Since it’s just me and you, I snapped some photos around the house this morning to share (with plenty of random about happenings around here this summer!). Welcome to Hello Lovely House Tour {My Home in July 2018}.
Since I promised to check in with you more often about personal real life moments behind all of the interior-design-inspiration-and-fantasy-home-tours, let’s have a chat as we peek around my house in July.
June was so busy with graduation celebrations, my nieces in town, and one of our sons moving back home (as he finishes the last year of law school), that it has been wonderful to finally slow down to savor what is left of summer.
Hello Lovely House Tour in July
I had hoped to have our two main floor guest bedrooms updated and upgraded by now, but my husband’s work schedule has been nutty so things are progressing slowly. In the larger bedroom which I have been using as a music room, art studio, and meditation space, we finally addressed the flooring. My first choice would have been simply continuing the white oak hardwood from the living area and hallway into this room. However, there was a wait to get it installed, and we were anxious to do something before guests arrived.
New Low Cost Flooring Find
A floating floor that looks like wide plank white oak (and cost only 70 cents a square foot) was installed by my husband in one Saturday afternoon! Even if you’re a confident DIYer, you may want to give yourself more time…my husband is sort of a superhero because of his vast experience, skills, and smarts.
Here’s a peek at the installation RIGHT HERE, and you can see in the video that the flooring went right over the existing old thin, engineered flooring I had painted white. (Painting it white made sense until I was ready to address it since it had been destroyed by scratches and damage from pets kept in here at some point before we bought the fixer upper.) However, I never thought I would live with the white for three years! Ha…just goes to show you, live and learn.
Oak Imposters
The only prep work we did before installation of the new laminate was removal of the quarter round from the baseboard molding. Here is the product:
Here is another option from the same manufacturer I like even more for a European country or French farmhouse feel at a crazy low price. It is not always easy to get a greyed, limed, or bleached oak look due to oak’s tendency to naturally present as amber or orange-y. There’s nothing like a natural wood product, but when you want to control the exact color and finish while saving a ton of $, there are pretty choices out there.
We needed to match the floor to the adjoining hall so this next product wasn’t an option for us, but you may love it (I know I do!).
Before & After of Guest Bedroom Floor
Wait. You may be asking yourself how I could be pleased with a new floor which set us back less than $200 total…and I hear you! But I truly love it. This isn’t a mansion or historical home we’re talkin’ about. It’s a cozy European country style cottage in the woods. I will not have to worry about creating art in here or scratching the floor when I shift furniture around (this space will occasionally be used for a guest bedroom). In fact, the new floor matches so well with the white oak hardwood in the hallway that I am ripping out the carpet in the guest bedroom across the hall and installing the same material.
When it is installed, we will have no more carpet on the first floor, which makes me and all of the folks with allergies in the family very happy. Some glimpses of the process…
Just a Reminder About Our Fixer Upper
When we bought this house, it was not visible from the street as it is surrounded by mature woods. Tall weeds completely swallowed it up! However, we could see the potential, and even a nightmare of an entry courtyard became one of our favorite features. To tackle that courtyard, we extracted the weeds by hand, replaced the eroded top of the stone walls, wheeled in many barrows of pea gravel, and added old patio furniture I transformed with a paint sprayer.
Dining Room and Kitchen Separated by French Doors
This fixer upper’s interiors were another matter! See some ugly before pics (oh mercy, there are a bunch in the mix) HERE. Both bathrooms and the kitchen and bathrooms had to be gutted, all sorts of faulty wiring and plumbing were re-done with windows, roof, and doors, and we couldn’t even catch a break for heating and cooling. Our home required a lot of love, which is always flowing for us even when cash is not. We added a third bathroom ourselves not long ago – see it here.
Window Seat: Hello Lovely House Tour in July
I was fairly sure we would be ripping out the bushes you see outside of the window here in the kitchen. However, once we began living here and enjoying the birds, squirrels, and butterflies which show up in this very spot (since it provides berries, shade, and a place to build nests), we can’t imagine the foliage going away! This window seat is for the nature show, broadcasting in technicolor 12 months of the year.
Industrial Cart in the Kitchen
See how I gave a grungy steel garage sale find a makeover RIGHT HERE.
A Blogger’s Breakfast
This is my breakfast almost every morning. It’s basically a smoothie in a bowl since I don’t always want the noise of the blender going in the morning. THIS SUPERFOOD gets scooped into the bowl and topped with nonfat yogurt, blueberries, granola and a drizzle of honey. It’s an awesome value with 30 daily servings in every pouch! have noticed an increase in my energy since adding the organic superfood so it’s easier to get outside and exercise.
