandelier for the pink house. It was SO beautiful and full of character. I know it sounds cheesy, but it changed me! I fell fully in love with traditional and historic decor throughout the process of furnishing this house.

The second big pivot of 2021 was completely changing my mood board for our Tennessee home remodel. I feel SO lucky we didn’t do very much remodeling before I made the swap. You can see my original mood board (made just 12 months ago) here.

I am very grateful we lived in the house more than a full year before renovating. It gave me a chance to get to know the house, but also to get to know my own vision for it. The year I spent imagining and reimagining was such a gift!!! I am so, so grateful we didn’t start renovating before we moved in.

Alright! That’s it for now. Soon, I’ll share our plans for 2022! If you’ve been following on IG, you know we are already DEEP in a renovation of six rooms—the living room, dining, entry, powder bathroom, hidden library (!!!!) and the main bedroom.

2022 is going to be a very exciting renovating year on the blog.

Sending love to all of you! xx- Elsie