Alix and Nick's Cheerful Dream Home

For Alix and Nick, moving into their home in the quaint seaside village of Jamestown four years ago was a “dream come true.” Nick had admired the Edwardian house ever since he was a young boy, when his family spent summers in the picturesque island community. Every time he passed this classic New England cedar-shingled cottage, located on the main road into town, he would think, “Man, I would love to have a house like that someday.”

Coming from a house in Newport with a tiny yard and not even enough room for a high chair in the kitchen — they used a stand-up backpack on the floor — this family of four appreciates having room to stretch out, with a house situated on just under an acre. Two third-floor guest bedrooms, added when they turned the attic into living space, even make it possible for both of their mothers to visit at the same time. Spacious rooms give them enough wall space to display their vast collection of art, almost all of which was created by family and friends. Nick's father John and brother Christopher are both well-respected artists, Alix's brother-in-law Robert Rust is also an artist, and they are close friends with extraordinarily talented artists like Sue McNally and Luke Randall.

Although Alix, a professional intuitive and blogger, and Nick, a third-generation stone carver, calligrapher, and designer, love the architecture and history of old homes, they are “not afraid to mix it up.” Bright colors like Paradise Peach and Citrus Blast, modern artwork, Turkish rugs, and a contemporary kitchen with high-gloss red and turquoise cabinets mix effortlessly with antiques and Edwardian woodwork. A Madonna and child mosaic is displayed near a Buddha figurine, and an elaborate grandfather clock, a precious Flood family heirloom, shares space with pink dining room chairs upholstered with zebra fabric. The juxtapositions are unexpected and fun. “I love seeing antiques in modern spaces and contemporary furnishings in older spaces,” Alix explains. Designed without the limitations of rules or expectations, the Bensons’ home is a pure reflection of their joie-de-vivre.

“With Nick always loving this house, it made the whole process of moving here rather magical,” Alix explains. “We have always loved old shingle-style houses and dreamed of living near the water. With this house, we were able to achieve both dreams. Nick says Jamestown is ‘Shangri-Freakin’-La.’ It is!”

You can see more photos of Nick and Alix's colorful home on Apartment Therapy.

Photos and text by Jacqueline Marque.

Monica and Austin's Charming Bungalow

It all started with a ship captain in the 1920’s. He translated his passion for the seafaring life into a nautical-inspired Arts and Crafts home. Wood planks from the deck of his boat became flooring, a porthole became a window, and ceramic tiles, souvenirs from his many ports of call, became embellishment for a stone fireplace.

Each successive owner has added his own touch of handicraft and clever design. A cabinet-maker and sailor maximized space with built-ins, and in a nod to Craftsman-style architecture and life below deck, added transom windows to allow light to pour into the living room from above. In the 1970‘s, a greenhouse adjoining the original home was converted into a front entry and corridor, linking to a new wing consisting of three bedrooms and what is now an office. The last owner, a home builder, infused the property with an Asian vibe with the addition of open decking and a privacy wall of bamboo, cautiously contained within a 6-ft.-deep layer of poured cement.

What started as a simple home and greenhouse nearly a century ago has bloomed into an expansive ranch-style bungalow rooted in a legacy of craftsmanship. Current owners Monica, founder of The Revelation Project, and Austin, a web marketer and digital strategist for a large financial company and founder of blocs.tv, built a creatively designed reading nook they call the “treehouse” for the kids. The space, converted from attic storage and brightly lit by a skylight, is accessed only by a wooden ladder that is stored horizontally on the wall in the hallway below it.

Monica and Austin were charmed by the home’s simplicity, attention to detail, and layout, which creates a natural separation between private and public spaces. The house feels bright, open and airy; standing in one place, it is possible to see into multiple rooms at the same time. Despite this, there are numerous cozy spots with comfortable seating just begging for someone curl up and be lulled into a cat nap by the warmth of the sun. The original artwork, family photographs, cheerful fabrics, and bright colors that fill each room add an authenticity befitting of this gem of a home. If the ship captain could see what has become of his creation, he would be proud.

You can see the full house tour and read more about Monica and Austin's unique home on Apartment Therapy.

Photos and text by Jacqueline Marque

Daniela and Damon's History-Filled Home

While a young Czech girl spent her summers at a family cottage built by her great-grandfather in the country outside of Prague, playing hide and seek with her great-grand mum and eating cherries right off the tree, halfway around the globe a young Florida boy, immersed in the world of NASA, was developing a lifelong love of space travel. Three decades later, Daniela and Damon’s disparate pasts come together in a home filled with collections of sentimental objects that keep their individual histories very much a part of their everyday lives.

