PINTEREST ROUND-UP: TEXTURED NEUTRALS

We bought our house almost two years ago, after a nearly year long gut redesign of our first home purchase. When we made the switch from remodel to spec I kind of freaked out, and I have to admit I'm still kind of freaking out. Our home was designed just thoughtfully enough that we really don't need to make big changes, yet I think this is the specific reason why I have yet to bond with it. You know how when you rent there are just things you are not willing to do to your space, those big things that feel like you're investing in someone else's property? Well, going from that mindset to a "we can do anything we want" mindset to a "we don't really need to do anything" situation has had me in a home design funk. Not that I don't want to make big changes. I do. I would love to change out all the doors and windows, turn the dining room into a library, completely reorient the kitchen so that the sink faces our backyard, and make big changes in our master bath, but I know there's not a lot value in those changes as they probably wouldn't make much difference in the value of the home. We just didn't buy a fixer upper. End of story. 

So here's my dilemma, and why my house and I need therapy. I love minimal design, but our house is a cape cod with huge open ceilings and most of the time it just feels cavernous. My minimal approach to design and the actual house we chose are at odds, and I have been battling with the design ever since. My refusal to fill it up has me walking into it, especially after time away, thinking this house is so empty and echoey! And, wham, I feel disconnected and frustrated with the space. This happened to me again after our travels to Switzerland, so I made a decision. I had better start bonding with this house, or there's no sense in having it. Of course my next move was to scour Pinterest for inspiration, and of course I rounded up a ton of neutral spaces. They are pleasant and straightforward, textured and piquant, all the things I would love this home to be. I know I can find a way to make our home feel warm without dressing it up with needless objects, and these spaces have inspired me to get started on the path towards loving our home and embracing its bones. I hope you enjoy! R+W

Sources: 1. 1100 Architect 2. Domino Magazine 3. Liliaba Tumblr 4. House Beautiful
5. Guardian UK 6. Alexander Design Build 7. Decouvrir le droit Decor 8. Remodelista 9. Tumblr
10. Erika Brechtel 11. The Decorista 12. Fresh Like Laundry 13. The Line 14. Architectural Digest