All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

Welcome to the home of Elizabeth Brantley. It looks so peaceful, creative and orderly that we're hoping she's seeking out houseguests. Elizabeth is creative, an entrepreneur (check out her charming online shop, Kistner Supply), and a mother to adorable Trixie. She fills her life with items that have both meaning and history. Let's make ourselves at home and take a peek.

How would you describe your decorating style?
Eclectic, fun, simple, vintage, modern, thoughtful, peaceful and eco-conscious -- for example, all our mattress/box spring/linens on our bed are organic cotton.

Do you feel you're drawn more often to new or to vintage/antique pieces?
Definitely vintage because of the unmatchable design, quality and uniqueness. I am a recycler and come by it honestly. I enjoy seeing things brought back to life rather than replaced. Generally, I don't really like things that match or come in a set--I get bored VERY easily on a visual level.

Those playroom toys bring out a bit of nostalgia in us. Did you collect them?
All of the older toys you see are from my childhood. Saved by my mom and my grandparents. Trixie's absolute favorite thing to do is "play Little People" so my mom is very pleased that she schlepped those old toys along for the ride when she moved four times.

Please tell us about those great toy baskets.
I love those baskets! They're lightweight and flexible but keep their shape. They are from The Land of Nod and come in four great color combos.

This nursery looks like it's full of history. Tell us about the antique rocking chair.
The mission rocker was something that I found at an antique mall in Volo, Illinois over ten years ago.  Lucky for me, my mom was with me and wanted to buy me a birthday gift!

What's in the shadow boxes hanging above the rocker?
The 3 shadow boxes include baby items from three generations. On the top is a beautiful bonnet of my grandmothers along with a photo of her as a baby that looks a lot like my daughter, next is my mom's knit bonnet and booties and lastly is my baptismal bonnet and booties.

Does the quilt hanging above the table have any special significance?
It was my mom's baby quilt that was made by my great-grandmother Harper, as opposed to my great-granny Kistner who plays such an important role in the creation of Kistner Supply and Mother Stork's Baby Book, 100th Anniversary Edition.

How about that fantastic dresser?

The wooden dresser is exactly as I bought it at an old "junk shop" in Chicago a long time ago. It has wonderful deep drawers and weighs a lot! I love the combination of pink and red; it played a big role in the inspiration of the entire room. 

The red and yellow structure underneath the sofa in the living room has caught our eye.
The sofa was a sample from Crate and Barrel. The base is two separate metal structures so it can be two chairs or a sofa. 

We love the circles artwork above the sofa.
The painting is by Lonnie Holley and is dated 1992. I was lucky enough to visit to Lonnie's home in Harpersville, Alabama. It was a once in a lifetime experience. He showed us some things he had recently finished and while looking through a pile of paintings and drawings I found the circles and fell in love with it. He signed it and dated it to the best of his recollection. I had it framed and it's been on my wall ever since. I have another painting of his as well.

The living room rug has such great texture. Is it new or vintage?
The rug is from a remnant of a piece of commercial carpeting. The last time I had it cleaned the guy was impressed and said it was from a British manufacturer from the 60s.

That seems like an ideal office desk.
I've had this desk since I was 12! My mom and I were at a rummage sale and I begged and begged for it, luckily I still like it.

Your shelves are both orderly and interesting. Any thoughts on how you like to organize them?
I like to be organized, but having a baby makes it very difficult to prioritize such things. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who's all for co-parenting and my mom is very close by, so I have help and have had some time to get things in order. I have a visual memory, so it helps to have a designated place for everything. When my office is chaotic I go a bit bonkers.

Is this beautiful container full of grown up art supplies or kid art supplies?
That's funny; the reason why they are in the heavy-duty box is to keep away little hands.  Those are mama's "importants."  I find the colors inspirational and very useful when designing for my business or home. Trixie has a whole bunch of art supplies that she willingly shares with me when we create together.

The whole kitchen display you've got going here with the two-tone cupboard is pretty terrific.
In addition to the yellow and red chair, we have a third one as well that came with the house and we use them many times a day around our industrial stainless prep island as the kitchen table. My husband had the red one and I had the yellow one, so I guess they are step-step-stools.

The cupboard/cabinet is something I bought at a salvage place in Chicago. The owner told me that it was made from recycled airplane metal from WWII. It is so light! 

