Our house is an eclectic mix of old and new, east and west, bold and subdued. We moved into our house 8 years ago and tried to furnish it without buying everything new. We tried to use the furnishings from our city townhouse as well as some great hand-me-downs and family antiques. We reupholstered several old pieces, using indestructible fabrics. I guess you could say that is the thing we love most about our house, it is very comfortable, homey and livable. I never wanted to have certain rooms “off limits” to our young kids, so we chose strong, dark, patterned fabrics, vinyl wall coverings and salvaged woods.
Our family room is where we spend most of our time as a family. We have a tv, of course and games, puzzles and art supplies hidden in every cabinet. We have a game table that can open into 60” round table, where everyone does homework; there are always a few laptops on there. Recently we put in a stone fireplace and wooden mantle inspired by recent trips to Colorado, which really gives the room a warm, cozy feeling. We have an old working Victrola phonograph which was in my family room growing up – it was even old back then.
There is a small screened-in porch, which during the warmer months, becomes an extension to the family room. During the day, you will find me sitting out there on my lap top working and night having a late night snack.
We tried to keep the more formal areas of the house comfortable and casual as well with a jewel-toned color palette and a mixture of ethnic art and artifacts. My family was very international and I have been the lucky recipient of sculptures and prints from around the world. We have traveled a little too (before kids!) and have a few pieces that preserve special memories. One of my most treasured are two wooden shadow puppets that we bought in Indonesia which I mounted on linen and display in our powder room.
Our powder room was my first real project in the house. (That is another thing that makes my house special – we did most of the improvements and decorating ourselves. My husband and sister are very handy, so actually avoided hiring a lot of electricians, carpenters and designers. At the same time, it has taken years to complete some projects). When we moved in, our powder room had white walls, a white pedestal sink and an exposed light bulb off-center above the sink. I installed antique sconces and small chandelier, framed a mirror and replaced the pedestal with a Mexican cabinet with copper wooden bowl. I hung rust colored vinyl wallpaper that looks like grass cloth, but can withstand moisture.
I have an oddly long mudroom that is a favorite feature in the house. I can leave it messy and shut the door – and no one knows it is back there. My kids set up an office back there – where they hand pictures, artwork and use a computer. It has so much cabinet and closet space, I actually have some empty cabinets and shelves. The mudroom also doubles as a laundry room. I started a collection of antique laundry items such as washboards, irons, clothespins, etc. which I display on top of cabinets above the washer and dryer. This is my attempt to make laundry artful.
One of my sons shares our enthusiasm for collecting. He has filled his room with sports memorabilia that he has collected himself. He has the opportunity to attend many events because his dad’s business is providing food for sports teams. He is never without a black Sharpie and something to autograph at every event. One of his prize possessions is a signed basketball shoe by Baron Davis when he was on the Golden State Warriors that he actually wore in the game.
My favorite room is my yoga room. I have a small octagonal room off my bedroom with a gas fireplace that heats up the room. I teach yoga (hot yoga too) – and I think of this little octagon as my own little hot practice studio. I keep all of my yoga books, journals, a computer, iPod and DVDs in there – and I spend a lot of time reading, practicing and making sequences and music mixes for the classes I teach. The room is very sparsely decorated, as is my bedroom, and it has a very calming, serene feeling. Although there is only room for one mat, it is a perfect sanctuary for me. Yoga is experiential – to understand it, you need to feel it in your own body and mind. I feel that to be an effective teacher, I need to have my own personal practice, so I can fully experience and understand certain postures, sequences and breath techniques feel before I teach them.
I have several Buddhas placed throughout my house that I have collected over the years. I have always been interested in eastern philosophy and religions. My favorite Buddha is an antique stone Buddha from Cambodia that my grandma brought back from the far east. I like to keep it in my yoga room as an inspiration to continue to spread and teach peace through yoga.
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