At Home with Shailey Murphy

We're excited to welcome Shailey Murphy to the blog today as she shares her beautiful home with us:

"Our home was built in 1950 by the long-time Superintendent of the school district (fun fact the neighbor shared with us after we moved in). It is an all brick ranch style home and has that Mid-century modern feel my husband and I both love. We looked at possibly moving out into the country when we were house shopping, but this quiet, cozy street and charming neighborhood stole our hearts. We love having neighbors who have lived in their homes forever and raised families here. It makes us happy to be a small part of this little community. One of the most important factors for us was finding a home with unique, original features you don't see everyday.

One of our favorite things to do in our home is sit on the couch, put our feet up, and watch a great TV series together. For that reason, our living room is probably our most loved (and most used) space. The living room is where Christmas gifts are opened, late night conversations happen, and my friends and I spend time when they come over. Of course, the kitchen is always a favorite space for anyone who loves food (and who doesn't?!), but our living room has become so cozy and comfortable, it's the hands down favorite. I picked out our first couch at Anthropologie (that my husband lovingly nicknamed the "Swiss Family Robinson" couch). So naturally, he got to pick our our second "man couch" that has a deeper seat and darker leather. We have both worked to make the space what it is and somewhere we both love. As someone with a background in Interior Design, it's hard not to feel the need to "over design" every single space. For us, it's most important to create a space that is the right fit for us and allows us to live comfortably and enjoy living in our home.

I love anything old. If my husband didn't edit my purchases, my home might look like a I was a mini hoarder. I've learned over time that space it too limited to have anything in your home you don't absolutely love. I always take my time to find the right piece that really makes me fall in love with it. Jonathan and I get to travel internationally often for work, so I always love to pick up an item from every country we visit. For example, the gold vases on my mantel are from a flea market in The Republic of Georgia. The tension pole lamp in the living room and the emerald green velvet chairs in the bedroom belonged to my grandmother. When I walk by and look at any of those items, my memory is flooded and I get to have a little piece of that trip or that person with me for just a moment. I also love collecting artwork from local artists. (I also love commissioning custom artwork of our dogs...guilty!) The coffee table, floor lamps, stump table, and blankets in the living room are thrifted or vintage. The orange chairs in the dining room are also vintage and found locally.

We moved into our house about 2 1/2 years ago. The previous owner did a wonderful job and we really had a great starting point. We replaced the countertops in the kitchen with poured concrete (a DIY project with help from a friend). We also replaced the backsplash with white honeycomb tile. We kept all of the original kitchen cabinets that match the kitchen window trim and large paneling down the hallway. (I hope those cabinets never get replaced! The wood grain is too beautiful.) We have worked our way through most of the house and painted the majority of the walls white. White allows you to do whatever you want with the artwork, furniture, and color in your home and makes everything so cheery and bright. Over time, our home has evolved into a place that is uniquely us, which is what a home should be."

You can see more of Shailey's home and follow on IG at @shaileymurphy

Credits // Author: Shailey Murphy, Photography: Janae Hardy. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.