My Houzz: Color and Pattern at Play in a 1924 East Coast Home
Carefully curated vintage decor and bold eclectic artwork add charm to a couple’s first home in Pennsylvania
The couple were eager to get out of their cramped apartment when they bought their first home together. Alex and Michelle are pictured with their two dogs, Naleigh and Harlow, in their favorite spot, the living room. “It houses all our favorite flea market finds,” Michelle says. The gallery wall behind them includes vintage artwork collected over the years.
“My style is cleaner than boho,” Michelle says, “It’s more controlled, less free-spirited and everything has an intended place.” The designer prefers accessories and decor that, in her words, are “strictly vintage” with a few new pieces sprinkled in. Michelle enjoys finding furnishings and decor pieces from flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores.
The off-white cabinet that houses some of Michelle’s vintage finds once belonged to her parents. A built-in shelf next to the entry is one of several built-ins throughout the home. This one feels decidedly modern and fresh with bright-colored books, eye-catching objects and a vintage portrait.
Armchair: Urban Outfitters; find tufted armchairs
The off-white cabinet that houses some of Michelle’s vintage finds once belonged to her parents. A built-in shelf next to the entry is one of several built-ins throughout the home. This one feels decidedly modern and fresh with bright-colored books, eye-catching objects and a vintage portrait.
Armchair: Urban Outfitters; find tufted armchairs
A flamingo-patterned wallpaper adds charm to the staircase wall. By covering just one half-wall with it, Michelle was able to make a big visual impact while saving money.
Wallpaper: Flamingos, Cole and Son
Wallpaper: Flamingos, Cole and Son
Michelle styled the vignettes in each space to feel sophisticated but with a sense of humor. “I try my hardest to create a style that’s all my own,” Michelle says. “I don’t want my spaces to look like an interior designer played a big part.”
Table lamp: Arteriors (no longer available)
Table lamp: Arteriors (no longer available)
The Craftsman-style mantel was painted a bright white. The chair and ottoman combination is what Michelle refers to as a “Craigslist flip.” “It used to be dark wood and a paisley print. We sanded, stained and reupholstered it,” she says.
The face vase is a refreshingly quirky accent piece.
Vase: Utopia reversible boy/girl bud vase, Jonathan Adler
Vase: Utopia reversible boy/girl bud vase, Jonathan Adler
Displayed on the coffee tables are flea market finds such as this pair of old cobbler shoe molds. Interior design books are sprinkled on shelves and surfaces throughout the room for endless inspiration.
The dining room was the last room in the home to come together. It was also the one room where the couple kept the existing wallpaper as Michelle liked its washed-out look.
The horse painting that’s leaning against the floor is waiting for its permanent home and reveals a glimpse of the couple’s affinity for updating and rearranging their furniture and decor. It makes the space feel in flux, engrossing and not too precious.
The white campaign-style shelf was originally a dresser with just two drawers. Alex added shelves he built himself. “He’s not a trained contractor, but he’s extremely handy,” Michelle says.
Horse picture: Golden Nugget Flea Market; chairs: Ashford solid wood dining chair, Wayfair; chandelier: similar, Anthropologie
The horse painting that’s leaning against the floor is waiting for its permanent home and reveals a glimpse of the couple’s affinity for updating and rearranging their furniture and decor. It makes the space feel in flux, engrossing and not too precious.
The white campaign-style shelf was originally a dresser with just two drawers. Alex added shelves he built himself. “He’s not a trained contractor, but he’s extremely handy,” Michelle says.
Horse picture: Golden Nugget Flea Market; chairs: Ashford solid wood dining chair, Wayfair; chandelier: similar, Anthropologie
A vintage credenza that was a hand-me-down from Michelle’s grandparents doubles as a home bar.
Ladder: Clover Market; bird lamp: Anthropologie (not available)
Ladder: Clover Market; bird lamp: Anthropologie (not available)
A quaint eating area in the kitchen features a table that Alex made and saturated blue paint on the wall that serves as a backdrop for collected ocean-themed art and a vintage oar.
Wall paint: Belle Grove Victory Blue, Valspar; chairs: Lucy side chair, Wayfair; big ocean painting: Brynn W. Casey
Wall paint: Belle Grove Victory Blue, Valspar; chairs: Lucy side chair, Wayfair; big ocean painting: Brynn W. Casey
Michelle collects vintage wall busts, like this one that adds an unexpected and fun surprise to their kitchen wall.
The couple installed new cabinets, granite countertops and brushed brass hardware. They were able to splurge on the finishes because they did the work themselves. “If we paid for labor, it would have been an entirely different kitchen,” Michelle says.
Shaker style cabinets: Kraftmaid; appliances: Lowe’s; brass hardware: Lewis Dolan, Anthropologie; find brass hardware
A Designer’s New Kitchen Embraces Soothing Sea-Blue Colors
Shaker style cabinets: Kraftmaid; appliances: Lowe’s; brass hardware: Lewis Dolan, Anthropologie; find brass hardware
A Designer’s New Kitchen Embraces Soothing Sea-Blue Colors
The show-stopping fish-scale mosaic backsplash tile was a custom pattern done in collaboration with Mercury Mosaics, which Alex installed. The floating organic pattern in shades of blue is consistent with a water theme seen throughout the kitchen.
