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Houzz Tour: Paula Coldiron's Affordable Elegance
Author of Two Ellie Shows How To Go Family-Friendly Without Sacrificing Style
While redecorating her home, Paula Coldiron had a dilemma many families face: practicality versus style. Having two children under age 10 meant that practical, durable, and washable goods were vital, but because her and her husband's photography business was also based out of their home, a sense of elegance was a must. After three years of scrounging flea markets, antique shops, and home goods stores, she created an affordable and personal mix of refurnished antiques and sturdy furniture.
After reading Coldiron's blog, Two Ellie, and getting a glimpse of her beautiful home, it's clear what a devoted mother she is. Coldiron lives in her Alabama home with her husband Kellen and two children — Ellie (whom the blog is named after), and KJ. "I made sure my home is a reflection of them," Coldiron states simply.
After reading Coldiron's blog, Two Ellie, and getting a glimpse of her beautiful home, it's clear what a devoted mother she is. Coldiron lives in her Alabama home with her husband Kellen and two children — Ellie (whom the blog is named after), and KJ. "I made sure my home is a reflection of them," Coldiron states simply.
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| The living room is an almost undefinable mix of elegant, traditional, and eclectic that just works. The Rowe couch has a slight curve, which works really well with the corner television display. The marble-topped coffee table — an antique she bought while still in college — was one of Coldiron's first big purchases. "Other than that, nothing in our home is too precious, and most things are washable," she says. "Things do get broken on occasion, and I'm okay with that." |
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| Rich brown leather chairs, found on sale, add depth to the mostly neutral room. The adorable side table is actually a typewriter table found at a yardsale for $10 and repainted white. The walls were warmed up with Rice Grain by Sherwin Williams, and her personal collection of artwork. The big photograph by Kellen (broken up in IKEA RIBBA frames) is a shot of one of their favorite spots. |
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Kellen made this fantastic cubby for the entryway. A work of love, it doubles as a great statement piece, and the perfect place to house the family's bags, coats and shoes.
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A vanity that was her great-grandmother's sits on the other end of the entryway. A true bargain hunter, Coldiron found the mirror at a ridiculously good price because of a tiny chip in the paint. A wire basket for hats is a thoughtful and practical touch to the vignette. "Wicker and wire baskets can be found scattered all over my home," she says. "They're a great way to keep things organized while still looking pretty."
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The kitchen is Coldiron's favorite room in the house. Since this was a spec home, the kitchen was initially "builder-grade boring," as she says. Painting the cabinets two tones, putting in new Silestone counters, and adding a subway tile backsplash helped create a sense of flow with the rest of the home's open floor plan.
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In this section of the house, the dining, kitchen, and work areas are all open and connected. "It sounds crowded, but it actually makes it feel really spacious," Coldiron says. Here, chalkboard paint and a ever-changing display of Ellie and KJ's art makes a mini-gallery out of an awkward corner. Just visible to the right are wonderful frames created from old windows. The photos inside were all taken by her and her husband.
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After searching high and low, Coldiron dug up this beautiful dining table at a local antique shop. The French cafe chairs were Craigslist finds that she had reupholstered. Because the dining room ended up more traditional in style, Coldiron wanted to put something more contemporary above the vintage sideboard. Inspired by a piece of art in Lindsay Bond's home in an issue of House Beautiful, she came up with this simple statement-making piece.
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| This sitting room serves as the office for Kellen Jacob Photography. Because clients are often hosted here, the room is always neat, clean and highly organized. "Luckily my kids are great at knowing what is something to play with and what is not," says Coldiron. "I have had glass pieces within their arms' reach all their lives." |
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A simple and traditional desk serves as the hub of the office, with a linen covered inspiration board behind it. "Our home is quite traditional, but I try to keep it young by adding industrial and rustic pieces just to throw it off a bit," she says.
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| The recently-redone playroom is a light, cheery and fun-filled space that would be paradise for any child. A play kitchen from Target sits to the right, next to a table for model trains and Lego sets. The gallery wall, made entirely with IKEA frames, contains a mix of Coldiron's own prints and pieces from Moomah, Seesaw Letterpress, and Simple Song Design. |
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After surviving the terrible twos, Coldiron decided it was time to redo KJ's room into an official "big boy" room. The bed is an antique she painted Benjamin Moore Hale Navy. IKEA bedding echos the stripes on a Pottery Barn Kids rug, while a vintage chair and dresser add unique points of personal interest.
