Creative & Fun decorators! and we have lots of stuff that you might Love :) Aaron & Greta this is an invitation cuz you're right around the corner! Look us up Gum's Mall of Antiques & Collectibles

What a wonderful, lovely home. So fun and authentically "yours." I am madly in love with your countertops and want them in my retro kitchen:) Can you give a source for the counters?

Who said you couldn't raise a family of six in house 1,200 square feet? I laugh at families that say they must have over 3,000 square feet to raise a family of 3 or 4. I love the house.

Wonderful family home! It looks very happy and comfy.

What a lovely family. The warmth of this home shines. A home full of love is colorful and full of laughter.

This article is just so refreshing, what lucky children to grow up in such a loving home. I loved it all ( except one thing) and the stories behind all the pieces, but as someone else stated the dear head freaks me out, they scare me too

Deer head

Lovely and creative home. I really enjoyed the eiffel tower!

love this home, it's colors, it's kitchen and the happy family!

Love it! such a beautiful eclectic style!

I'm struck by how uncluttered this house is, yet it exudes big warmth. The multi colors used do not look chaotic, they lend itself to the whimsy of the house. Kitchen cabs are to die for and the banquette feels like it's always been there. Everything lends itself to function yet is so fun and interesting too. Well done. Seems like a sweet family too.

I love this house! (& mid century modern is not at all my style! Ha!) I so appreciate the beauty in how they turned this house into a home. The colors are happy and cheerful. I love that the kids share rooms, there seems to be so much resistance to that nowadays. Also, four kids & no TV?! I commend you! Awesome!

This is beautiful, and SO inspiring!

Too funny how I did not even notice the deer head until others commented on it. I had to scroll back to find it.

Growing up my dad was an avid hunter and displayed a dear head and a bearskin.

I love the personality that is infused in the house.

So charming. I absolutely love it!

Why are the countertops impractical? My Gmother had them in her 50's ranch.
Very beautiful house!

I love everything, and then Deer head!?

Get rid of the deer head.

Hats off to NOT ripping out the original kitchen cabs. I don't understand why so many think that old = bad. I wish, wish, wish my 1955 split level had its original kitchen cabinets instead of the 1993 ca-ca in there now.

I've been told..."If you can't say something nice don't say anything"

Very festive!

The kitchen is lovely-practical, functional, and I love the new red linoleum floor. Looks like there is plenty of storage and the entire home is charming.

I always wanted a deer head! Now I want a deer head and everything else that was in that house! Fabulous place!

I love it! I love the kitchen, and am so glad you kept true to the real mid-century modern design of the home. Especially love the counter tops and vintage stove. I really like an eat-in-kitchen. You preserved the charm and fun-funkiness that was mid-century modern without going in the direction of starkness that so many others create. Very well done! AND, that's a lot of good living space in a 1200 sqft 3 bedroom home. So glad to see that embraced! I would have liked to see some exterior shots of the house too...

I love the red linoleum floor! I'm putting Marmoleum (similar) in my next house in the kitchen, playroom, laundry room, two bathrooms and loft. It scrubs, it is child resistant, it wears incredibly well and looks great! Oh, and cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo and cuckoo are all charming! I notice they are all set at different times . . . is this on purpose? Do they all still cuckoo?

Love the kitchen!

Beautiful and fun-loving home. It's delightfully retro without slavish period perfection.

Yay! I am not alone in thinking that a gut job is NOT a necessity in a '50s home! I love my little retro cottage! Original hardwood floors were redone and I love them! Original cottagey cabinets are painted fresh white with the original black hardware freshened up
In the kitchen. Curved brick divide between kitchen and dining I LOVE and left, much to everyone's chagrine. My colors are always a rustic red with golds, mellow greens and buttery yellow so it all works. Not everything needs to be new if it's functional and in good shape! Kudos to you! Gabrielle

Love this house and all the work done. Didn't notice the deer head but I think, if it's something the family gets a kick out of, let it be! I'm wondering if these kids need another grandmother so I can come and visit!

