A House Tour: Keri Russell

I so enjoyed reading this article and looking through the well-executed home this couple created. Though a renovation of this magnitude is hardly something that can be done by just anyone, the personal approach taken in the completion of their home is what I most admire. It is a very tangible expression of the couples hobbies, talents, family life, and appreciation for one another.

Without further ado, here is a look into the 1860's brownstone purchased, renovated, and resided in by actress Keri Russell, husband Shane Deary, and their son.

"The son of one of the most respected contractors on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Shane Deary grew up in a house his father built. The apple, as the saying goes, doesn't fall far from the tree. Deary gutted the brownstone to brick and studs himself, then moved walls to open it up, must notably in the master bath, where no walls exists now. The pumpkin-pine floor stayed, though he painstakingly pulled up, numbered, restored, and nailed back every plank." 

"He dug joists out of a dumpster and saw the perfect kitchen table, then unearthed the house's old shutters in the basement and turned them into window castings. Beside their bed, a golden block of reclaimed pine flooring serves as a night table. After living out of a suitcase for years, Russell now hangs her clothes on sleek plumbing pipes Deary saved from a past renovation job."

"It was a collaboration from the beginning, with Russell sketching room layouts, choosing furnishings, and picking out fabrics while Deary took charge of materials - almost all of them cast off. The kitchen cabinetry is built entirely from a dismantled post-and-beam house, as are the bathroom vanities."

"The young actress is so enamored of her husbands talent that when it came time to fill the place with furniture, Russell made sure it didn't speak louder than the rooms themselves. She stuck with a neutral palette, kept it spare, and worked in as many textures as she could without straying into 'girly territory.'"

My favorite things:

The wood flooring and crown molding, of course. 

Subtile feminine characteristics in the furniture choices

The focus more on the architecture rather than filling the walls with artwork

The harmonious transition between each room

The unfinished fireplace in the kitchen

What do you like? What could you live without?

Featured in Photographer: William Waldron

If you google "nightstand" you'll find a forum for men explaining to other men how to get a one night stand

Last night, after I finished writing some thoughts, I turned to place my notebook on my nightstand like a normal human. But what wasn't normal was that amidst the other notebooks, other pens, and other books, I could not find a sturdy place to place this notebook.

What I saw on my nightstand both shocked and satisfied me. The lack of organization shocked me, but the contents made me happy.

It reminded me of an article I read in House Beautiful where designers showed the readers a picture of their nightstand to give the readers a feel for the designers "real" life. Things between me and House Beautiful were already on the rocky side - I was ready for our time to be up, but I had made a commitment for a year long relationship with the subscription and I had to stick it out. That article did nothing to light the fire we once shared. It was filled with pictures of perfectly staged nightstands with fresh flowers, dust-free picture frames*, and a pair of spectacles** lying oh-so-neatly beside a glass of water, no doubt fetched from the well that very morning.

Nope, I had it. We were through.

Now this. THIS nightstand is a look into real life. On my nightstand was a jumble of books, papers and notebooks, all of which have been used recently. Each book has a paper marking where I left off and each notebook has a pen in it ready to be used when I have a thought come to me. I like that my room looks lived in, I like that my nightstand shows so clearly the things that I enjoy doing before I end my day.

But oh, the lack of organization!

So I got off blogger and tidied up my room.

What's on your nightstand?

* the adorable picture frame you see here (with dust so lovingly collected on it) was made for me by my friend Missy. She's really cool.
** my pair of spectacles lying oh-so-neatly on notebook #1 are are not a prop.

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

Quote by Vincent van Gogh

You know, it makes me very happy that I have a job.

But it makes me even happier to have a job that I like. Enjoy even. Anthropologie is a place that applauds the creative mind, something I work every day to develop.

To spend my time surrounded by ingenious things of high quality and people who appreciate the beauty in the details is a joy.

check it.

check it ² 

Are you livin' life?

Photo by: Mark Shaw

It's interesting to me how easily an outsider - meaning someone who is outside of your mind, not depended upon by your responsibilities, free of your worries, and unaware of your insecurities - can clearly point you in the direction towards the things you long to do, to be, to learn, to see, to wear, to create, etc. That outsider can see through the I wish's and hopefully later's and see the desire and passion for now.


I try to help people live the life they hope for. To do something enjoyable each day, to make daily tasks and work the best it can be, to stop worrying about what is not there and to do something to prevent it from ever becoming a reality. To go to bed early with a good book, to talk to that handsome boy or pretty girl you've had your eye on, to be vulnerable and honest in conversation and hope that the other person likes what they see, then to move on with positivity if they do not. To make that trip, to call that friend, to develop a new talent. To do the things that make a richer, fuller life but are so often put on a shelf and looked at longingly while thinking I don't deserve that. Not yet.


However, the tables were turned during a conversation this weekend. I became the one who was told to live more of the life I have envisioned. I became the one to realize that I was placing pointless limits on myself merely for the purpose of placing limits. Or maybe it is out of a lack of desire to work for something that does not come naturally? I'm not sure yet.


And as my friend and I discussed the things we once did and wish we were doing, the question was posed: why not?  Why not practice now with the life you hope your future self will have?


So? Why not? We can each put aside the boundaries and expectations made by ourselves and those around us and begin living the fulfilling life we have in mind. Of course, we must remain responsible and dependable, but even while working through the drudgery of required tasks we can find enjoyment. Because after all, isn't joy what we are all pining for?