Decor Insights: Color + Calm = My Dream Home

My new hubby and I are on the hunt to buy our first place. We decided on a condo instead of a house for many reasons, but that’s a different story. As an eclectic person, the idea of decorating my own place is both invigorating and terrifying. Being able to express my taste through my home is wonderfully creative, but I doubt I will ever feel like it is truly “done” – the space will continuously transform (which can be an emotional & financial drain).

Right along my love of opposites, I found two homes recently that really “light my fire” for creating a place of my own. Of course, they are both houses & none of the condos we’ve been looking at are anything like these … but I can dream (and renovate slowly). The first came to me via Desire to Inspire: a Swedish home ( for sale at $1.5 million) that is delightfully colorful.

I found the second home in the July 2009 issue of Country Living (one of my favorite magazines). Clean & crisp, yet cozy at the same time, it is the New Orleans home of Donna Ballard Maselli.

Though the color schemes of these homes are distinctively different, they do share two particular similarities: taller ceilings & more open floor plans … how I love thee!

My ideal home would be:

+ A combination of these two dwelling

+ Less than 2,000 square feet

+ Has 2-3 bedroom, 2 full baths, wood floors, & tall ceilings

+ Near naturally moving water (river, stream, ocean … etc.)

+ Has a sizable yard (for relaxing & a garden) OR near a large public park

+ Close enough to a city that I can bicycle there (but not too “metro”)

+ Likely in Rhode Island, North Carolina, or Sweden (or near Cleveland or Chicago) [though we're buying in Connecticut]