From the Design Book: Hankering for Change and a Mountain Home Tour

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I know it isn't January 1st, and that the time for making resolutions for the year is long past, but I seem to be going through this "start anew" phase in my life.  I can't get away from it.  Last night I dreamed that I had another baby, a beautiful little girl with red hair and blue eyes. Yesterday, I said a prayer in my heart thanking God for crocus because they are the first flowers brave enough to peek their heads out of the frozen ground around here. And when I'm not obsessing about bulbs and newborns, I'm trying to figure out how to scrap my house and start fresh on a budget of approximately $6.17.  

I love my house.  It's not that I want a different one.  It's just that the rich and vibrant color scheme doesn't fit my life right now. We've grown apart. I'm craving something softer and calmer, something that makes the focus more on the people in the room than the room itself.

I guess that is why I fell in love with this home the moment I set foot in it. 

{source drhorton.com}

I normally adore a house whose color scheme gives me a hearty handshake and introduces themselves to me the moment I walk in the door--the exact opposite of this house.  But there is something about the soothing neutrals and earthy textures that makes me want to curl up in a chair and stay a while.

{source drhorton.com}

And in a world where white cabinetry seems to be the rage, I was surprised to find how much I actually liked the deep wood tones of this kitchen.  (Surprise!  White cabinetry after all!  Just a splash of white in the corner with a built-in hutch--a perfect compliment to the dark wood.)

 

It didn't hurt that this house had wallpaper on the ceiling of the entry.  Oh how I love wallpaper on the ceiling . . . 

{source drhorton.com}

And how about a mudroom to die for?  Seriously.  Every time I see this room I get all gooey inside and I don't know if it is my heart melting or my vital organs just giving out completely.

{source drhorton.com}

There is also a jaw-dropping study with sliding barn doors and old English map wallpaper.  Just look at that herringbone floor!  It weakens my knees every time I look at it.

{source drhorton.com}

And just as I was beginning to despair for a punch of color, I walked into the master bedroom with its warm corals, soothing blues, and crackling fireplace. 

{source drhorton.com}

 The master walks out to this backyard that is part zen, part untamed wilderness.  (What you can't see in this picture is the mountainside of scrub oak that forms the backdrop for the yard.)

{source drhorton.com}

And if whimsy is what you seek, then seek no further.  This house comes with a punchy and bright Dr. Seuss-themed room. 

I realize that I have absolutely no need for a house in the mountains, or for a mortgage that has 7 figures BEFORE the decimal, but sometimes one can't help but dream of a new beginning somewhere on a hillside of scrub oak . . .

Here's to all of your "start anew" ambitions!