Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Artistic and Peaceful in Ann Arbor
Blogger Alli Michelle makes her house a home with an artful blend of modern, handmade, and quirky vintage finds
Simple design can still be warm and cozy, as evidenced by blogger Alli Michelle's home outside of Ann Arbor, Mich. Alli lives with her husband and two very curious cats in a small community, where all of the homes were built in a similar style. They love their community but wanted to make their modern-style house feel like a home without making big changes and taking away from the home's value.
"We love simple design, but we also want a home that feels lived-in," says Alli Michelle, who writes about design at her blog, Hooray. The twosome welcomed the challenge, and with a few coats of paint and a personalized blend of modern and vintage pieces, they were able to create a place they could call their own.
"We love simple design, but we also want a home that feels lived-in," says Alli Michelle, who writes about design at her blog, Hooray. The twosome welcomed the challenge, and with a few coats of paint and a personalized blend of modern and vintage pieces, they were able to create a place they could call their own.
While Alli loves to decorate, she had to hold herself back in certain areas since she and her husband want to maintain the home's resale value. Resisting the urge to put up fun vintage wallpaper has been difficult, but her mix of modern and vintage pieces gives her home a unique sense of style.
Alli's also made many of the items in her home by hand. She made many of the pillows, and recovered the lampshade next to the couch with a new striped fabric.
Sofa: EKTORP from IKEA
Side tables: LACK from IKEA
Flotaki rug: LUDDE from IKEA
Alli's also made many of the items in her home by hand. She made many of the pillows, and recovered the lampshade next to the couch with a new striped fabric.
Sofa: EKTORP from IKEA
Side tables: LACK from IKEA
Flotaki rug: LUDDE from IKEA
Alli loves shopping for art and knickknacks on Etsy's great curated vintage and handmade good shops (AM Radio, Be Still Shop, and Mengsel Design are some of her favorites). But like the pieces in her entryway, most of the products in the rest of her house is a mix of thrift-store finds and pieces from stores like Crate & Barrel and IKEA.
Bench: Antique
Chalkboard: LUNS from IKEA
Bench: Antique
Chalkboard: LUNS from IKEA
There's limited seating in the living room, so Alli put a pile of poufs and cushions nearby for casual guest seating. The rattan pouf was found locally, and she made the cushions with a few favorite fabrics.
A pastel color palette makes the dining room a soothing and cheerful place for Alli and her husband to dine. The painting — which Alli found at a secondhand shop — was the perfect fit for this softly lit room. "Thrifted items are usually the most exciting pieces, because they're more random and unique," says Alli. "Plus, I love getting to repurpose something."
Wall color: Sultana by Martha Stewart Living
Dining table and chairs: Target
Pendant: MASKROS from IKEA
Wall color: Sultana by Martha Stewart Living
Dining table and chairs: Target
Pendant: MASKROS from IKEA
Alli's home is blessed with abundant natural light, which she embraced by using sheer and light colored curtains throughout her home. This light is particularly helpful for these rows of simply potted plants. A framed print by Robert Doisneau rounds out the vignette.
The open kitchen space sits right off of the dining room, creating a perfect setup for dinner parties. "We love having a place that we've made our own," says Alli. "We can curl up on the couch and read a book, or just cook together in the kitchen for a Saturday movie night in."
Counters: Granite
Floors: Oak
Counters: Granite
Floors: Oak
To add a color to her kitchen without making drastic changes, Alli made a simple window covering with striped IKEA fabric.
Lots of little vignettes accent the walls of Alli's home. These displays add personality and style without having to make any big, permanent changes. "I often gravitate towards certain cute things that I can't resist, like stripes, florals, and little collectible bowls and tiny vases," says Alli.
The bed frame in master bedroom was hand-built by Alli's husband out of white oak and stained with a natural stain. Alli used the same IKEA curtains from the guest bedroom in her own bedroom for a soft, romantic look.
Curtains: LILL from IKEA
Bedding: IKEA, handmade pillow
Side table: Goodwill, legs painted Sharkey Gray from Martha Stewart Living
Curtains: LILL from IKEA
Bedding: IKEA, handmade pillow
Side table: Goodwill, legs painted Sharkey Gray from Martha Stewart Living
A sweet vintage fan is propped up by a few old books the pair has collected.
Another simple vignette tops a dresser in the couple's bedroom. Alli loves to accent with knickknacks, but because of her two nimble cats, she has to be careful where she puts these displays. "We've learned to make quite a few decorating decisions based on our pets, like having slip-covered furniture and no breakables at low heights," Alli says.
Photography by Andrea Dozier
More Houzz Tours:
Scandinavian Style with a Twist
Eclectic Coastal Home in Holland
Art-Filled Pied-á-Terre in Washington, D.C.
Photography by Andrea Dozier
More Houzz Tours:
Scandinavian Style with a Twist
Eclectic Coastal Home in Holland
Art-Filled Pied-á-Terre in Washington, D.C.
Curtains: LILL sheers from IKEA
Bedding: IKEA