Well, she redid her back deck and sweetly sent the eye candy our way. And we were instantly in love. It’s so welcoming and full of awesome DIY inspiration.

What do I mean by DIY inspiration? Let’s look a little closer at the daybed under that sweet breezy canopy (that Jaime made here).

When you get even closer you’ll notice that the daybed…

… is actually made from pallets! Check out a full tutorial on how Jaime built it (all by herself) here.

And just look at this cozy eating area. I love the mix of smooth and natural (textured light + shiny metal chairs = be still me beating heart). You know I’m a sucker for that graphic chevron bench cushion and the sweet hanging fabric garlands (that Jaime also made herself – deets here).

Is that not a delicious outdoor room? Yes I just channeled Martyn Lawrence-Bullard from Million Dollar Decorators and said delicious. What can I say, I’m excited. I love how it feels enclosed and private yet open and airy at the same time.

This table setting = yesssssss.

And John is obsessed with the bike-wheel-ish details at the bottom of this sideboard.

Let’s not overlook the ceramic animal party going on next to this awesome oversized jug of pink lemonade. Makes me giddy.

Check out Jaime’s blog for all the where-she-got-it-details (and even more amazing photos). But first let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. I’m gonna go with the awesome woven light fixture and the gorgeous pallet daybed. Girl power.

Psst- Jaime’s friend Raya snapped these photos for her, so we wanted to give her credit over here too. Oh and click here to check out all of our other House Crashing adventures (or sort things by room or color here).

Psssst- Speaking of House Crashing, one of our favorite houses that we ever crashed is officially for sale. So if you’re looking for a gorgeous casa in Charlotte, click here for more info (and here and here to see two house crashing posts devoted to it).

That’s Dad and Mom right after moving day back in May (they’ve since painted the lavender door bright red). I’ve mentioned before how they sold their house of 32 years in Northern Virginia (aka, my childhood home) and relocated two hours south in Richmond to be closer to some of their kids/grandkids and downsize to an easier-to-maintain home (part of my mom’s retirement goals was to never have to mulch again). They landed in a beautiful new-ish community of duplexes about 15 minutes from our place and, despite it being smidge smaller, in many ways it feels quite grand in comparison to their previous digs. Just take their half bath as an example.

A lot of the design of the house is courtesy of the previous owners (my parents have been there less than 4 months) and when house hunting, my parents feared their style was a bit too formal for their tastes (their last bathrooms were more of the bold paint variety, not the floral wallpaper type). But somewhere along the way they figured “I’m retired, so who says I can’t have an ornate gold mirror in my half bath?”

We totally dig it. Maybe it’s partially just the pleasure of seeing my parents embrace a new style, but it’s also just fun to go into a house that takes risks or makes decisions you wouldn’t necessary think of for yourself. You know, it helps you stretch a little. And clearly my Mom is learning to love her new look, as she purchased this light fixture from Ballard Designs to replace what the previous owners had taken with them. She said she “never thought that she’d purchase something like this in a million years” but it’s really playful and goes perfectly in there.

Even at just four months in, my parents are making the place their own. For instance, the previous owners left them the great drapes and large ceiling medallion… but no chandelier. So my parents actually moved this slightly-too-large-for-the-space fixture from their breakfast nook into the dining room, where it’s much better suited. Three cheers for working with what you got.

While they’ve definitely had to purchase some new furniture to better fit the space, they’re also have fun mixing in their existing pieces – like this awesome wicker chair scored at Pottery Barn a few years ago. The side table is a new on-sale find from Ballard Design. Sherry has said it’s her favorite thing in the whole house. It has little clawed feet clutching a ball on the bottom, and it is of course her favorite finish (ORB).

That chair sits in the large open living room, which has great lofted ceilings, some sweet built-ins and a cozy electric fireplace.

Of course, the most popular conversation piece in their new home is this custom cabinet. Most of the houses in the development have a little builder-basic white closet here, but the previous owners went all out and had a piece designed using reclaimed wood and ironwork from Caravati’s (a local architectural salvage place).  The old owners used it as a liquor cabinet, but my non-drinking parents display frames & dinnerware on its top shelves (those top doors flip open and slide into the piece so they’re invisible) and store photo albums and games in the bottom drawers which are hidden behind the two doors on the bottom.

The cabinet sits beside their kitchen, which has an awesome island in the middle (it houses the sink and dishwasher) as well as a killer pantry cabinet at the far right. Not to mention another pantry closet that’s not pictured (it’s on the far left beyond the magnet board on the wall).

We’re jealous of a lot of things in here – awesome black-but-still-subtly-flecky granite, extra-hight ceilings, stainless appliances, etc, etc. Good thing we get to come over for dinner regularly.

Oh, and here’s that breakfast nook I mentioned that once housed the much-bigger dining room chandelier, which they replaced with a more modestly-sized one from Ballard Designs. And see those colorful chairs? They’re from Pier 1. My mom called us up and said “come see the chairs I got for the breakfast nook, they’re unlike anything I would ever have chosen even a year ago – I’m so in love with them.” It’s so fun to watch them have fun with new things for their new house.