My mom made the cross-stitch in the plastic frame when she was a child, there's a companion piece that says "cry and you cry alone," but I prefer the laughing one.

All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

By Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

Blogger Kristina Karkov lives in a small town in Denmark, but she has friends all over the world. Through her blog, she has connected with other artists, painters and mothers--so much so, that her home is filled with their artwork. Let's take a look inside....

Can you tell us about your house?
I live in a small apartment with my two kids. It's about 950 square feet, plus a small balcony. It's been quite change coming from a house with a garden, but we enjoy having everything "within reach."

How do you maximize the space?
I keep furniture up against the walls, to allow as much floor space as possible. I also keep rooms white with splashes of color.

Tell us about your bookshelves.
I'm so pleased with them. They bring life to the room and show who I am. Craft books show my style. Travel books show places I visit. Cookbooks show what I eat. Parenting books tell about my "parenting" style, and so forth.

Where did you find the art in your living room?
Through blogging! The paintings are my own work, but the other art is: The owl linocuts by Jackie at Littlest Flower; two ink drawings by Shannon at Aunty Cookie, and my kids' art. The sofa is the IKEA Ektorp corner sofa bed.

What about the white lights?
I hung those Christmas lights in December, but they're so cozy, I don't want to take them down.

Are you a big magazine reader?
I'm such an addict! My favorite is Boligliv, a Danish magazine that matches my style perfectly. The French MILK magazine is also super inspiring.

Can you tell us about the two suitcases?
One used to be my granddad's brother's. His name was Knud Karkov and it says "K. Karkov" on the side, which, to me, also means "Kristina Karkov"! The other was my great-grandma's "America" suitcase, which she brought to the U.S. back in the day. I've always had a thing for the States and hopefully one day I can bring the suitcase back there.

Where did you find these chairs?
I bought the two Corbusier dining chairs in Denmark. The fur throws are perhaps a Northern thing because it's a bit cold up here. They give cozyness to our gray days.

What pretty ceramics on the window.
Yes, I love my Fiducia vase, which was designed by Louise Campbell. I got it as a "moving in" present for myself.

Can you tell us about your son?
Calvin is seven. He's a quiet little guy who's into rocks, dinosaurs, plush toys, experiments and building weird things out of cardboard.

I can tell he's into dinosaurs. How do you approach the decor of your children's rooms?
I try to decorate with their little personalities in mind, thinking about what they like and how their toys will be the most accessible, while still being pleasing to my eyes. I like to make "adult furniture" work in kids' rooms.

What's your daughter like?
Lupina will be four in May. She is into singing, dancing and having tea parties. She and her brother are opposites.

What is it about little girls that make them love pink so much?
I don't know, why do we? [Laughs.] Lupina decided that her bed should be pink, and I took it from there.

Who's the funny pink creature on the wall?
Barbapapa! He's French but very popular in Denmark. I remember him from my childhood--from books, cartoons and little figurines.

I've seen that red horse around the web. Do your kids like it?
His name is Rody, and both kids love jumping on him.

What inspires you?
There are so many amazing people out there, it almost freaks me out. For arts, I love Norwegian painter Olav Christopher Jenssen; Veronique Lafont and Donna Wilson's creatures. After seeing a documentary on American photographer Sally Mann, I was stunned! For fashion, Jenny at Wiksten-Made has great taste.

Do you consider other bloggers to be friends?
I have "real" friendships with people all over the world. We comment and email regularly, and I get lots of support from the blogging community. I've met fellow bloggers in real life--Mette and Annu; Emma is also a special friend, and I hope we meet very soon.

All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

By Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

Sweden-based Benita Larsson has never been the messy type. "When I was young, I'd ask my mom if she had any drawers I could straighten up," she laughs. "Sometimes I still do that when I visit her." Nowadays, Benita lives with her husband and son in a lovely 800-square-foot house near Stockholm. We take a peek inside and get the scoop on how she keeps everything in order.

Where do you live? Norra Angby, a suburb of government-enabled houses from the 1930's outside Stockholm. It's a clean, quiet neighborhood with a mix of older generation and young families, but nowadays it's incredibly expensive to buy a house as it has become one of the most sought after areas in the Stockholm area.

Why did you move there? We were living in the city, but when Wille was four he wanted 'grass of his own' after visiting friends who lived in a house, so we started to look for a house, too. We only viewed one, and here we are!

