Step Inside: Marisa’s Inviting Historic Charmer

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a home tour on the blog. Today you are in for a treat because I am sharing a charming home in the historic district. It belongs to the Thames family, who are recent transplants to Ocala. I first visited the home and met the owners, Marisa and Will, during the Historic Homes Tour in December. I was so impressed, not only by the beautiful historic house, but also by the fact that Marisa and Will were so open to doing it. It’s a lot of work to prepare for hundreds of people to traipse through your house. But they were so generous to do it, because at 100+ years old, it really is so special. Marisa has created a home that is not only beautiful, but comfortable as well for her growing family. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Marisa and Whitaker

Formal living room

Who lives in this home and how did you come to live here?  I live in the home with my husband Will, son Whitaker (2), and we are expecting another little boy this fall. Will was offered a job promotion that brought us to Ocala in August of 2014.

Are you familiar with any of the home’s history?  Our house was built in 1908 by the Greene family. The Historic Ocala Preservation Society (HOPS) was founded because of our home. The city wanted to knock it down and build a road, so some of the neighbors got together and started HOPS to save it!

Sitting area

Tell us about the process of finding your home. I was 8 months pregnant when we started the search for a new home in Ocala, so it was difficult for me to travel. I spent a weekend here looking and couldn’t find anything I liked, but we settled on the neighborhood. I fell in love with our house while searching online. I knew from the virtual tour that it was perfect! Even though the house we were living in and this house were over 100 years a part in age, the layouts are similar and I could easily envision my current life in this “new” house.

Did you make any changes to the house?  We added all of the landscaping in the front and cut back the overgrown ferns. We added a powder room downstairs and a laundry room off of the kitchen. The hardwood floors are all original, but we refinished them and brought the electrical wiring up to modern standards.

Dining room

Where do you find home inspiration and ideas? Everywhere.

How would you describe your aesthetic/style?  I would say I have no certain style, which seems to work well for me. I just know what I like when I see it and find a place for it when I get it home.

Which room in your home do you enjoy the most?  I love all of my rooms equally. They each have something I absolutely love in them and we use them all. We spend most of our time on the porches, especially in the spring when the flowers are all blooming. The porches seem magical. We love to be out there.

Kitchen

You have so many beautiful antique pieces. Where do you find them?  Many of them were family pieces that were handed down. I also had a serious addiction to Craigslist back in Charleston. You could find beautiful things, but they would sell so fast. I looked at it all the time when we bought our first house.

How did living in Charleston influence your home decor? I had access to beautiful things and was lucky enough to spend time in beautiful homes that were decorated impeccably.

Family room

Has having a young child changed the way you decorate your home? Haha. It hasn’t until the day you came over. Whitaker broke something for the first time that morning. I think it’s time to start putting things I love out of his reach.

How do you hope your kids will remember this home when they are older?  I hope they don’t remember how my house looked, but rather how it felt. I hope they remember it as a place they wanted to be, a place they wanted to bring their friends, and a place they always want to come back to.

Upstairs bath

Whitaker’s room

Nursery

What do you splurge on in your home? Where have you saved? I splurged on the bedding in the nursery. I had it custom made and I love the paintings that hang on the wall above the crib. We also splurged on our sectional. I have saved by recovering pieces to give them new life.

If you could give one piece of advice on living in a historic home, what would it be?  When you make modern updates, be prepared for unforeseen consequences because of the historic nature of the home.

Side porch

Isn’t that side porch amazing?? If you are familiar with the mosquitoes in this neck of the woods, I’m sure you can appreciate it as much as I do. Thank you Marisa, Will and Whitaker for generously opening the doors to your family home and a piece of our city’s past.

If you like this “Step Inside” home tour series, you can find other tours HERE.

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