A HOME withHEART: ELLIVEN STUDIO
December 19, 2013
There are few things I love more than a great home tour. I’m so fascinated by the way other people live, what they choose to surround themselves with, and how they put their spaces together.
Today I’ve got one beautiful tour for you. Julie from Elliven Studio is welcoming us into her home and sharing the inspiration behind her serene space. It’s just so soothing. Julie is a stay-at-home-mother, Air Force wife, and lover of all things design, living in Ontario, Canada.
In Julie’s words: “I’ve always had a huge passion for interior decorating and have taken to blogging to track my quest to decorate our new home and to share inspirational interiors and designs,” she said. “I absolutely love the thrill of finding that perfect item at a steal of a deal or bringing life back into a piece that has been tossed aside. Vintage pieces have a special place in my heart.”
I found so much inspiration in Julie’s home. I know you will too. Here is her interview:
Q) Your home is so serene and has such a soothing palette. What was your inspiration when choosing the colors?
A) I’ve always had a love for the colour grey, so when we bought the house, we knew that grey would be the main wall colour. Well, we ended up painting every room in the house some shade of grey and though that sounds so boring, I absolutely love it! Each room has a different colour palette but they all work together. The family room colour scheme was chosen to make people feel relaxed and it had to work with the brown leather couches. The pink rug (yup, pink! It was given to us by hubs parents who bought it years ago from Turkey when they were living overseas) was the jumping off point for the living room and dining room colour palettes. Our master bedroom is a little more bold than the other rooms in the house, but I truly love it! The inspiration for that room came from a watercolour painting of an iris that was made and given to us by hubs Aunt.
Q) Every room looks, for lack of a better description, expensive. How to did you achieve that looks without breaking the bank?
A) Thank you, I take that as such a compliment because it’s truly my goal. To have a beautiful home, but to not go broke, it can be done! I think patience has a lot to do with it and it’s taken me a while to learn how effective patience can be and that you have to be willing to do a little (or a lot) of legwork. I will source out the item/piece that I’m looking for until I find it at the right price or will wait for it to go on sale if I’ve found something that I love but the price tag is too high. I try not to be too picky and somewhat flexible, so once I’ve chosen the style of the piece I’m looking for, I will look for something that is relatively close to what it is that I want/need for the space vs having to have it be exactly this or that. I absolutely love Homesense, but because you never know what inventory they are going to have, you have to be persistent when there is something specific you are looking for. There were times that I would go there every day until I found what I wanted! The staff and I have become pretty good friends!
I also love vintage pieces, there are so many fabulous gems out there, but sometimes they can be tricky to spot. Though they may not look amazing when you first see them, you have to look past their current state and see the potential in the piece or how it can be used in different way than it was meant for. Great shape is key and spray paint can work wonders!
Q) We are vintage and antique soul sisters. What are your favorite “old” finds?
A) I love that! There is something so gratifying and exciting about finding a fabulous vintage piece! I’d have to say that my absolute favourite vintage find would be our dining room set. I still can’t believe we nabbed it to be honest! It’s just perfect for the space and I love all of the details on it. I also smile every time I see the console that I found at a local antique shop. I was browsing their blog where they had posted a picture of it and no word of a lie, I immediately hopped in the car to go and take a look at it! Not only does it have gorgeous legs and beautiful carvings, but the white paint is chipping away in some places and beneath there is a layer of gold leaf! Oh my heart! We’ve also been so fortunate to inherit several pieces from my husbands Grandparents, those pieces have a special place in my heart and I’m so happy to be able to give them a new home & life.
Q) What do you hope your family feels when they spend time in your home?
A) Most importantly, I want my family to feel at home, that’s my main goal. For them to love this home and to feel comfortable in every room and not to feel as though they have to tip toe around this or that. That is something that is so very important to me.
Thank you, Julie! I’m ready to move in. It is just so lovely.
You can read/see more from Julie on her blog, Elliven Studio. And I’m also over there today taking about my personal design style and inspiration:)
Happy Thursday!
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We're a full-service design firm and home furnishings shop built around the philosophy that a well-designed home should be beautiful, personal, cohesive, and complete. We think home is the most important place on the planet and when you live in a home that is perfectly you, it changes your life. Don't believe us? Stick around. We're confident we'll change your mind.
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