I hear Sweden is really dark in the winter and really light in the summer. I actually really like the seasons. I enjoy gardening in the spring and summer, but I also like when fall comes and I can spend time indoors again, lighting candles and decorating. In the summer, falling asleep can be hard, though, since it only gets dark for a couple hours. I wear an eye mask.

How did you want your home office to look? I wanted it to be neat and fit a small space in the hallway. I also wanted to work standing up. My husband Martin is not a fan of IKEA, so we built it ourselves. The satisfaction of building something from scratch is huge.

These are such sweet silhouettes of your family. How did you decide on those props? My son Wille played the trombone, so his sihouette was an easy choice. Martin enjoys a glass of wine or two, but I wasn't sure what mine should be. Wille came up with the idea that I should vacuum. I do clean a lot so why not?!

Does your family eat lots of Swedish foods? Martin's the cook in our family. He makes amazing tapas, pasta dishes and other food. We don't eat Swedish dishes except for at holidays, and we have crayfish parties in August.

You're an organizing genius. How did this shoe rack come about? We enter directly into the living room, so there isn't much space for coats and shoes. Shoes in piles all over the place drove me nuts, so I built this myself. It's pretty great if I may say so myself. There's room for shoes, boots and bags and a couple boxes for umbrellas and cat collars.

Where did you get this poster? I've never seen it in yellow. It's from sfgirlbybay on etsy. It seems to be the poster du jour! Everyone has one these days; it's on all the blogs and flickr pages.

Who made this lovely bird banner? Martin, who is really talented. We recently opened a tiny etsy shop to sell some of his designs.

Where did you find the orange stools? Martin bought them in a Goodwill shop and thought they were pretty unique. The week after, he went to a take-out place that had the exact same stools. Then he sat on one at his doctor's office. Unique, indeed.

Can you tell us about your art wall? The cartoon is by Magnus Carlsson, a Swedish artist. I found the green print last summer at a fleamarket. The cat and heart are by Wille. All three of us are huge Friends fans and Wille named the cat drawing "Smelly Cat" after Phoebe's signature song.

Do you use your fake fireplace? All the time in the winter! Our friend and neighbors think we're mad and it's the tackiest thing ever but we don't care. We love our little heater.

Did it take forever to order your books by color? Yes, especially because I also divided them by subject matter. Books on history are in the living room, books on sailing in the guest room, fiction in the downstairs bookcase and interior design books in the dining area.

What's the story behind these gorgeous magazines? Martin's grandfather was a sports journalist at one of the major Swedish morning papers, Dagens Nyheter. He covered the Olympics among many other things.

I love your map collection. Some are vintage, like the Swedish road maps. I wouldn't go driving around the country based on those today!

How did you organize your laundry room? The laundry room was really dingy when we moved in. Mustardy yellow, dirty walls and ceiling and peeling cement floors. Yikes. Just the thought of doing laundry there just made me cringe. So I painted everything white, and Martin evened out the floors and I tiled them. White tiles and white paint are the best for a clean fresh look.

What ambiance did you want for your bedroom? Wille has the master bedroom, and we use the inner tiny bedroom. I knew it had to be as airy as possible so it wouldn't feel claustrophobic. I painted the wall near the window--which was so small, all I needed was a tester pot diluted with a bit of white! The pillow designs are by Martin and will be available in their etsy shop.

Who's in this romantic photo? My husband's parents, who were married for 40+ years until my father-in-law passed away.

How did you create this wardrobe? On the spur of the moment I choose orange paint. When I finished painting, I came up with the trellis pattern idea but wished I had thought of it before I'd gone mad with the orange. Then I ended up making millions of stickers around which I painted white. Note to self: Think before acting next time...

Your guest room has a sailing theme. What's your connection to boats? Martin competes sailing classic 6mR yachts internationally. He's mad about everything to do with sailing, boats and the sea. He also likes to have all his knicknacks on display while I prefer to keep things less cluttered. In the boat room he can keep all his stuff out in the open and I don't mind.

How did you make these great doors? It's an old door frame with new frosted perspex with circle dots and Wille's name cut out of Avery etched glass film. They were a finalist in Design*Sponge's DYI contest.

What does your son like most about his bedroom? His computer and his Harry Potter books.

Did Wille collect these bottle caps? Yes, he has collected them for years. I always make an effort to display his collections so we can appreciate them.

