“Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.” ―
This season we’re in is everything cliché, yet so true. It’s ‘home isn’t about the stuff but the people’ and it’s bittersweet. It’s ‘the kids grow up too fast’ and ‘where did the time go?’. It’s ‘wasn’t it just yesterday we moved in with the kids just starting high school?’. We treated our home like we’d be here forever but like many people, 2020 showed us maybe we shouldn’t make so many ‘set in stone’ plans. Life is about adventure and experiencing new things. Okay, enough with the clichés. A year ago we started talking about moving, to the point we got an apartment in Arizona to feel it out. With only one kiddo left at home in the fall, who is also super excited to take on this adventure with us, we decided to pull the trigger. Of course we can’t have new adventures without letting go of the place we’ve called home. New Mexico is my home state and though I’ve moved around a lot, I moved back here fifteen years ago to be close to family after my dad passed away. It felt like I need to be here then and now it feels like maybe it’s okay to move on.
(Check out the end of the post for all the sources along with a peek at our new place in Arizona. Cue the confetti!…and the sunscreen)
This is probably my favorite space in the house and where we spend the most time. With all the angles in the space, the Corbett Lighting chandelier is a delicate way to soften all the edges. It reminds me of crystal waves. It took a few years to feel like we found all the right furniture for the space. The Moss Studio chairs and beautiful oak console are the finishing touches that took so long to find. It’s better to wait and find pieces that are the right scale than to stick something in the space hoping you’ll grow to love it.
We fell in love with the potential of this home because we knew with some (major!) backyard renovations, we could maximize the light pouring in. Opening up this space was the best decision for our family. We eat all of our meals at the dining room table so having two spaces to eat just didn’t make any sense. We also wanted to have plenty of room for everyone to lounge around and watch movies and read and get cozy. Our last house was 1,400 square feet and even after a little room addition, we were a little too close for comfort. Movie night with five people and a dog meant only two people got to sit on the little sofa. Of course I also miss those days because that was a house we loved so very much. I know I’m very private with our family, it’s a choice I made early on and one I don’t regret, but I also know without people these spaces look a little showroom/sterile/not lived in in photos. And stating the obvious but these photos, like anyone who posts stuff like this, are showing the highlight reel and not the everyday life. But I can assure you, we live hard here and with lots of love and laughter and some occasional “WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS DIRTY SOCKS ON THE STAIRS?” and “WHEN YOU MAKE A SMOOTHIE RINSE IT OUT AND NOT JUST PRETEND BUT ACTUALLY RINSE IT OUT!!” and “AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO PICKS UP DOG POOP AROUND HERE?” and all the other things you probably holler at your kids too. We’ve played countless games of Othello and Phase Ten and Midnight on that table and thousands of loads of laundry have been folded there. We LIVE here and I wouldn’t change this season for anything.
The sunsets are absolutely glorious in New Mexico through these doors and something we’ll certainly miss. Our new house has a different orientation which means we’ll have to go outside to see the sunset so maybe that’s not a bad thing. Being outside is always a good idea. We chose a neutral color palette for the interior because when the landscape really matures, we wanted THAT to be the focal point. This home played a role in how we dreamed the landscaping will look when we give it some time to mature. 
Here’s a peek at a room I don’t think I’ve ever shown before. Of course it doesn’t always look like this but this cutie is a bit of a neat freak so pretty close. I wonder where he gets it from? ;) We have other bedrooms in the house but for sake of brevity, I’ll just show this one. (stay tuned for a post dedicated to the primary bed and bath soon!)
The hall bath also doesn’t always look like this. Imagine deodorant, lotion, a hairbrush or two, scrunchies, sunscreen, safety pins, face wash, a tube of toothpaste squeezed to the point it looks like toothpaste strangulation and about four tubes of Burt’s Bees chapstick. Of course you miss your college kids when they move out, but I think God prepares us in all sorts of ways before that happens to take a bit of the sting away. ;) Who am I kidding? I’m already tearing up thinking about my best friend/daughter not being home all the time. Once again, it’ll be a delicate balance of ‘please come over I miss you/I don’t want to be pushy and make you feel bad/but I really want to hug you’ we’ve already experienced with the eldest moving out.
Renovating the front and back yard was probably the highlight of all the renovations we did. We chose an evergreen hedge and tons of lavender, so known in New Mexico especially here, my favorite. We’re going to miss you sweet home! So excited for the new owners though. I can feel their good energy from here.
SOURCE LIST //
LIVING ROOM
paint– Dunn Edwards Antique Paper
Console – Ethnicraft Sideboard Shadow
Table Lamp – Calabria Table Lamp
Floor Lamp – Renwick Floor Lamp
Chandelier – Circo Chandelier by Corbett Lighting
Rug – Safavieh Creme Vision Rug
Swivel Chairs – Moss Studio Willow Chair
Sofas – Ethan Allen Astor Sofas without Nailhead Trim
Furs on Sofas – here
Coffee Table – Square Feathers Brass & Burl
End Table – Frontgate (no longer available) similar here
Books- here
Pillows – Pottery Barn Washed Velvet
paint- Dunn Edwards Antique Paper
Vases – Homegoods
TV – Samsung Frame TV
Throw Blanket – Alicia Adams Alpaca Mazing Blanket
Bench Behind Sofa – Sarreid
Artwork- Thrifted from Family Thrift Center & art my daughter drew in the 3rd grade <insert heart and crying emojis>
Crystal Vase- Williams Sonoma Crystal Block Vase
DINING ROOM
Fireplace Paint- Dunn Edwards Blackjack
Dining Table- Crate and Barrel no longer available (similar here)
Dining Chandelier- Livex Alpine
Frames – CB2 Gallery Frames
Dining Chairs- Slipcovered
ENTRY
Console – Stanley Furniture no longer available
Mirror – Infinity Mirror
Lamps- La Brea Table Lamp
Vase – Pottery Barn no longer available
BEDROOM
paint– Dunn Edwards Antique Paper
Upholstered Bed – Stanley Furniture Panavista Canopy Bed
Nightstand – Stanley Furniture Shagreen Bachelor’s Chest
Lamp – Hudson Valley Lighting Tompkins Lamp
Bedding – Pure Parima Sheets and Duvet
Throw – Faux Fur
Frames – Gallery Frames
Stool – Faux Fur PB Stool
Striped Pillow – PB no longer available
Paint- Dunn Edwards Crystal Haze
HALL BATH
Shower Curtain – Target from several years ago
SECONDARY ROOMS
Paint- Dunn Edwards Crystal Haze
OUTDOORS
Firepit – WS firepit table or Wayfair
Chairs – Josh Schriber Designs and JSD
*Please note- many of the sourced items were gifted. I earn a small commission on some of the source links.
And here she is – a peek at Casa de Lola (Spanish Architecture and tons of arches…..so in love!! I’ll be sharing more here and on IG)
While much of our furniture and decor will stay the same, this home will have a very different feel and we’re so excited to call this gem home.
