Rough It Up with Maxwell from Apartment Therapy

ApartmentTherapy

Story by ApartmentTherapy

Published on Feb 20, 2009 in Make

Photo by Living via Apartment Therapy

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, co-founder of  Apartment Therapy, shares his latest inspiration and encourages your home decor to show its rough edges.

Lately, I have had a fascination with modern rustic interiors. They are simple, clean and warm, but they are filled with raw textures, organic materials and a mix of old and new. This lovely dining room pictured above is from Living Etc. Amidst all the doubt with the economy, I find these interiors comforting, reassuring and surprisingly accessible, as they rely heavily on pairing down and finding a few nice things that are either handmade, antique or both that you can mix into your home.

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This is our lovely dining room right after we installed our vertical wine rack.

I went hunting on Etsy to see if I could furnish a room from amongst the many shops and was delighted to find furnishings in great supply. Here is a collection of picks that combine the rustic with vintage, antique and mid-century modern. These are all items that would fit well together in a room of new or modern furnishings and which would take the “edge” off of any newness.

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These lamps are from Blue Bell Bazaar

There were a few notable shops that I spent more time in: Blue Bell Bazaar (accessories), Anosila (bedding) and Lorimer Antiques (tables).

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These linens are from Anosila.
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This table is from Lorimer Antiques.

What do I recommend?  Take what you’ve got and get rid of anything that’s made of chipboard or plastic or that has simply become clutter.  Fix anything that’s broken. Pare down to the minimum and see where you stand.  Don’t worry if your kitchen table is from the home you grew up in (ours is too).

Now, take your time and look around for a few things to put back in — things you love, which are well made and which are useful.  Just a few things. Things that make you happy. Things that sing the song you want to sing. And if it doesn’t work out, sell it or give it away.  Keep your home flowing.

Are you a household projects dynamo? Need an excuse to get that project completed? Share it with the world through Apartment Therapy‘s  February Jumpstart Project, “Do it Now!” Prizes include Etsy shopping sprees…Mmmm tantalizing!

More posts from Apartment Therapy | Apartment Therapy House Tours | “Do it Now!” Contest

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