I adore the countertops! I have similar plans in my partial kitchen remodel. And also love blue.

nice work. I would love to see how you lived in the 600 square foot home.

I have the same stove you have. Mine is missing the top piece with the salt & pepper shaker & clock. Any suggestions where I can find that piece?

Love what they did with the house and especially the kitchen. So tired of granite used everywhere. Really like the kitchen floor and counters. Great choice for the house and young family.

LOVE this house!

Absolutely love the turquoise, the cuckoo clocks, the countertops! What a gorgeous house and what a cute family!

A real house with real people - we need more of these on here. :)

This was especially fun to me because I remember being in Greta's parents' home several times and they, too, did their own thing and achieved an uncluttered, stylish home environment, though not with the modern spin that Greta and Aaron have. It was also fun to see Pat Nelson's name in the article, as the cabinetmaker who made a credenza to hide their TV, as he is a friend of mine, also, and made our kitchen island for us. I am happy to hear of their four children and that Greta is able to homeschool them in such a colorful setting. It is good to see an article about real people living with things that excite them and inspire them!

Wonderful home! A great example of "editing". Beautiful use of storage and display and knowing where the line is. Thanks for staying true to yourselves and not falling into the trend pit. Just shows that with vision, hard work and patience you CAN achieve the vision you had and the ability to not have a tv in these times is also admirable.

Usually I look at the house pics on this site and think "thats not like my house" but this time, it is like my house, I'm in the same neighborhood! Exact same room layout but my kitch has been updated. wonderful to see this featured here. thanks

I love the old stove too. Its an O'Keefe and Merrit. Several years back I got one like it at a garage sale for $150 and spent $400 fixing it up. (The stove depicted has its top i closed--- so you can't see all the chrome work on it. It can be very beautiful when the chrome is refinished. (I never used my griddle after rechroming but some people have a spare that they actually make pancakes on.) These stoves can cost a lot of money if you buy them from refurburbishers. Here is just one of probably many sites selling replacement parts for these stoves. http://www.antiquegasstoves.com/pages/parts/partso%27keefe.html

What a fab , imaginative, beautiful home decorated by a clever , creative family who look so happy.
An absolute pleasure to look around.. thankyou.
I have been a midcentury fan since the 50s themselves as i adored the interiors of the era that I was born in and still do.
So optimistic and colorful, but I thought this home was an inspired and individual take on the style and a really inviting
family home which is what its all about!

Just love it.

Love this home!! It has such an genuine "undecorated" appeal; everything fits together so well and effortlessly, yet as a tag-saler (by necessity), thrifter and flea-marketer for years, it does require time and some effort to achieve the wonderful home that they did. I also had so many books from tag-saling when our kids were young that we could hardly fit them in our home. Our kids, too, shared bedrooms but I was unsuccessful in banishing the TV! Kudos to you!

Books are like air to me too

That red linoleum is quite the retro touch!

Having grown up in a house very similar to this, with my two sisters and brother, I bet they spend a lot of time outdoors. Sharing a room with my brother was fine when we were little was fine; as we got older, not so much. Having to share with two sisters...

Love this home. It is quite endeering!

Great family home. Creativity and love abound.

So many people tear down places like this to build something with no character.. Kudos to them!

Jason Jones Photography

Loved the story, but the TV story is even better...one of my favorite Houzz TV stories ever. This family is so refreshing and their values are terrific. Can we clone them??? LOL.

Love lives here..thanks for sharing this fabulous story..great house

Really nice space! I like the use of all the colours without them being overwhelming. Great job also keeping the cabinets and updating the countertops (great colour!).

Anyone who says they don't like mid century modern, they still probably don't like it ;) this is a mid century home (ranch) vs a Mid Century modern home (modern being he key) by Neutra, Eichler, Aalto, Jacobsen etc. This mid century home probably appeals more because it's similar to homes our grandparents lived in and that the average person grew up in during the 1950's/60's.

It's a great space over all. Really nice job!

Love the vintage feel.