How do Wille feel about your home's decor? I just asked him, and his answer was, 'Awesome.' In English!

Special Note: April 6th was Wille's 14th birthday. Happy Birthday, Wille!

Want to read more? For all past Cookie house tours, go to our archives. For more of Benita's house photos, go to her flickr page. For Benita's etsy shop, go here, and for an adorable children's shop in Sweden, go here.

These handmade papier-mache pull toys by Katie Steuernagle (recently featured on the Martha Stewart Show) inspired our inner designer. Order from Katie's Etsy page or use Martha's easy-to-follow directions and templates posted here.

All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

By Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

If you need a push to visit fleamarkets, Abbey Hendrickson's house will do the trick. The grad student fills her home with found collections (chairs, pencils, rubber duckies...), proving she has an eye for diamonds in the rough. Now the mother of a ten-month-old, Abbey makes thrifting a family affair. "My husband and I lug Emmit around," she says. "All the thrift store folks know him by name."

Where did you get all your incredible chairs?
Most are from thrift stores and craigslist, but I stole the black Marcel Breuer chair from my parents. My best friend gave me the Eames rocker as a baby shower gift; she had gotten a two-for-one deal.

Any tips for shopping on craigslist?
I look up my area and in a 100-mile radius. I do daily searches for "midcentury furniture," and my best find from craigslist was when I searched for "George Mulhauser" [pictured above]. I had seen it in Amy Butler's home.

Do you know her?
Oh, my gosh, no. I wish! It was in her book or a magazine.

Where did you find these dining chairs?
A church basement tag sale. They were $1 each.

Were you flipping out?
I didn't realize that they were anything special. I just liked the orange and blue color combination, so I lugged them home. Then we were moving them a few months ago, and I turned them over and realized they were Haywood Wakefield. I had had no idea.

What do you guys make for dinner?
We have a rotation: homemade pizza, vegetarian, soup. My husband is the cook.

That's so funny! So many of the house tour people say their husbands do the cooking.
My husband loves cooking, so more power to him.

Do you actually sit in all the chairs you have?
Definitely. We don't ever want to have a piece of furniture that Emmitt can't crawl on or that if he spits up on it, we freak out.

I love how you grouped frames in the corner of your living room. I've never seen anything like that.
One of our favorite artists, Barry McGee, does that, so we ripped him off. It's funny, a lot of people think it's one art piece by the same person, but it's really my way of displaying our friends' artwork and our guilty etsy purchases.

What a great silver lamp.
My parents found it at an estate-sale auction, which are big around here.

Are your parents collectors, too?
Yes, they always took us to fleamarkets. We didn't have much money but my parents cared about how our home looked. I got my aesthetic influence from them.

Is their house similar to yours?
Their house is eclectic but a bit more traditional. My mom rotates their collections, such as her collection of Santa Clauses.

Do you rotate your collections, too?
Yes, my rubber ducks are in a closet right now.

Some moms say that the Eames rocker doesn't have enough neck support. How's yours?
My only complaint about breastfeeding there is that the fiberglass gets cold! We threw a blanket on it.

Where did you find the lovely portrait for Emmit's nursery?
When I worked in my college art department, I discovered it abandoned there.

What a happy accident! What about the pencils?
I've had that collection since second grade. I'm such a pack rat! I moved them in a ziplock bag from house to house. Finally, I decided to glue them to a board and hang them on the wall.

Does Emmit play with these toy animals or are they just for decor?
When we're changing his diaper, he'll hold onto a giraffe or cow and stay still.
Animals from Target.

Where did you find this blanket?
I made it when I was pregnant. I was a crafting machine! The mobile was another pregnant craft. I cut pieces from felt and embroidered them. They're based on vintage rattles. When he was really little, he couldn't care less, but now he likes to spin them around.

Tell us about this bird sculpture in your bedroom.
I had squirreled the birds away with our Christmas ornaments, but when we were taking a walk this summer, I grabbed a branch and decided to put them on it.

Is there an end goal for your decor?
No, we move and change it all the time. We like to keep things interesting. Most of all, our home must feel comfortable. We're low-key and want people to feel good here.

For more about Abbey, check out her blog or flickr site. See all past Cookie home tours here.

