At Home With Jessica Kraus

Our next room tour guest is Jessica Kraus, from House of Habit. She is here to share her boys' room with us! "We live in a two story Spanish track home inside a new community aimed at younger families with school-aged children. The house we are in now is not what we would call our 'dream home' (or location), but it is a great neighborhood seeing that it has a few really nice parks, a pool and clubhouse. And it hosts all kinds of fun family events and holiday gatherings that enforce an old school sense of community sharing that so many neighborhoods seem to be lacking these days. It's the best part about where we live, and for that we feel entirely grateful. Plus, we are close to both sides of our family, and with three boys we need all the help we can get!" "My favorite part of their room would have to be the wood/pipe shelving unit my husband built and designed to offer up enough space for toys, books, crafts, and homework for the boys to enjoy. The wood planks are handpicked from an old building renovation in downtown L.A., where he was working at the time. The wood and pipe were all free, so we decided to make the most of it seeing that it cost us almost nothing in material. The planks are a good tone, aged and worn to perfection, so we experimented with quite a few sealers beforehand to ensure the original tone and texture were not compromised in the sealing process. We wanted it smooth to the touch, but rugged to the eye. It involved a lot of sanding and a lot of sealing, but the end result was well worth it. It's a favorite spot for homework and doodling. It's also it's fun to decorate with rotating trophies, maps and toys. I tend to switch things up a lot, so shelves are always a good option."
"We have lived in this house a little over 6 years. It was a big change for us to go from the tiny old house we restored as a new couple to a bigger tract home with a newly expanded family. Initially I felt very confused as to how to cozy up such a stark space. A track home really tested my basic decor skills. Took me a long while to feel inspired. Things that worked and felt effortless in our old house felt odd or out of place here. I think it forced me to refine my natural (more eclectic) taste and move towards a slightly more modern aesthetic. Less clutter. More bold accents and cleaner lines. However, we did rip out most of the standardized features the house came with, replacing them with some of what we admire in older homes. Wide wood planked floors, subway tile, bigger molding, arched doorways, ect. The boy's room is a fair example of our current style—lots of natural reclaimed wood coupled with some basic (affordable) Ikea pieces and lots of vintage accessories to break it up and add personality." "The room was originally our master bedroom. When we had our third boy I started to see that there was really no benefit in us having the larger space, we don't spend much time in our room, plus I started seeing that the older they got, the more the boys wanted to be together all of the time anyway. Separate rooms seemed pointless, and the master bathroom closet and bathroom attached seemed to make more sense for the three of them to share than us. After some hard fought convincing on my end, we moved into a smaller room and started to combine the boy's things, making sure it felt age appropriate for the three of them (ages 2, 4, 6). The bunkbed we bought was a cheap buy, so it didn't last long. Until we decide to build something solid to replace it with, we just tossed the broken bed frame and pushed a twin mattress underneath as a makeshift trundle for the time being. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but for now it's working. We try to keep things simple and fun for them. We all hang out in there so comfort over style always wins. The boys love pulling their bed around the room. I've even seen it serve as a couch when friends are over watching movies or playing games. I think they'll actually be disappointed when the time comes for a proper bed frame. But I'm always up for another project."Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your home with us!  Be sure to stop by Jessica's blog House of Habit and her teepee shop on Etsy! 

Comments

[Cassie]

I absolutely adore Jessica's warm tone rustic/vintage style! Great example of how to create an intriguing yet cozy space! Thank you for sharing! Perfect inspiration for the day!

[Marina]

Ladies, how do you pick who to feature in your posts. We completely renovated my son's room before he was born. We live in a tiny ugly apartment and his room is super tiny. So it was a challenge! Bunch of DIYs and some art was made to make it all cozy and with a character. Let me know if you'd like to check the photos.

[Jennifer]

Such a beautiful, but real, home!

xo Jennifer

http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com

[courtney]

Thank you for proving that you can still be fashionable and stylish with a house full of boys!! Stop by my blog if you can, mine is all about thrifting and saving money; plus I just did a post on my new Paraders dress and a floral crown, plus I'm doing a give-away tomorrow! Hooray! Thanks so much!

xoxo
www.prettylittlefawn.blogspot.com

[Louisa]

SUch a natural, simple, cosy room. Lovely.

[Bri]

great room! lots of inspiration for my baby's future room.
thanks for sharing!

[Rachel]

I absolutely love these new posts. I am absolutely obsessed with home decor and love seeing how people decorate their spaces!

[aliceinbo]

This is really a BEAUTIFUL MESS!!!

[Sarah Kyle]

Oh my gosh I love how she decorated the room. It's a very similar style to how I want to decorate my son's room. Wish I had hardwood floors though.

[Alessandra]

Lovely!

http://lapetiterobenoire-ale.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/lapetiterobenoire.ale

[Femke]

Love the bookcase and the chairs!

xoxo, Femke http://buttonsbybutton.blogspot.com

[itziar]

Love the wood/pipe shelving unit!
it is amazing... hope my husband built one ; )

[Nat]

Great pictures! :)
Happy Friday!

http://www.natinlove.com?cm=1

[Heather]

Oh my goodness that home is gorgeous! I seriously need a teepee.
xo Heather
http://ahopelessnotebook.blogspot.com/

[Celeste]

I love it, little desks for projects and lots of musical instruments.

I like the fact that it is not overwhelming, the kids can focus on what they want to do rather then all the 'stuff' around them.

[Isa]

A teepee - what every room is missing.

http://lasaloperie.blogspot.com.br/

[Nic from Thriving Wives]

Wow definitely the most sophisticated boys room I've ever seen! It's sweet they gave up the master so the boys could be together, too.

Strive to Thrive,
Nic
www.Thriving-Wives.com

[Nicki Traikos]

What a great space?!!! Love it!

[Cinda R]

At first I thought all the white must get dirty fast, and then realised it must also be easiest to clean. The room looks wonderful. That rug looks perfect to play on. Thank-you for the tour.

[Kristian]

My current favorite series!