Just beyond those big bright windows in the kitchen is their patio. It’s perfectly sized for them… and the fence is great for keeping the grandkids from running away! We’ve already broken in a plastic baby pool out there (Clara didn’t want to leave).

The second story of the house features a large landing that acts as my dad’s office and a play area when grandkids are visiting, plus two guest bedrooms – including this one that we stayed in during the whole no-power-for-three-days-after-Huricane-Irene thing. It was already painted that warm color (wish we knew the name to share it, but my parents inherited already-painted walls in every room, so they don’t have a clue). Oh but the bed frame is from Ballard Design (my mom likes to wait for sales and use coupon codes).

We didn’t get pics of the other guest room (Clara was napping in it) or the master (that’s still sort of a work in progress) but maybe someday we’ll snap those for you to complete the tour when my parents have had a bit more time to settle in (they’re such good sports for letting us crash a house they’ve lived in for, oh, 380 fewer months than their last place).

Oh, and I can’t forget one of our favorite features of the house. This is a brick from our old house (removed during our first home’s kitchen doorway widening project) that we gave to them a few years ago. I can’t remember the exact occasion (maybe there wasn’t one) but they’ve had it out on their new doorstep since day 1.

Oh, and in related news, we heard the new owners of my parents’ old home are having a great time there. They’re a family with young kids that are having a blast befriending other kids in the neighborhood, so it seems that the ol’ cul de sac is once again seeing some of the action it had back in the ’80s when my generation was there. Though I did hear that my sister’s old bedroom is now Baltimore Ravens purple. Wow.

Psst- Check out a ton of other House Crashing adventures here, or search through individual rooms for inspiration (by color or type of room) here.

Her porch was super charming with everything from a pretty light blue ceiling to a chippy old door and a happy red vintage mailbox. And you know I love those extra wide porch steps, right?

Once inside there’s a grand staircase that leads upstairs and a fun shimmering silver wall that Wendy painted herself with craft store paint when she was bored. Naturally we hit it off since I’m known to go a little crazy with craft store paint too (as seen here). Wendy said she just pulled it up and down the wall in sort of a “dry brush” method, so it looks like fun metallic wallpaper with a vertical “grain.” We also thought those three exterior lights over the art were really fun and unexpected.

If you look to your right while standing in that subtly metallic hallway, you see the dining room. And yes, John and I were utterly smitten with the cool pink industrial cart on casters. See the white duck on the top shelf? Yeah, basically I said “I’m home” and ran in and geeked out about it. Composure is a beautiful thing to lose. Anyway, check out the fun metal stars above the doorway with the small framed art dancing around up there. So playful and cool. Of course Clara loved the doggie too.

When you walk further into the dining room there’s an awesome old fireplace and a school-sized chalkboard that’s jam-packed with scribbles, notes, and letters to and from visitors. It’s really amazing. Oh and do you notice that the table is also the same metallic color as the entry hallway? Wendy was having a New Year’s party and thought her dining room “needed something” so she painted the table silver with her daughter – just for fun. Coolest mom ever? She’s definitely in the running.

Wendy had some of the most stunning lights we’ve ever seen. Check out this handsome guy:

It was really inspiring to learn that Wendy has hunted down nearly all of the stuff in her house from places like local thrift stores and secondhand shops (she loves Trash To Treasure on Lakeside Ave). She even finds things on the side of the road, yet her place looks so elegant and – well, expensive. Here’s my beloved pink castered cart up close and personal. And my white duck friend. Is he not the best looking wood duck you’ve ever seen? I like how he slyly tucks into the top shelf looking dapper.

When you enter you can also turn to your left to see the living room, complete with a giant teal sofa that Wendy saved up for after “visiting it at the store a bunch of times” (it’s from La Diff here in Richmond). Wendy’s basically me in another (more stylish) body. I visited Karl The Sectional for months before we got him. So I understand the deep sofa love that she described. And look- more fun metal stars over the doorway:

I was immediately drawn to the giant clock over the piano. It was actually a gift from her father so it’s really meaningful along with being just plain cool. And do you notice something about the coffee table? It’s another old cart on casters. So simple yet full of character. This was just one of those houses that you feel so comfortable and casual and “welcomed” as soon as you step inside. It’s a wonder I didn’t flop down on the big teal sofa for a little afternoon nap (well, it’s actually not a wonder because Clara doesn’t let me get away with that sort of thing).

And now for a clock close up:

Here’s the view from the piano looking into the entryway and the dining room beyond:

Oh and this is the view from the teal sofa. Yup, there’s yet another awesome original fireplace. And see that awesome tripod floor lamp in front of the fireplace? That’s one of Wendy’s designs. It was so gorgeous in person- this photo doesn’t do it justice. I could totally picture it in a Candice Olson room or something.

Beyond the stairs that lead upstairs was a nice spacious washroom. Aren’t those old doors cool? Wendy made them. Yeah- she added a chippy paint technique along with some architectural salvage finds (the iron grates, the handles, and even the ornate corner pieces) to create two one of a kind doors that obscure her washer & dryer.