An extensive collection of Czech art and meaningful objects from Daniela’s past keep her connected to her family and transport her back to precious moments from her childhood. The original lock and key set from her beloved family cottage hangs amongst a grouping of metal items carefully displayed on the wall below their staircase. Her grandmother’s bundt pans decorate the kitchen walls. “Looking at the bundt pans that my grandma used,” she says, “brings back that smell of fresh-baked bundt cake and my grandfather’s aftershave; such distinct smells just flood in.”

Drawings of astronauts and rockets, autographed by the likes of Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn, and an entire wall display of photos and images related to space tell of Damon’s connection to NASA. Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather, and step-father, who have all worked on space-related projects, Damon spent two years working at the Kennedy Space Center’s Astronaut Hall of Fame, where he was able to meet many of the astronauts he grew up admiring.

Today Daniela, a sailing event coordinator at a yacht club, and Damon, a sailmaker, are creating a new history of their own in the City-by-the-Sea. Unique nautical touches – curtains made by Damon with sailcloth and a powder room they wallpapered together in nautical charts and outfitted with a porthole mirror – speak of the their shared industry and love of the ocean. Their joint love of antiques and salvaged materials, coupled with impressive DIY skills, makes for a home filled with one-of-a-kind pieces. The talented duo have either built, refinished, or repurposed much of their furniture. Their dining room table top is an old barn door, painted and distressed by Daniela and resting on legs and a frame built by Damon. Oak planks, left behind by a previous owner, are now radiator covers, a wine rack and bookshelves. An antique post office sorting unit is now shoe storage in their mud room.

Although their home is filled with numerous collections, everything seems to have a place. Daniela’s milk glass collection is housed in a china cabinet they lovingly transformed from a Pepto-Bismol pink to a soft yellow and lined with blue toile. A built-in wall unit in the living room, custom-made by Damon, holds books, photographs, small artworks and ceramic statues made by a friend of Daniela’s grandfather.

Now Daniela and Damon have created a new world of their own, imbued with the spirit of their ancestors, to raise their daughter Sidonie. An oil painting Daniela always cherished, gifted to her and her new daughter by her grandfather when Sidonie was born, ensures that the past will live on into the future. Daniela’s deceased grandmother, painted in a striking pin-up style in the 1940‘s, stares out from a canvas on the Burton living room wall. “In all the photographs we took when I was younger at my grandparents’ house, that painting was always in the background. It’s wonderful that it is now in the background of our family photographs.”

You can see more of Damon and Daniela's home and read about their style and inspiration on Apartment Therapy.

Photos and text by Jacqueline Marque

James and Mark's Haute Flea Market Style

When James and Mark first laid eyes on their third floor apartment, they saw past the hideous wall mural in the stairwell, dingy cabinets and linoleum in the kitchen, holes in the walls, and ratty stained carpeting. The dumpy place that scared every other potential renter away filled them with a sense of excitement and possibility. Inspired by the apartment's hip South Broadway neighborhood, which reminded them of the old East Village of their 1960's youth, the duo set out to transform the place into a home. With a lot of imagination and hard work, they've created a unique space filled with humor, color, and kitsch.

After each living alone for many years, these two best friends -- who both have backgrounds in art and retail merchandizing and share the same passion for flea markets, religious iconography, Andy Warhol, vintage portraits and 60's nostalgia -- knew that combining their individual collections under one roof would create a pad that is totally over-the-top. Their beloved objects are assembled in what feels like theme rooms. The dramatic candlelit "Hall of Devotion," which includes an authentic Catholic sick room last rites box, and the 1950's one-armed mannequin in The Warhol Room, adorned with the artist's famous coif and a pair of roller skates, are a testament to their love of excess.

James and Mark’s vibrant home feels like an artistic bazaar, two collectors’ ode to their undying love of the hunt. Despite the outrageousness, their fondness for vintage objects comes from a sentimental place. With a hint of wistfulness, James puts it like this: “It’s the memory of my childhood. It’s the feeling of searching in someone’s attic and finding all of these treasures.”

You can check out Mark and Jimi’s full apartment tour and read more about their style on Apartment Therapy.

Photos and text by Jacqueline Marque