OUR NEW HOUSE
Oh hey there, come on in!
As some of you may know, we closed on our first home as a married couple about a month ago! When we first started the house hunt, we targeted our search to three neighborhoods and saw over 60 houses! While most people find this process extremely exhausting and daunting, we really enjoyed it! I’m sure our real estate agent was not as happy about our excitement…
After the first few weeks of looking, we decided that the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of Saint Paul was exactly where we wanted to be. The market in Minneapolis/Saint Paul is extremely competitive right now! Most houses are selling well over list price and with multiple offers. We actually lost the first house that we put an offer on because another buyer was willing to close on a 100-year-old house without an inspection… and we even offered $10,000 more than them, so crazy! The house we lost was a huge project, so we may have avoided a headache by not getting it… everything happens for a reason, yada yada.
Tay saw our house for the first time alone while Shane was working and completely fell in love with it. Long story short, Tay took Shane back through the house and Shane also fell in love, so we ended up buying it! We couldn’t be happier to call this place home. The house is a 1922 craftsman bungalow filled with all of the original woodwork and charm. We intend to keep the home as true to its original design as possible and will do projects to bring it back to its former glory.
I only took a few shots today to give you a little sneak peak of where we’re at so far in the decorating process. We will be sure to take lots more as we continue to do more projects and finish out more rooms. We don’t want to rush this nesting process. After all, the best part of a new home is the treasure hunt to find beautiful pieces to fill it.
Enough talk, I know you’re only here for the photos! So let’s start the tour de casa!
Barley says, “Welcome to my house. Yes, it’s mine. And no, do not take off your shoes, my dads love to clean.”
Shane LOVES cribbage. Taylor is not good at counting… so…
We love to mix old pieces with new. The Danish sectional was a Craigslist purchase for $200. We added the throw pillows and blankets from Target to give it a bit more cozy/inviting feel as Danish/Mid-Mod furniture can be a bit cold. We were skeptical to put a mid-mod piece in a craftsman home, but with the slatted design and construction techniques, we felt that it worked well in the space. Also - it has a nice low profile, so it doesn’t obstruct the view from the living room out to the porch.
Shane got this little box from Iran as a gift. Tay got the rug from… Ikea.
As you enter the house, we have a family piece that Tay got from his parents. The bookshelf. We love it and always make it the piece that welcomes people into our home. We fill it with things we love and it will stay with us forever. The bust piece is by queer artist @jonathan_kent_adams - be sure to go and give him a follow and buy his art. We’re obsessed with him.
A fireplace was a nice-to-have, not a must have. But now that we have one, it will be a must have in all houses moving forward. And how good does Mantelope look above the mantle? Please note: we did not shoot him, we bought him from an antique store. So technically, it’s like rescuing a dog rather than buying from a puppy mill… right?
We have a pair of these orange chairs in Shane’s office. Shane has had them since we met and they are one of his most prized possessions. Tay loves them too!
We love natural textures. The more the better. There is something about the way wood and stone interact. We also just love the warmth that an eclectic mix of natural textures gives to a home.
The kitchen was a mess, so here’s an iPhone shot from the other night when it was clean, haha.
Barley pretty much just followed me around and got in the way of every sh0t. She’s such a model.
This room is one of the main reasons we bought the house. We are changing the wallpaper but can we just talk about all of that woodwork for a second?
Oh, and also the built-in bookcases. We’re obsessed!
Alright, so that is all we’re going to show for now! Upcoming projects that we’re looking forward to: Master bedroom, den, office, media room and basement bar/rec area. The goal is to make the basement feel like a dive bar in Wisconsin… We’ll see how that goes!
Thanks for stopping by!
Love,
Shane, Taylor + Barley