Your mid-century home brings back a lot of fond memories! Love the clean lines and all the whimsical nuances throughout the home that make it a true reflection of your family. I'm envious of the avocado tree as my favorite thing to do as a kid was to climb to the top of a tree and read. Kudos to you both!!

My daughter and son-in-law just bought their first house which comes in at only 900 square feet. They would like to add three more to their family of 3. The house is in a beautiful area and features a huge workshop and a outdoor play friendly lot. This video is a great inspiration to all growing families who believe that it is not about square footage but about how the environment envelops and nurtures the family within. Thanks for posting it.

Thank you for such an inspiring example of a family living with their values. My son and daughter-in-law, who are very similar, are searching for a small home in the over-heated Toronto area market for their TV-less family of four children plus dog. It seems that small homes like these are a thing of the past here. How nice to see that such places still exist.

I admire parents that homeschool. I can never take on so much challenge...meanwhile taking care of the home.

What I liked about this home was they didn't add on to make sure every kid had their own room and more bathrooms, a refreshing change. And instead of a room dedicated to the TV there's books! We always got a new book for Christmas and our birthday. I love the cuckoo clocks, something I would love to have.

Although this is not my style, I love this home. Lovely happy family living in a house that is not open concept, painted gray, and each child with his/her own bedroom and bath. How do they do it? ;)

I agree with so many posters that this is an adorable family home. I do worry about the message being sent to the two children whose bedroom is in the garage - the schoolroom is inside, while they are sent out.

This is so refreshing! Just the fact that you are preserving the integrity of the home lends great kudos to you.

I smiled when I saw your kitchen because our house, too, has the boomerang counters, however they are original to our 1956 brick ranch along with cabinets that were crafted onsite. Kitchen has white with pink and tan design with a built in banquette and chrome-based dining table that also features the same boomerang Formica top; the only bathroom has gray with pink and white boomerangs.

I commend you for not attempting to make your home into another cookie cutter renovation. It is beautiful the way it is with a family to match!

Love it! Especially the artwork of the car in the garage.

What a great example you are setting for your children. I'm so impressed and I love your home!

Watching this video truly made my day. I am a very big fan of midcentury design and I applaud everyone with the courage to embrace it and make it their own. This is a wonderful example of how a 60+ year old design style can still look fresh and be very functional. I love that they are still using the original kitchen cabinets and the new boomerang countertop is the perfect compliment. Additionally, the period furniture really brings the entire look all together.

I think I'm going to watch the video again. Yep, I am. Outstanding job.

Good on you. So much pressure out there to conform- you are tracing you own path

Love this house!!! AND LOVE the deer head! We used to have a few mounts from food that, yes, we ate. Your home is lovely!

Vintage Beach, I got my boomerang countertop from http://www.wilsonart.com/productsearch/?q=retro 

Nice family! I wish them happiness!

Anyone who can afford any house in Southern California is doing well. I love that you are not ripping out everything authentic. You have made a fun happy place for your family that is within you means - that is what making a home is all about!

Love this home, not only for the style but for the lifestyle. My husband and I have lived in a 1961 ranch style home for 33 years. We love this place with the open pitched tongue and groove ceiling with beautiful beams.

I, too was a former school teacher who then homeschooled our four children. The pictures of the Eskridges and their children enjoying their homeschool life in their lovely home looks like the life we had with our children during those wonderful years. Our learning materials were part of our décor, as well. Even now, some of our favorite materials, still are.

Public opinion has become so enlightened since our early days of homeschooling. Now, a homeschool family is featured in this way as a great example of how to really live in your home. WOW!!! You gotta love it!

By the way, in case some might be interested, to be a former teacher is not at all necessary in homeschooling. The most important "credentials" are a joy in living and a love of learning. Obviously, the Eskridges have that and their home reflects it.

Lucky house to have that family.

Beautiful!

I really like this house plus the yard looks fantastic as well.

Something that I have noticed about square footage especially with kids is that living in a year round hot/warm climate makes it easier to have less space since it is much more comfortable to spend extended time outside. We moved from a year round hot/warm climate. We lived in about 900 sqf place with 3 children and it was fine. When we moved to a climate with 5-6 months of winter, we moved into a 1700sqf home and I am always grateful during winter to have the extra space.

