This week, we have not one, but TWO fabulous “Dream Homes”. Yesterday, we took a look at Alaina’s fabulous dream abode and today, Stephanie of Covet Living is sharing what she would want in her dream home. I think you’ll find her home very inspiring!
Hi there! Stephanie here from Covet Living. I am so geeked to be a part of the Dream Home series! A HUGE thanks to resident superwoman Paloma for being so gracious and passing me the mic for a minute.
If I had to describe my style, I would say it’s a cozy brand of traditional chic with splashes of color and whimsy. I always gravitate towards whites and weathered wood, love antiques, and herald comfort above all else. Design that’s untouchable or ostentatious literally makes my stomach hurt. To me, choosing my favorite interiors always boils down to 2 things: 1) Did I (gasp!) when I saw it? And most importantly, 2) Is it welcoming, and would people feel at home here?
My dream home looks about like this on the outside… sweet, simple and southern, with plenty of room to lounge with a cup of coffee on the front porch. But I would re-do the metal roof in a greenish-patina of copper, beef up the landscaping (think gobs of peony bushes) and add a little cobblestone walkway.
(photo via Pinterest)
Please, come in! This is the foyer. I love the funky yet refined bubble chandelier, which I swiped from Carrie & Mr. Big’s apartment.
(photo via Elle Décor)
And I extra love it against a backdrop of some gorgeous wallpaper, like this wisteria pattern from Farrow & Ball:
As soon as guests get settled in, I’d reach for the wall o’tumblers and pour them a cocktail. I have a minor obsession with these little glass wonders, and have been collecting them for years. Muffie Faith’s collection (she’s the owner and head designer at ESD Charleston) is a thing of beauty:
(photo via Charleston Home Magazine)
I almost always gravitate towards white kitchens, but this one has always struck me as absolute PERFECTION. It’s equal parts old fashioned (the primitive wood table, the pendants over the island), modern (the sleek, dark cabinetry and Viking appliances) and whimsy (the Murano glass chandelier and cement tile floors).
(photo via Elle Décor / Design by Kristen Buckingham)
In said dream house, I also have a little breakfast nook off of the kitchen that is perfect for lazy mornings when it’s raining outside. I love the floor-to-ceiling glass doors, the cream woven chairs, and the farmhouse sink. I’m also pretty sure I can hear Billy Joel or James Taylor playing in the next room.
(Katie Lee Joel’s Kitchen via Domino / Design by Nate Berkus)
When it comes to guest rooms, I know that sometimes they can be an afterthought – a place where all the misfit sheets & blah décor go to die. So I really want to make mine extra lush and comfy, with layers of texture and lots of light, like these gorgeous nuggets:
(photos via Pinterest and La Dolce Vita)
PS: if my peeps run out of linens, there’s a linen closet right outside in the hall. Help yourself!
(photo via Lonny)
I love this hall bath. It’s like Sleepless in Seattle meets Casablanca… meets my 1920’s era elementary school, because that is the last time I’ve seen a black toilet seat. I dig it.
(photo via Domino / Design by Rita Konig)
In a dining room, I would normally prefer an oversized, farmhouse or Belgian sort of table. And maybe some crazy chairs upholstered in a colorful ikat. But this dining room knocks my socks off. The turquoise chandelier, the perfectly carved marble slab atop a couple of 2x4’s screwed together with bolts, those glorious antique bronze lamps… I can’t even handle myself. The same way I claim to love tall, dark & handsome boys, yet always end up dating blonde surfer dudes an inch taller than me, this is like the dining room I never knew I always wanted.
(photo via House of Turquoise / Designer Meg Adams)
When it comes to the master bedroom, I always like to keep it super simple, and no matter how much I swoon over the gorgeously crazy bedding at Anthro, I have never been able to stray from all-white bedding; nothing looks crisper or cleaner. This room is divine – the taut white sheets, the simple antique bed, the cashmere throw, the luscious lilac pillows that pick up on the lavender wall color, and that sunburst mirror. Yum.
(photo via The Estate of Things)
In my master bath, I absolutely love this massively oversized chandelier, the clawfoot tub, the light (!!!), and the fact that an antique vitrine (the wooden cabinet) was repurposed as a linen closet. That’s sheer genius. I also love that cement tile flooring is bringing the party in an otherwise neutral and quiet room… and that this bathroom is big enough to do cartwheels in.
(photo via Roseland Green)
As for my closet, I would love to have this O&L Asuka Wallpaper (left) in THIS closet (right). I love the architecture – the moldings, the ceiling medallion, the carved stone fireplace… the settee… the sweet little oriental rug layered over the massive grey-and-white striped one… and the freestanding shoe & clothing racks. Almost makes me feel like I’m shopping at J.Crew. Which I probably am, since this is Jenna Lyons’ closet.
Since I have a few little nieces and nephews, I would definitely want them to have a place to stay when they come visit. And I DO love the white-washed, paneled walls, exposed beams, and general color palette of this kiddos’ bunk room…
(photo via Pinterest)
Except I’d probably go for something more old school and more fairy-dusty, like this. Because I remember my childhood well enough to know how much fun sleeping in these tents would be. It's like magic (!)
(photo via Absolutely Beautiful Things)
Though if those kids are anything like me and my cousins were, this is where they’ll end up…
(photo via Coco + Kelley)
My grandparents also need a room when they come to visit, and this one’s perfect for them… what grandma wouldn’t love sheets with little hearts on ‘em + that sweet vintage wallpaper? Plus, I know Bud would love a good flannel blanket that looks just like his favorite pair of britches.
(Photo via Domino)
As for my living room (shame shame), I have yet to run across one that I 100% loved. But if I could build it from scratch, I would start with a tufted sofa in some sumptuous color of velvet, like navy or powder blue… I’d add in a Friends-esque, chunky weathered coffee table… hang my favorite chandelier from the ceiling, and toss in some funky fabric somewhere:
(photos: sofa via Sara Gilbane interiors, vintage sputnik chandelier via Little Green Notebook, balustrade table via Restoration Hardware, and Rocio Moreno fabric as seen in House Beautiful)
This has GOT to be the most beautiful laundry room I’ve ever seen. Who wouldn’t want to do 14 loads a day in here?
(Photo via Little Green Notebook)
Finally, there is nothing I love more than to meander outside after the day is done…
(Photo via Pinterest)
…with a beverage in hand, preferably from a bar this pretty:
(Photo via Southern Living)
…and to hang out with some friends, with the smell of charcoal wafting through the air and a red fuzzy golden retriever at my feet. I love that this little patio has a trellis for greenery to grow around it (also perfect for hanging string lights), and not only has a little dining area, but also a fire pit or two so you can cozy up and roast marshmallows for dessert. Heavenly.
(Photo via Pinterest)
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