Reader Design: Jasmin's Desert Digs

Welcome back from Thanksgiving, everyone! I spent mine relaxing with my boyfriend's family in Columbus, Ohio and watching Ohio State battle its way to victory over That Team Up North. Monday hit like a load of bricks - back to reality! 

Luckily, today we have a great tour thanks to Jasmin. I first came across her stunning Palm Springs home on Instagram (what would we do without it?). 

From Jasmin:

We are a husband and wife photography team located just outside sunny Palm Springs, CA and have been married for three years. We became first time homebuyers a year ago and really wanted to make our home environment a place we loved. We work primarily from home, and it’s of high importance to us to love the space we are in; to create a space that reflects our minimalistic taste and clean-edge style while still allowing creative expression.
We are also avid travelers, and with spending more than one or two months out of the year in other countries, we not only have a sweet appreciation for where we call home but also find that simple living is the key to our home happiness. Although sometimes our home feels huge and other times small, we knew we wanted to style it in a way that reflects us and our values for quality over quantity.

All of us probably recognize at least a couple of these pieces from the West Elm mid-century collection. Jasmin and Ryan (her husband) started with just one piece in the hallway. Before they knew it, boxes were arriving often. Jasmin referred to it as a "parade of orders." They loved the collection so much they even ordered duplicates of some pieces! An example? 

The 80” console acts as our dining room buffet (above) to display our favorite glass chess board and serve as a visual ancho for our hanging English ivy in geometric brass planters. The same piece also serves as a streamlined workspace with storage and print inventory in our home office (below).

In each room in Jasmin's home, four things are almost certain to make an appearance: living greenery, clean whites, brassy metals, and natural wood tones. I think she's found the perfect combination for a home that's timeless but still interesting. 

And the other thing(s) always there? Her prints. Those beautiful, stunning, artistic prints. 

Our home boasts scenes from many corners of the globe captured along our adventures together as well as from places still unreached by us which we still hope to land ourselves in someday. I am intentional to display places I have not yet been to keep my inspirations for going places moving forward, while still celebrating the places we have been to in the past.

Explore the prints yourself on Jasmin and Ryan's site, Monocle Project.

Jasmin, I so admire your sense of adventure and artistry! Thank you for sharing your home and talent with us! 

Follow Jasmin along on Instagram @fiveformay or explore her blog

Reader Design: Johanne's Black & White Beauty

Today, we're off to Canada! Johanne, who is a professional interior designer, is welcoming us in to her Montreal home that she shares with her husband and two adult children. 

Johanne and her family moved in to this 1950's cottage 15 years ago. It sits outside Montreal in a town known for its stunning mountains and parks. Johanne doesn't use a lot of color, but that doesn't mean that her home is devoid of depth or emotion. Her neutral palette just bring other features to life - like the wood fireplace, used year-round, that Johanne calls "the best investment in the house." 

From Johanne:

Many things come into play when designing a house. The first thing I look at is the architecture. This cottage has very large windows, so our first move was to open up the space and take advantage of the ever-changing light and nature surrounding the house.

The second thing Johanne considers? Location. 

We live in a Nordic city, so I am very influence by Scandinavian design not only for its style but also for its way of life: simple, modern, warm, and practical. I love wood and try to use it as much as possible along with natural materials such as stone, straw, wool, and cotton.
Midcentury and Scandinavian furniture design offer modern furniture that blend well with many different styles. They are good quality and timeless which is always a good investment. I like to mix them with older pieces such as our tulip dining chairs with our rustic dining table, which we found in an old barn and have had for many years.

The third consideration is nature. Johanne seriously considered the world around her and took advantage of those influences in every way she could. 

Soothing grays, greens, and earth tones are always a good choice for me. Those are the colors I see when walking on the mountain, but they are also the colors I see when I go on the gorgeous beaches of Maine, USA, where I have spent every single vacation of my childhood and where we have taken our children as well since they were born.

I think we can all agree that Johanne has some incredible style. Thank you, Johanne, for letting us in and sharing your design influences with us. 

Learn more about Johanne on her website or follow along on Instagram

Reader Design: Nicole's Thrifted Nest

A moment of levity comes this week with Nicole's beautiful home. Now, most of you know Nicole as a #howyouhome co-host along with our very own Chelsea. Today, she's giving us the inside scoop on her Nashville home that we've come to admire often in those little Instagram squares. 

Nicole and her husband moved from NYC to Nashville several years ago and are now renting in the area. That means Nicole gets the opportunity to be extra creative about her decorating!

From Nicole:

I like to define my style as eclectic but with a classic spin. It’s definitely a mix of midcentury modern, boho and eclectic with traditional touches. All of the styles together create a more unique look.
 
 

Her living room here has it all - boho elements, thrifted finds, plant life, and some amazing mix-and-match patterns to keep it interesting. 

I’m inspired by the ocean so blue seems to be my go-to choice of color to decorate with. I love pictures of the ocean, boats, and anything tropical. It just relaxes me. A home that is collected over time and from many different sources makes it more unique to you. A ton of my home is from Craigslist and thrift stores! Not only does that make my home more personal to my family but it also makes it more affordable. I prefer to keep a more polished look though so I get rid of unnecessary clutter or pieces that don’t add anything to my space.

I wouldn't call Nicole's style minimalist, but she's certainly careful about the items she chooses to surround herself with. 

‘m not gonna spend a lot of money on things that are trendy. I’ll either thrift them, come up with a way to DIY it, and use accessories as a way to change things out with the trends and seasons. We’d rather spend our money on things that are timeless and will stick around with us for years to come.
 
 

The bedrooms are all kinds of wonderful with their textiles and wall hangings. They're the kind of bedrooms I would have loved to slumber in after Tuesday night - anyone agree? 

Nicole, thank you for letting us in to see more outside those tiny squares. Your home is beautiful! Follow Nicole along @sweet_domicile for more! 

We're off the Reader Designs next week for Thanksgiving but I'll see you all in December!