I love seeing how other people decor their homes! I go to my happy place when I flip through Pottery Barn or Southern Living Magazine. I would love to show off people’s homes in my blog to inspire my fellow home decor lovers. I thought, before I ask others to open up their homes, I should invite you into mine…If you would like to see!
Coming from Alabama, I was extremely nervous about New York living…aka cramped, vertical spaces. We came up for a week to look for an apartment. Hearing all the horror stories about apartments in NYC and not knowing the real estate very well, I was extremely nervous about finding a decent, safe apartment. Sure you can find some of the best real estate in the world in New York, but that comes with a pretty price tag! With a set budget and two 70lbs dogs, our search went from hundreds/thousands of options to about twenty (cue panic mode here). We spent days walking up and down the West side of Manhattan with a broker looking at apartments.
In the South, curb appeal is not only desired, but expected. In New York, I quickly learned you can’t judge a book by its cover. When we walked up to the first showing, tears silently filled my eyes. It looked dark, old and honestly… ugly. I felt so bad for judging, but I think it was because it was so unfamiliar and we were choosing a place to LIVE. As we went along, every apartment we saw was four walls with little character. After over 50 blocks and a few change of shoes, we decided on an apartment and guess which one… the very first one! Yeah, the one I judged so hard from the outside. But the inside had character and a full kitchen! That was God teaching me a lesson.
When it came to decorating, I wanted to walk into our apartment and it feel cozy, warm and like home. With hand-me-downs, wedding gifts, DYI projects and bargain hunting, we turned our 700 sq.ft NYC apartment into our southern escape!
Framed pictures of where we are from and the states we have lived together (Prints from Etsy that I painted with gold paint & Pottery Barn frames)
The small, but functional kitchen.
Our wedding invite with a watercolor of the church where we were married (given to us by Daniel’s aunt) And framed Hymns from my great-grandmother’s Hymnal (given to us by my grandparents)
My grandmother’s mirror! I found the table at an antique store in Homewood, AL
I made that headboard with my own two hands! I wanted a certain look and everywhere I looked they were so expensive. So I made my own and I have to admit… I’m proud!
This bookshelf has been in my family since before I was born!
An old chest of drawers from my sister that we painted, got new hardware, took out the top drawer and converted to a TV stand
The front of our building made beautiful by watercolor!
Cannot wait to read this each day!
Good job Norma I enjoyed the tour.
Norma, what a lovely home you prepared!
I love your place! Jake and I have had so much fun putting our home together – the mixture of past and present that you’ve done is delightful! 😀
It is a very nice home you have made for you and Daniel. I love it.