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When it was time for Ellie's bedroom makeover, she knew exactly what color she wanted. For ages Ellie had been asking for a green room, and she veered right towards a cheery shade of Shermin Williams Parakeet. "I adore neutrals and our home reflects that, except in the kids area," says Coldiron. "They love color, so I let them pick." The turquoise curtains are made of Paula Prass Garden Trellis fabric, and the pillows on the bed are from Barbara Barry Poetical Linens. The chic little bed was an antique find Coldiron painted in the same gray as the dresser in her bedroom, since technically they're a set.
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The light fixture in Ellie's room was a chandelier that once lived in her nursery. It was a bit too small for this room, but Coldiron still wanted to use it, so she attached an embroidery ring with ribbon around it, and then added more ribbon to drape down. The piece adds a great girly touch to the room, along with two darling dollhouses from Pottery Barn kids.
Ellie's gallery wall is a playful blend of prints from local artists, Blueprint Bliss, and several gifts.
Ellie's gallery wall is a playful blend of prints from local artists, Blueprint Bliss, and several gifts.
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| The master bedroom is a wonderful culmination of practical and effortless elegance. Soft natural linens were used for the bedding, and Coldiron carried over the same fabric to a hand-made headboard. "White bedding had to retire," she says. "An all white bed is something that I love, but it just was not practical for us. I can only wash things so many times before they show wear."
A hand-sewn burlap faux roman shade adds texture to the bedside window, and the breathtaking bedside lamps were found at Scott Antique Market in Atlanta, GA. |
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This antique dresser — which goes with Ellie's darling bed frame we saw before — was painted a custom gray from Benjamin Moore. A simple canvas art piece by Coldiron, gives a sense of depth to the vignette. Although most of the house has hardwood floors, Coldiron and her husband decided to have carpeting in the bedrooms, "We wanted to give the kids something to roll around on," she says. "Although I'm hoping to change out the carpeting in the master's to a sisal or something similar very soon."
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| "This house is just perfect for where we are in life," says Coldiron. "The open floor plan lends itself to scooter riding for the kiddos and our never-ending need to entertain. The location is superb — we're 15 minutes out of the city, yet my daughter can go riding horses at a farm down the street. We really do have the best of both worlds."
More: Tour an Art Lover's Inviting Abode Cool and Collected in Downtown L.A. Houzz Tour: Living In Color |
Comments
sophie zhang practicality, rationality, Warm set in an house, Charming! 
23 months ago · Like
donna she's one of my favorites...
23 months ago · Like
bepsf Truly lovely home!
23 months ago · Like
myhouse2011 I adore Paula, her home, her style, her personality, and her kindness. This is a great feature!!!
23 months ago · Like
markoldacre Hi Paula, I love your home and your ideas.. need some advice please, feel that I have similar sort of furniture to you, traditional with some rustic and contemporary thrown in to try and modernise a bit. Are round tables with a fabric table cloth a total 'no no' these days?? What do you think? Thank you cara
23 months ago · Like
mcgrathinnola Know what I love about this house?.....A house decorated into a home with real life soul. It is beliveable living!
23 months ago · Like
Beverly Stanich_Cavaciuti I love this piece! I couldn't agree more with "believable living"....I used to struggle in my mind with my home not looking like a picture perfect catalogue, until a friend told me how much she loved how homey & warm & full of life it felt... just like this home :)
23 months ago · Like
Two Ellie You all are much to kind. Thank you. Cara round tables with fabric table clothes can work if done right in my opinion. The key would be to use a more modern fabric. Leave the toile and floral behind. Ballard makes a great burlap one with really thick fringe that is great. Also a good geometric pattern, ikat, or suzani would keep it from becoming too old. Of course, a plain linen would straddle that line beautifully. I always believe in using what you love. Hope that helps!
23 months ago · Like
mrsben RE 'mcgrathinnola's' comment. DITTO! You truly captured the essence of 'home'.
23 months ago · Like
rdiver2008 Love the entryway cubby you made! Practical, warm and stylish - I never thought of making my own, but who knows! Thanks for the inspiration.
23 months ago · Like
gwen mckay ok
23 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on June 23, 2011.
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