Heather Pudewa, Creature Comforts

Today I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share the home of my dear friend Melissa de la Fuente with you all. Melissa is a jewelry designer who creates pieces that could best be described as "inspirational talismans of heirloom quality, meant to be treasure for a lifetime." In many ways, this same description could be used for her beautiful home as well.

Melissa shares her home with her hilarious and talented husband, Joel, and their two girls, nicknamed "Chooch" (age 3) and "Nonnie" (age 7 1/2). The first thing you will notice when you enter the de la Fuente home is the wonderful light that fills the space. Next, your eyes will dance around each room and find a veritable treasure trove of art and crafts created both by the independent artists that Melissa so loves, as well as her two girls. Theirs is a home where both kids and adults alike can draw on the walls, and magic and delights are waiting around every corner. Let's find out a little bit more about Melissa, her family, and their beautiful home:

The girls' playroom is fantastic!  How did the space evolve, and what are some of your favorite elements?

The  playroom is a cheerful light-filled space where the girls and their friends can play and be inspired to their hearts' content. The room was originally a sun-porch, and to make it suitable for year-round use, we had new windows installed, and then painted the room a beautiful blue to mirror the sky. We really wanted to create a room for the girls that reflected the nature that surrounds us. The main wall was also treated with magnetic paint and I used chalkboard paint to added a playful tree and giant butterfly.  The girls practically live in here.

One of my favorite elements about your home is all the wonderful affirming words and phrases that are found displayed in every room. What significance do these pieces have to you and your family?

I love to have little reminders everywhere for both myself and my girls. It's important that we have words to look at that are encouraging and positive and that inspire us to live life more fully.

Your girls' bedrooms are delightful and such great reflections of their personalities. Did they help you decorate, or did you put them together yourself?

Much of the labor, like the painting, I did myself, but our oldest daughter helped to pick out a lot of the artwork and other fun pieces in her bedroom. I painted Chooch's room the pale green that it is today when she was just a baby. Now at age 3, she mostly just gives me input on things I show her. But I'd say we created their rooms by working together.

Some parents can find it overwhelming to pick out just a few pieces of their children's art to display in their home. But you've managed to display the girls' artwork in nearly every room, and it looks wonderful. One of my favorites is your clothesline of art in your dining room, which I  know is updated frequently with their latest creations.

We have always want the girls to feel that the home is a space for them too, and that their say and interests are important to us.  It's so nice to be able to fill our home with their creations, and it makes them feel that they play a special role in making our house a home.

That brings me to my last question: What is it that you feel makes a house a home?

Comfort and personalization. The things that surround you should be special to you. I also love to create visual surprises, such as a mushroom lamp lighting your way as your turn the corner on the stairs or a mini glittery house hanging in the bathroom. These are little pieces of our personality and they make our home a treasure to us.

Some of the wonderful pieces in Melissa's home can be found by browsing through the following shops:
-yumi yumi
-sweet nellie
-the black apple
-modern pop
-marmee craft
-Lindsay Brackeen
-Leen the Graphics Queen
-nouvelles images

I hope you've found the de la Fuente home to be as inspirational as I have. In fact my daughter's room makeover was inspired in large part by our visit with them this past December. For more inspiration, see these other house tours.