House Crashing: Classic & Natural Alongside A Twist

Swift note Book holla! -We are publishing this post early since we will be at our stop in Wilton, CT this morning and then we will be at Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ at 5:30 pm (and staying as late as it takes to hang/sign/geek out with everyone). More details here. We’d enjoy to see ya!

A little while ago we took a road trip up to Northern Virginia to crash an excellent house that we thought you folks would enjoy. It is in a charming town called Herndon, and Michele and Nate poured some serious enjoy (in the form of some serious work, time, and sweat) into their home. So let us get our with the tour on, shall we?

Here is the sweet couple now. They were so friendly and humble – we were so glad they invited us over with our camera (and Clara) to snoop around. Thanks again folks!

If you peeked past them in that picture above you’ve likely already noticed that excellent painted wall that Michele did with some painter’s tape and a whole lotta time and dedication. I also enjoy that console table, which she revealed was from HomeGoods for some crazy low-cost price but it was a bright orange-y wood tone, so she stained the whole thing down with some darker walnut stain. Consistently a good reminder that if the lines/materials of something are good but the color is baaad, you can save it (and likely save some money on the item thanks to that less-than-appealing color). And if you peer past it into the living room you might recognize the rug. It is in fact the same Pottery Barn clearance guy from our guest room. It is a pleasant splash of color that draws you into the room from the entryway.

Beyond the living area is a charming dining room with two light fixtures from Overstock above the table (I thought two of them was a lively choice!). And do you see that sweet wainscoting that they brought in along with some awesomely textured walls thanks to… fabric?

Yup, they starched some textured linen fabric (on sale from Joann) and stuck it up on the wall! How excellent is that. Here is her walkthrough on that for anyone interested (I enjoy that it is removable, so it is even a cool idea for a rental).

As for their kitchen, let us simply say they put in some major time here. Not only did they do things like tile the backsplash and redo the counters, they in fact built the cabinets themselves. Yes, they built them from scratch! So inspiring, right? I can tell you that in person they looked remarkable. I seriously never would have guessed. Oh and those stools are lucky Crate & Barrel outlet finds.

They also created this excellent little wine nook in an odd recessed area by adding a bench and plenty of wine-a-licious built-ins.

Here is the money shot for ya. Does this vivid marble mosaic tile say “how you doin?” or what? In lurve. I petted it. No shame. And that excellent apron sink is from Overstock in case you are in the market for one.

The family room was especially cozy and welcoming. Everything from the large scale art they made to the stone wall and the dark wall color was totally doing it for us. We both were like “this room – yeah we want it.” Oh, before I forget, the wall color is Benjamin Moore Gunmetal Gray. This was simply one of those rooms that sucks you in and you want to snuggle down on the sectional. So casual and inviting.

Here is a better shot of the art, which they in fact made with an ebay map and some reclaimed wood that they already had (more on that project here). And how cool is that awesomely nature-esque tree trunk coffee table? Here is the story on that from Michele: “We made it! A fairly bad storm rolled through VA and we contacted a tree guy that we know in the area. He was taking care of some larger trees that had fallen and we asked that he cut us a chunk. It is a red oak. We counted about 110 rings and it was about 350 lbs! We let it dry out for a few weeks and Nate begin using a chainsaw to carve out the inside to lighten it up. (This was NOT an straightforward task!!). We spend weeks sanding it, chiseling off the bark, etc. After we had a smooth, hollowed out stump, we tung oiled it. Thanks for reminding me about a post that I need to write!”

We enjoyed that every nook was an opportunity for Michele and Nate. They even brought in some strong wood detailing along the stairway walls, and the excellent orb-like light is especially cool too. They in fact made that with a light kit and a big metal cage that they found at a secondhand store.

Here is the guest room, which had a fairly cool story when it came to those dressers along the wall. They are in fact Nate’s from when he was a kid, and instead of retiring them, Michele refreshed them with some paint and new hardware (Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, with pulls from Home Depot). You know we enjoy that use whatcha got spirit!

This bathroom was another showstopper when it comes to details that they brought in (like the penny tile border along the wall, the excellent dark floor tile, and the vanity that they got from Lowe’s). It felt truly classic and crisp in there.

Boom. I simply hit you with a detail shot. How you like me now?

Seriously, that bathroom was excellent.

And speaking of bathrooms, this one was a powder room downstairs, and it was truly cool because they brought in an whole accent wall of tile (from Home Depot). It looked so strong with the sconces and the pedestal sink and that awesomely rustic wood mirror (which they made with some old wood). This picture does not do it justice at all.

And the garage. Oh the garage. Let us simply say that John hoped to move in. It was excellent. Again they were so smart about using what they had, so these are in fact their original kitchen cabinets. Yup, instead of demo-ing them out when they built the new ones, they moved them right into the garage and primed/painted them. It was such an organized and inspiring room. Made me wanna build something.

There were some truly cool personal touches too, like some old airplanes that Nate framed (he’d made them as a child and his Grandpa saved them and gave them back to him as an adult). How sweet is that? And of course John was drooling over the supreme organization going on when it came to all of those labeled screws and nails (it might have inspired this recent basement project). The funny thing is that when John asked Nate if he cleaned things up because we were coming to take pictures he said “nah, I am simply a type-A guy.” So funny!

And we saved the best for last. How excellent is this backyard? Did you faint? I nearly did when I rounded the corner and saw this. I was all “wait, am I in Hawaii? How did I get here?”

Not only was there an outdoor kitchen that they paintstakingly pieced together over time, but they also have some strong outdoor furniture and even had a hot tub tucked in the back. Yeah, buddy. I was in heaven. Jersey girls like me enjoy their hot tubs. Simply saying.

And look at those fairly stone steps. The hardscaping in the front yard and the backyard were so strong. It was like extra credit. It went the extra mile above regular garden borders and stairs and felt so special and upgraded, you know? Nate and Michele are in fact both landscape architects, so that might explain why they have some seriously swanky outdoor areas. And the planters all around the yard have been collected over time (some are leftover from the previous owner and they spray painted them oil-rubbed bronze to freshen them up).

So there you have it, Michele and Nate’s excellent house in Northern Virginia. You can read more about their remarkable Hands-on journey here on their journal, but first let us play the what is-your-go-to-part game. I am all over that giant map against the dark walls of the family room. And John’s quite much in love with that garage. As in, he smiles like a fool when I mention it. I have been calling him Young Garage Enjoy for weeks.

Psst- Do not wanna stop snooping around? You can check out dozens of House Crashing adventures right here.