This was one of those awesome old homes with tons of character, so this is a shot of her second staircase. Yup, she has two. The front one and this one, which is right off of the kitchen and the washroom. So cool. And I loved that she hung a basket on the wall like that. It kind of looked like a faux tortoise shell. And you know how I get about animal decor…

Here’s her awesome kitchen with an old cabinet in the center of the room. She got it from a school that was getting rid of it and remagined it as a kitchen island. John and I fawned over all those long skinny drawers. I also really loved how she hung what looked like a plate rack vertically and stuffed it with napkins and linens. Sweet.

Here’s a guest room in the back of the house. Once again Wendy wowed us with her use of charming old items in new ways.

This time it was those chipped multi-colored shutters, where she hung a little tin basket of faux blooms:

Wendy was a really inspiring “curator” (which is probably why she gets paid to style things for a living, haha). John and I especially loved this asymmetric wall of frames, shelves, letters, and even old lighting hoops that Wendy had on hand.

Here’s Wendy’s master bedroom with a charming four poster bed that called my name. Don’t worry, I restrained myself and did not try to swan dive into it. But Clara tried. Twice.

And here’s her light and airy master bath. Doesn’t it look like a beach house out of a magazine? I loved the breezy little half-curtains and the weathered old secondhand dresser that Wendy uses for linens and towels.

So there you have it. A local home here in Richmond that we’re still talking about. Thanks so much to Wendy for letting us poke around! And get this, Wendy is selling her gorgeous house. So if anyone’s interested, you can contact her through her site. Now let’s play the favorite part game. I’m dying for the pink cart on casters, the cutie pie white duck decoy, and the soft blue paint on the porch ceiling. Meanwhile John will not shut up about the giant clock. But is anyone really surprised by that?

Psst- Check out our recently created inspiration gallery (where you can search by color or room) with over 330 other stunning spaces!

This new “Inspiration Gallery” follows the same basic format as the existing Mood Board Gallery, only these are actual photos of rooms that might come in handy when you’re looking for ideas for your casa (you know, as opposed to boards full of furnishings and accessories). We’ve uploaded pics from over thirty House Crashing adventures as well as some of our solved Design Dilemmas (which gives you over 340 pictures to peruse) and we plan to beef things up over the next few weeks by adding images from all of our previous Reader Redesigns too. You know, once I can see straight again.

Things are tagged by color and room (just like in our mood board gallery) which means you can search by room or by color scheme if you’d like. So if you’re jonesing for blue rooms or only want to browse kitchens, you can indicate that on the main page or the sidebar to hone in on what you want. Oh and to find out more about each room and see a close up, just click on the thumbnail. As always, it’s nothing fancy since our coding philosophy is just like our home improvement one (learn as you go). So please pardon any glitches or less than perfect searching capabilities and let us know if you find any broken links or typos.

We’ve also added a fun little rating feature. So if you’ve got the warm fuzzies for a particular pic, show it some love by clicking the heart icon below it on the photo detail page. It won’t put that room into a “favorites folder” or anything (in order to code that people would have to sign in, which is beyond our skill level and not everyone likes logging in anyway) but the rooms getting the most love will show up on the sidebar under the “Most Loved Rooms” title – which means everyone will have quick access to whichever rooms the crowd is finding to be the most inspirational. And they’ll constantly change as people continue to explore and weigh in, so that should be kinda fun.

So feel free to poke around and make yourself at home in our new digs (which will just keep growing as we continue to add photos). It’s definitely somewhere I expect to find Sherry all the time (we don’t get out of the house much). Can’t wait to see which rooms pop up as favorites.

Every once in a while a shop or office inspires us so much that we decide to crash it (just like we did when it came to this fun kids consignment shop). And we weaseled our way into this office space for Towne & Reese (a jewelry company named after two Charlotte ladies’ kids) thanks to a house crashing adventure from a few years back. You have to remember this one, right? Here are a few shots to jog your memory:

And here’s a pic of the cute couple with their darling daughter Towne out front (from back when we house crashed them):

That good looking couple happen to be Christi and Barret. And Christi happens to be 50% of Towne & Reese (which makes sense of the fact that her daughter’s name is 50% of the moniker). You still with me? Anyway, since Christi’s brain runneth over with amazing style, we couldn’t leave Charlotte without stopping in to see what she did with a bland blank-slate office space. Here’s what it looked like before she got to work:

And here’s what it looks like these days. When you walk in you see a charming bright blue wall emblazoned with their sweet company logo (created by this amazing couple that we’ve also House Crashed – Charlotte is a small town, haha). Gotta love that they put a bird on it.

And see that lovely rug (scored on sale at Anthropologie)? That was the inspiration for the entire office makeover. For example Christi plucked the blue for the wall (Valspar’s Tropical Oasis) right out of the rug (she also got another accent color from the rug that she used in another area, but more on that in a minute). Oh and the leather pouf and awesome side table are from a local shop called Post & Gray.

To the right of the logo wall with the rug-that-inspired-it-all is another teal wall (still Valspar’s Tropical Oasis) covered with their jewelry.