All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

By Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

When Joslyn Taylor was growing up in northern California, she figured she'd always live there, among the mountains and greenery. But then she went to college in Texas, fell in love, and the rest (as they say) was history. Joslyn now lives in Dallas with her husband and daughters--four-year-old Audrey and 10-month-old Amelia. They've spent the last year renovating a "groovy" ranch that that family loves so much, Joslyn calls it their "forever house." So much for California dreaming!

How did you and your husband decide on your daughters' names?
For our first daughter Audrey, we were struggling; every name I liked, my husband didn't. One day, I was glancing through a magazine and saw the actress Audrey Tatou, whom we both love. We had just seen Amelie!

My second daughter's name, Amelia, sounds like a strong, independent, female figure. We call her "Milly" almost exclusively, although our older daughter refuses to call her anything but Amelia. Maybe she feels like, "If I don't get a nickname, she doesn't get a nickname!"

What's it like to raise a family in Dallas?
People are very, very nice. We live in an amazing neighborhood where all the kids play together. And it's hot! Kids can eat and play outside all the time.

How would you describe the feel of your home?
Our neighborhood is very groovy. I call our 1970s house "Boogie-Nights-meets-Brady-Bunch." When we bought it, it had white shag carpets and foil paper; we tried to modernize it but keep the fun parts.

Can you tell us about this pretty dining area?
When we moved in, this was the most traditional room. The fancy-lady chandelier was the first thing we took down. We decided to paint the whole house white with accent colors. Here, we did the little enclave in yellow. The silver candlesticks are from IKEA; the glass candlesticks are from CB2.

The lighting scheme is great.
We custom-made the big light fixture. I googled a million places to find a place that would do a custom lamp without being crazy expensive. We finally found Moon Shine. I drew the lamp and they made it in two weeks.

What about the fun lanterns?
When I was pregnant last year, three of my friends were also pregnant. In fact, we all had babies within ten days of each other! So I threw three baby showers in a row, and I hung the lanterns. Everyone loved them, so we kept them up.

Do you often eat dinner at this table?
We have friends over about four times a month, and we always eat in the dining room. Plus, every few weeks, our family eats in there for a "special meal," which our daughter likes. We light the candles and clink glasses.

Do you cook Southern food?
We make things like bean and sausage, but we also grow tons of vegetables since the weather's so nice. We have close friends without kids, and they're maaajor foodies. Every week, they bring everything over and cook at our house. I always say, you should have friends who don't have kids. They remind you that people do other things than have kids and talk about them all the time!

How did you approach the girls' bedrooms?
With our first daughter, we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl. In our old house, her nursery had giant orange dots on the wall--not really feminine. In the new house, we wanted her room to feel more feminine, so we chose chocolate and pink.

How did you decide on the furnishings?
I hardly ever buy kids' stuff because I don't think it grows well. The art is from Urban Outfitters, which is awesome for kids' rooms. The rug is from Anthropologie. The bedding is from John Robshaw.

Was the pink tent Audrey's idea?
We actually used the tent to lure her out of her crib. She slept in her crib until she was almost three since she never climbed out, and I figured, why take her out? When we created her little sister's nursery and had to move Audrey out, we bought her that special pink tent. She reads inside it. She really likes her room; she's a good sport.

What are Audrey's hobbies?
She's a reading nut. Olivia is probably her favorite fiction character--a funny, spunky, naughty pig. Audrey is very similar to Olivia and is smitten with her. But she'll read anything. The child is a book-a-holic. I couldn't have wished for a better quality.

What's happening in this photo?
It's Saturday morning. Audrey's playing with her mini ukelele on an IKEA rocking chair. We had just moved her absolute favorite rocking chair into the baby's room, so even though Audrey's a little old for a rocking chair, I figured she should have one, too.

Was Audrey jealous when her sister was born?
Audrey had the rule of the roost for 3+ years, so when a new baby arrived on the scene, she was like, "What's the deal?" But now she's really enamored of Amelia. Little things show that she's kind of jealous, but overall she's a great big sis.

What ambiance did you try to create in Amelia's nursery?
Bright and soft, but not pink. We did fun Urban Outfitters wall decals and pinwheel bedding. The sheep rocker is from babystyle. The rocking chair is from Potterybarn Kids. The yellow rug is from the Land of Nod.

This room's lighting scheme is great, too. You have a way with lighting!
The hanging light and funnel floor lamp are from IKEA.

