Interior designers often have knowledge and access to resources that most people don't have, and they play an essential role in bringing the style of your home together. However, for those with a strong aesthetic sense and specific tastes, designing your own home may be the best path forward.
So were the owners of these three homes that have been featured as “Homes of the Week” for the past several years. Each one is designed by the people who live there, making every custom-made space even more special.
family circumstances
Ashley and Phillip Scharf took their do-it-yourself approach seriously when building their Henry County home.
“My husband and father-in-law have done a lot of work on the house,” Ashley told the Courier-Journal.
Although the framing and flooring were outsourced, the father-son team did everything from plumbing and electrical to cabinet installation.
“It was quite a project,” Ashley said. “We are grateful that this is our forever home.”
Not only was Schaaf's Elbow Grease used on the construction side, but Ashley also filled the residence with decorations that she made herself. The pink canopy that hangs above the bed in her daughter's room is one of many handmade pieces by Ashley. And upstairs, in the family room, she stenciled the plaid wall next to the children's desks.
The room also has an old piano that Ashley recently gave it a new look with chalk paint. On the adjacent wall, she created a unique framed art piece using flashcards of formulas she memorized from her childhood.
“My passion is decorating and styling homes and making them comfortable for families,” she said.
vintage vibe
The mid-century modern ranch home built by Stacey Thomas and Eddie Dant is filled with an eclectic mix of vintage finds. Some pieces have personal and sentimental value. Others are part of someone else's history and have found new life in their Hikes Point home.
“I'm interested in the history of things and how they've survived and traveled over the years,” said Thomas, who said she and Danto are the home's third owners. He added that they have managed to maintain some of the residence's original charm. The home still has its original wood floors, doors, and trim. Original tiles are used in the basement and bathroom. The light green walls of the basement remain the same.
Danto uses his basement as a photography studio, using the various pieces he and Thomas have collected as props and backdrops. Unique background items include a large disco ball that hung from the window of a jewelry store he closed on Fourth Avenue in the 1990s. There's also a sign for Sparks, the former nightclub at 104 W. Main Street, where Thomas worked while in college.
“I refuse to let go of some things,” she says, including her mom’s dresser in her bedroom, her cast-iron sewing table in the kitchen, her deceased friend’s cast-iron table on her patio, and her school in her old art room. Library card catalog. “(They're) some sentimental items that I have and I'm going to carry them with me until I give them away when I go on a trip.”
original and eclectic
Before Kay and John Wissing lived together in a two-bedroom shotgun in Clifton, the house was Kay's alone. She spent time working on her 1800's home, slowly transforming it into a space that suits her personal style and needs now.
“I’m an artist,” she said. “I do things like woodworking and painting, so that helped.”
From hand-painted walls to unique sculptures, unique aspects can be found in every corner of Wissing's home. John especially likes the kitchen, which was built using mostly IKEA parts.
“The kitchen is the perfect size for a shotgun,” Kay said, adding that her father built an island that slides out into pieces. “When you don't have a lot of storage, you think about[things like this]a lot.[Also]there are a lot of built-in features being added.”
She loves the kitchen, but her favorite part of the house is right outside.
“I really love the view from our bed,” she said. “There are no curtains, so you always wake up to natural light. Shots looking out the window are really cool.”
Perfect lighting, an eclectic mix of collected items and handmade art pieces look purposeful but never forced.
“My design and decoration goal is to make everyone who visits immediately feel comfortable and at home,” Kay said.
John added: “It feels like you're in a museum. When you see (Kay's) creativity, it's like you're inside her head, which is so cool.”
Know a home that would be perfect for Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza (aloha@lennieomalza.com) or lifestyle editor Kathryn Gregory (kgregory@gannett.com).
Main points: Family circumstances
owner: Philip and Ashley Scharf. Philip is a divisional sales manager for an HVAC manufacturer. Ashley is a stay-at-home mom, author of the blog The Hydrangea House, and social media influencer. The home also includes Nora Kate, 7, and Cyrus, 5.
House: This is a 4 bed, 2 1/2 bathroom, 3,400 square foot ranch style home built in 2012 in Smithfield, Henry County.
distinctive elements: Extensive detailed trim. Coffered ceiling. Open floor plan. Custom window seat in family room. custom kitchen cabinets. Covered backyard patio. Unique gifts and recycled furniture.
Bottom line: Vintage vibe
owner: Stacey Thomas and Eddie Danto. Thomas is the visual merchandiser for State Beauty Supply and the designer for Petal Power Cut Flowers. Dant is a photographer at Eddie Dant Photography. They also have cats Charlie Mingus Jr. (aka Gorilla Jr.) and Birdie at home.
House: This is a 3 bed, 1 1/2 bathroom, 2,255 square foot mid-century modern ranch home built in 1959 in Hikes Point.
distinctive elements: Original wood floors, doors and trim. Original bathroom tiles. Original basement tile and wall color. Vintage accessories are everywhere, including a large mirror ball that once hung in the window of a Fourth Avenue jewelry store, the Sparks sign from the former nightclub, a cast-iron sewing table in the kitchen, and an old-fashioned library card catalog in the art room. It is on display. more.
Nuts and bolts: original and eclectic
owner: Kay and John Wissing. Kay is an artist and real estate marketing manager. Jon is his director of marketing and his account. I also have a dog, Boo, and a cat, Hank, at home.
House: This is a 2 bed, 1 bath, 1,527 square foot shotgun home in Clifton built in the 1800s.
distinctive elements: Storage was added throughout, including custom modifications to blend in with the home's historic exterior. Mural wallpaper above the bed by Anthropologie. Added to make it easy to hang and move artwork, the picture rail includes second-hand items, heirlooms, and new affordable items, mixed to create an eclectic lived-in look .