Hello Lovely House Tour in July: Breakfast Dining
White kitchens can easily feel too cold, especially when you have minimal tendencies like me. A floor lamp is one way to cozy up a dining area. Not sure if it would do the trick for your space? Only one way to find out…TRY IT!
Here is a similar lamp, and find plenty of options RIGHT HERE.
Edgy Quote Panels in Dining Room
I painted these about a decade ago, and they keep things around here a little younger and edgier. Adding something more urban in feel within a country-ish space can often add a layer of interest and personality.
The red guitar gets played all the time by our eldest son who has a collection of guitars.
Dining Table Makeover
This round dining table used to be black, and I was ready for a small change in here. I first tried a French grey color which was way too cool for the space. Then I painted it VALSPAR Garden Stone:
Hello Lovely House Tour in July: Neutral & Tranquil
Kitchen Work Area
Reflections on Living Beautifully
While I’m passionate about design and decor, what fuels my creativity is my love for home and ideas inspiring us to live more beautifully at home.
Oh, how I love home! The sights, the smells, and the comfort of a lovely nest..living beautifully at home is a topic near and dear to my heart.
Living beautifully at home is more profound for me these days.
Maybe you feel it too. Decades ago, before increased globalization, before the internet, modern media, and omnipresent satellites, home felt more to me like a private sanctuary.
It’s not that I am naive.
I am aware the sense of lost security I describe is a highly complex matter which is frequently politicized. Also, I am not naive enough to suggest we were safer from harm within our four walls back in pre-internet days.
It may well have been illusory, but before the world began to shrink and appear within our phones, life at home harbored a different sense of privacy, protection, and personal boundary from threats near and far.
Our shelters felt more like…well, shelter.
Modern culture and “advances” continue to alter the shape of our shelters.
With cameras outside and inside our homes, boundaries between the personal and the public indeed have blurred. My own Millenial sons were relentless pediatric paparazzi as teens, whether they were capturing video of my Christmas Eve (private) dancing or their father’s snoring!
Shop my Home!
As a blogger, I regularly welcome thousands of strangers, whose eyes I will never meet, into my heart and home online. It’s strange at times. With social media, so many of us peer into the lives of souls whom we may otherwise have never given a single thought.
The thing is…it has all happened rather quickly.
The shelter of our homes is different now as our four walls have grown more permeable.
Surely cultural shifts affect how we regard HOME consciously and subconsciously. Perhaps, the changing shape of shelter explains my growing desire at 50-something to become even more intentional about living beautifully at home.
Living beautifully at home creates warmth for connections with those whom we love most. It nourishes the body and spirit and can feel like a sacred pocket of interior quietude.
Living beautifully at home transcends decorating a structure with objects or art. For me, it encompasses creating harmony, tranquility, and balance so daily living is infused with more loveliness and depth.
Daily life can quickly grow complicated. When dark days come knocking with chaos, heartache, or illness, home should feel like a balm.
Living beautifully at home is so much more than living with a collection of the right objects and the right art or perfectly organized closets. Beautiful living involves the peace that comes when your personal spaces reflect what brings you hope, comfort, and joy.
A lovely nest provides: a safe landing for relationships to thrive, a place to rest and recover, and a shelter to experience and grow in beauty.
As you can see from these images, my style embraces the timeless and the tranquil. I come alive in the presence of quiet color, timeworn finishes, and unfussy elegance.
A Few More Things Inspiring Me This Summer
Our son’s former home where he lived the first two years of law school. Almost everything inside, including creaky, uneven wood floors, is original. I helped him move out a few days ago, and being inside took me back. I was reminded of the very tight quarters of our very first 1920’s bungalow in Elmhurst. I am itching to get my hands on another fixer upper.
I can never to too long without a visit to Restoration Hardware’s location in Chicago’s Gold Coast (3 Arts Building)! Quiet tours of the minimal luxe spaces and rooftop inspire me.
These shelves from RH caught my eye, and the mismatched frames add so much interest and fun.
You’re Special to Me
Good vibes and blessings from an old flower child comin’ your way…
I wish you the blessing of beautiful living in the shelter you call home.
And I wish you sweetness, this very moment, to counter any bitterness within your being.
I wish you heartfulness to soften the beautiful edges of your soul.
