Children's photographer Janet Moran's house is so lovely that we almost can't believe that she's...moving. But later this month, she, her husband and their little man Henry will head to Munster, a town thirty minutes south of Chicago. Before they leave, we want to show you their beautiful home, filled with maps, vintage photos and an envy-inducing chair collection.
What does your son like about the living room?
We didn't want anything to stand in the way of his perusing, so we don't have a coffee table. There's a stage in parenthood where it's necessary to put it away.
What's around your fireplace?
In the fireplace, we put stackable wicker boxes. Above the mantle, we put designer wrapping paper in IKEA frames. Even though I'm a photographer, I can't handle my pictures on the wall!
Your living room is huge. How did you break it up?
I've always wanted a reading room, so we created a sun area with bookshelves. We collect books--about furniture, photo, design--and now we have this space where we nest.
You have so many amazing chairs.
John and I have been married for about seven years, and right from the beginning, we collected chairs. We bought these two Danish chairs when we first got married. We found that Eames rocker in the trash. It's was pristine, just sitting in a dumpster.
What do you typically photograph?
After attending art school in my early 20s, I was intimidated by all the other artists out there and stopped doing my own photography. But years later, when Henry was born, I realized my natural talents. I instinctively knew how to get babies to respond to the camera. I started taking photos of other people's babies and launched my own photography business.
Do you collect these Japanese dolls?
John gives me one every Christmas. They're from great Japanese trading store in Chicago called J. Toguri.
Where did you find the huge round mirror?
I had seen them at a barber shop where my husband goes. I tried to get him to offer the guy some money, but we ended up finding one at a local antique shop.
Tell us about these six photographs.
They're all old photos from photo-booths -- three from John's family and three from mine. I scanned the tiny pictures and blew them up. Now they're about 8x8 in IKEA glass clip frames.
Did you use this pram?
Our goal was to use it as Henry's bassinet. He did, a little bit.
Where did you get those antlers?
My dad mailed them to me after I moved away from Alabama. I was walking home from the train, carrying the deer antlers down the street. Three different men stopped and offered to buy them.
Is that fabric hanging on the wall?
Yes, it's IKEA fabric. I really liked it but didn't know what to do with it, so I just hung it up!
How did you choose paint colors?
It's so difficult to pick paint. We stuck with a green and blue palate for all the rooms--and then painted the kitchen yellow. We get lots of sunlight, so the bright colors work.
What a great kitchen table.
We found the Saarinen table at the Salvation Army for $30. That was one of our best finds. Everything else we paid a fair price for!
How did you approach the nursery's decor?
We didn't know if we were having a boy or girl, so we couldn't do anything too gendered. We brought out lots of my childhood toys, as a way to keep things classic.
What's Henry's favorite toy?
The Fisher Price tree house. You press a button and the top pops up. A little elevator that goes up the trunk of the tree. It's fun to see that my old toys are his favorites. We've even started buying old Fisher Price toys off eBay.
How did you decide which art to hang?
When you have kids, it's weird to choose what to hang, since they pull everything off the walls. We had to be selective. This map is great; it's been a blast to point out places to Henry as he gets older.
So where are you moving now?
To Munster, a town thirty minutes south of Chicago. It's a little modern community. We bought a 60s house. Plus, it's crazy affordable. Our condo in Chicago was the same price as our new four-bedroom solid brick ranch!
It sounds amazing.
We're not the only people who have done this. Our friend, a vintage furniture dealer, introduced us to the town. We're trying to get more people on board. It's suburbia, but it's close to the city, is ridiculously affordable and has such good modern homes.
Now that you're moving, what will you miss about this house?
We loved the old character of this place--built-in bookshelves, crown molding, creaky floors--but I'm ready to have a home that suits our taste perfectly.
How is Henry handling the move?
Henry is totally into it. Kids live up the street; he has a yard. He's completely content.
A Happy Note: Janet and John are also expecting a baby girl this December. Congratulations!
Want more? Browse through other Cookie house tours and read about a Los Angeles couple's nursery makeover.
We recently posted about how lovely blogger Stephanie Nielson and her husband were just in a terrible plane crash. They are both in critical condition, and their recoveries will be long and very expensive. They have four kids under six years old, who are staying with relatives at the moment.