IKEA is fabulous.
I can see an IKEA from my office window. It's dangerous.

Do you think the furniture, like the rocking chair and dresser, will grow with Amelia?
Well, my ultimate dream is to turn this room into a sleeping room for the girls--with stars on the ceiling and piles of blankets. Then I'll turn the other room into their playroom. So I didn't want to spend a lot on furnishings; I just used hand-me-downs, good bedding and IKEA pieces, such as the wooden dresser.

A sleeping room would be so cozy, almost like a fort!
I thought it would be fun for the girls to sleep together and stay up and tell stories and, you know, just be sisters. So I figure I'd try to force it on them by making a groovy sleeping room!

Do your daughters share a bathroom?
Yes, it's between their bedrooms. They each have their own vanity with a sink and mirror, which will come in handy when they're older.

Many people disregard bathroom art. Can you tell us about the art you have?
I found the-girl-with-a-bird print at an antique store. A friend found the framed lion print. I found the "A" at a sample sale.

Do you find most of your art at thrift shops?
Yes. I especially love getting art from estate sales. If you can stumble on a good 60s/70s estate sale, you can find great pieces on the border between cute and "eeee, I'm scared of that."

When you moved in, was it hard to modernize such a traditional house?
We actually didn't buy much stuff; there are still drawers with just a hair brush or nothing in them. I think that's awesome. You grow into a house as you grow as a family. I think of this as "our forever house."

What advice would you give new decorators?
Do the hardwood floors and painting before you move your family in. Don't be in a rush to do everything else right away. Most of all, have fun with it. It's not a showplace, it's your family's house. Audrey loves our house. Nothing's off limits; she just runs around and plays.

Definitely, your house seems really kid-friendly.
My whole mission in life is to have the house everyone comes to. If the neighborhood kids are at your house, you always know what they're up to. I want to lure them in...if I have to hang five hundred more Chinese lanterns from the ceiling, I'll do it.

See more of Joslyn's house here, or visit her aptly-named blog Simple Lovely.

All week long we're counting down your Top 10 favorite house tours of 2008. See our entire index here.

By Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

Photographer Mari Eriksson's prints reveals simple pleasures--like flowers in a vase or scissors with twine. And her home reflects that same aesthetic; its white walls and decor that make the space feel inspiring, like a fresh piece of paper. Her boys Milo, 5, and Misha, 3, and her engineer husband Finn are lucky to share it. Let's take a peek inside...
 
Where do you live in Sweden?
I live in a small town just south of Stockholm called Sodertalje. We live on a residential street close to the center. I really love it here.

How did you meet your husband?
Dancing salsa. We're both keen salsa and tango dancers.

Which language do you speak to your children?
I speak Swedish to them and my husband French. Milo knows a bit of English since his paternal grandma is American and speaks only English to the boys.

What a bright and lovely kitchen.
Before, it was all original 70's style with green cabinets. The kitchen was totally gutted and then fitted with four different 1950's-style kitchens that we bought online.

Why did you choose to have all white walls?
I like the house to feel calm and relaxed. My stuff gives it color anyway.

Why do you have a map of Australia in your office?
We lived in Australia for three years, so it's a fond memory of our stay.

What a great photo mobile! And is that a picture of your baby on the wall?
Yes, I took that picture of Misha when he was six months.

What do you work on here?
I enjoy making cards and sewing. Above the chest, I keep my "mood board," where I put things that inspire me, like a picture or a piece of tissue.

Is this your children's playroom?
It's their craft room, which is close to the kitchen so I can keep an eye on them. The cupboard is full of craft materials.

How did you choose your children's names?
I was pregnant with Milo when we moved to Melbourne. They have a drink there called Milo, and I liked it. Misha I got from a boy in my youth called Misha.

What are your kids' hobbies?
Running around and playing and watching French children's programs.

Your bedroom is beautiful. What's your favorite part?
I love the antique Italian chandelier and big white cupboard.

What a pretty table.
I ran into a man on the street who was cleaning out his parents' old house and after standing there chatting he offered to show me the house. It was full of antiques, as if time had been standing still. He gave me this beautiful table that nobody in his family wanted. He also gave me 1960's wallpaper and a white glass bowl. That made my week!

What advice do you have for new decorators?
Find your style with old pieces, art and creative solutions. A home is something that shows your personality. The worst thing is when everything is copied from a catalog.