How creative and sweet are the linen canvases that Christi picked up in a variety of shapes and sizes which she uses to pin up all of their gorgeous bling? Sidenote: I know that the word bling was supposed to be dead once our parents started using it, but I just can’t let it die.

Intermixed with the linen canvases is a giant secondhand mirror that Christi got at Post & Gray. It’s huge and such a statement piece among all the jewelry. And it’s even functional (if a buyer shows up and wants to toss on a necklace from the wall there’s a spot to check out the goods).

Christi got the linen canvases really inexpensively from Binders (there’s a location in Charlotte, but they have a website too). Never wanting to pay more than she needs to Christi signed up to be a “preferred customer” (which is completely free) to score some pretty amazing canvas deals. She says that she’s never found better canvas sales anywhere else.

Here’s a better shot of the insanely cool giant mirror. It was literally as tall as I am and I loved the cool grass-cloth-ish texture and ornate design at the top. Oh and from this POV you can see a sliver of the other color that Christi pulled from the rug for another punchy accent wall in a zone beyond the wall of canvases:

How much fun is that splash of raspberry on the wall beyond their charming old meeting/conference table? That paint color is Panama Rose by Olympic. The rugs both came from Ikea and the table was a secondhand score at a local shop called The Sleepy Poet.

As for those great metal chairs, they were from Overstock. Four are just $193, which made them just 48 beans each (she has two extras in another area). Oh and the extremely convincing greenery on the table is Ikea too. I thought it was real. That was embarrassing.

Here’s the view if you walk up to the raspberry wall of frames and turn around to face the table. On the right there’s a little shelf with some great black stools lined up (those are also from Overstock, scored for $45 a pop) and the richest darkest not-cloudy-est chalkboard paint we’ve seen. Ever.

And that chalkboard paint is carried over to the other wall across from the raspberry frame wall as well. We had to know the exact type of paint that came out so deep and rich (sometimes it looks kind of cloudy and gray) so Christi hooked us up with the info: it’s Valspar’s Chalkboard Paint from Lowe’s. Good to know.

Guess who made those scribbles? Hint: remember the name of the company. Yup, that’s Towne and Reese’s handiwork along with a few of their buddies. Gotta love a kid-friendly office complete with a small Ikea table with sweet little colored poufs from Urban Outfitters.

Is Christi not a total genius at mixing elegant stylish industrial pieces (those metal chairs and black stools) with secondhand finds (the conference table, the giant mirror), inexpensive finds (Ikea and Urban Outfitters items), bold colors (those pink and blue accent walls) and fun touches (the grid of kid and jewelry photos, the chalkboard wall, the linen canvases of jewelry, the kid station in the corner)? I was running around drooling and squealing. It was not a good look. Forgive me oh fashionable and composed jewelry designing women.

Here’s one last peek into their gorgeous space (once again Christi brought in a little bit of old thanks to this secondhand buffet from Post & Gray). But look how great it looks with the sleek industrial metal seating and the raspberry wall peeking out from around the corner.

Oh and file this under so-charming-and-boutique-y-that-I-want-to-do-it-at-home:

Yup those are just dry beans on a plate with rings happily bathing in them. Once again, I bow to Christi and her fun creative approach to decorating on a budget and making her space feel so happy and inviting. What a great place to work, eh? Snaps for Christi. And a big thank you to Jessica, the other 50% of Towne & Reese (yup, you guessed it, she’s Reese’s mom). She was just as sweet as Christi. And on top of letting me traipse around drooling and shouting unintelligible things like “Ohmygooooooooons!” and “Chalkblort paint!” they wanted to hook you guys up with a discount code for their entire line of jewelry. So feel free to drop by this online dealer of their lovely wares and enter YOUNGHOUSELOVE15 to score 15% off. Anyway, thanks for showing us a good time in an office building of all places, Christi and Jessica. Smooch those sweet jewelry-inspiring kiddos of yours for us.

So, who wants to play the what’s your favorite part game? I’m having a hard time narrowing things down, but I think the linen canvases, the black stools, and that happy raspberry wall are awesome with a capital AWE.

Psst- Check out other awesome places that we’ve crashed here.

Psssst- We crashed an nursery-turned-big-girl-room over on BabyCenter today. Come on ovah (ovah is the new over).

Since they tackled such an amazing makeover, we decided to toss in some before pictures to show you just how far Kristen, Stan, and their one year old son Davis have taken it (well, Davis was in the belly most of the time- they worked hard to complete their renovations just days before he was born). And in baby compatibility news, he and Clara got along swimmingly. Cute, huh?

Here’s the photo we shared in last week’s sneak peek, but now we have actual info for ya. Like that gorgeous oversized lantern above the island is by Troy Lighting (here’s a link), the vent hood is a GE Profile 36″ island hood, and the butcher block counter is from Locust Lumber (right outside of Charlotte).

And look at the spread they tossed together to greet us! Nuts, chocolate candies, ice cold grapefruit drinks, and even animal crackers for the kids. Did I mention this family was sweeter than sweet?

Of course I played the role of Debbie Downer by suggesting that we wait to eat/drink so we could snap our photos beforehand. You don’t wanna know what that island looked like after we snacked (just picture scrunched up napkins full of half nibbled animal crackers, a few matchbox cars, and a bunch of empty glasses).

