Heather Pudewa, Creature Comforts

When I first came across the Thompson family through their photos on flickr, I felt an instant stir of interest in their beautiful home and life in Kansas City, Missouri. With some patience and ingenuity they've built a place that is filled with treasures from the past and memories they will carry with them into their future. Let's stop in for a little visit with Galadriel and the rest of her wonderful family...

Who are the members of your family?
There's Luke, my husband; Miles Gabriel, who is 7; Isobel Sophia, she's 5; and Andrew Grey, our 3-year-old. We're a nickname kind of family and most often refer to each other by something other than our actual names. Recently, we've been using prehistoric nicknames: ApataDadasaurus, Mommadon, Woolly Milesmoth, TriSissytops, Andrewsaurus Rex, etc.

Describe a typical day in the life of your family:
A typical day for us usually starts when Andrew wanders into our room somewhere around 6 a.m. and lets us know that the sun is up and he needs "dinner." He and I then sit up and look out into the backyard to count how many squirrels are making a meal out of our strawberries, name the birds at the birdfeeders, and negotiate how many minutes I will push him on the swing after he eats his "dinner."

Miles and Isobel soon make their way down and either jump right into breakfast or cocoon themselves in my bed with a book or a basket full of toys that I haven't seen in months. We are fortunate in that Luke gets to work from home for a good portion of the day. We do a quick round of chores and then Luke starts in on his work (web/graphic design). The kids then have a short play time while I make sure we have everything we need for that day's round of homeschooling. We are usually done with lessons by lunch and then it's play time. Luke goes downtown to job #2 where he works at a nonprofit art/design studio, and we have story time then resty-time.

Two hours later we are either outside playing games and doing yard work or reading more books. After dinner, we tell each other stories about our days, take baths, read more books, and then the kids go up to their rooms where Luke plays guitar and sings them their goodnight songs and I tuck them in. After that, Luke and I roll out the wet bar, hang the disco ball, and dance until will fall! Just kidding. We live a low-key and simple kind of life.

You've taken such a creative and thrifty approach to designing your home, and I absolutely love how you've incorporated so many vintage and handcrafted finds into your space. Do you have a special method you follow when decorating?

My super-duper fail-proof method is, if I love it, it will work! That and patience. The most we have ever spent on any one item be it furniture, appliances, or do-dads is $250 on an antique rug and that was after talking the seller down from $600! I keep a running list of things that we need or things that I would like to have and wait and wait and wait until everything is just right. I kept a "house journal" scrapbook of my ideas for years before we even bought our house. I will leave things as is until I find the one thing that I love and is the right price. It's not always easy but in the end it is always worth it. If you have to pass up something because the price just wasn't right, there's another one out there just as amazing and at an amazing price. I waited almost five years for that rug! I am also open to hand-me-downs. Things can usually be painted or modified in some way.

It looks like decorating your home has been a family affair...do you have any tips for parents on how to best include their children with a home's renovation. What's worked for you, and what hasn't?

I am very conscious of the fact that I share this home with four other people. I have always tried to decorate and furnish a room with them in mind. I want Luke to feel comfortable and to feel like the rooms are just as much his space as they are mine. The basement, which includes the family room, library, office, laundry, and guest bedroom is pretty much all him. If given free reign I would have painted it some light and airy color, installed super thick and cushy carpet, and stuffed it full of pillows!

I also want my kids to feel comfortable in their home and not to feel like they are in a museum. I set the flow of things so the kids can move around and do the things kids do so they (and I!) don't have to worry about breaking something or messing something up. They came with us when we picked out paint, shopped for wood and nails, and helped with the priming of things. For instance they got to stir paint, help lay down drop cloths, and take a few swipes at the walls with a brush. After that, for the sanity of us all, they had to get a move on. We would ask them to come up and take a look at the progress and make suggestions and that really made them feel like a part of the process. It takes a lot of work and patience involving the kids but it also takes a lot of work keeping them distracted with other things so might as well let the whole family pitch in and have some fun!

The horse painting in your living room is incredible!  Can you tell us a bit more about it and where you found it?

Yee haw! I love that painting and am so happy you asked about it. So there I was, walking into the garage of a couple who was having a garage sale and saw the painting. It was pushed aside and stashed behind this mountain of stuff that wasn't in the sale. My heart skipped a beat. I asked her if it was for sale and she turned around and said, "What, that old thing? You like it?" As I was talking to her, another buyer came up and asked about it too! I instantly broke out in a sweat. I asked the owner to quote me a price. She stared at me and kind of shrugged and said, "I don't know, how about $10?" I was not expecting that! The painting is huge, she painted it herself, and at one time it hung in the Philbrook Museum of Art. It even still has the museum tags on it! At the time I bought it we were living in a tiny apartment with two kids, and I had to store it behind Isobel's changing table. But I knew that someday we would have the proper and perfect wall to hang it from!

What three things do you treasure most in your home (other than family or pets)?

I absolutely love how many windows we have. Our home is filled with sunshine. I also love how open the rooms are. Every room just flows into the next one. It makes it so that we feel like we are always together even if we are in separate rooms. I also have a big soft spot in my heart for the antique white leather love seat in our bedroom. Luke bought it for me as a fourth anniversary/housewarming gift.

If these walls could talk...what would your house have to say about you and your lovely family?

"Man, they are always here!"

Thank you so much for inviting us in to take a peek at your wonderful home and beautiful family Galadriel! For more house tours click here.