My Home January 2014: Living With Neutral Decor

MORE evidence of my love affair with white

lives in every room of our home…

In a sleepy little Northern Illinois town,

the house is newish but looks very old.

Made the Oscar Wilde panels on the laundry room shelf

(above) 4 years ago and have not yet tired of them.

I like a whispery palette and an ethereal mood.

We live minimally.
Those shelves on the etagere are not ‘styled.’
I would need Sherry Hart for that.
They simply hold a bunch of stuff I like
including an alligator head.

I can’t do ‘precious.’ I just cannot.
We commissioned the kitchen
table when our kids were little,
and since it’s soft antique pine,
all of their homework
scribbles are permanently engraved on top.


piano playin’ chair.

My style?

Hmmmm.

Nordic Beach meets French Farmhouse?

Soulful, Serene, and Sunny?


nightstand

You already know about the obsession
with Votre Vu hand creme and lip balm.
The rosary on the Milieu magazine is new
and blessed by the Pope! My sis brought
it back from the Vatican last week.


master bath


outside master


dressing room/guest room stenciled with this gorgeous stencil


love me some linen.

Thanks for taking a peek.
The kitchen is a wreck today,
so I’ll share it another day.

Peace to you right where you are.

michele

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41 Comments

  1. January 10, 2014 / 3:14 am

    You have a lovely style, love your mix of frilly and industrial. Where in IL are you? I live in southern IL near St Louis. In the summer I sell at the 3rd Sunday market in Bloomington. Do you ever make it to that flea market?

    • January 10, 2014 / 9:36 pm

      i need to shop that one!

  2. January 10, 2014 / 3:26 am

    Gorgeous, simple and inviting! Love your dining area and shelving the best!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

  3. January 10, 2014 / 5:23 am

    love your home, I am aiming to live more minimally your space is an inspiration!
    Keya

  4. January 10, 2014 / 8:25 pm

    Compared to a lot of people, our
    house is pretty minimal, but I'm
    constantly striving to pare back to
    the essentials motto–useful, beautiful
    or simply sentimental things around
    us. Being the sentimental slob that
    I am, it's especially hard to part with
    a lot of the ephemera from when the
    kids were little….I wonder how you
    handle that? All the paperwork, drawings,
    clay figurines, etc? Would love to
    know and draw inspiration, if you care
    to share : )

    Okay, I've been trolling your blog for
    literally an hour. So much goodness
    while I was away–thank you for sharing
    it with all of your lucky readers!!!

    xo Suzanne

    • January 10, 2014 / 9:40 pm

      while i don't save every greeting card we receive, i have saved all the boys' sentimental stuff and artwork. i was really good years ago about photocopying it and shrinking it for scrapbooks, but i keep it organized in rubbermaids that we go through from time to time. the other thing you won't necessarily get from my pics on the blog is that we live in a huge house with tons of storage. so i'm able to hide away stuff that doesn't get used daily.

      thanks so much, suzanne!

  5. January 10, 2014 / 8:32 pm

    Michele, thank you so much for the tour of your beautiful home! I love your style, so ethereal and dreamy, but as you say not at all precious. I would love to sit at that table with you and sip a glass of wine and laugh. Beautiful.
    Have a lovely weekend! XOXO

  6. January 10, 2014 / 10:46 pm

    Oh how I LOVE peeking inside your home…if I lived closer, I'd get myself invited over for coffee or wine…hahaha….as I've said before, your simplistic, neutral, lovely style is something we share & I've been known to go back to your blog for inspiration many times…I'm loving the wallpapers you have used in a couple of those photos….I've been searching for something to use in our very small "master" bedroom…Thanks for sharing your loveliness!!
    xo, Mariaelena

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:50 am

      you are the sweetest! actually i stenciled that wall in the dressing room. i blogged about it a few weeks ago, so search my blog and find the info–it was a snap and so much easier and cheaper than wallpaper! 🙂

  7. January 10, 2014 / 10:48 pm

    Hi Michelle,
    You are a sweet soul and a gentle heart and your home is the same. I love reading your posts, they make me feel so calm. Thanks for the lovely tour!
    Maryann

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:51 am

      i'm so glad, maryann. you just made my night!

