House Beautiful ~ At Home with Dana

As promised, I am back with a home tour. Starting the series with a peek into Dana's beautiful mid century home. Infact, Dana is the one who suggested the title for this series. 

She is my Research guru and has an amazing blog which is my go to guide for everything mid century. She is a mini celebrity :-) (her home was featured on HGTV's rate my space). I always knew this was the house I needed to start my home tour series with. 


Thank you Dana, for the pictures and a wonderful write up. And now, over to Dana.....

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I’ve been reading Sudha’s beautiful blog, The Design Enthusiast, for quite some time now, so I was honored when she told me she wanted to do a home tour series and would like to start with my home.

I live in a mid-century ranch style home which was built in 1950. It is very small…only 1200 square feet…but it’s the perfect size for me and my two sidekicks Mister Ming (a Shih Tzu) and Isadora (an Italian greyhound better known as Izzy).

My 1950 ranch style house in Fort Worth, TX

Ming and Izzy

Bright colors greet you as soon as you walk into my entry. The varying shades of red, orange, green and turquoise are used in some combination in all the rooms of my home. The art is a large Miro print and two smaller Brian Andreas StoryPeople prints. I’m in the middle of a DIY upholstery project on a “new” vintage bench which will soon be where you see the leaning shelf. 

Small entry hall sets the tone

  

My living room is a long, narrow space with French doors at one end and a small alcove at the other. One wall is lined with the original built-in shelves. The hardwood floors are also original to the structure, but the slate tile in the alcove, which also extends into the dining room and kitchen, was added by the previous owner. The alcove, along with the master bedroom and the dining room which all extend across the front of the house, have ceiling-to-floor windows with wood blinds. My living room is decorated with mid-century modern furniture I found on Craigslist, at estate sales or at auction. 

Living room furniture is all vintage, except for my one concession to pure comfort, an Ekornes chair

Alcove with Carter Brothers scoop chair, Jens Risom credenza, which holds Kosta Boda and Blenko glass

Original built-ins which contain Haeger pottery and vintage pewter

My dining room furniture is a Drexel Profile set that I found on Craigslist a few years ago at an unbelievable steal of a price. The china cabinet houses my collection of Russel Wright Iroquois Casual.

Drexel Profile and Russel Wright china

Corner cabinet with more Russel Wright, as well as a collection of Harvest Time by Ben Seibel

I was born in 1948, so I am a "genuine" mid-century gal, and it only seemed appropriate that I use turquoise, the signature color of the 1950s that my grandmother loved so much. The room developed around a vintage bedroom set that I found on craigslist, and it soon took on a life of its own with a 21st century twist to the turquoise color scheme. 

Crate and Barrel bed and bedding with vintage bedside tables and chest

Vintage saucer chair

My second bedroom is a TV room for me and playroom for my grandsons. The closet hides toys, play mat and bouncer when they’re not visiting.

Yes, more vintage furniture...but I made the barkcloth pillows

The bathroom was already “updated” when I moved in. I would have loved to find it in original 50s condition, but the previous owners had opted for more of a spa look. 

The spa look isn't quite my style, but the previous owners did a nice job.

The previous owners installed stainless steel appliances, stainless steel countertops and slate flooring in the kitchen, but I’m planning a redo in the near future, so I won't show it yet. Maybe that will get me invited back to do another guest post on The Design Enthusiast.

Thanks again for the invitation, Sudha. I hope your readers enjoyed the tour of my house as much as I enjoyed sharing it.

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So folks,you see why I started the feature with her home right!! I strongly recommend Dana's blog and store for further design inspirations. Can't thank her enough for the wonderful post. Watch this space for a guest post from this wonderful lady and my major source of inspiration. You can leave comments and questions for Dana.

Pictures courtesy: Dana