And I wish you loving kindness, lavishly overflowing from hidden wholeness within.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
Shop for items you already intended to buy on Amazon RIGHT HERE, and also find home decor here to keep decor inspiration flowing on Hello Lovely!
Hello Lovely is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
May I ask where you purchased the Bonjour pillow please?
Thank you.
Author
Hi! It was a castoff from a friend, and I haven’t found a source for a burlap one like this, but here’s an inexpensive cotton/poly option: https://amzn.to/2NYjzpF. Thanks for reading. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your beautiful home!! I especially appreciate how you showed us where to purchase similar looks!! I’m looking for you kitchen counter tops??
Author
Hi there. If this question is for me – lots of info about our counters if you use my search box – they are Viatera quartz called Minuet. https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/2020/05/choosing-quartz.html
I never ever tire of touring your home . There is always something new that I’ve never noticed -I always leave your post feeling peacefully inspired .
Author
Whew! I am always slightly uncomfortable posting images when it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Thanks for the support, friend. 🙂
You have a great eye. That counts for a lot. You manage to be disciplined in your color palette and it makes everything work together. Too many people get distracted by shiny objects and end up with a place that’s cluttered and chaotic, even when it isn’t really all the cluttered or chaotic. The lack of cohesion just makes it feel so.
As for the floors, since I moved to Europe I cannot stand wall-to-wall carpet anymore. I want to take those rugs outside every year and hose them down (and ours are antiques, but they are fine). No matter how much you vacuum, you just can’t get rid of the dust the way you can with wood or tile floors.
Author
I hear you. Can’t wait to rip out more carpet! So many folks live by design rules such as ‘you MUST have a bit of black in every room’ or ‘add colorful pillows to every neutral upholstered piece in the home.’ For me, THAT feels like restraint. It’s all intuitive for me and requires no effort at all to limit the palette to the tones inside me. Subtle, soulful colors of stone, melting ice cream, sand, driftwood, clouds, snow, cotton, and so many more in the vanilla rainbow. p.s. Loved reading all those glowing reviews of your apartments and am thrilled for you guys. I hope to feature your other apartment on the blog soon. 🙂
Your home is beautiful, Michele. And,as always, I love reading your thoughts on life/our crazy world!
Author
I’m grateful for your support and kindness! Thanks for taking the time to respond and for reading, friend. 🙂
Hello Michele – your home is absolutely gorgeous and cozy. You and your blog are a constant source of inspiration so much so that once I install my gallery exhibit this evening, I am tackling a quick kitchen “re-do”. Not nearly as in depth as your and your Husband’s DIY skills but refreshed nonetheless. You make me smile every morning and bring new decor ideas, colors, and textures to my day. Stay remarkable just as you are, keep smiling, and sharing your loveliness with the whole world. Thank you Michele – thank you!
Author
I would love to see that exhibit in person so I hope you’ll be sharing all the details, friend! I am already picturing those photographs in their vintage frames. 🙂 Best to you as you refresh the kitchen – I know my own interiors are never done, nor would I want them to be. Thank you for your kindness and support. xox
You have such a lovely, peaceful home Michele! I have been reading your posts for quite a while and appreciate all the eye candy!
Author
Thank you so much for your loyal readership, friend. I so appreciate your kind words and feedback! 🙂
Just love coming to my inbox and reading your lovely words of inspiration and seeing the beauty that you share. Namaste my friend.
Author
Well that’s just sweet music to my ears, friend. Peace to you, lovely one.
I’m so glad I’ve found your blog. Your “quiet” style is so like mine. It is soothing and yes, does create at least for me, a sanctuary from the outside world.
It’s interesting what people see/think when they come to my own home, filled with light colors and a tone-on-tone approach to decorating. Many friends and neighbors have literally gone “Wow!” with huge smiles on their faces. One of my favorite responses to our master bedroom was “Oooooh! It looks like a cloud!” and indeed that is the idea I had in mind when I painted it a very pale gray (ceiling and walls) with white trim, white painted floor, white furniture and white bedding with only tiny hints of color (soft pink and soft green) here and there.
But oddly my own sisters and mother have all expressed very blatantly how they think our home is “boring with so much white”. Ah well…… I’ve seen their homes and there is much more “visual chaos”…not my style though I’ve never been so rude to tell them so to their faces….and they all have much more real chaos in their lives too!
