Monday, March 30, 2020

Making a Home feel..... Homier (is that a word??)

Now that we're sheltering-in-place, it's given me a whole new appreciation for house vs home.  A house is a place to sleep at night, but a home is where our life happens.  It's the place we come to, at the end of a stressful day, that gives us a warm respite from what's happening outside our walls.  It's the place that reflects our personality and lets us display and enjoy our favorite things.  And it's the place where we mark major life changes - marriages, babies and more (and with two newborns in the family, we have a lot of changes going on!). And let's face it, right now we want a home that feels cozy and welcoming.

What I find helps make a house a home are the little touches that reflect who we are and what we love.  Maybe that's why I pay so much attention to those elements when I stage a house.  Because that's what people seem to notice the most - not the same IKEA Ektorp sofa that I have used in every single house!!

That's why I'm so grateful to the two artists that loaned me their work for staging this house.  I was looking for bright, contemporary works that reflects the mood and style of the home.

Laurie Fisher

Are you familiar with Laurie Fisher's work?  You might be if you've visited a Serena and Lily store, like this one in Summit, NJ.



I love her bold use of color and striking geometric shapes.  This oil on canvas work called Evergreen  provides a fantastic pop of color in the living room.
Evergreen by Laurie Fisher

As well as this geometric Grid, in Winter Palette, next to the stairwell.







She also loaned me this dramatic pink and orange painting for the master bedroom.  It makes the room so bright and vibrant!
Pink Orange Pink - Laurie Fisher
And don't you love this pop of pink on the dark blue feature wall?   I love them all!

Valerie Paul

If you've visited the Portland West Elm store, you may have gotten a glimpse of Valerie Paul's work.  Clearly her specialty is lobsters and this giant acrylic painting in the kitchen is really a 'wow' piece!

Lobster - Valerie Paul
And this giant oyster painting adds so much color and life to the 3rd floor bonus room.

Oh, and don't you love the pouf and sheepskin?  My friends and fellow NL expats from Haarlem House loaned me some fantastic decorative pieces!  The warmth and texture of these pieces make the room feel so cozy.


Valerie also has a whole line of fantastic prints. I used a few of them throughout the house and just love them.

I can't decide which I like best - the harbor seal or the whales. But at $35 they're an affordable luxury that really add some color and whimsy to a room.

So how do you make your home feel cozy and welcoming?  
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4 comments:

  1. Love a dose of Maine from far-off California. My husband is a Mainer and we usually visit every summer. Hopefully we will be able to go this August. Thanks for your posts!

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    1. California is lovely - but you can't beat Maine in August!!!

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  2. Just beautiful





    Just beautiful Laurie! I remember looking at that property 20 years ago when we were looking for income property 164,000 I think was the asking price! Well done!


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    1. Wow - well prices have certainly changed in the last 20 years!!! I can't imagine finding anything in the area for that kind of price today! Thanks for the kind words!

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