ME Speak Design's Home on Apartment Therapy

Posted by Eric and Lori Wright on June 27, 2018

ME Speak Design Home

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/house-tour-a-charming-vivid-georgia-house-245895

Location:  North High Shoals, GA

Size: 1700 sq ft

Years Lived In: 3

Rent or own: Own

Our Style: We are very eclectic and colorful. We mix and match modern, traditional and Japanese together, creating our own personal style. We moved here from a very large house so we sold or gave away as much furniture and accessories as we now have in this house. By doing that we could only keep furniture or housewares we couldn’t part with; it was a beautiful exercise for us to practice and one we value deeply.

Inspiration: We are heavily influenced by Japanese design and the South we live in. We also draw greatly from our own senses; the sound and breeze from the Apalachee river near our home, red wine, whiskey, the blues, the meals that are cooking in our kitchen, the smell of the changing seasons, our garden, color. Inspiration is all around us and reflected in our home, work and life.

Favorite Element: We initially didn’t want an old house, too much work but when we stepped foot in the front door we both filled up with tears and by the time we got around to the wrap around screened back porch we were making an offer. Old house charm. There’s just nothing like an old house. The way the floors slope up and down, the way every room has a different ceiling or floor, the way it smells. It has an aura about it that is intoxicating, it’s not something you can really recreate.

Biggest Challenge: The same as our favorite element! It’s an old house. Our to do list is several pages long. Currently both of our bathrooms are in need of a remodel, one of which is almost unusable. This is why you see no bathroom pictures!

What Friends Say: Friends always say how cozy and comfortable it is. We pride ourselves on making a home that is filled with love and we think people feel that. We are known for having guests stay until the wee hours of the morning; maybe it’s too comfortable!

Biggest Embarrassment: It’s a toss up but first would be that bathroom we mentioned! It was an add on at some point years ago and currently is on the verge of falling into the basement. It is next on our list and going to be quite a job. When people come over we always feel like we have to explain that it is in remodel; we have been saying this for 3 years… The other would be our old linoleum tiled kitchen floor. We love the black and white tiles but these are in bad shape. Currently we threw a rug over most of it until we can budget for a replacement!

Proudest DIY: Hands down our fireplace and mantel. One of our favorite parts of our house was the beautiful old brick chimney climbing the outside of the house. Someone years ago had built a wall covering the fireplace on the inside. The first night we moved in, no furniture but our mattresses on the floor, we poured ourselves some whiskey and we took a sledgehammer to the wall where we guessed the fireplace would be. Fortunately we hit it dead on and a beautiful wood burning fireplace was there! We restored the fireplace and hearth and built a beautiful mantel to finish it off. We recently added a wood burning stove into the fireplace to help heat the home more efficiently.

Biggest Indulgence: The curtains in the living room were a splurge for us. When we found them through Anthropologie we had to have them. They are a beautiful scene in crewel, designed by the artist Rebecca Rebouche. They are true works of art. In order to appreciate them at all times, Eric hand forged special curtain rods so when we close the curtain at night it hangs like art. The light coming through them makes the patterns come alive. They are always a conversation piece when we have company.

Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to try something new when creating your home. Color is a simple beautiful way to change the look and feel of a room and it can always be repainted. Also, anchor each room with something that inspires you and create the space around it. It’s ok to have place holders, we have several throughout our house that aren’t the exact piece but we look to it for inspiration for finding the right piece or making it. When appointing your home it’s always better to buy quality, it’s a lot less wasteful than buying cheap and repeating. Lastly, your home doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s yours to live in and love in and at the end of the day the flaws are just footprints of your story.

Dream Sources: Japan, our collection of Japanese design books come as daily inspiration. Also Gold. We once read in an Architectural digest where a designer said, “When in doubt, make it big and paint it gold”. We loved this so much it stuck. Who doesn’t love shiny metals? Brass and copper both inspire our decor and work. We have sprinkles of it throughout our home.