We found a house in Tulsa! A few weekends back, the Hubs and I had a whirlwind house-hunting experience (read: view about 12 houses, make a decision on one, did negotiations and got a contract... all in about 36 hours!) Since we are pretty familiar with the Tulsa market we knew which neighborhoods we wanted to focus on, so that made the job a lot easier. BUT, for a variety of reasons, this move has been so much more challenging than our last two. We've had to work through a variety of real estate issues with this one, so it was an AWESOME birthday present to receive last week to hear that we are good to go!

So........ here she is! I say 'she' because I already have a name picked out for her --- Miss Flo. I arrived at the conclusion that this is her name because she is a pretty little thing and she lives in an area called Florence Park. I think it fits her perfectly.

All photos via Zillow.

1- Cute little entryway. 2- formal living. 3- dining room. 4- master bedroom. 5- master bath. 6- downstairs guest bedroom. 7- family room. 8- backyard!! Dais is going to be THRILLED. Not pictured- the entire upstairs, the kitchen and the breakfast nook and the basement. 

As you can imagine, my design wheels are already spinning :) And because decorating an entire home can be daunting and expensive, initially I am going to focus my efforts on the downstairs (formal living, dining, master, guest bedroom and family room). The kitchen we are going to live with for a few years, and then evaluate if we want to do a reno there. We'll see. We've become pretty non-commital with all of our moving around the past few years! The idea of living somewhere for more than 2 years is crazy! BUT super exciting at the same time. The good news- the current owners have great style! They've done a great job with a lot of the wall colors and finishes. Makes my job a lot easier up front!

I'll post my plans for each room eventually, but first we need to focus on closing. Keep your fingers crossed for us :) Counting down the days to April 4th!

Tulsa here we come!

first time home buying tips

Morning!

I veered off the 'home decor' path in my most recent article for Twenty Something. This month, I opted to share some of the things I think first time home buyers should keep in mind.

 I hope you'll check it out!

Have a great week!

On the Market: H-town dream home

Old always beats new... it really is the truth isn't it? At least for me, I will generally prefer something that is vintage to brand spanking new. This is true not only with home decor/fashion, but also wilth a house itself.

So when I came across this home (you know I am kind of a real-estalker, right?), I flipped! It is the *perfect* Houston home. Houston, you say? Well yes, I keep tabs on the real estate market in a few different cities. And yes, sometimes my eye wanders out of my price range.... did I mention this home could be yours for a cool $6 mil? Nevertheless! Doesn't stop me from appreciating the gorgeousness.

Location, location, location is right up there in importance-level as the house itself. And this house is in an established area with beautiful, old TREES. Not having large trees, to me, is a huge drawback for newer construction.

It recently got a gut reno and I think the work they did ended up being spectacular- just truly a blank canvas! They have it staged beautifully, but I hope whoever ends up living here gives it loads of personality. Because, unfortunately, I feel like alot of homes in Houston are decorated in the same style. And the french style is gorgeous... but isn't variety the spice of life?

If it were my house, I would slap some high gloss paint on the back of those shelves and paint the window casements BLACK.

I think I could handle this being my bedroom. How cute are those tiny original windows on the left wall? Things like that are the best thing about old houses- love the quirks! I'm thinking I would make this room look something like this.

I would wallpaper that kitchen in something bold. Also, check out that butler's pantry...

And the mar.ble. And the arched doorways. It's just too much goodness.

The family room is perfection as well. I really love the ability to open the room up to the outside.

This backyard... I die. I can just see the boxwoods on the corners of the pool.

I would eat breakfast out here literally everyday. Rain or shine, like the mail.

All images via here.

Be sure to check out the full listing here, it gives some great detail about the extent of the renovation, the work that into this home and more pics. So, with all that said, anyone want to loan me some $$$?

So fun to daydream! What do you all think? Do you love this home as much as I do? What are your must haves for a dream home?

Real Housewives Real Estate- Mary Schmidt Amons

I realized that I had not done a Real Housewives Real Estate in a while and thought that Mary Schmidt Amons house would be a great one to showcase. Why? Well simply because it's AWESOME!! She lives in a wealthy suburb of D.C. A few she boasts as neighbors: Colin Powell, Ethel Kennedy and Dick Cheney.

