Home Series #1

Welcome to this new series,

Love Your Home!
This is not meant to be a "How-to" on decorating; rather a showcase of homes whose owners have learned how to love their home by making it THEIRS.

You will see various homes that reflect the personalities, lives and experiences of their owners.  They will be as varied as the people who live inside.
 That's how to truly "Love Your Home!" 

 For my first feature please be advised,
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
Not everyone can pull this off, or would even want to, which makes this home so delightfully special and as interesting as the people who live here, Glen and Clista.

 The color scheme begins the minute you see the house and then is further established in the cushions on this cute little settee.

The color scheme was based on this beautiful original piece of art the homeowner found in Santa Fe.  It not only introduces the color scheme but adds so much energy to this room.

 Lime green, mandarin orange and splashes of bright yellow greet every sense when one steps inside the front door.

 The house is only 2,000 sq. ft. but appears much larger.  It was designed for entertaining and sharing happy times with friends and family with an open floor plan that flows from the front door to the kitchen.

Clista has always loved orange and green and has collected many items through the years, so it was a natural color pallet when they began planning their new home in 2014.  She has done all of the decorating herself with the help of her sister.

 The comfortable furniture is all neutral as are most of the walls in this open area.  This creates an open canvas for all the colorful accessories.

 The only pattern in the house are the rugs placed over the black tiled floors and a few throws.

 Personal treasures and heirlooms are everywhere which creates interest and conversation starters.
The homeowners served as missionaries in Hungary for several years and many of the homes accessories reflect their love for that country and its people.

Many of the accessories also come from Santa Fe where Clista's father and sister have homes and the homeowners love to visit.

The wood sculpture below is an original by Pete Ortega, a Santa Fe artisan.  The painting was done many years ago by David Dooley, a former Minister of Music at their church, family friend, and artist.  The base player in the painting is still principle base in the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra.  The small wooden bowl was carved by Clista's father.

 Open books tell the story of their daughter's weddings and other family occasions.

 The charcoal sketch below of the homeowner's daughters was done by a friend, Charles Pat, and the son of an artist who painted a landscape displayed on the kitchen counter.

In this home of eclectic furniture pieces unified by color, one does not notice the combination of wicker and ornate wood pieces.  They just belong together.

 Another focal point in this all-purpose space is the baby grand placed statically in a corner and highlighted by a work-in-progress painting of one of their daughters playing the piano.

 This light fixture and the two over the island in the kitchen were also designed and made by Clista's father.

 Again, an unexpected piece of furniture is this vintage chest that previously belonged to a family member, topped by a painting done by Clista's mother and a couple of whimsical birds.

 Do these not put a smile on your face?

 The kitchen beckons with its sterile subway tiles, white cabinets and colorful touches.

 Notice there are no appliances on the counter tops?  They are cleverly concealed in the well designed pantry and utility room behind the tall black doors.

This beverage station is perfect for brewing a morning coffee or preparing tea for a group of ladies.  The wicker tea tray was a consignment find that was painted to match the lime green wall color.

 The storage area is as decorative and well organized as the rest of the house.

These little groupings in the kitchen add not only color and function but offer so many places for the eye to land and stay a while.

Items in the picture above, lower left are porcelain pieces from Hungary and the plaque is a Hungarian blessing by the same artist.

The orange mixer was a housewarming gift from the homeowner's daughters.
How more perfect could it be?

 This wall contains the work center of the kitchen. 

 The hall on the left,

 highlighted by the black and white flooring and bright orange wall leads to the garage on the left and guest quarters on the right.

To save space, Clista decided to use a sliding barn door to make the guest area more private.  This is not your ordinary barn door, though.

 One of the guest rooms can be used for quiet reading, an office, or bedroom for a very special grandson.  But notice the continuation of color and pattern on the floor.

The guest bath continues the black/white theme.

The white quilt on the guest bed is a perfect counterbalance for the strong color on the walls.  Notice how the art work carries out the color theme and I love the bit of whimsy the leopard print chest offers.

This little wicker basket in a corner holds more pillows and throws.

The bold patterned rug provides just the visual and foot warmth this room needs.

Now for the Master Bedroom suite/retreat.

The focal point of this bright and restful room is the large white headboard and colorful painting by Clista.  The black tile flooring anchors the room and the white is a necessary counterbalance.  Here she has also added a touch of aqua accent.

This needlepoint pillow repeats the Hungarian blessing found in other parts of the home.

A comfortable settee provides a place to sit and enjoy conversation.

An extension of the bedroom is an office, library and painting studio for the homeowners.  It also looks out on and provides passage to the covered patio.  There is so much natural light in this room, yet it is a very warm and inviting space.

One of my favorite vignettes in the house is this tub niche in Clista's bath, with the beautiful chandelier and oversize heirloom painting.

The use of original art work continues into Clista's closet and dressing room.

The patio space can be accessed from the bedroom or living room and of course continues the color scheme.  It provides a perfect overflow space for large gatherings or just a private escape to enjoy the great Louisiana weather, rain or shine.

The wooden cooler box on lower right was also made by the same talented father mentioned previously.

The most important resident of the home was not left out.  He has his own color coordinated cushion on his own colorful stool in front of one of the large windows that provides so much natural light to this exciting home.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of one of the most uniquely decorated homes I have had the privilege of seeing.  It is unique because the people who reside here are so full of life and want their home to reflect who they are, their family and life past and present.

I also hope you will feel empowered to express yourself more freely in your own spaces.

Love Your Home!

Love Your Home Series #1

Love Your Home Part 2

Love Your Home Part 3

Love Your Home Part 4

Love Your Home Part 5

Love Your Home Part 6

Love Your Home Part 7

Love Your Home Finale Part 8