We reside in Tustin, CA. We’ve lived in our home for five years. My husband and I renovated it with the help from our families over the last few years, but it was a great house to start with, as the prior owner was an interior designer. We’ve added a front porch, a master bedroom, and a bathroom, as well as changing the windows, doors, paint and floors all throughout.
What is your favorite decorating style?
I’m always changing my decorating style, but right now I love botanicals and old barn wood, Swedish antiques, and lots of white. I am also big on not having too much clutter, so I try to only display the things I love. I am drawn to items that look worn and well loved.
Where do you get your decorating influence from the most?
A lived-in, treasured retreat.
What is your favorite store or flea market to shop at?
I love to shop at Country Roads in the Orange Circle, it’s a large collection of vintage shops, each with their own spaces, all in one store. I love it because one seller may be really expensive, but the one right next door will have almost the same object for half the price! It’s fun to explore so many different display ideas, and found treasures. I can spend hours there.
Share one of your favorite decorating tricks or ideas:
I try to hide clutter any way I can. I tuck objects away in old baskets, hide them in closets, and I have several old trunks and suitcases that I have filled with treasures. I feel like the most cherished of my collections look best when they don’t have to compete for attention, so I try to pare down the items on display and change them out occasionally to update a room.
Your favorite paint color, name and brand:
Sea Pearl by Benjamin Moore.
What are your favorite things to collect right now?
Wire baskets, old cameras, white ironstone dishes, old alarm clocks, aged baskets, tarnished silver plate flatware and serving pieces, and distressed wood furniture.
What is your favorite room in your house, and why?
My master bedroom. I think it’s my favorite right now because it’s the most recently decorated. I let it go for awhile with all the mismatched furniture that didn’t have a home elsewhere in the house, but this last year I decided it was time to spend some money and start decorating the way I wanted it to look. Now it has many of my favorite pieces of furniture (the dresser and shoe rack are two of my favorite pieces). I love that it’s soft and serene, but still a bit masculine, so my husband doesn’t feel out of place.
Your next project is:
I’m working on a nursery for our first child. We are adopting and won’t know if we will be getting a boy or a girl, so I’m trying to keep the nursery neutral. I’m using old grain sacks and French linens for the crib bedding, and using a lot of natural elements. I painted the walls a very pale mint green, and the wainscoting below a very pale pea green. Then I found a fabulous old wood dresser that happened to also be a shade of olive green. It’s sound like a ton of green, but really they are almost like neutrals in the room. I used a lot of white and ecru to balance the darker shades.
I’m also planning on an outdoor play area for the new baby. It won’t be finished for quite sometime, but I think it will be a great space for an active toddler. I’ve been collecting old wagons and play cars for the space.
If you sell online, have a blog, or anything else you would like to promote, please provide the url's so that my viewers can check it out:
http://www.sadieolive.com– Main Site
http://sadieolive.etsy.com– Vintage Store on Etsy
http://www.sadieolive.com/theblog– My Blog
http://warmwhispers.etsy.com– Photography Prints
(Photographs by Sara Duckett)