We do our best to house crash a variety of homes, from the big and the beautiful to the cozy and quaint. This time we crashed a New Jersey townhouse that’s so inviting we’re certain none of the neighbors’ adjoined homes could even compare. It’s one thing to create a welcoming and warm home in a colonial on a hill, but it’s another thing entirely to decorate a space (on a dime no less) that has the same floor plan as everyone else on the block. And Heather & Christian really went the extra mile. Here’s the cute couple now, just itching to show us around. Let’s get tourin’!
When you step into Heather and Christian’s home, the open floor plan creates an expansive feeling, even when there’s not one square foot to spare. The kitchen is the first area on your right, separated from the dining space with a solid L shaped counter. Heather and Christian mimicked this delineation again in the living area by smartly separating that space from the dining room with the help of an L shaped sectional sofa, which maintains that open feeling thanks to the low profile which allows you to see straight through to the glass doors on the other side of the house.
But it didn’t always look this open. Here’s an old shot of their townhouse (with the previous owner’s furniture) BEFORE they knocked out the strange 3/4 wall dividing the dining area and the living space:
Taking down that oddly placed wall was the best thing Heather and Christian could have done for the space. Now there’s an uninterrupted view, and the flow is fabulous. And Heather and Christian took it down with their own two hands (along with a sledgehammer and a hand saw)!
Here’s a shot of their small but super efficient kitchen. The muted stained navy cabinets definitely add flair beyond builder white (which is what you’d expect in a townhouse) and everything from the pot rack to the wine rack makes the space feel functional and ready for some serious cooking (you gotta hang things where ya can in a small space, and Heather and Christians are seasoned pros).
And speaking of seasoned pros, nothing better demonstrates their orderly and functional style than these industrial Ikea shelves, mounted vertically to facilitate storage and easy access in a space that might otherwise go wasted.
The dining area is a simple table for six. But for gatherings with more than six people, the three stools at the nearby counter (see fourth picture) allow for a total of nine who can chat and grub in the dining room- which is no small feat for such a compact space!
Here’s their cozy and welcoming sectional with a few hits of pale blue and chocolate brown, two of Heather’s favorite accent colors (which also reappear in the rug). Not only does this enormous couch make throwing an annual Superbowl party no sweat, it also comfortably sleeps at least two people in a pinch. Multitasking never looked so good.
And when it comes to art, Heather and Christian love to personalize their space. From photos (hung from a rod in modular frames from Red Envelope) to a framed collection of Vegas poker chips, this space is decked out with momentos that really mean something.
Here’s another smart and simple way to carve out a little “moment” in an area that otherwise would go wasted. Heather hung this big square mirror directly over a fuse box to hide the eyesore (while keeping it completely available should they ever need access). Of course mirrors are the number one way to enlarge a space and keep light bouncing around, so choosing a mirror instead of a big piece of art was a great call.
Heather actually found the inspiration for her moody navy bathroom in a luxurious hotel powder room that she fell in love with years ago. She vowed to someday paint her bathroom a rich navy, and finally got the chance when they purchased their townhouse in 2005. Voila- the previously unremarkable little “builder” bathroom was totally transformed for under $20! And the navy tone in here mimics the stained navy cabinets in the kitchen for a subtle cohesion throughout the entire house.
Never ones to keep things dark for long, Heather and Christan lightened things up in their cozy bedroom upstairs. A plush oversized bed creates a definite haven after a long day, and a soothing pale blue-green on the walls feels airy and serene- like a day at the beach.
And so ends the tour of Heather and Christian’s personalized little townhouse full of space saving tips and tricks. Stay tuned for more house crashing adventures- you never know where we’ll pop up next…
I love the color scheme and simple, clean lines throughout. Three cheers for demolishing the divider wall!
As someone who loves to cook and bake but struggles with a small kitchen, I feel your pain. But you guys have some great ideas that make me re-think my kitchen storage. Thanks!
