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July 22, 2016 By Melinda 8 Comments

Step 1: How To Create a Feeling in Your Home

 

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I have been where you are, standing in the pillow aisle  of a store I frequent often, feeling overwhelmed by the choices and questioning my decisions. Looking at shelves full of coffee canisters and wondering which one I should place on my counter. I have even been to the point of having a difficult time picking out something as simple as a tea towel for my kitchen. In my head I would have a conversation with myself trying to make a decision, “I think this is the pattern everyone is buying, so maybe I should choose one of these five tea towels” or “I think I saw this in the latest issue of some magazine as a top pick, so maybe I should go with that one”.

I have been inspired (and overwhelmed) by all sorts of imagery for years. I felt like I would love a particular style, but not know where to start or if it would even look right in my home. There were many times when I purchased the trendy pillow just to bring it home and have it look out of place.

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I know not everyone is like this and some people don’t put that much thought into their homes, and that is completely fine. I also know some people always seem to get it right the first time and make it look so easy, but that wasn’t me either. I fell into this middle group that cared a lot about my home, but I also wasn’t trained professionally in the area of design. I was the everyday home designer who wanted to connect my story to my home, and thought there has to be a better way.  So, I decided to get to work.

I created a framework and tools that will help create a feeling in your home.  It is one that I use with my own clients and it is what want to teach you here. The end result will have your home feeling more like you because it is you.

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If you are interested in joining me on this journey grab a notebook,  a pencil, and let’s get to work. We are going to start with asking ourselves one question, why. Why is it important for you to make a feeling in your home? Why are you drawn to me and this blog? Why are you wanting to join me on this journey?

I would love to read and share some of your responses to these questions on my blog and an online class that I will be teaching, so please comment below! The course will be available to register for on August 1, 2016 and is all about teaching you the process and tools on specifically creating  a timeless feeling in your home. Please be sure to subscribe to my blog below if you want to learn more about the course! All images by  Lori Baskin Photography.

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Filed Under: classic, giveaway, home, home tour, interior, Kitchen, laundry room, Outdoor, Real Goods, summer, timeless, Uncategorized Tagged With: authentic, classic, decorate, design, diy, feeling, home, home design, house, interiors, living, photography, plants, simple, slow living, teach

June 23, 2016 By Melinda 5 Comments

A Timeless Home Tour

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When I was ten, my parents moved my siblings and I to Ohio for my father’s job. My parents bought a house built in 1931 that comfortably had the living space for a family of six, but needed quite a bit of work to say the least. Throughout the years, there were kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, landscaping projects, just to name a few, that were all done in such a way as to honor both our family and the home.

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We were young, newly married, and looking for a starter home. We both had gotten jobs in Ohio, my husband in sports management and myself a position as a first grade teacher. Neither one of us were that familiar with the area which explains why when our realtor asked about neighborhoods we would be interested in we mentioned one well out of our price range.

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After a few discussions about what we were looking for and our budget, our realtor mentioned a neighborhood that had tree lined streets, old homes, and character. Those words were music to my ears. We spent a number of days looking at these old homes, but were disappointed by the updates many of them had seen over the years. Homes built in 1922 had additions added on over time that did not suit the time period or home itself.

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After seeing quite a few houses, our realtor drove into what was to become our driveway. I can remember falling in love with the charm of the front of the house, the original oak floors, and the large backyard. There were definitely many projects to be done, like ripping out wall to wall — it literally went up a wall — brown shag carpet from the sunroom, but it felt like home. It felt like a place we could start a family.

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65 Our daughter was our first child to call this house a home. The 1,500 square foot floor plan worked well for our family of three. The sunroom became the playroom and the third bedroom that functioned as an office became the nursery. Once our second child, a son, was born we knew it was time to move or come up with a plan for this home if we wanted to stay.

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I am so glad we decided to come up with a plan. The must-haves for staying in the home involved a kitchen/dining addition, a master bedroom with bathroom addition, first floor laundry addition, and renovation of the old kitchen into a mudroom.

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It took nine long months, but was well worth it in the end. We added about 1,000 square feet and use every inch of it. The added space really helped once we added our third child, another boy, into the mix.

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Once our daughter was born, we decided it would make the most sense for me to stay home. My daughter and my days were filled with adventures at times, but they mostly involved simple things like playing in the playroom together. Having the playroom on the first floor and near the kitchen is one of the best decisions we made as new parents. It allows the children to be near us and feel safe, while they are playing independently or alongside one another.