So we ran around grabbing photos as fast as we could (animal crackers awaited!). Here’s a wider view of the lovely kitchen that leads out into their family room:

And this is what the kitchen looked like from the same angle before they started their renovations about a year and a half ago:

Pretty darn amazing, eh? Here’s the other view of the kitchen from the now-adjoined family room (well, I guess it was always adjoined, it just had a tiny door and now has a nice wide opening).

Here’s the same angle before the makeover:

Any open jaws? Ours totally were when we checked out those before pics. Here’s a nice shot of the whole family room now, complete with pillows and table lamps from Target and a handsome worn leather chair from the Mitchell Gold outlet in Hickory, NC.

Just for fun, here’s a before shot of that room. Isn’t it stunning how much some light paint (with primer) on that paneling did for the room (Kristen actually followed our tutorial). And of course that big opening to the kitchen changed the space immensely too.

But back to the room as it looks now, I was in love with the casual and welcoming mix of textures and furnishings. Nothing was matchy-matchy but it all felt layered and inviting. Like the big patterned rug (handed down from Stan’s mom and dad) along with the old chair that Kristen recovered using this navy geometric fabric. The red side table was a an old secondhand wood one that she transformed with red spray paint (True Red from Lowe’s) and some spray on high-gloss finish (for a lacquered look).

Kristen also let us poke through some other rooms in the house, even though they’re still a work in progress. Look how sweetly this little guest room is coming along. I love the matching headboards (another lucky hand-me-down from Stan’s parents) along with those fun pillows from West Elm and the cheerful rug from Crate & Barrel. I’m sure when Kristen finishes up in there it’ll look even more amazing.

We also snuck some shots of Davis’ nursery because there were great ideas all over the place. See the fun patterned curtains? Kristen made them with fabric from Duralee. And since she’s such a fan of layering cheerful textiles, she brought in another pattern (from Etsy, called Teeny Tiny Zoo, in the color “Pool” by Alexander Henry) for the pillow and even covered her drum shade with it (for anyone who wants to cover their own lampshade with fabric, here’s a tutorial we wrote a while back).

We also loved the DIY-ability of these awesome painted canvases. Kristen got them from this fun boutique (actually as a gift from a friend), but you could print out animals, cut out their silhouettes, trace them onto canvases, and fill in the space around them with paint in varying tones for a similar look.

The mobile was also adorbs. Yup, I said adorbs. Anyway, it was made of felt by Eleni Creative, and worked so well with the fun animal fabric… which Kristen used as mats behind some sweet baby photos that she framed above the crib. Genius.

So there you have Kristen, Stan, and sweet little Davis’ lovely house in Charlotte. Thanks so much for letting us swing by and share the photos! Let’s bring down the house for the whole fam and play our usual what’s-your-favorite-part game. Ours were that amaaazing lantern hanging above the island in the kitchen, the fabric covered shade in the nursery, and that awesome navy chair and red end table in the family room.

Psst- Still in a snooping mood? Check out a ton of other houses that we’ve crashed right here.

Psssst- John and I saw Bridesmaids this weekend (our second movie at a theatre since Clara was born!). 1) It was hilarious. 2) I had lots of fun noticing a heart shaped earring and short skirt pattern when it came to Kristen Wiig’s wardrobe. 3) I wanted every single dress that her rival was wearing. Anyone else?

And here are Jennifer and her sweet six week old daughter Eleanor to let us in:

Here’s the gorgeous view that greets you when you step in the front door, which you might recognize from yesterday’s surprise-we-were-road-tripping post. Seriously, I pretty much walked into this house and went crazy with delight and excitement. So sorry for jabbering mindlessly and running around screaming, Jennifer. Your house is just too much goodness for my brain to handle.

When it comes to that gorgeous tonal zebra carpeting on the stairs, it’s by Stark. And that gigantic mouthwatering mirror is from Circa (well, I’m 90% sure that’s what she said – remember my brain was exploding). I think the lights on the floating console are also from Circa, but I’ve seen dead ringers at HomeGoods along with other starburst mirrors. So checking there (or at their sister stores: TJ Maxx or Marshall’s) can help you get the look for less. And speaking of that floating console, how cool is that? Finding a four-drawered piece like that at a thrift store or garage sale and adding nail heads around the edge of each drawer along with ring hooks could mimic the look. You could even remove the legs and mount it on the wall like Jennifer did. The girl is creative to the nth degree.

Behold, the kitchen. The cool thing is that it wasn’t a massive space but Jennifer made the most out of it by adding as much function (along with a heaping portion of form) as she could. The steel pendants (by Visual Comfort) provide task lighting for the island, which is packed with useful range space as well as food prep area on either side and a spot to sit and eat in front of the cooktop. And instead of using pricey granite or marble, Jennifer actually chose poured concrete for the top of the island, which was molded to wrap around the base of the cabinets on each side like a parsons desk. I was in lurve (she also said it held up really well for those considering DIYing concrete counters like this previous House Crashing homeowner did here).