Here is Mary in her living room... I love the easy going personality and seeing how her laid back attitude keeps her sane in dealing with both her friends and family. Does anyone know- is the RHODC coming back?? Or did those crazy Salahis ruin it for everyone?

Anyway- onto the house tour! Here is their family room. Love the cowhide rug and the doggie, obviously. A pet makes a house a home :) If you are interested in any of the items in Mary's house, you can find a source list here.



So nice to see the family showcased in the piece of art above the mantle in the dining room- such a sweet touch. Another sweet note- many of the paintings displayed throughout the home are the work of Mary's daughter- Lolly.

I would definitely classify Mary's home as 'grand', but all of the spaces don't feel too overwhelming. This is especially true in the kitchen. It looks like a true family kitchen- and I love the use of different barstools at the island. And of course, the carrera marble countertops are perfection.

The living room continues the elegant but comfortable feel...

And there's a Pucci chair. Fab. And a black/gold convex mirror. Double fab. Mary has some incredible heirlooms in her house. From the monogrammed lighter that belonged to Mary's grandfather to the antique sconces, I love the sense of history and the story behind the pieces.

The master bath is gorg. I do wish those mirrors were windows, though. Oh wells.

The infamous closet. I loved the trials and tribulations Mary went through trying to keep her daughter out of it... reminded me so much of my home growing up. I know there were a few times my mom wanted to kill me over invading her closet. Sorry Momma!

All images via here.

Mary has done a great job making her very traditional home contemporary and fun while still maintaining the classy vibe.

What you ya'll think? Do you have a favorite Real Housewives house?

The Real Housewives Real Estate- Jill Zarin

Today we are taking a look at the NYC (Upper East side) home of Jill Zarin. One thing that Jill said on the show was that you should redecorate your home every 7 years. While this may not be realistic for everyone, I understand the sentiment behind it. Interior style changes, just as fashion does. And while there are things that will always be classic, it is important to keep your home up to date as much as you can. Even if you don't have the Zarin's budget to work with :)

I think Jill did a great job with her most recent redecoration. She has a great resource in Zarin fabrics. She brings in contrast with various fabrics while creating continuity through the color scheme.

All images via here.

SO glad it's hump day. The weekend is in sight!

xoxo, Emily

Real Housewives Real Estate- Kelly Bensimon

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! I sure did and have the sun burn to prove it :)

During this edition of the Real Housewives Real Estate, we are looking at NYC Housewife Kelly Bensimon. I have to say, Kelly's SoHo home is one of my favorites! We don't see it much on the show, but what I have seen encouraged me to look around online. I was so pleased at what I found! Her house is so creative and playful. She definitely created a cool place for herself and her children to feel comfortable in. And, I'm going to say it... it's kinda crazy! Just like Kelly!

Kelly created the large pillows by sewing together large Hermes scarves. And she got the couch from Restoration Hardware outlet and re upholstered it with fabric from Zarin fabrics.

The lamps cost $3-$5 and were found at a flea market. Gotta love a fellow bargain shopper :)

The shark is weird but I kind of love it.

All images via here.

I just really like her home. It's just so much more interesting when people's homes are different than everyone elses. Good job, Kelly! I guess being crazy is a good think when it comes to interior decorating :)
xoxo, Emily

The Real Housewives Real Estate- Kyle Richards

I love me some reality television. The Real Housewives (all of them) are definitely a guilty pleasure. Getting to glimpse into a world that is so unlike mine is just a really enjoyable pastime for me. Call me crazy...which the Hubs does!

Anyway, one thing I especially like is seeing the women's homes. All of them are clearly expensive. But not all of them are- in my opinion- well done. But that's ok! Everyone has different tastes and it is always interesting to see how others live. So I am starting a series sharing some of my favorite homes from the show. Today we are looking at Kyle Richards home from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

When I set out to find some pics of  Kyle's home, I learned that she and her family have moved! I can't wait to see what their new home looks like, since I thought they did an awesome job decorating their old house. They went with a very modern scheme, with Asian influences throughout. In case you were wondering, they listed the Bel Air home for $2.45 million.

Note the Fendi pillows...

The master bedroom. Great choice on the Barcelona chairs.

I wouldn't mind sharing a room with my sis if it looked like this!

The best part of the house? The backyard.

All images via here.

I hope they take their awesome taste with them to their new home!

xoxo, Emily