Photography by Mari and styling by Louise Sareld. These photos appeared in Allt i hemmet, a Swedish magazine. For more, visit Mari's blog and her photography site. Find past Cookie house tours here.

One afternoon, while shopping for baby bedding with a friend, Catherine Fitzsimmons found that the choices all looked the same. On a past trip, Catherine had fallen in love with India, so she decided to make her own India-inspired baby bedding and elephant pillows. She believes that bohemian babies are everywhere and just need to show their style. We agree!

Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

When we last checked in with Geninne, she was renting a wood cabin in Mexico with her husband and two sons. (See her past home tour here.) Since then, the family built and moved into a big house down the road. Let's see how life compares...

I remember that you loved the small size of your last home. Did it feel strange to move into a bigger place?
Compared to the tiny cabin (800 square feet), the new house feels like a palace (1800 square feet)! But on the other hand, the house we owned before the cabin was huge (4500 square feet), so this is like the story of Goldilocks...the new house fits just right!

You and your husband built this house yourselves. What special touches are you excited about?
The feature I love most is how much light streams through the windows. We see the sunrise in the bedrooms when we wake up in the morning and the sunset from our studio in the afternoon.

What amazing shelves.
My husband Manolo designed them. He's an architect and furniture designer, so he did a lot of the pieces for our new home.

What do your two boys like best about the new place?
The house is just one level, so I don't make them fetch me things from the second floor anymore! A few days ago, Israel also told me that he had grown tired of all the wood in the cabin and loves having white walls again. I think I do, too.

The stove is amazing. What do you cook there?
I missed having a big old stove in the cabin because I love to cook. I've been baking whole wheat bread for almost ten years, but in the cabin I had to stop because the oven was so tiny that my cookie sheet wouldn't even fit inside! So now I'm back baking yummy bread for the family.

What a pretty art wall above your desk. What parts inspire you?
Oh, all of it! There are prints by artists that I admire and my favorite art pieces by my beautiful boys. The Keep Calm poster reminds me to be perseverant, and the color is energizing and happy.

Where did you find your desks?
I got two glass-top desks from IKEA that I absolutely adore. The glass top is very practical for someone who loves crafts; you can clean up any mess, and I even use my cutter directly on the surface.

Your bird prints are gorgeous! What led you to do those?
I love birds so much that I wanted to have a collection on our dining room wall. I decided to make a bird a day for twenty days and share it on my blog, and the response from my amazing readers was great. The experience of making such a large series was challenging and I think pushed me as an artist. [You can buy the bird prints here.]

Can you tell us about this wire of images?
It's an inspiration wire. I have some vintage bird cards from Three Potato Four, plus prints from artists Matt Cipov, Julie Knoblock, Yoo_ii, Laura Varsky, Ximena Carreira and Jennifer Causey. But my most valuable possession are two beautiful birdies my boys made for me.

You're so industrious with sewing, crafting and printmaking. What do your sons do while you're working?
My sons are finishing the school year and growing up so fast. My husband built a huge wall in the backyard to have some privacy from the neighbors, so they play tennis there.

Can you tell us about the boys' beds?
My husband let the boys choose which type of wood they liked. Daniel chose a light beech and Israel went for a dark Tzalaam. Now they love their beds.

I love the boys' bookshelves--lots of dinos and games. What other interests do they have?
Daniel makes little paper sculptures and model airplanes; he's always doing some sort of craft. Israel reads books about World War II airplanes.

What a lovely bedroom.
Yes, the morning view is so inspiring.

Tell us about the floor of your shower. (I'm so jealous.)
I know! After seeing it in a magazine, I fell in love with the idea of getting a foot massage every morning. It was really easy and inexpensive; everyone should have river rocks in their shower.

Want more? Check out our past Cookie house tours or browse through all Cookie Magazine home stories.

Brooke from Inchmark loves photo booths. So, this winter, she created a homemade version! "I hung a little curtain from a couple of chairs, added a stool to sit on, and set up the camera on the tripod," she says. "We grabbed a few props (winter hats, paper chains...) and clicked away." To capture that old-school, grainy look, she convert the photos to black and white, raised the contrast, and used photoshop to drop them onto old filmstrips she had scanned in. Brilliant!

Read more from the fabulous Brooke, and get tips on how to organize your family photos.