Second Hand Finds Interior Design

Recently, I have been getting a lot of comments and questions about how my home is decorated. So I thought, “why not share?”. The first  thing you should know about our home, is that it’s an apartment. So there are some things we just have to live with (like wall to wall beige carpets for example). The second thing you should know is that I can not abide blank spaces. My aesthetic isn’t for everyone, I know. I like my home to pull visitors in and invite them to look around. There’s always something new or different…sort of like a treasure hunt! Lastly, this is a home with four very different people living in it; and we try to give everyone a little representation throughout our home.

So, without further ado, here is our home.

Entry Way

From the moment I had children, I saw a need for a “mud room”, a landing spot, a loading dock, call it what you will. Clearly, in an apartment, that kind of dedicated space wasn’t possible, but thanks to this chalk board with hooks and an old shelf I covered in contact paper we have one that works well enough for us. No more “Mom! Where are my shoes?” or “Honeeeeeyyyyy…I can’t find my keys….”.

Family Desk

I love this spot. I made the lampshade a couple years ago and I covered an old cork board with an even older sheet to give it some pizazz. The little white house is a memory box of special times with my hubby.

Making old memories live again

Thrifted Couch

This couch…what can I say? I saw it hanging on a wall in a thrift shop, fell in love and begged my hubby to buy it before ever sitting in it. That, I can now admit, was a mistake. Although I still find it beautiful (despite how may times I have stubbed my toes on the clawed feet) it is really not very comfortable. These days, I am dreaming of something deep and soft and L shaped…sigh…

I was very fortunate to work in a tattoo centric art world for a few years; that is where a lot of our collection came from. However, many pieces have been slowly collected over time from friends, thrift stores, estate sales, etc… I do advise you, when placing art in your home, to try to curate little sections. It will make a much stronger impact and keep things from looking too cluttered or complicated.

Nothing matches and that’s how we like it

Repurpose, re-use, re-life!

This was my parents first dining table

We don’t dine fancy style round here, it’s more about function. This table was my parent’s very first dining table. When we married, they gifted it to us. The bench was built by my hubby on a fall afternoon. It’s sturdy, comfy and provides extra storage underneath The back is actually our old headboard. See what I mean? Re-purpose everything you can!

 

Apartment kitchens are almost always done in a galley style. The great part about this one is that it has a lovely window looking out onto the balcony and some trees. Yay! I chose to keep all my sailor art in the kitchen and dining area, it just felt the most casual. We are big on coffee, so I carved out a little coffee nook right next to the window. And that fringe hails back to my old punk rock days. It was also a gift from an old friend’s BF when I was in a time of need. One day, I do want an awesome “grown up” fridge; but I can’t lie,  this one has been very good to us.

 

 

When we were considering moving in here, this little shelved nook is what I fell in love with. I cold not wait to make it an alter of sorts to all that we love.

 

Having a boy and a girl in the same space can be tough. Truly, until very recently, it was a cinch. Now, at 8 & 9 years old their interests are starting to differ, and I am trying to create a space for each of them. It’s still a work in progress.

 

 

 

And this is the room that people seem most interested in:

 

 

I only photographed my parts of the bedroom because, hey…the guy deserves some privacy. Clearly the headboard it too big for our bed, but just LOOK at it! It’s gorgeous, right? Funny story, the day he brought this home and asked me to help him carry it up the stairs, I wanted to murder him. But now, I love it. The shelf I found in an alley years ago (it used to be my kitchen spice rack) and the chair was a sweet Goodwill score.

I like storing my jewellery where I can see it. Firstly because it’s just so pretty, and secondly because when I get dressed, I often start with the accessories. The bar my necklaces hang on is just some brackets from Home Depot and an old piece of a floor lamp (yes! true!) that we painted black. Basically, everything you see (other than our bedding & mattress) is second hand gold.

And finally…the balcony. We lived here for a year before I got around to doing anything out here. Now, I am out there as often as possible. I think I spent maybe $25.00 when I did it. Everything else was found or we had here already. I think the rug really helps it feel like a special place.

And that, Ladies & Gentlemen, is our home!

Just a snippet of our home decor.