Today I want to introduce you to 3 blogger homes (and their owners) that I love. Blogs are a constant source of education and inspiration for me. They also serve as a source of community for like-minded souls. Maybe you know these three already, but if you don’t, you will be in for a treat. Let’s get started!
House Seven
Isn’t this home so serene? Filled with whites, natural woods and linens, Anissa has created a light-filled, airy space for her family. Her blog, House Seven, is always a treat to read. She clearly is gifted at styling and every time she posts to the blog or her Instagram feed, it makes me happy. Her superpower is editing. She clearly knows that less is more.
For the sake of transparency, I should tell you that Anissa and her family actually don’t live here anymore. They are currently in the process of downsizing to a much smaller home. They recently made the decision to live a simpler life with less. They bought a much smaller home and are currently in an apartment until they can move in. In a world where everyone seems to want more rooms than they have people in their family, it is refreshing to see people coming to the conclusion that less stuff leaves more room for the important things in your life. In Anissa’s words:
Peace. It was all about peace. Peace for our family.
And it was about the feeling of having less. Less things. Less bills. Less everything to make more of something. That something is our lives and we wanted to free ourselves of the stuff to make more room for the memories we could create by not having so much stuff to take care of.
Their current apartment, although temporary, has already been transformed into a beautiful home for their family of five. The new (old) home they will soon move into will be no exception, I’m sure. Anissa’s gift for transforming any space is in her blood and it is how she manifests her creativity. Anissa’s journey has shown me how simplifying life and still crafting a beautiful space don’t have to contradict each other.
Visit Anissa online HERE and follow her on Instagram HERE.
House Tweaking
Modern. Neutral. Masculine. Dana has made a livable gorgeous space for her family. Dana is the author of House Tweaking, another blog that I read regularly. I love that she describes her blog content as “modest Midwest living”. Modest conveys an approachability, without feeling cheap. I would say that it is an apt description for her home.
Similar to Anissa, Dana made the decision to quit her uninspiring (but well-paying) job, then downsized for the sake of happiness. Maybe it’s these values that draw me to them. In fact, I just went to her “About” page to make sure her name was Dana (I always just think of her as House Tweaking) and her words blew me away.
We ditched our McMansion in exchange for a smaller dilapidated 1950’s ranch complete with termite trails in the original shag carpeting. We deemed it The Underdog and spent the next three years tearing down walls, vaulting ceilings, laying wood floors, installing an IKEA kitchen, updating bathrooms, painting, organizing and decorating. It’s not our dream house but, rather, the house in which to pursue our dreams. Since downsizing we’ve come to value right-sized living, less > more, quality > quantity and experiences > things. Although I will forever be tempted to add a new pillow or repaint a wall 😉
Amen to that!
Visit Dana online HERE and follow her on Instagram HERE.
Chris Loves Julia
Chris and Julia’s house is a modern, earthy dream. I love their color choices and how boldly they jump into their projects. Their current house is being transformed, room by room and documented on their blog, Chris Loves Julia. This talented duo pretty much do all the renovation work themselves and then document everything so we can learn along with them. Julia heads up the design, and Chris does the construction. This kitchen renovation they just finished completely blew my mind.
To top it off, Chris and Julia have recently launched a podcast. One of my favorite blogs in podcast form? Sign me up! I have been enjoying the episodes and putting their voices and personalities with their faces. On a recent episode, they talked about their preference of learning by doing. That really struck a chord with me.
Visit Chris and Julia online HERE and follow them on Instagram HERE.
Beyond their incredible talent, I think I am drawn to these three blogs because of their values. In the case of Dana and Anissa, downsizing for the sake of carving more room in their lives to follow their passions. For Chris and Julia, it’s their outlook and being “open to whatever comes next.” Their examples inspire me to keep going on this journey called blogging. I can see it is been a great source of growth and learning for them.
