The Process of Living: A Textile Designer's Family Friendly Digs

When we hear "family friendly", visions of rooms filled with foam floor mats, piles of plastic toys, and inexpensive furniture may come to mind. At some point in the past few decades, and with the sprawl of suburban homes boasting "bonus" rooms and basements, a line was drawn between what was considered "family friendly" and which rooms or styles were off-limits. Now, with many people opting for smaller homes in urban areas, most rooms have to pull double-duty, being both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

This home of textile designer Caitlin Wilson is the perfect blend of pretty and practical. Unique, high-style pieces are scattered throughout the house, but clutter is kept to a minimum- which also makes cleaning up easier. Even the designated "play area" is simply styled and cohesive, instead of being a black eye in the otherwise carefully curated space. By paying close attention to the details in each room, the overall look is cohesive and comfortable. Whether you have little humans or a small zoo of four-legged critters, like us, this house is a super inspiring example of what a "family" home could be. 

Tour originally appeared on MyDomaine.com

The Process of Living: A Teeny Tiny Art Inspired Apartment

We've all heard of the "tiny house movement" (basically any house smaller than 400 square feet), but tiny apartments have been around as long as cities. At first glance, I never would have believed that this color, texture, and artwork-packed apartment was the size of most master bedrooms. At just 250 square feet, it feels clean, chic, and cozy. A few large paintings, an entire wall of books, and a giant handpainted fan seem like they would be design "no-no's" as they take up almost all of the wall space but instead of competing for focal points, their scale compliments each other and the small space they share.

I absolutely love the stacks of art books on every surface, even the floor- another "no-no" that is becoming a chic trend. By keeping all of the walls, furniture, and shelving in the room white, the colors, patterns, and textures in the decor can shine. What I love most about tiny spaces is that you have to be extremely deliberate about each design choice- if it doesn't quite fit or work in the space, out it goes. Our 2-bedroom house is considered "small" (less than 1,000 square feet) but I could easily see us downsizing a bit, though with a husband, three pets, and a small studio space, I don't foresee a clean, white, feminine downtown studio happening in the future so I'll just drool over this one. 

This tour originally appeared on Domino.com

The Process of Living: An Artsy Couple's Colorful San Francisco Pad

Every once in a while, I come across a home tour that makes me wonder if those weird sci-fi shows are true that say that every person on earth has a twin somewhere living a parallel life. This home, belonging to a crazy-cool couple in San Francisco, is easily one of them. I feel like I could move right in and feel totally at home- the gorgeous natural light, the artwork, the natural textures, insane wood floors, and pops of bright color are right up my alley. I love that the overall style is clean and modern but not stiff or sterile, a perfect mix of young, fresh, and functional. I could definitely see sipping a craft beer or having a game night in this living room- am I doing "hipster" right? But, who knows maybe our San Francisco spirit-couple will want to take a vacation here in San Clemente and we could do a little house swap. Too soon? I kind of feel like the kid who accidentally got invited to the party and now won't. stop. talking. (Be cool, Hailey!) So, anyway, I'll just leave these photos here and let them speak for themselves. But, if you live here, in this house...call me. Sometime. Jk, jk. But seriously though.

This tour originally appeared on Apartment Therapy, images via David Dines