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After the renovation, the playroom actually became attached to the kitchen and I truly enjoy listening to them play — if they aren’t arguing! — while I cook and clean in the kitchen. It is funny to look back on when I only had one child and remember the type of parent I was at the time. I used to go in the playroom at the end of the evening and clean up the toys and set the dollhouse up room by room.

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Today, after three children, the mess sits until I announce that it is time to clean, and donate old toys. It is funny how much you can change throughout the years in the same role, but in different phases.

When we were renovating the house in 2009 I can honestly say one of the projects I was most excited about was the mudroom. Having a designated place for shoes, book bags, and sporting equipment was exciting to me. It wasn’t in the budget to have built-ins made at the time, so my husband made a coat rack using instructions I found in an issue of This Old House magazine.

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As far as a place to sit was concerned, I wanted to use a bench that my father and his siblings sat on for all their meals on the family farm in Holland. He had had it shipped to the States years ago and I absolutely loved its story. We decided to do the built-in project recently, so now the bench sits on one side of the kitchen table where our three children sit and eat their meals.

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Almost a year after I had my third child, I felt this strong need to create and teach, largely due to my degree in education and because of my passion for the home. I wanted to find a way to combine the two together.

My answer was to bravely post my first picture on Instagram. I didn’t tell anyone, it was out of the blue, but I felt that I had something to say. I had been encouraged by family, friends, and even mothers in the parking lot after school who had design questions to start a blog. Seven months after that first Instagram post I launched House 214 Design, my home design website. It is my platform where I teach the everyday home designer the feeling of home and that the feeling we create in our home is our story.

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What I understand now that I didn’t before, regarding my work, is that when you love what you do the drive you have is unstoppable and you will find a way to keep moving forward. I wake up before the rest of the house wakes up to learn, I listen to podcasts in the car and when I cook and clean to learn, and I read any spare moment I have to learn.

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Do I get tired? Yes, but I am loving every moment of it. I think that after staying home almost 13 years now, it is good for the children to see me have a strong drive and work ethic for something. It is good for them to see me work hard, solve problems, and want to learn.
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Everything I learn I put back into our home. I want our children to remember a feeling, the feeling that I am so passionate about, when they think of their childhood and this home.

Whether they are leaving the house and confronted with a difficult test that day, having a hard time with friends in high school, or leaving to be on their own for the first time, I want them to close their eyes and think of this home. I want the hurt, uncertainty, and worry to be replaced with love, joy, and a sense of calm.

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That is the feeling I work so hard to create for our family in our home every day.
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My hope is that you see a bit of my story in the feeling I have created in my own home. A feeling that will start you on the path to telling your own story.

My course, “Creating A Timeless Feeling Home” , will teach you exactly how to create a timeless and welcoming feeling in your own homes.

Take care,

Melinda

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Filed Under: classic, home, home tour, interior, Kitchen, laundry room, summer, timeless Tagged With: bedroom, children, classic, cook, decorate, family, home, home design, house, interior, interior. interior design, kitchen, laundry room, nursery, vintage

June 9, 2016 By Melinda 2 Comments

A Room That Works

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As a child, my parents would take my sisters, brother, and myself on vacations to different parts of the country and overseas where my father was originally from. We would visit friends and family, experience different cultures, and take in famous landmarks and homes. On a visit to Ashville, North Carolina, The Biltmore Estate was on the top of the list of places to visit. I found this 250 room French Renaissance chateau built in 1895 fascinating.

 

What I remember enjoying most about these grand homes wasn’t the exquisite furniture, the fine linens, or even the four acres of floor space as seen in The Biltmore Estate.  It was the informal spaces that I couldn’t get enough of.  It was the places where the work was done to keep these homes running on a day to day basis.  The basement kitchens, utilitarian spaces, and the servant quarters are what I loved. The elements that made up those spaces have had a huge influence on the decorating elements that I place in my own home. These spaces fit perfectly within how I want my home to feel which is simple, timeless, and welcoming.

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When I am presented with a design decision for myself or a client, I look at it as an opportunity to create a feeling in a home. It doesn’t matter if the decision involves picking out a new canister for coffee or choosing countertops for a kitchen remodel, they are all moments to tell your story.


