Rebecca and John are in their early 30's and have 5 beautiful sons. Plus one more little fellow arriving shortly. And they all live happily together in a comfortable, calming, sunlit home in Kansas. We're so lucky to get a peek at how this big, busy family makes it all work.

How would you describe your decorating style and where do you find decorating inspiration?

My problem is that I like too many different styles. I love both modern and vintage looks. I've tried to integrate them, which actually works for me because I don't like things too matchy matchy. I was in a great new/used book store a month or so ago and found a book called Urban Country. It's a beautiful book and I felt very drawn to the style.

What a beautiful space. We love all the light. Tell us about your window covering theories/preferences.

One thing that drew me to this house was the amount of light it has. My husband and I both think it's a shame to cover beautiful windows. Most of the windows on the front of the house are bare. We've added curtains to many of the back windows for added privacy since that's where most of our living space is.

We want that orange compote!

I bought that bowl a few years ago from Sundance Catalog for our wedding anniversary. We try to be creative with the yearly theme. That year it was pottery. But I have to admit, I bought it for him because I loved it for myself.

What handsome throw pillows on the sofa and side chairs.

I like the throw pillows because they add some pattern into a pretty basic room.  A few of the pillows are from Anthropologie, and one is from Target.

Wow. The wall of pictures is amazing. Did it take a long time to put this together? Do you add and subtract from the composition?

I don't count myself as much of a photographer, but I absolutely love to take pictures of my family. The thing that made and still makes this project easy is that the photos are hung with different frames and different mats -- some even without mats. I tend to like things very unmatched, so I'm happy that's how it has turned out. I am continually adding to the wall and am not quite sure what I'll do when it's full.

Tell us about the unique chalkboard/calendar. Is it custom?

Funnily enough, we found this wooden frame at a church rummage sale for $5 when we lived in NY. My husband didn't see the potential, but I promised I would think of something great to do with it. A few months later, I was looking for a big family calendar and ended up painting a piece of masonite board with chalkboard paint and fit it into the frame. It is one of my favorite things in the house. It helps keep us running smoothly.

Is that a card catalog? Fantastic! What do you like to keep in all those little drawers?

We bought the card catalog on ebay from a College library. Each of the drawers keeps things like tape, batteries, stickers, glue, etc. My oldest son labeled the drawers, so we know exactly where to find things. It's great because when a remote control car runs out of batteries, the boys know exactly where the batteries and screwdrivers are. And then they have no excuse to not put anything back where it belongs!

We notice lots of fairly light upholstery throughout the house, including this good-looking chair in the office. Any tricks for keeping furniture spot-free with all those kids in the house?

We mostly like our furniture to be the color of dirt--gray or brown, so we don't have to worry so much  about it. We hang out in all the rooms--no place is off-limits for the boys (although we do have strict eating policies). The chair in the office is a little light for our comfort, but it's faired pretty well so far.

The maps add such character.

The maps I just ordered online and put them in poster frames from Target. I think maps and globes warm up any room. I have to stop myself from going overboard with them.

A bug collection in the making?

Kansas has lots of exciting big bugs. We like to add them to collection only when we've found them already dead -- so sometimes the collecting is slow-going. We were so excited when one of the boys recently found the dragonfly. It's definitely the favorite of the collection right now.

We smile at seeing the evidence of your children throughout the house. Is that a rock collection (beloved, no doubt) on the dresser?

We have more rock collections scattered throughout the house than I care to admit--I seriously think we have a rock in every room of the house. I've just learned how to incorporate them into the decor--put a rock in an attractive container and it looks great! The younger boys painted these particular jars one afternoon.

How do you work to control clutter with such a full house? Any guidelines on what your kids are allowed or not allowed to add to the decor?

You just have to learn to deal with a certain amount of chaos when you've got a large family. There is not a day that goes by that the family room floor isn't covered in legos, but it's all part of the fun. Some of my boys are quite the hoarders, so occasionally I have to go into their bedrooms while they are at school and get rid of things that are not special to them, like toothpicks and golf tees. I feel sort of guilty, but it could really get out of control! I love to use their art as part of the decor--it's hung all over the house and gets rotated. Our favorite drawings get framed and go permanently into the basement in the "kids art gallery."

This nursery/playroom is idyllic. Will your new addition be sleeping here as well?

The new babies have always had a corner in our bedroom for the first six months or so. After that, he'll move into this room. I really like my kids to share rooms--I've found it fosters special friendships.

There must be a story with that remarkable painting.

My husband spent some time living in Russia before we were married and met some fabulous artists, one of whom painted this particular piece.

Does your home change often -- redecorating wise?

I have no problem mixing things up a bit when I get tired of it. I try to decorate with timeless pieces so that any changes I want to make are small and easy instead of overwhelming and time-consuming.