I’m not going to lie, it feels very strange to be posting a home tour this week. I know many of us are spending lots of quality time at home, though, and those that aren’t at home are likely too busy to do much more than eat, work, and sleep right now (as is true with my husband).
Thank you as always to Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for hosting this tour as it’s no small task, and if you’re visiting from Cassie Bustamante, welcome. I love the way she’s collected her home; it’s lovely and comfortable all at the same time.
If you’re new here, welcome to 11 Magnolia Lane. I’m one half of a blogging partnership with my former college roommate (you can read more about us here) and also part of an active duty military family. We have lived in Magnolia Cottage, our current home, since last July, so 8-1/2 months, and have orders to move again this summer to Germany, although of course that might be delayed now.
We have a full house presently with our college sophomore and high school junior home indefinitely. I’ve also been sick for almost a week (but it’s just a cold, so there’s no need to wipe down your computer screen with Clorox wipes!), but believe me when I tell you that my house is not looking its best right now.
Thank goodness I took some photos before I got sick, but not as many as I should have, so I apologize that this isn’t a full house tour.
Our house is a rental because we weren’t sure if we were going to be here for one year or two (turns out it’s one–surprise!). We’ve accomplished a lot in eight short months; you can visit {here} to see how it all looked last year.
The front door opens into our living room and I don’t change too much during the seasons.
I added a few hyacinths to the Chinese foot bath and changed out the throw pillow on one of the striped chairs. Oh, and I changed the artwork on the TV. I managed to do that with the remote control while resting on the couch, so that was a win!
I moved the pillows and chairs around in this room a lot (even while taking photos), so while this is the usual layout…
…sometimes one of the striped chairs goes in front of the dresser…
And sometimes I pull in our blue velvet chair.
You can see more of this space here, or for more details on how I pleated our IKEA curtains to make them look more high-end, check out this post.
Our den/breakfast room also holds our upright piano and most recently, a small desk for my husband (I work at the kitchen table most of the time).
{See more of the breakfast room/den here}
The door to the right opens to our downstairs bathroom/powder room and I’ve done *a lot* of work in there.
I don’t think I mentioned it above, but this house is over a hundred years old (the bathroom is obviously a dead giveaway). We think it’s charming and are willing to sacrifice a bit on closet space and bathrooms for the perfect downtown location.
{It’s definitely worth a visit to see the “before” photos here.}
The laundry room looks springy year-round, in my opinion, with its pretty blue and white color combination.
OK, now I want to be real for a minute. I’m not kidding that my house is a mess right now. Here’s a photo of my kitchen that I took last week right before I got sick:
And this is how it looks tonight:
Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. Real life gets messy and we are definitely living in interesting times. But just know that if you are knee deep in laundry and dirty dishes, overseeing schoolwork and foraging for supplies, then you are not alone! And with any luck, the next time I share a home tour, it will be from our new home in Germany.
Next, please head over to visit Doreen at Hymns & Verses and her beautiful Pennsylvania home, and for more tidy houses and spring inspiration, check out the rest of the tour lineup:
A Stroll Thru Life – Remodelando La Casa – Cuckoo4Design – Far Above Rubies – Southern Hospitality – Duke Manor Farm
Tuesday Lineup
House By Hoff – Pink Peppermint Design – ZDesign At Home – Taryn Whiteaker – Inspiration For Moms – Decor To Adore
Wednesday Lineup
Cassie Bustamante – 11 Magnolia Lane – Hymns &amp Verses – Modern Glam – Thrifty & Chic – Grace In My Space
Thursday Lineup
Our Southern Home – My 100 Year Old Home – Sanctuary Home Decor – Seeking Lavender Lane – Southern State Of Mind – StoneGable –
Friday Lineup
Thistlewood Farms – White Arrows Home – The Woodgrain Cottage – Life On Cedar Lane – Follow The Yellow Brick Home – Making Home Base
what a beautiful tour! i love how charming your home is and that bathroom is just the cutest!
Thanks so much, Cassie. It was a pleasure touring with you!
You have done so much to turn this centry old home into such a fabulous house. Tons of paint and DIY projects and this place is amazing. Hope you feel better soon. Thanks so much for joining the tour. I always enjoy your wonderful decor.
Thank you, Marty. We love being part of the tour and appreciate all the hard work you put in to make it happen!
I think your house looks amazing! And your bathroom is totally charming. I got back from Germany on February 13th and was so sick for about a little over two weeks. Who knows maybe I had the virus but it’s not like anyone cared or tested me even though I got asked all the questions and they were answered with YES< YES and YES! Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks, Julia!
Such a great tour! I love a good stripe. The chairs and bathroom skirt are fantastic.
It’s hard to beat stripes, isn’t it? Hope you are staying busy and healthy, Laura!
Christy
whoever rents to you is lucky you redo so many things in such a short time. our daughter and son in law are retired Navy 5yrs now & did their share of moves, but Army is more frequent. God bless you the remaining months you have here and in your next tour of duty.
Thank you so much, Pamela! We always try to leave things better than we found them.
Christy, I always love your beautiful tours! And I’m so sorry you’re sick but I hope you feel better soon, and enjoy having your family around! Happy spring!
Thanks, Bree! I’m finally almost over the cough, two weeks later, so I’m staying on top of my Vitamin C and zinc so it doesn’t return any time soon. It was a doozy to be sure!
Wishing you speedy healing and an uneventful move to Germany! I lived in Germany as a “brat” and a grad student for a total of at least 20 years and I have one thing to suggest (of the many that could be suggested): bread. Bread bread bread.
Having been to visit Germany several times I agree 100% about the bread and expect that I will have to start running again if I want to fit in my jeans over there! :)Thanks so much for the good wishes, Susan! Stay healthy–Christy
Get well soon, Christy. Lots of rest and TLC. Love your home.
Thanks so much, Patty. I think I’m finally over it, but it was not a fun two weeks. Stay safe and happy spring!
Hi I’m new here and it was love at first sight! Every room! I love your style and colors! I hope your cold goes away soon, they really drag a person down. I’ll be following you from now on. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Mary! Your comment made my day. I’m finally, finally over that cold (2 weeks later!) so I apologize for the delayed reply. We’re glad to have you as a new reader.Stay well-Christy
I’m so sorry you’ve been sick, but hope you’re on the road to a full recovery. You’ve done so much to make your home look beautiful. I think the owners should give you money back on top of your security deposit! I will be praying for your upcoming move, that God will give you all wisdom and direction for the timing, etc.
Thank you so much, Jeanine. We can sure use all the prayers we can get; there are a lot of moving parts but He always takes care of us. Thanks for your lovely words about the house, too. Stay healthy! Christy
Christy, I hope you feel better soon! Messy or not, you always know how to make any home look really good. That bathroom might be old, but you turned it into a little gem. 🖤
Thanks so much, Cristina! I have almost stopped coughing two weeks later so I think I’m finally over it. It was a pleasure touring with you, as usual. Stay well! Christy
I’m with you on the real life! Working from home full time and now homeschooling 2 kiddos, my home is a disaster 95% of the day! And my kitchen….well, it’s never in order. ha! Your home looks so inviting though and beautiful! I love your use of colors 🙂 Beautiful tour!
I almost posted nothing but the “real life” photos but figured I’d get booted off the tour if I did. 😉
Hope you are feeling better! Thanks for the tour, it’s fun to hop with you! I love the lemon wreath and your beautiful kitchen table! Your styling in your living room is beautiful!
Thanks so much, Kristin. I am finally better (2+ weeks later–it was crazy!). Happy spring and stay safe!