House Tour-Kristen

Name: Kristen
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Square Footage: Approximately 1300
Years Lived in: 2.5
Rent or own: Own
Describe your style: Eclectic meets eccentric
Blog/Website/Twitter:
www.technologikill.com
www.dailymile.com/kristenf
twitter.com/nekromantikmc

What's your favorite free/found item?
I was driving home after work one day and on the side of the road, I passed this 1970's canvas/wall print. I literally jumped out of my car and picked this up - I was in love instantly! A few minutes later it started to rain really hard so I basically just saved this canvas! Since then I used it to create the color scheme of our office.


What's your favorite purchased item?
Hands down a Wolf furniture Credenza I happened upon in a local thrift store - It was in remarkable shape and I was in love with it the very minute I saw it!

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
The rugs and floor: The former home owners actually ripped out the original wood floors, laid down an industrial floor and put carpet over it. We are very slowly replacing the rugs but it's been a timely process because of the amount of moving around existing furniture and tying up certain parts of the house.


Is your design style organic or planned?
I always start with a plan but there our times, some things work better in theory then in reality. For instance, when we were painting our dining area I thought this one wall would look best all white but after looking at it for a few days, I realized it needed more accent so I painted a light grey strip along the top and it really helped shape this wall.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
Hands down: the kitchen. This is because out of the entire house, this is the room we have made the most progress in. All we have left to do is counter tops and the backsplash.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
Previously, I wasn't a huge fan of postmodern interior design but each year I seem to branch out in this direction more and more. My appreciation for minimalism and ‘cleaner’ designs is also ever growing.

What is your favorite resource or store?
I love sifting through good wills and local thrift stores. I have been doing so for well over 10 years and to this day I still get excited about it. Additionally, Ikea, Crate & Barrel, CB2, Room & Board and Urban Outfitters are all favorites.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
I always cringe when I hear people tell me they want to try bolder colors and designs but are afraid they won't work out. My motto: Just try. If it doesn't work it out, you can always change it. It’s like getting a shorter haircut – If you want to do it, do it – if you don’t like it, who cares – it’ll grow back eventually!

What has been your favorite design trend?
I really appreciate the current trend I am seeing of painting people painting accent walls black as well as using wallpaper. I really hate painting walls neutral colors and have been a huge fan of wallpaper in terms of decorating my space.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
My biggest influence on design comes from my years spent studying various art forms. Though I currently work in technology, I have a degree in multimedia and in college; I studied various mediums of art. I reference many of them when I design - For instance, a series of color theory classes I took have been a huge help when deciding on color schemes, determining which colors compliment each other and why.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
Generally speaking, I usually rely on my mood and my gut instinct. I usually find something I like, such as a painting or a color and create a room around it. It's some what calculated but also very ad hoc as well.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Repainting the entire house! Many people underestimate how much you can improve a space or room simply by painting it. When we first moved in almost every room in the house was painted some variation of hunter green it was horrid. Once we repainted everything, it started to feel like our reflected out styles and personalities. It was a great feeling!