Elizabeth's Apartment

Are you like me and just love it when you drive by a home at night and are thrilled that the drapes are left wide open for all the
"peeping Toms" to see? I've been told by friends that I am going to get "arrested" some day for looking in windows. Well, I don't stop and look, but I sure do slow down the car.
I have had several requests from my readers to show my apartment. Here are some photos for all you peeping Toms to view. Some photos are old. The black bed with the bedding that I designed is no longer in that room, nor do I have that bedding - it sold!
That room was my master bedroom and after my divorce I moved into the guest room and made the master bedroom my photo studio (it gets wonderful light!).
The guest room (the gray/blue room with clocks) no longer exists either. That bedding and those clocks sold a long time ago...I have bolts of fabric in my apartment and trims ready for me to design some new bedding for myself, but I just haven't found the time.
The walls and murals in the living area done by my good friend, Sherrie Whitehead. I chose the colors of pale tan, cream, browns, grays, and slate blues. It is a Tuscan wall with plaster. All the furniture I painted and all upholstered furniture I redesigned. You can see some of the chandeliers - I have 11 chandeliers in my tiny apartment! I wanted my space to feel of "old and dusty" as strange as that may sound. Actually, I wanted what I call "livable elegance" in my home.


Livable Elegance is a term that I coined to describe a home that is filled with beauty in the eyes of the owner and filled with comfort for all its visitors. I like living with my things, my treasures, my finds, and I like to present them in what I feel is an elegant manner (to me at least) without feeling like I live in a museum. I absolutely use every single thing in my home - nothing is "for show" but for use - hence the "livable" part of "livable elegance."
A home has a soul. It is born through the eyes of the owner and it lives and grows with the spirit of its owners. Sort of like a very well-cared for garden.
And that is where designers, like me come in to help when needed. As the home lives and grows, sometimes the owner just needs someone to do a little "fertilizing" to bring forth what was there all along, but just buried beneath its owner's doubt and fear that's all. And as I "fertilize" a home for someone, I make sure that I plant what will "grow" best for the owner and the home's environment - whether that environment is filled with children, pets, single dad, or has lots of guests coming and going.
The posting either prior or just after this one (I don't know how this will load up on the site) contains more photos that would not, for some reason load onto this posting.

I hope you enjoyed the "tour" of my little apartment. I will, in the future post more photos. I really want you to see my bathroom (I need to take photos of it). I took an 1800's baptismal font and turned it into a sink...more on that later.

May your home have a soul that sings, laughs, and protects you. And may you fill your home with your treasures....and the best treasures are usually called "friends." A home isn't truly happy until it is filled with your loved ones. And you, my treasured readers, fill my home each day with your emails, comments and phone calls.
So the next time you go "soul searching" start with your home and breath new life into it. Fill your home with your treasures and fill it in a way that makes you happy and content. Sometimes, when we want to go find ourselves we think we need to get away from it all. When all we really need is to use what you love and love what you use. It's pretty simple, really.
from my house to your house,
Elizabeth