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When it was time to choose a new light fixture for my laundry room, I applied how I want my home to feel, simple, timeless, and welcoming, and began my search. I finally came across this schoolhouse type fixture from Barn Light Electric.

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This style of lighting was first found hanging from classroom, library, and courthouse ceilings  in the 1920s. It earned the reputation as a practical choice in these settings and one that would help accomplish everyday jobs. The history, along with the look, allows it to fall into the classic, timeless, and welcoming feelings.

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Lastly, I always seek a piece that I feel is real and that was the last box to check off on my list of requirements. This Barn Light Electric fixture is hand-crafted and made in America. I don’t think it gets much more real than that.

 

Filed Under: classic, home, interior, Kitchen, laundry room, summer, timeless, Uncategorized Tagged With: classic, design, home, home design, interior design, laundry room, real, simple

May 19, 2016 By Melinda 3 Comments

My Coffee Corner Feature

I wanted to share a bit of a feature that Our Narratives did on House 214 Design. Enjoy!

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MELINDA’S KITCHEN COFFEE CORNER

Tap your inner barista! We asked the mom and interior design aficionado behind House 214 Design to share her easy-to-create coffee space fit for any busy mom… who needs a break.

On designing your home
I want moms to understand that you can design your home on any budget.

What inspires me
My Dutch heritage inspires my design aesthetic. I tend to gravitate toward a European look, in general.

A weakness of mine
I have a passion for older homes. I like to study the ways of living in them during different time periods and learn their stories. Discovering the trends and fads of different cultures and times is fascinating.

My own home
I grew up in a home built in 1931 and our current home was built in 1940. It is important for me to honor our home’s story and take cues from it. I try to marry the old with the new in a way that is consistent and seamless.

My coffee nook was a result of a problem
I needed everything in one spot! I emptied an old crate I was using as a toy bin and stacked coffee cups and saucers on top of one another and then corralled the essentials on top.

Best part about it
It was simple and didn’t cost anything –the best type of project in my mind!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: classic, coffee, decorate, design, home, interior, interior design, kitchen, simple, teach

March 17, 2016 By Melinda 17 Comments

You Belong Here

Do you remember writing out a Christmas list when you were a child? You would write line after line of gift ideas for the big day. Over the course of the holiday, you would receive many gifts from  many people. Although those gifts were appreciated, it got to be so much that you couldn’t remember all that you had received and from who. As the years passed and you got older, the amount of ideas on your lists got smaller and you saw more joy in giving rather than receiving. The more we mature the less we need and the more we crave authenticity. This idea applies to the home as well.

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This process does not happen overnight. It is a journey, but one that will have you making a home that has that feeling you crave. It is not about knocking down walls, walking down the home aisle filling your cart with the latest must have, or watching before and after shows that take place in thirty minutes. It is about more than that. It is about making your home extraordinary. Extraordinary for you, for the people who walk through the door, and for your home.

This is about more than making a “pretty” house. Pretty is something that you find only on the surface. There isn’t a deepness to it. Pretty doesn’t give me the feeling that I get when I listen to Expressions by Helen Jane Long (link below). Close your eyes. Listen. What do you feel?

I truly appreciate your feedback and wanted to share just a few of the comments that I have received regarding my recent blog posts. In these posts, I shared my hope to teach you not just what to put in your home, but the how and why behind it. See if you can understand where these readers are coming from.

1. I see so many styles online and feel an affinity towards them, but then I realize they aren’t really my style, they’re just well designed rooms that I appreciate.

2. My goal with our new house is to be intentional with telling our story through decorating…truly making it a home that is US and not just full of pretty things.

3. I often get sucked into the Pinterest blackhole which leads to indecisiveness and me questioning my choices. I want our home to be a reflection of us and not some trendy design blog.

Can you relate to any of these comments? If so, you belong here. You may feel overwhelmed by making decisions for your home and fear you are making and investing in the wrong ones. If so, you belong here. You may feel tired of the endless imagery surrounding you and unsure if what you “like” is right for you and your home. If so, you belong here.

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Receive My Free Email Course!

Learn how you can finally decorate your home the right way and to receive my blog updates and teachings.

Please check your email to start your free course. If you do not see an email from me, check your Bulk/Spam folder. Take care!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: classic, design, home, house, interior, interior design, interiors, kitchen, real

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