Nice place, it seems like a good balance for a couple in terms of the decor and colors. Love the bathroom. I have those rails in the kitchen, the wine rack and had the rug in a previous apartment – great style!
Oooh, do you know the source of that fabulous sectional?
They did a very nice job on their condo! Removing that wied wall was the best!!
I meant to say wierd wall
that bedroom color is great!! would you mind getting it from them??
They’ve done such great work with their townhome!!
My design plan for my kitchen calls for those very same IKEA shelves. I’m picking them up at the end of the month :)
Great work!
The sectional sofa is exactly what I am looking for! Do you know where they got it?
Thank you Sherry, John and Burger for coming to my casa and taking over with your camera. I wish your visit could have been longer.
When it came to our furniture we tried to save some bucks so we got our sectional at Bob’s Discount Furniture (the ones with the cheesy commercials) it was $900 and $200 extra to have it with a sofa bed. We are big couch potatoes and it is so comfortable. We’ve had it for about 3 years now and it still looks brand new.
Oh, that master bedroom is so dreamy. I love the colors! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip on the sectional! Unfortunately, I live in Wisconsin and we do not have a Bob’s Discount Furniture…can you tell me the brand/manufacture?
Beautiful space! I just closed on my own townhouse last week so I am combing for ideas! I know this post is old, but I am in LURVE with the hanging photo frames above the sectional!
I realize I’m a couple of years late on this post! But I’ve only recently found Sherry & John’s blog and am so impressed and inspired!
Heather & Christian’s townhouse is lovely! I agree your master bedroom IS dreamy! I love the wall color and the bed is perfect! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for and I’ve been looking forever!!
Could you please tell me where it was purchased or the brand name? Thank you so much!
Here’s hoping they stop in with that info soon!
xo,
s
Hi Sherry & John! Sorry to bother you all again with all you have going on with the new house. I hate to ask but is there any way you can get in touch with Heather and give her my email since she hasn’t stopped by? I have looked at every bed and furniture collection I can think of to no avail. It’s so frustrating! Thank you both so much!
ps. Sherry, so sorry you didn’t get your green chairs. I’ve been in the exact situation and I feel your pain!
Sure, I’ll email her right now. Hope she gets back to me!
xo,
s
Got it! It’s Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments (Heather just emailed me this morning). I should have known! It’s one of my favorite colors!
xo,
s
Sherry,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You’re the best! I’ve been holding off painting the bedroom hoping to find out the color (we did paint our family room paneling with your eloquent ivory..beautiful!)
I also love Heather’s bed. Did she by any chance say where it was purchased or the manufacturer? Thanks again!
Darn she didn’t. But if she emails me back (we’re buddies so we pass emails back and forth every week or so) I’ll be sure to pass that info along!
xo,
s
Thanks so much Sherry! I really appreciate it! I’ve looked and looked at beds and the closest I come to Heather’s is the Birkeland from Ikea. But it only comes in a Queen and I need a King. Thanks again!
Unique in many ways and very nice.
And I’m looking for ottomans just like the ones at the foot of her bed, if she happens to mention where she found them, too! :)
Here’s hoping she stops in with that info!
xo,
s
I love this space, as the ownder of a townhouse myself.. It is always great to see how people make it unique. Thank you for posting!
What a pretty home! I absolutely love the navy bathroom, do you happen to know the pain color?
Here’s hoping Heather drops by with that info!
xo,
s
I love this space, as the wonder of a townhouse myself. It seems like a good balance for a couple in terms of the decor and colors. Love the bathroom. Thank you.
Just an FYI…there’s a bed that looks very similar from thomasville :) Not sure if that’s what they have, but you may want to look into that pat.
Love living/dining/kitchen wall color. What is the color and where can I find it? Thanks!
Feel free to scroll back in the comments to see if that has been shared. If not here’s hoping they stop in with that info for ya!
xo,
s
I absolutely love the dandelion canvases in the blue bathroom. Can you tell me where those are from? They are stunning.
Hope she drops in with that info for ya.
xo,
s