Open House : Sean & Tina

We're back with the first of what I hope is many real home tours. 

I am so excited to kick off this new series with Sean & Tina's home! I've admired it since they moved to the area. They throw the best Halloween parties preempted by the best invitations. They make running and bike-riding look good, like some kind of photo shoot in motion. To top it off they're so likeable; I have yet to leave them without giggling, grinning, and being somehow inspired in life.  

After spending ten years living in tiny apartments and condos in Chicago, Sean and Tina fell in love with Milwaukee and bought a house in Whitefish Bay two years ago. They have been slowly accumulating furniture and developing their aesthetic over time. Without further adieu, enjoy!

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The living room is where we spend most of our time watching movies, eating dinner, and playing with our adopted dogs, Bear and Waldo. 

One of the best things about living in an old house, ours is 70 years old, are all of the quaint details that make the interior special. We especially love the wood beamed ceiling and the leaded glass windows. The wall art is from Michelle Armas and our first real art purchase. The pillows on the couch were made by my mother from fabric purchased on Etsy. 

The printed rug is from IKEA and this is actually our second one since Waldo chewed a hole in the original one. It’s been incredibly durable with all of the feet and paws it endures on a daily basis. 

The stag head, one of Sean’s favorite pieces, is from Restoration Hardware. The framed horse print on the mantle is actually a John Derian postcard of a horse that I found at my favorite Milwaukee store, The Home Market. 

Sean found the vintage French cruiser poster at a garage sale a block away from our house.

The sunroom is the reason why we purchased this house. We really liked how the French doors open up to the background, and it’s a great place to take naps in the summer. The oars are vintage and were found at a yard sale in Bay View.

Besides painting the interior of the house, we have spent most of our time landscaping the yard. We have a small organic vegetable garden in the summer, and recently acquired this backyard furniture from Home Depot. Last summer we mulched the entire backyard because it’s much more dog friendly than grass. In the spring, both sets of our parents worked together to help us landscape the front yard. Those big whiskey barrels in the front of our house were a Craiglist find.

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Thank you, Sean & Tina, for the wonderful (and first) tour! I had to post this last photo of them because it's SO them! Also, did you catch the secret message impressed (actually somehow raised) on the mantel wood?

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