There were two small areas next to the sink with marble, but it was actually scored as a remnant to save loot (using concrete for the majority of the kitchen was definitely a money saving choice). And how great are those simple clean-lined shelves on either side of the window? So simple and sweet. The faucet is Rohl (I love the raised neck) but overstock.com often has similar looking versions for those on a budget (you might have to check back a few times since they seem to go fast).

Oh and did you notice that cluster of items under the shelves in the photo above? I loved this idea. Jennifer got a few glass apothecary jars (HomeGoods, Marshall’s, and TJ Maxx sell these for under $15) and filled them with kitchen stuff like granola, pretzels, and cookies. Such a chic way to dress up any counter.

And file this under never-seen-it-before-but-I-went-crazy. The fridge is “quilted” with a cool diamond pattern that actually bumps out ever so slightly to create a faceted textured look. Jennifer went with standard GE appliances, but she sent the door of her fridge to a guy in Atlanta who added the special detailing for a completely customized look.

Beyond the kitchen was the dining room, which was a gorgeous contrast to the light and lovely space.

It felt moody and luxe thanks to darker tones (in that stunning wallpaper and those great gray velvet drapes). If you’re looking to recreate this look on the cheap you could always experiment with a light gray stencil on a dark gray wall. You could even dye some $7 Ikea curtains (we like the Vivan ones) in a deep gray tone. It won’t be completely the same (the sheen of the wallpaper and the texture of the velvet curtains is amazing) but it would definitely swank things up and add that moody vibe.

And how amazing is the light fixture? This picture doesn’t even do it justice (it’s by Baker). You can kind of see the shadows that it casts on the ceiling but it was ten times cooler in person. Oh and look closely at the chairs above. See those cool hardware handles on the back of each one? Those are also the brainchild of Jennifer, who added them because she thought it would be easier to pull them out (and they might save the upholstery a bit more since grubby hands won’t constantly be gripping the sides). Is she a thinker or what? I love that no detail was left unaddressed. Especially since I know firsthand how hard it is to have focus like that when you’re furnishing a house (it’s so easy to get caught up in the big stuff and forget about all the cool little finishing touches that make a room feel personal and functional).

Here we have the cozy living room with a gorgeous ottoman that I wanted to strap on top of our Altima and take home. It was covered with this amazing painted fabric. That’s right, I said painted fabric. It was a velour/velvet type upholstery that was stenciled with paint and then weathered/distressed/worn down so it looked irregular and tonal and amazing. The weathering process (sanding it down) made it soft, so it didn’t feel crunchy or hard. Just textured and special. I’ve never seen anything like it.

So for anyone brave enough to try stenciling velvet our velour with watered down paint and then sanding it with high grit sandpaper for a weathered and worn in look, I can tell you firsthand that it might just be the coolest thing you ever do. In your life. Ok that might be an exaggeration (creating a human or graduating college might be up there too).

Oh and see those pieces of fabric folded over the top of each arm chair? Once again Jennifer used her brainpower to creatively solve a problem. Her cat loves to jump up from the floor to the back of her chairs, so draping some pretty fabric over the back of each chair was her solution to keep the chair’s upholstery from being clawed (it’s much easier to switch out the draped fabric if it gets ruined than redo the chair). Smart right? And that’s something you can make with a fabric remnant and some Heat N Bond (or a sewing machine if you’re getting braver every day like I am).

Aren’t those built-ins gorgeous? I loved the elegant greeny-gray color (try Benjamin Moore’s Senora Gray for a similar look), and the hidden storage underneath will definitely come in handy when it comes to stashing Eleanor’s toys.

Since Jennifer loves to add unexpected pattern and texture from room to room (like her light kitchen next to her ornate wallpapered dining room), she thought the small powder room was the perfect place for a little more wallpapered drama. It was a very small room so we were really impressed with her bravery (bold pattern, dark trim, dark sink) but it looked like a bling-y little jewel box instead of a tiny and bland little builder bathroom, so it was such a great call.

I also loved the dark modern sink, which was poured concrete just like the kitchen island. And the faucet is by Kohler (so sexy, right?) which often ends up on overstock.com or a place like plumbersurplus.com for those in a deal-hunting mood.

This room is a little office/bill paying area that was another modestly sized space that Jennifer maximized with a skinny floating desk and two comfy chairs (so much more inviting than traditional office chairs and still just as functional). And those amazing paneled walls make you notice the luxe architecture of the room instead of how small it is. As for how they attained that paneled look, it’s just cheap wood from the home improvement store that they used to create a rectangular grid pattern with molding around the edges to finish each one off. Then they just painted it all for a seamless effect.

Oh yeah and this mirror is another thing I wanted to sneak out with. How pretty is that patina-riddled glass? It’s an antique from Circa, but there are tutorials online for antiquing your own mirror (like this one), so finding something new and then glazing the frame and patina-ing the glass could yield something similar on a budget.

Jennifer and her husband are hardcore art collectors, and one of their favorite pieces is this giant figure by Carl Plansky. It’s such an amazing focal point in a hallway without much else going on (except for that cool zebra runner which snaked upstairs). A giant abstractly painted canvas (made by you) or even a large wooden frame with colorful fabric stretched around it could add similar color and boldness.

