Today I am happy to share another neighborhood family home with you. Beth and her family have been living here for quite a while, although they recently went through a bit of remodeling to suit more of their current lifestyle and needs. The changes they made were simple, but truly refreshed this home. Beth was so kind to let me come in and take some photos and especially for providing me my own adorable photo assistant while I was there. I absolutely love how every space in her home is functional and no space is wasted. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did:
Who lives in this home and how did you come to live here? Our family – Parker, Beth, Walton (5), and Carter (3). We moved to Ocala from Atlanta in 2006. Having grown up in the southeast area of town, I knew I wanted to start and raise my family here.
How would you describe your aesthetic/style? That’s a tough one. I lean towards more neutral tones and cleaner lines, somewhere between traditional and modern.
What are three words that capture how you want to feel in your home?: Happy, refreshed, serene.
Which room in your home do you enjoy the most? Our living room. It’s a great place for Parker and I to relax after the kids go to bed.
Where do you find home inspiration and ideas? We have friends with great style, whose homes give inspiration with every visit. Also, websites like Houzz and Pinterest are great resources.
What do you splurge on in your home? Where have you saved?: We splurge on things that get the most use like our sectional. We’ve saved by painting furniture that we’ve had for a while a new color to give it a fresh look (kitchen table/chairs, kitchen island, kids entertainment center/bookshelves, and our china cabinet).
What is your strategy to keep clutter at bay?: We try to assign a home to everything. I find that clutter becomes a problem when things don’t have a place to go. This can be tricky with the amount of things a 3 and a 5 year old accumulate on a daily basis!
You are also in real estate. What advice do you have to others when preparing to put their house on the market?: Less is more. Declutter, put a fresh coat of neutral paint on the walls, and consider taking down family photos. You want buyers picturing themselves in the home.
Has having young kids changed the way you decorate your home? If so, how? I don’t think it’s changed my style, but definitely the placement and durability of items. The kids know which areas are food and shoe free!
How do you hope your kids will remember this home when they are older? All of the fun memories like taking the couch apart to build a fort, playing in the driveway, and eating together at the kitchen table.
Isn’t it such an inviting, comfortable space? I love how Beth’s values in how she wanted to feel in her home are reflected in her family’s home, don’t you? In a world when it can feel like you always have to buy more and be more, defining your values in different areas of your life is a helpful way to stay focused on what matters most to you.
If you would like to check out more lovely home tours, find them HERE.
