Designing + Styling My Home

When we bought our home three years ago, I envisioned it having clean lines, wood/natural textures, and neutral colors throughout. Although the house was move-in ready, we still had a strong urge to add our own personal touch. The house had been recently updated, but it did not fit the bill of modern farmhouse, which I loved.

For me, our first home together was more than just an investment. I viewed it as a space where I intended on making it our own: a place to raise our children, to host our baby showers and birthday parties, to host our family + friends, and much more.

Given our desire to open the existing living/dining room space to create an entirely new design, we hired the amazing Los Angeles based designer, Bre Hance, principal of InHance Interiors. Bre and I collaborated on my farmhouse vision, and she provided us with solidified, inspirational ideas, formalized plans, specs/finishes, leading the design process from start to finish.

Within 3 months, we made the following home improvements -

• Removed one demising wall, separating the kitchen and living/dining room space;

• Installed a new kitchen: new countertops, knobs, light fixtures, counter backsplash, cabinets, and appliances;

• Installed new flooring throughout the house;

• Created an additional guest bathroom; and

• Created an additional bedroom

Overall, I was more than pleased with the end product. For anyone looking to purchase a home, I recommend keeping the following in mind - your design taste will always outlast the taste of someone else.

After 12 years of experience in commercial real estate, it’s proven that I gravitate towards not only the investment portion but also the emotional side. I am truly passionate about home + style, and I expect you to see more of my home design inspirations along the way.

Here are some before + after pictures of our home project.

Living + Kitchen Area

We removed the main, load-bearing wall to create more of an open, shared space. Then, we added a large island to serve as the communal serving and seating area. Easily, this became our main spot for family chatting and hosting.

Kitchen:

We demo’d the old kitchen and installed brand new flooring, an island (with some storage), cabinetry + glass, knobs, back-splash tile, countertop, appliances, and light fixtures (throughout open area ceiling and above island + kitchen nook). Conversing between the shared space of the kitchen and living area easily became the new norm.

New Guest Bathroom:

My favorite room of the house as it incorporates all of the essential materials to fit the modern farmhouse vibe: Aztec tile flooring, a custom wooden shelf vanity, black sconces, simplistic wood-framed mirror and shiplap on each wall. Also, this room will always feel special to me as most of the construction was a joint effort by my father and husband.

Breakfast Nook:

This nook became a perfect area for dining, lounging, and storage (underneath the built-in bench). The kids and adults always find their way here; it’s just so convenient and comfy.

Enjoy my recipes.

They are derived from family tradition, tweaked recipes, trial and error, and my very own cravings.