And of course little Eleanor needed a nursery to call her own, and Jennifer didn’t spare a single detail. The gorgeous chandelier is from Circa and the dresser is actually her own childhood dresser that she painted to work with the wallpaper.

Speaking of the wallpaper, here’s a shot that might be easier to make out. It was actually these tone on tone vines that snaked up the wall with squirrels and birds on some of the branches. So sweet yet sophisticated. I felt like I was in an enchanted forest.

And you know I love a good quatrefoil worked in there, so of course this lamp was yet another thing I wanted to grab while screaming “what’s that over there?” and running out to the car with it while Jennifer looked the other way. But I didn’t. It looked perfect right where it was. And how cool is the camel pillow (by Rikshaw Design)? I love how it layers in with the tones of the room while adding more of that “enchanted animals” vibe from the wallpaper and the giant giraffe near the crib. Clara was in love with this room (and that camel pillow in particular).

So there you have one of three house crashing adventures (well one was actually an office crashing) of which we partook during our weekend road trip. We’ll be back to share the other two in a little while (we don’t want them to be jammed on top of each other and we’re still waiting on some source info for those, but they’re definitely coming within the next week or two). Oh but we can’t sign off without sending a huge thank you to Jennifer and her sweet family for so graciously letting us in to snap photos for you guys (even with such a fresh little newborn around)! They were amazing and we’re so happy that we were able to stop by. Now let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. Mine is the floating nailhead console with the sunburst mirror over it. And the poured concrete counter that runs up and down the side of the island. Le sigh.

Psst- Wanna check out other house crashing adventures? We have them all right here.

More random pssst- Is anyone else watching The Voice? I’m in love with Dia and Xenia. Who are your picks?

The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams Alchemy on top and Grandiose on bottom (she couldn’t decide on a color so she used both). And the island, sink, and shelves hail from Ikea while the rug is by Dash & Albert (from a shop in Ruston, Louisiana called Chartreuse Pear).

And that wall of smoky and sophisticated glass tile? Cue the breathy amorous sigh. She got that from Lincoln Flooring (also in Ruston, Louisiana).

Here’s the large and lovely living room with a come-hither sectional and cushy round ottoman (from Haverty’s and Overstock)…

… that faces a sweetly rustic brick fireplace with airy lofted ceilings.

Everything right down to the little details (like this showstopping mirror from Pier 1) seems to scream come on in and make yourself at home.

I can totally imagine myself curled up on that sofa reading a book. Is that creepy? Sorry.

And I can picture myself sitting here at the dining table scarfing some pita chips and hummus. Too much? Ok. I’ll try to keep it casual. Check out the great paneled ceiling and those sleek bulb lights (from West Elm) over the farmhouse-ish table (from Material Things in Monroe, LA). The chairs and picture ledges are from Ikea and that amazing folk art cow painting is by Erickson T. Wright.

Once again Kelly has managed to mix something rustic with something sleek for a gorgeous result (just like her stainless appliances & her charming apron sink or the clean-lined sectional & the weathered brick fireplace).

And let’s just say that Kelly isn’t afraid of color. Here’s her bold master bedroom which is painted Sherwin Williams Kimono (complete with a perfectly complementary little girl in a yellow dress- that’s her daughter Posey, isn’t she sweet?). The fun industrial-chic chandelier is from West Elm, the bed is from Ashley Furniture, the curtains are from Walmart, and the bedding is from Kohl’s.

And speaking of Po (as Posey’s affectionately known) here’s her playful room full of everything from the alphabet and a world map (thanks to lettered animal decals from Blik and a sweet oversized map from Urban Outfitters draped casually in front of the window). Gotta love working in some “learning” in such a hip way. And let’s just say that I’m in love with the L-O-V-E pillow cases (from Urban Outfitters) with hand shadows that spell out the word.

What a fun and stimulating space for a gorgeous little girl. Oh and the paint is Sherwin William’s Hot. It’s definitely poppy and fun. Kinda like Po.

So there you have Kelly’s astoundingly cool home. Thanks so much to Kelly and her family for letting us virtually snoop around and share the goods! Feel free to head over to her blog to learn more (or to ask any questions here, where she’ll hopefully drop in). And let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. My faves are that rich and glossy glass tile in the kitchen and that insanely inviting jumbo sectional. And Po. Ok, your turn.

How funny is that photo? You can already tell their house is going to playful and charming, right? Here’s the dining room, full of geometric pattern and rustic elegance thanks to the mix of the stenciled wall (Ryan did it himself) and the reclaimed wood table (Ryan built it himself). Notice a theme here? Ryan is handy. And guess who’s obsessed with the big wood horse on the table and the white deer head from ZGallerie on the wall? Hint: me.

Here’s the lovely kitchen that overlooks the dining room. The island was scored at Target (for just $75, down from $300!) and the chandelier was from Home Depot (they tweaked it by adding a gray shade). Their counters are concrete to continue Courtney’s love of gray.

