fantasy/reality

We live in Bethesda, Maryland, in a red brick house. An asymmetrical colonial on the outside, it's been opened up inside, with lots of natural light and cool colors on the walls. I like uncluttered surfaces, clean lines and midcentury furniture:

Clean kitchen island, DWR Kyoto counter stools

Saarinen tulip table, knockoff Jacobsen chairs from Room & Board, hyacinth

Same table, a pretty platter, some apples

 warmed up with delicate or ethnic or cute touches like this

Pillows from West Elm, an alpaca blanket from Peru

or this

On my dresser: perfume bottles, an old teacup, and a painting Charlie did in preschool

or this

Supposedly dogs, but my kids call them lions

or this

Hearts and cherry blossoms

And though I can get antsy about those clean lines and neat arrangements, my kids mess up their rooms like crazy. I'm trying not to be too much of a design snob or control freak. The folks on unhappyhipsters.com crack me up, but I sure don't want to be one of them. Plus I'm not nearly neat, or hip, enough myself.

What Charlie's floor usually looks like

Taped-up drawings added to framed pieces

Paint-your-own pottery guy and shiny things

Some of Tessa's beloved animal art

More animal art and small treasures

Through the mirror: "Fishy," a dollhouse, my mother-in-law''s vintage rocking chair