  8. January 10, 2014 / 10:55 pm

    Love! Love! Love!
    Love it to bits!
    Wish I was there…Lucky you.
    Love and wishes x always x

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:51 am

      how sweet and kind are you? thank you VERY much. 🙂

  9. January 10, 2014 / 10:57 pm

    Michele ~ the light in your home is utterly amazing. So ethereal! I love your minimalist style. It looks clean, airy, beachy and so chic. Just beautiful, sweetie! It was fun to see more of your house!

    xoxo laurie

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:52 am

      i'm so grateful for the light, laurie. i need to share more the house more often because it forces me to improve the spaces and notice wonky mishaps! thanks.

  10. January 10, 2014 / 11:46 pm

    I like your style Michele. The minimalist approach works for me too..can't breath when things get cluttered. Those point shoes are do pretty. I used to display my daughters and when she moved, she took them:(
    I love the soft color of a well worn ballet shoe. Have a nice weekend! xxL

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:53 am

      hugs, leslie. i loved seeing you and mon together in her shop!!!! how cool was that? i'll meet you there one day.

  11. January 10, 2014 / 11:51 pm

    That's SO not do ..my cell phone has a mind of its own

  12. January 11, 2014 / 1:01 am

    Love this tour of your beautiful abode! Love your signature style! Cool, calm and collected. Hugs and kisses, L

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:54 am

      oh it is i who bow to you, my brutha.

  13. January 11, 2014 / 2:26 am

    Holy!, this is book material, HGTV are you paying attention? You have amazing beautiful style Michele……what a treat! Thanks for inviting us in!

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:55 am

      stop that tina. you're always spoilin me and making a girl feel fancy. smooch.

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:56 am

      merci, julie. i am blushing for realz and don't deserve this lovefest.

  14. January 11, 2014 / 9:22 am

    Michele, Oh my, I love your house, your style!! It is really you!
    Thank you for this peeking into your charming house!
    Happy weekend!
    xx
    Greet

    • January 11, 2014 / 4:15 pm

      merci, beautiful greet.

  15. January 11, 2014 / 2:57 pm

    Is that wallpaper in your guest room? I would love to know the pattern, it is beautiful….you have wonderful taste!

  16. January 11, 2014 / 3:46 pm

    Very beautiful! I love minimal, as too much stuff feels simply crowded to me and gives me the unsettled distorted and upset mental state…I am a bit less minimal than you …and more colour maybe …but love your house and the peaceful vibe it gives. all the different shades of white and grays…

    hugs Z

  17. January 11, 2014 / 4:20 pm

    merci! truth is, i love color in everyone else's place. it inspires me and makes me feel alive. but at home i need rest and nurturing vibes which is what neutrals do for me. i think a white canvas inspires lots of creatives–it holds so much promise and waits for the imagination to kiss it. 🙂

  18. January 13, 2014 / 4:04 pm

    It's all so beautiful, Michele. I feel more relaxed already…

  19. January 15, 2014 / 5:41 pm

    Definitely lovely – every bit.

    Is that a Maileg mouse in the second photo?

  20. January 15, 2014 / 5:46 pm

    thanks! yes, indeed. my maileg are found at splendidavenue.com.

  21. January 16, 2014 / 12:35 pm

    Michele….of course your house is "lovely"….so are you and your sweet soul. Your bookshelves look perfectly styled to me…..casually thrown together by an expert! I of course love your home with all of it's white loveliness my sister but you do not need me to do anything in your home. For real:)

  22. January 23, 2014 / 7:41 pm

    I am salivating over the mirror in the in the bath tub. I would love for you to share this fabulous post at our WIW Linky party. I hope you can join us!

    Paula
    Ivy & Elephants

  23. January 24, 2014 / 2:26 pm

    So peaceful, I was drawn into your pictures like a moth to flame, a drooling moth but still a moth. 🙂 Just beautiful!

  24. February 18, 2014 / 4:41 am

    Stunning chandeliers!!! I also love the dressing/guest room!!!!

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