We all have our homes to create as our own sanctuaries. How we create those sanctuaries not only tells much about us, but sometimes also about how our life in general is. As a former interior decorator, it never ceased to amaze me how many people told me “I’m SO tired! I’m SO busy! Can you help me create some calm in here??” Yes, I often could and it often meant softening the colors…and decluttering.
Life today is cluttered with so much bombardment from outside…that “outside” often being those devices we hold in our hands. 😉 To create our own version of sanctuary is not just “doing the fru fru stuff!” (as my nasty sister called it!) but it is so much more. Creating our sanctuary is part of creating the life we want to truly live.
Again, I cannot say in words how beautiful your blog is and what joy it has brought me! The photos are always beyond lovely but your words transcend our daily lives………
Author
Thanks for so often elevating the discussion and inspiring new avenues of discovery. Quiet interiors are not for everyone, and I honor folks who delight in colorful rooms and are passionate about energetic designs. I do feel comfortable with quiet though! And monastic, ethereal, airy, effortless, timeless, and tranquil. Too many times it seems over-thinking can doom a design, yes? An over-reliance on design rules and insensitivity to what the hearts of the house and the owner desire. Desire is everything. An empty room with natural light streaming through the windows and dancing upon a wood floor? So much more beautiful to me than a space crammed with treasures from the past or fashionable and expensive objects. I love a space enveloping and supporting me in the NOW. xox
Love your design style and blog. I am wondering if other readers have problems with all the pop up ads.
Author
Thanks so much. I would prefer no ads at all for an optimal viewing experience. However, I am hoping since the site is free to use and it is time consuming for me to create stories to learn from, readers can tolerate the addition of ads. I’m not getting rich from this blog, btw – it’s the worst paying gig I have ever had! 🙂
Hi Michele,
I feel more relaxed just looking at pictures of your tranquil home! I have always loved white oak floors too. The new wide planked Home Depot flooring mat look great in my basement though! I will eagerly await your next fixer upper!!
xo
Author
So perfect for a basement! 🙂
Your blog is a beautiful moment of peace and love. And I especially love your photo of the Bible where we learn about our true giver of pure Joy, Peace, and Love. Thank you for sharing your world with us.
Author
Thank you for sharing your faith here as well – mine is my happy place. Peace to you, friend. 🙂
Love all of this! Especially love seeing that you read “Twenty Four Hours a Day”! Me too!!!
Author
So happy to have you here – i am truly muddling through and it’s great to feel joined. 🙂
Well, I’ve seen a lot of homes but none compare to yours! It is my style 100%. Like you, I admire a lot of different styles but your style speaks to my soul. Lovely and inviting.
Author
Thanks so much for the kindness, Rhonda. I love the treasures you create with vintage finds and your imagination – there is nothing like working with your hands and with materials that make your heart sing, yes? xox
I love your blog and your style of decorating. In today’s blog you show a July tour of your house and in the living room is a console that looks to be light wood. Can you tell me where you got it? Thanks.
Author
I think you are referring to our antique Belgian sideboard – imported from Belgium. I haven’t seen anything quite like it – it is 9 feet long, huge, and made of oak with no stain or finish on it just patina. 🙂
Author
Hi again. I found a similar cabinet you may want to take a peek at right here: http://shrsl.com/15a3p. Hope this helps!
Your house is so beautiful! I love the new wood floors. You are right – it is weird letting strangers take virtual tours into our homes. I totally love your attitude about living beautifully at home – ha I have that written under my blog’s motto! Anyway, thanks for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things – I’ll be featuring you tomorrow! Angelina @ Petite Haus.
Author
Thank you! I am in love with your house and am dying to feature it so I feel humbled. Thanks for making my day, and I appreciate the nod! xox
I am so enthralled by this lovely tour and all the details! I am featuring you today at Thursday Favorite Things! I will be back to linger a while longer and take in all the beauty of your home and garden.
I shared my recent home tour this week, we like so many of the same things (we have the same pillow, it’s my favorite!)
I am much more of a vintage hoarder with “carefully curated clutter,” however I adore your calm and peaceful home! I think you might enjoy some of my treasures too.
Thanks so much for sharing with us at TFT. I hope you will join us again this week. Have a great day!
Author
Well, how lovely is that!?! Thank you so much – I have always loved link parties because the kindest bloggers and blog readers are always associated with them. ‘Carefully curated clutter’ makes such good copy…ha! Heading over to your blog right now!
Your home is lovely! Followed you on IG! That flooring is amazing!
Author
Thanks so much for the follow! Thanks for reading. 🙂