Reader Design: Nicole's Thrifted Nest

A moment of levity comes this week with Nicole's beautiful home. Now, most of you know Nicole as a #howyouhome co-host along with our very own Chelsea. Today, she's giving us the inside scoop on her Nashville home that we've come to admire often in those little Instagram squares. 

Nicole and her husband moved from NYC to Nashville several years ago and are now renting in the area. That means Nicole gets the opportunity to be extra creative about her decorating!

From Nicole:

“I like to define my style as eclectic but with a classic spin. It’s definitely a mix of midcentury modern, boho and eclectic with traditional touches. All of the styles together create a more unique look.”

Her living room here has it all - boho elements, thrifted finds, plant life, and some amazing mix-and-match patterns to keep it interesting. 

“I’m inspired by the ocean so blue seems to be my go-to choice of color to decorate with. I love pictures of the ocean, boats, and anything tropical. It just relaxes me. A home that is collected over time and from many different sources makes it more unique to you. A ton of my home is from Craigslist and thrift stores! Not only does that make my home more personal to my family but it also makes it more affordable. I prefer to keep a more polished look though so I get rid of unnecessary clutter or pieces that don’t add anything to my space. ”

I wouldn't call Nicole's style minimalist, but she's certainly careful about the items she chooses to surround herself with. 

“‘m not gonna spend a lot of money on things that are trendy. I’ll either thrift them, come up with a way to DIY it, and use accessories as a way to change things out with the trends and seasons. We’d rather spend our money on things that are timeless and will stick around with us for years to come. ”

The bedrooms are all kinds of wonderful with their textiles and wall hangings. They're the kind of bedrooms I would have loved to slumber in after Tuesday night - anyone agree? 

Nicole, thank you for letting us in to see more outside those tiny squares. Your home is beautiful! Follow Nicole along @sweet_domicile for more! 

We're off the Reader Designs next week for Thanksgiving but I'll see you all in December!

Wood and |French| Linen Dresser

Well, we are in our 4th week of school here and only time will tell if I ever settle down and get used to the quiet of the house and the slower pace without my little ones around. Until then, I'll have a steady stream of things to share here! Turns out I'm finding comfort in creativity, just as I did years ago when my babies were new and I had that deer in the headlights look. Cate and I have had beautiful conversations about how we feel so connected with our Creator when we're creating. The joy we feel when creating something is just one way we've been made in His image, and this is where I've turned yet again during a difficult transition in life.

So today I'm sharing the third piece I've refinished since the kids have started school! You can catch up on the details of the first and second pieces if you'd like, but I'd say there is absolutely no trend from one piece to the next. I've been all over the place and have enjoyed myself immensely with each piece.

Today's piece leans a lot more rustic than the first two! I stripped the dark peeling stain from the beautifully angled drawer fronts and left that gorgeous wood alone!

Over the weekend my girl Shire and I took a tiny trip out to historic downtown Leesburg, VA to The Cottage, where we snagged a can of French Linen chalk paint by Annie Sloan. I love this warm greige color - it reminds me of putty! It's one of those neutrals that's a striking contrast to black, navy, brown, charcoal - it's just gorgeous. And because of it's warmth I tend to use it every Fall when the air turns crisp.

I styled this piece with a striking print from my friend Jessica over at Vol.25! The quality of her prints is really unparalleled. The designs are unique, the colors sharp, and she even sells them already attached to these wooden brackets. We actually just used a couple of her prints in a design project we're wrapping up this Fall! I'm sure you'll have no trouble spotting them when we reveal the space!

This piece is now available for sale!
48"H x 38.25"W x 18"D
$465
Please contact chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested!

Thank you for stopping by!

Intended Flip-Turned-Keeper

Hi friends! Popping by today to share a quick flip from last week - my second piece since the kids started school a few weeks ago, and after the first one sold so fast I was feeling a premature adrenaline rush from finishing another and getting it in the shop. I definitely didn't expect a change of heart!

It wasn't even when I was finished painting this piece, (in Rustoleum Protective Enamel in flat white), that I decided to hold onto it. It was the process of styling it for photos!

Matt and I have been planning a little re-design on our main floor which will leave a prominent wall empty. Given the dimensions of this rather petite piece, (it's only 66.5" tall and 37" wide), I wouldn't have thought it proportionately appropriate for a wall that is nearly 12 feet high.

But while styling this piece for photos to get it ready for sale, I started to fall in love with the empty space around it. I added a distressed piece of leather that I stole from a chair, (that I promised my husband I'd put back together), above the piece, as well as a snake plant standing tall by it's side. All of a sudden this piece took on a larger presence than it's modest dimensions.

And the detailing on the drawer and cabinets? Well that was love at first sight anyways!

Cate and I have always remained true to our own unique styles when we refinish furniture. I can honestly say that every piece I've ever done is how I would refinish it for my own home. And sure, my style has changed over the years so what I was doing 5 years ago isn't necessarily what I'd do now, but it's all been true to my style at the time. For this reason it's often hard to see pieces go, but every once in a blue moon I am my own customer.

I can't wait to share the redesign of our main floor but it will be a few months, though, as our Fall schedule has left little room for such work; like a current E-Design job that we're wrapping up in the middle of October! It's coming along beautifully - here's a recent progress shot that our client sent over!

We'll be sharing the full tour in about a month - it'll be full of a few surprises we can't wait to reveal!

Thank you all for stopping by and have a wonderful day!