Backsplash: Mercury Mosaics
How to Install a Tile Backsplash
Backsplash: Mercury Mosaics
How to Install a Tile Backsplash
After: The powder room features a visually stimulating and enveloping textured flamingo wallpaper. This high-impact room was one of the more budget-friendly projects. While the wallpaper was a splurge, the couple saved money on all the other finishes. “We used leftover flooring from the kitchen and selected a nice enough toilet and sink,” Michelle says. The Lucite towel bar was a DIY project and was surprisingly simple for such a high-end look.
Flamingo figurines on the window sill add to the powder room’s theme.
At the top of the stairs is a guest bedroom. The headboard was made from vintage shutters and the dresser belonged to Michelle as a child.
Modern accent pillows: Picos, Casablanca and Golden Lotus, Bunglo
Modern accent pillows: Picos, Casablanca and Golden Lotus, Bunglo
Michelle’s childhood dresser, a modern clock, vintage portraits and candy jars repurposed as nail polish holders show how a mix of styles can make for a unique and interesting vignette.
Michelle uses one of the bedrooms as her home office. A colorful vintage velvet couch plays off the gold floral wallpaper for a charmingly old-school, traditional vibe. Michelle uses this space to meet with clients; it’s also where she stores many of her portraits, which she sells in her Chairish shop.
Wallpaper: Hygge and West (no longer available)
Wallpaper: Hygge and West (no longer available)
This light and bright design studio is where much of her creativity happens.
Desk: Ikea
Desk: Ikea
The bird wall bust and art continues the bird theme seen in other rooms in the home.
The mood board above Michelle’s desk is a sea of inspiration. Magazine tears and reminders to “deal with this” reveal a snapshot of the designer’s organization system.
On the other side of the studio is a sitting area with a portrait of ’90s “it-girl” Kelly Kapowski from the sitcom “Saved By the Bell” in a traditional gold oval frame.
The dresser belonged to Alex when he was growing up. The couple painted the drawer fronts blue and changed the hardware.
Next to it is a piece from Michelle’s childhood home.
The framed silhouette was painted by Michelle and framed. She made it when her affinity for portraits was blossoming. The rabbit head belonged to her boss.
Next to it is a piece from Michelle’s childhood home.
The framed silhouette was painted by Michelle and framed. She made it when her affinity for portraits was blossoming. The rabbit head belonged to her boss.
An ornate iron headboard adds drama to the couple’s bedroom and is set off by a masculine leather bench. The side tables belonged to a neighbor. They were brown and somewhat unattractive, but Michelle liked the lines and updated them with white paint.
Bed and bench: Anthropologie (no longer available)
Bed and bench: Anthropologie (no longer available)
Organized on top of a campaign-style dresser is Michelle’s jewelry and a frame that was once used at their outdoor wedding reception. “We hung it on a tree with a fishing wire and we had props like a top hat … so it has special meaning,” she says.
The white dresser is from Michelle’s childhood but easily fits into her more grown-up bedroom.
A new light, an old portrait and vintage brass cranes in shades of gold work together in this side-table vignette.
Table light: Anthropologie (no longer available)
Table light: Anthropologie (no longer available)
After: A velvet green couch pops against the white walls. The result is a warm and comfy place to hang out. “In the winter, we spend a lot of time watching movies [here],” Michelle says.
Wall paint: Bistro White, Valspar; sectional: Sven in grass green, Article; ottoman: Timpani Charme tan ottoman, Article
Wall paint: Bistro White, Valspar; sectional: Sven in grass green, Article; ottoman: Timpani Charme tan ottoman, Article
More artifacts like these vintage snow shoes hang in the basement, making it just as interesting as the rest of the home.
Alex constructed the built-in bookshelves. They house a lot of the secondhand books and knickknacks the couple have collected. “He’s the book person and I’m the art person,” Michelle says. “When we go to flea markets, he leaves with books and I leave with art objects. He handpicks all the books and reads them; they’re not just for display.”
An additional sitting area in the basement re-creates the charmingly formal look found in other parts of the home.
Chair: Anthropologie (no longer available)
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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Chair: Anthropologie (no longer available)
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Alex and Michelle Gage, and their pups, Naleigh and Harlow
Location: Havertown, Pennsylvania
Size: 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ baths
Year built: 1924
First-time homeowners Michelle and Alex Gage transformed their 1924 Colonial-style home in Havertown, Pennsylvania, with a bright and bold DIY makeover. Michelle, an interior designer, and Alex, an engineer, worked tirelessly to renovate their kitchen, powder room and basement and decorate each of the three bedrooms in their home. With depleted funds but tons of creativity, the couple curated each room thoughtfully over time and saved money by handling most of the renovations themselves. “We spent every weekend at estate sales and flea markets,” Michelle says. They were able to decorate with secondhand pieces and in her words, “no piece cost over three figures.”
The two coffee tables, which Michelle chose for their flexibility and painted blue, were $10 from Ikea.
Blue coffee tables: Lack, Ikea; coffee table paint: Belle Grove Victory Blue, Valspar; table lamp: Arteriors (no longer available); couch and rug: Anthropologie (no longer available); browse tufted sofas