One of my friend’s, Nora, lives in a beautiful old Victorian here in Evanston that she is lovingly restoring with her husband, Dave, and their two little kids (although unfortunately the kids aren’t much help when it comes to renovations!) I’m always amazed by Nora and Dave’s DIY efforts–from little things like a stellar paint job on her dining room, to well, tearing down walls! If anyone of you have renovated on your own, you understand what a labor of love it is. What Amy and I really love about Nora’s house is that she’s retaining all the original character of a pretty formal Victorian, but is bringing in a very contemporary, casual, family-friendly feeling with her furnishings. It’s so important to remember that you don’t have to decorate with the period of the house–bring your own style in and make the house work for you.
In the living room, the gorgeous moldings serve as a backdrop for a mix of traditional (an inherited rocking chair) and modern (CB2 and Room and Board) furnishings
The room has fabulous details like the leaded windows
The room is large and a custom rug would have been very expensive. Instead, Nora chose a rug she liked from West Elm, bought two and just overlapped them…you can barely tell!
This bright peacock try was a little DIY project for Nora–a round piece of wood, gorgeous fabric and a hot glue gun was all it took!
Sliding doors separate the dining and living room–always one of my favorite features of Victorian homes–a real reminder of grander times
In the dining room, Nora and Dave kept things simple with neutral upholstered chairs and bare floors. Adding a punch of pattern are black and white chevron drapes from (of all places!) Urban Outfitters
Another example of how Nora mixed things up in her house is the choice of entry light–a simple glass globe pendant sits above a hand-me-down chair (that she’s about to recover)
In the family TV room is an amazing table for the kids made of wood with bone inlay detail. Nora’s daughter hangs out on an old school chair picked up at a flea market
Speaking of Nora’s daughter, check out her darling bedroom. Not all of us are lucky enough to have such amazing architectural details in our homes. Soft lilac walls with a bright carpet and bold bedding (from Target) adds a modern touch.
This little secretary desk is one of little Sela’s favorite places to sit and draw.
I’m in love with these balloons hanging from the bedroom ceiling that Nora picked up at a children’s store in New York that was going out of business
The house has so many great details–these days would any builder take the time to do a custom door like this one?
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous home with us, Nora and Dave!