And here’s the living room, complete with a fun photo collage flanked by sconces…

… and a pretty vanity (which used to be her mom’s) that Courtney revived and repurposed as a desk. Oh and the curtains are from West Elm (scored on sale).

Their master bedroom is gorgeous too, with more fun patterns and colors coming into play (note: not only is Ryan handy, he’s down with pink and florals – what a guy). The curtains are actually shower curtains and the pink dresser was $50 from craigslist (Courtney painted it Coral Gables from Sherwin Williams). And I have two words about the gold rhino head on the wall: I die.

But easily the most playful and graphic room of the bunch is little Olly’s nursery. See that amazing geometric wall on the right? It’s actually another…

… stencil! Yup, they DIYed that whole thing a stencil and some paint over two months of on and off labor (clarification: Courtney wasn’t in labor for two months, the wall stenciling process was two months of manual labor).

Look how amazing that is! It looks so sweet with their painted four poster crib (how elegant is that by the way- they found it on craigslist) which happens to have a little homemade no-sew crib skirt just like Clara’s. Oh and as for the crib decor, the pillows are removed before bed and the garland has since been relocated (safety first).

Here’s another angle of Olly’s room complete with giant horse art and a big white resin rhino head (from ZGallerie). Yes, I am also obsessed with those. And Courtney found that amazing yellow mantel for just $50 (marked down from $200) so she knew it was perfect for the room.

And because sometimes the details do it for me, I thought I’d leave you with this pretty little tablescape from the kitchen. How sweet is that cheese cutter? Courtney found it at a store in DC called Trohv. Love it.

So a huge thanks goes out to Courtney, Ryan, and Olly for letting us share their gorgeous and oh so creative home. You can check out Courtney’s blog for more photos and info, but first lets play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. I’m obsessed with the wall stencils in the dining room and Olly’s room along with the huge rustic wooden horse on the dining room table. Yes please. Oh and that gold rhino in the bedroom? Saweeeet. And John loves the rustic dining table that Ryan built along with that hilarious cheese cutter. And he wants to know why we don’t have a mustached family photo of our own. Good question indeed.

Psst- Check out all the other houses that we’ve crashed right here.

Her house was actually built in 1940, but she and her husband Jim added an awesome addition to the back of the house in 2009 which included a new kitchen. And it just happened to be one of the most amazing ones we’ve ever been in. So we’ll cut right to the chase. You can see it down the hallway near the front door…

… and it’s glorious. Is it not? Everything from the thick crown molding and the vintage-esque lights over the island (from Amazon) to the crisp subway tile and gorgeous glass fronted cabinets had us at hello.

We also really loved the black honed granite counters paired with the white cabinets and the stainless steel appliances. And that hood was amazing. Jim actually made it. Yes, it was fantastic. And the pot filler was snagged for around $75 on clearance when Home Depot Expo closed. I think hoods and pot fillers like this are what dreams are made of.

The kitchen opens up to a family room on the other side of the large multifunctional space. And yes, you can watch TV on this flatscreen while cooking. Life is good for Melissa. We especially loved the striped tone-on-tone drapes (from JC Penney) and the cozy gas fireplace. This is one of those awesome family homes where people really live (see the toys tucked into that corner on the right and all the books on those built-ins on the left?).

The back of the house shows the 2009 addition that we mentioned (the kitchen and that family room were added along with a master bedroom and bath upstairs). Which means Melissa and her husband got to create this gorgeous back patio with nice wide steps leading out to a grassy play area for their son and daughter.

There’s also a more formal living room in the front of the house, and the fireplace was especially lovely thanks to the crisp lines of the mantel.

Here’s another little stolen detail, just a quick shot of a frame arrangement on the stairs leading up to the second level (she got the M at Ross for $6). So personal and sweet.

Here’s their son’s room which had custom floor to ceiling built-ins that Jim actually made himself. Talk about getting tons of function out of one wall. And the rocking horse was DIYed by Jim’s father (handiness runs in the family).

And here’s their daughter’s room with a charming cherry branch mural on the wall (from ebay) and a DIYed nightstand by Melissa (don’t you love the large white stripe down the center?).

The master is airy and welcoming with a nice peaked ceiling and lots of windows.

The bed even had sort of an exotic vacation vibe going on. Ooh la la.

But that bathroom is really what brought me to my knees. Look at that gorgeous giant sink vanity topped with more black honed granite (just like the kitchen countertops). And the floors. They killed me.

Here’s a closer look. Marble basketweave (from The Tile Shop). I was in heaven.

There’s also a basement with a giant playroom that was in progress when we crashed. But it has since been officially finished and it. is. awesome. Check it out here. And here’s the sweet little basement guest room (complete with a headboard that Melissa DIYed and bedding from JC Penney)…

… and an equally charming and cheerful guest bathroom (with towels from Bed Bath & Beyond and art from Target).

So thanks a million to Melissa and Jim for inviting us in and letting us snap away! There’s not much that we love more than snooping around a lovely house like hers! And since we definitely didn’t capture every detail (or even every room) be sure to head over to Melissa’s blog for more photos and details. Hooray for hump day house crashings!

Psst- Wanna virtually poke around a ton of other awesome casas? Click here for eye candy galore.