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Houzz Tour: Happy-Chic Ranch House
Joi from Nuestra Vida Dulce Invites Us Into Her Fearless, Color-Rich Home
For most people, painting a home's exterior is a huge, time-consuming endeavor. Not so Joi Svezia. She and her husband painted their 1960s Illinois single-story house in just one afternoon. "Good thing it's a ranch-style!" she jokes.
The quip perfectly illustrates Joi's can-do attitude and willingness to set forth with gusto into any home improvement endeavor. On Nuestra Vida Dulce (or, "Our Sweet Life") she chronicles her and her husband Dave's many DIY decorating projects, as well as her knack for finding thrifted, discount, or just insanely affordable items and updating them to work in their home. We asked her to share how she does it, as well as give us a look inside the three-bedroom, 1,073 square-foot house they call home.
The quip perfectly illustrates Joi's can-do attitude and willingness to set forth with gusto into any home improvement endeavor. On Nuestra Vida Dulce (or, "Our Sweet Life") she chronicles her and her husband Dave's many DIY decorating projects, as well as her knack for finding thrifted, discount, or just insanely affordable items and updating them to work in their home. We asked her to share how she does it, as well as give us a look inside the three-bedroom, 1,073 square-foot house they call home.
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One of the first things that caught our eye was the amazing art installation on a wall in the living room. They're actually ceiling medallions, which Joi purchased from Architectural Depot. In bright white, they truly pop against Sherwin Williams' Perfect Greige covered walls.
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Joi is pretty fearless with pairing bold colors in her home, but that wasn't always the case. After going through myriad magazines and homing in on the images that really "spoke to" her, a pattern started to form. "I quickly discovered that I was drawn to rooms with an eclectic sense of style that mixed patterns and colors seamlessly," she says. "In our living room, I started with the striped pillows on the chairs and from there I began to bring in colors from those pillows all over the room."
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| When it comes to a favorite spot in the house, Joi is set on this welcoming space. "I absolutely love our living room," she says. "I feel like it's the first room that I put together that really represented my husband and me as a couple. We're fun, easy going people who don't take life too seriously and I think our living room gives off a similar vibe." |
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Joi turned one of the home's three bedrooms into a colorful and inviting office space. The chevron window curtains were a DIY using inexpensive white drapes and black acrylic paint. You can see the entire project from start to finish chronicled on her blog.
The warm gray on the walls is Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore.
The warm gray on the walls is Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore.
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Would you believe that the lamps and credenza here together cost less than $30? Okay, okay, so the shades were extra, but we've still got to hand it to Joi for always finding a great deal. The lamps were originally a brassy black combo, but with a little Valspar spray paint they're fresh and fun.
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The farmhouse table in the dining area was handmade by Joi's father-in-law and inspired by a now discontinued piece from West Elm. You can get details of the building process here.
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| Joi collected the plates over time from big box stores, antique shops and thrift stores. When it came time to hang them, she took a picture on the floor of the plates in a rough layout, used "invisible" hangers that adhere to the back of the plates and referred back to the photo as she hung them up.
Find more tips for hanging a plate collection. |
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The cabinets were originally "an awful orange-y color" when Joi and Dave bought the house. One of the first projects they tackled was to update them to their current Alabaster shade from Sherwin Williams. It's one of Joi's favorite projects to date, thanks to the dramatic difference it made.
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| The deep brown-gray paint is Mercer by Ralph Lauren, matched at Home Depot to their Behr brand. |
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A vintage campaign dresser provides extra storage space in the kitchen. "I love thrifted furniture because I feel like our home now has a more collected feel and personality," says Joi.
The stripes are painted in the same Alabaster and Mercer shades used elsewhere in the kitchen.
The stripes are painted in the same Alabaster and Mercer shades used elsewhere in the kitchen.
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The curlicues of the white headboard in the master bedroom really stand out against the dark gray drapes. We had to know where she picked it up.
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"I found the headboard at an antique store," says Joi. "It is actually two twin headboards zip-tied together to make for a queen headboard." So smart, and who would ever know?
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The nightstands were a recent Craigslist acquisition. Joi recommends checking the online source as well as local thrift stores often to score big.
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Also, make sure to look past color and other aspects of a piece's appearance that can easily be altered. As she puts it, "a little elbow grease and some paint or fabric do wonders!"
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Joi relates closely to Jonathan Adler's "happy chic" style. "Our home is eclectic-vintage-modern!" she exclaims.
A thrifted brass lamp shines against the room's walls, which are painted in Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray.
A thrifted brass lamp shines against the room's walls, which are painted in Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray.
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Unlike the rest of the house, the guest bedroom features a calm neutral palette. Joi focused on textures and patterns instead of color to add interest here. The ikat curtains were made from fabric found on sale at Jo-Ann's.
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As far as design words to live by, Joi recommends to "do what makes you happy and think before you buy. You don't have to settle solely on what big box stores have to offer to make a room come together!" Based on Joi's happy and thoughtfully put together home, we'd have to agree.
Thanks for sharing your house with us, Joi and Dave!
Next: See more Houzz Tours
Thanks for sharing your house with us, Joi and Dave!
Next: See more Houzz Tours
Ideabook published on May 9, 2011.
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www.interiordesignmusings.blogspot.com
Love the creative decorating!!! Awesome nightstands from Craigs list.