I admire you folks. What a great family, home and heartwarming story! Love your house for its character and the way it makes you feel in the heart!

I quite like the house but for me, I would want and need far more storage in the kitchen.

I love your home...literally! I grew up in Lakewood, CA & seeing how you kept the integrity of the period was a real treat. Beautiful job on embracing a lovely time & place to grow up in!

Love!! What a fun, cheerful, creative home!! The kitchen is absolutely vintage restoration done right!! Love!!

Wow - I wish all children had this. What a wonderful family.

Such a fun house !

h i just adore you and your style and this house!!!!! <3!!!

I like the kitchen faucet on the wall. From this era is how they did it and it is so much more practical and easier to keep clean. An house from this era I was to inherit, but was snatched away from me, by a carpenter buyer just itching to gut the house, in reality ruined the house. The charming kitchen and lasting cupboards, are all replaced by filler and composite, when then it was real wood, custom cabinetry you cannot get today. If I ever get the house back, in my opinion, newer is not better, the house has been ruined Bravo for these people, who see the design preserved is just great!

Yay for you! This whole article brought me such joy! As a designer, homeschooling mom, and lover of vintage things (especially appliances)!! We are kindred souls! Kudos from Michigan!

:)

I love mid century homes but I don't care for mid century furnishings. As the kids get older and bigger they will need more space. Might as well start looking now.

Wow... when you have elders like myself looking at this, it's a true blast from the past. Love it. :)

Now this a what a true home is about.......warmth and individuality that's not based on size......and not the cookie cutter look we see over and over again And all done without a TV......awesome (don't have one either.......best choice ever). Old original homes and furnishings always exude so much warmth in their simplicity and I believe it's because the souls of the people who built them come thru and they just had so much soul back then, something sorrowfully lacking these days. These is now my fave Houzz story. These kids are so lucky to live in such a home. I give it the biggest kudos every given and hope it will be inspiration for more families to live their own way and not follow the masses.

easy and comfortable life

Great story. I really like your home, and glad you kept your kitchen cabinets. More people should start true to them selves instead of going with each little trend.

What can a person add. That's a true " where your heart is, that's home ".

How I loved this - the house, the message, the family. Thank you to the family for sharing everything with us!

I could not live in a house without at least one throw rug or carpet.

Very beautiful.

Now this is a real home! This beautiful home is not far from where I grew up. What memories this article recalled of my childhood. I love the pops of turquoise, red and other vibrant colors. These parents are so down to earth and unpretentious and have created a very warm, safe and loving environment for their sweet family.

A lovely home, beautifully restored and enhanced for today. And thanks for including stories of home schoolers -- there are many of us out there!

Wow, probably my all-time favorite Houzz tour (it seems much, much larger than 1200sqft, with so many individual spaces that seem cozy yet amply sized for their function). There's so much energy and courage and love and exploration in this home! Makes you want to live in this home and be part of their family.

What a beautiful family! Congratulations in making a home that's filled with fun and love!

Grew up in the area. We call this a Lakewood stucco box. The largest post-war development.

Meant to also comment on the car!! Is it a Falcon? 1960? The wagon is unique and great for a larger than average sized family! Vintage on the go! (I own a '65 Ford Mercury Comet. So fun!)

Beautiful family! I love the cuckoo clocks and the turquoise & red kitchen. The deer head Is not my thing...but that's just me; I'm not a hunter. Anyway, your house is adorable and very creatively done.

Love it! So hard to find original homes now.

Where can I get additional info on the kitchen L-shape bench seating? It is a great use of space. Custom perhaps.

I love your house. I am glad you saved the metal cabinets and put in a vintage stove.

great family and house love the 50&60 myself

Thanks for sharing your home <3 I agree, not being wasteful, using original bones or appliances with a bit of elbow grease. Also, welcoming, warm and comfortable is key - especially with kids!