House Tour-Jennifer

Name: Jennifer Ladd
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA
Square Footage: 2400
Years Lived in: 2
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: We generally love bright colors and modern design, but we also try to stick very closely to the original style of the house (it was built in the 30's). So we have a blend of old objects with a modern, bright twist.
Blog/Website/Twitter: jenniferladd.etsy.com

What's your favorite free/found item? 
My mom's friend gave us a beautiful picture of her grandma and her grandma's first husband in a gorgeous vintage gold frame. It is stunning! We actually like it so much that we haven't hung it up, yet ... we're still trying to find the perfect spot for it!


What's your favorite purchased item? 
My daughter has a mobile of birds hanging in her room that we got when we went to pick her up when she was a baby in Vietnam (we adopted her in 2007). Whenever I look at it, I remember the excitement of those first days in Vietnam as we became a new family.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design? 
Money! As is the case for most people, I would assume, I have great ideas of how I would like to decorate, but actually buying all the furniture we need is not possible right now. We are in the process of adopting our second child from Ethiopia, so our money is going to fees and travel and furniture and knick-knacks have to take a back seat.


Is your design style organic or planned? 
I suppose a mix of both. My husband and I like to shop the local antique stores to get unusual finds for our house. We learned that we cannot go shopping with a specific plan in mind because we won't find it. We keep an open mind and look for anything we like as we shop. Once we find something we like, we do turn into planners as we spend days and even weeks thinking about how we want to change the item to work in our house (paint, reupholster, etc.) and about exactly where it should go.

What is your favorite spot in the house? 
My sewing room. It is my own little oasis where I can go and relax and think and have some time on my own. I made a point to make the room bright, cheerful, and inviting. I used all my favorite colors and lots of my favorite motifs (lots of birds and flowers!).


How has your style changed in the past 5 years? 
It has definitely become more practical. I used to decorate purely on style. Now I need to think about how child-proof an object is, how dirty it might get with a 3-year-old around, and how that particular object might be used as a toy by this 3-year-old!

What is your favorite resource or store? 
Etsy.com - I have a shop there myself for my handmade bags and purses, so I obviously spend a lot of time there. I have found so many beautiful, unusual, and unique items for my house there - things I couldn't have found anywhere else. And, of course, I love to support handmade!


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve? 
Clutter! I am a big fan of simple design with just a few beautiful objects. I try to hide all the clutter in my house in organized bins behind closet doors.

What has been your favorite design trend? 
Birds. I have always been a fan of birds and flowers, but when we adopted our daughter in 2007 and found out her name in Vietnamese means "bird song", I then gave myself free reign to decorate the entire house with birds. So much so that a few months ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even came to my house for a photo shoot with my bird-themed purses and home decor: www.jsonline.com/features/homeandgarden/92116719.html
(As a side note, we just received the referral for our new baby girl from Ethiopia. Her name means "flower". Perfect!!)


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style? 
My own DIY tendencies. I love to create, so I spend a lot of time trying to make my own home decor to beautify my space. Every room has something I made (painting, curtains, furniture, etc.), and I love that it reflects my own style and gives me something to be proud of!

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate? 
Its history. We do our best to retain all the original 1930's features of the house (woodwork, chandeliers, arched doorways, milk box, coal room). We are also doing our best to return some features to their original style (we are replacing light switches to original ones from the 30's, for example).


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact? 
I painted a mural on an empty room in my sewing room. I love the simple design and bright colors - it is really a cheerful addition to my house and I love to look at it as I sew. It is the same flower/tree motif that I use in my purse shop, so it has even more meaning to me.

all photos courtesy of homeowner. If you would like to have your home featured please send me an email or submit pictures of your home to the flickr group.