I am starting a series of posts about a few of my friends and how they “feel home”. Some I have met in person and some only in the online world (hopefully that will change one day!). I want to show you how different types of people create different feelings in their  homes by choosing design elements that communicate that feeling best.

The only criteria for my featured friends is to be a talented, willing to share their home, and willing to open up about who they are and how they feel home. Not too much to ask, right?!?!  Let’s get started!

Please meet my friend Sarah. Sarah is a designer and the talent behind the blog Room for Tuesday. We met on a business trip that we were both asked to take part in with Polycor, a natural stone fabricator. The first time I saw Sarah, I noticed her friendly smile right away.  I also quickly took note of how after a long day of travel, her appearance was still so very well put together. Me on the other hand, not so much. We started chatting right away and I knew the friendship would continue long after the trip came to an end.

Sarah and her husband have made their way to Utah where they are currently renovating a mid-century ranch style house. Prior to this move, they resided in a 1920 bungalow style home in Ohio, which is where the pictures in this post were taken from.  The feeling of this house reminds me of my first impression of Sarah, friendly and put together.

Sarah describes her personality as decisive, nostalgic, and effervescent. All of these traits are evident in the feeling that she created in her home. They are characteristics that make up what I call the strong, welcoming, and fun feeling.

The animal hyde and natural wood elements seen on the dining chairs and blinds are all design elements that communicate a more welcoming feeling. 

I asked Sarah how she wanted her home to feel and her response was the following. “I want my home to feel curated, balanced, interesting, inviting, and unusual. These are all things that are important to me, and I want my home to reflect these qualities. I suppose when designing my home and filling it with furniture, decor, and objects I love, my objective is to create a place that is unique to myself and my family. I love mixing classic, timeless design with unexpected vintage pieces to give my home personality”.

I love how Sarah placed a fun element in her hallway using this floral pattern wallpaper. The pattern is scattered and larger in scale, which makes it feel fun, but the color palette is more warm and muted which falls into the welcoming feel. She also kept the space welcoming by using a vintage runner which adds a sense of history and has a warmer tone as well.

The architectural elements of Sarah’s home fall more into the authentic feeling. She and her husband made some design decisions that complemented that type of feeling. The kitchen cabinetry, floors, and molding are all choices made to honor the roots of their 1920 bungalow style home.

In this space, the lines of the coat rack, bench, and light fixture contribute to a more edited strong feeling. We also see the welcoming feeling in the texture of the basket and a nod to nature seen in the pillow, art, and animal heads. The animal heads add a little bit of fun to the space as well.

I just love this image of Sarah’s dog. Perfection!

Sarah is such a kind person and I am grateful to have met her. She wanted to gift you with something, so she thought her grandmother’s recipe for “the best sugar cookies” would be perfect for this time of year. Sarah was also nice enough to share the story behind the recipe, which makes me eager to get in the kitchen, gather the ingredients, and start baking!

“My grandmother makes these every single holiday. She makes hundreds and sometimes even thousands of cookies! She passes them out to everyone. Family, friends, neighbors, fellow churchgoers, the mailman, and anyone who will accept her tin of cookies. The recipe is from her old elementary school teacher and she still has the original copy. She said she remembers her teacher making these and passing them out to everyone in the community and at the single room schoolhouse. They’re so popular, she always runs out! Every time I make these, they remind me of her compassion and generosity to others.”

 

If you would like to meet my friend Sarah and learn about her e-design services, no matter your location or the scale of the project, you can visit her here.

I hope you enjoyed this first piece in my new series, “Feel Home”. I can’t wait to introduce you to my next friend in the series and share with you how they feel home.

Take care,

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