The Process of Living: an eclectic art-lover's home

“I have dreamed for years of having a blank palette for a home, and the opportunity to fill it with items found from local thrift stores. I finally decided to fulfill my dream, and accomplish it in only three weeks." - Judy Aldridge

At first glance, the home of interior designer Judy Aldridge (@atlantishome) looks as though it has been carefully layered, assembled, and curated over decades. The only way to explain the mix of textures, colors, patterns, and styles is that the house is filled with long-loved pieces collected throughout a life spent traveling the world. When in fact, Judy completely transformed her home, a mid-century modern "blank space" into the bohemian retreat it is today, in only a few weeks, without traveling farther than her local thrift shops. 

"The process of choosing the pieces was decided for me by the thrift store merchandise I encountered." 

By giving herself a very limited timeline to complete her renovation, Judy had to make split-second decisions on items as she found them. There simply was not time to go home, measure, contemplate, or hesitate- if a piece was a good fit, or could be after a little TLC, she bought it. Using thrifted and repurposed items minimized Judy's renovation footprint and has kept her eclectic style accessible for other's wanting to create a similar look. 

"I tried to choose somewhat average pieces so that anyone reading this story could say, 'I see that stuff all the time! I can do this easily myself. '" 

Even the most basic home improvement projects can create more than their fair share of waste, between disposing of the "old" materials, manufacturing and shipping new ones, and using natural resources like fuel and water. Instead of contributing to landfill waste or using complex measures to bring in new materials, Judy used items and resources that were easily within reach in terms of geography and budget. With a little imagination and creativity, she transformed once wayward pieces into heirloom treasures. 

"When it came to reupholstering the chairs and sofa, I chose fabric from local outlets at 10-20 dollars per yard. I chose to buy from thrift stores that only accepted donations, so that money I spent would go directly to good causes. "

Judy's cozy master bedroom has a perfectly lived-in look thanks to the gorgeous linen bedding, loosely styled bookcases, distressed concrete floors, and unique decorative accents. By using a few found objects (these vintage Syrian textiles were thrifted!) the "new" space gets a dose of personality and old-world charm.

We could seriously spend all day wandering the rooms of Judy's amazing home and we are so inspired for our next thrifting trips. Do you have a favorite second-hand piece you scored on a whim? What do you look for when shopping for your space? 

Enjoy the process!

Hailey

images via seaofshoes