Welcome to my Florida House!

This past year has been one filled with many changes. Last week marked one year since the start of the pandemic when our lives changed forever. It was no different for my family, as we made decisions that would best help our kids stay safe, active and educated. The best decision we could have made was our temporary move to Florida, where we made this gorgeous rental house feel like home.

We’ll start with the office and entertainment room, because that’s where I spend a lot of time during the day where I can finally work again while the kids are at school. I sourced this amazing desk from Target and stunning chair from Burke Decor. I organized all my party supplies in these cube storage units, and the work space almost felt complete… except for the wall above my desk. It was so empty. I found a cute mini clock from Target but I didn’t know what to do with it or how to make the space feel full. So I tapped in Nestia, founded by our resident creative director, Maggie! If you haven’t checked out her site, Instagram, or TikTok, you are in for a real treat. As she looked for work during the pandemic, she found so much passion in custom interior murals and affordable home decorating. Ever since she launched, she’s been helping clients all over the country decorate and optimize their spaces, now that we spend so much time at home!

Anyway, back to the room… I needed Maggie’s help so she designed a cute, colorful gallery wall arrangement using the clock I purchased, a deer head I owned, and by adding some Artwork she found online. She provided me with a blueprint guide on how to hang everything up, which made it simple and easy for me to achieve at home. If she was here, I would have had her do it in person, a service which she offers to her local clients.

The rest of the room came together as I brought my cowhide rug with me from NYC (it folds up so nice and compactly!), added a simple trundle couch (it’s NOT comfortable. Did this on purpose so my kids don’t get too comfortable while playing video games, gets them up and off screens faster!), padded ottoman that I found in Target while roaming the isles, side table and TV console, making this little space Gavin’s safe haven for playing video games with his friends. My favorite find of all was the neon sign! I felt it was the most perfect message coming off the dark year of isolation that we had just had…

Just across from this room is the entryway, where all the kids in the neighborhood are constantly ringing the doorbell asking to play with Luke (which I LOVE! He is so active here!). I found the perfect bench and mirror that I also grabbed at Target, but I really felt like it needed something else…. Maybe a plant?! But what do I know about plants! Nestia jumped in to provide recommendations on a type of plant that would be easy for a beginner like me as well as a planter. I guess I’m officially a plant mom now! And it’s been three months…and ALL of my plants are still ALIVE!

One of the major selling points in this house was it’s beautiful kitchen that’s flooded with natural light all day long. Getting through the winter in a new location was going to made so much better with sunshine, which we are not used to having at home. In our house, the kitchen is a gathering space for the family, and this cheerful, bright interior was so welcoming. I found awesome bar stools which I sit at every morning with my coffee to do some work, a simple white table we use for mealtimes, and some decor for the countertops making it feel like home.

Right across from the kitchen table, I placed a bar cart on the open wall. I knew we needed a spot for Adam’s Whiskey and my favorite coup glasses. But again, I was stuck on pulling it together. The bar cart felt lonely and isolated over there by itself. I tapped into Nestia for help sourcing a fun poster and planter. Maggie totally nailed it, as I knew she would. This is why her service is SO perfect for someone like me- I have an eye for what I love and for home decor, but I never know how to pull it together. And when your space is temporary, you want everything you find to be affordable in case it doesn’t make it for the next move.

I pretty much ordered everything in advance so it would arrive around the same time we did. This included the couch, which I found from Wayfair. By the way, I put the couch together all by myself and I’m very proud of that! I found a great rug (IN TARGET!!), pillows (you guessed it!! TARGET!), and eventually stumbled upon this amazing coffee table at World Market, which could not have fit any more perfectly in (my trunk!) the shape if we tried!

I also used Nestia to help me decide on images for inside the frames I placed below the TV. Maggie custom painted this NYC Skyline and it reminds us every day of home.

My favorite little nook in the whole house is right at the back door, where Nestia helped fill in the gaps after I found this stunning rocking chair from Article. Maggie provided me with options for decor, including the side table, wall art, vase and pampas grass. I love where it ended up!

Next up, bedrooms! I went for a simple look for Adam and I, with an upholstered low profile platform bed and a tufted white comforter and throw pillows (found in Target! HA! Makes me laugh. I just love that store). I simply love our large windows and high ceiling, making the room feel open and bright. The kids each got a lofted bed, which really optimizes the space. Gavin’s is from Ikea and Luke’s from Wayfair. Both of them got features they wanted- Gavin with a gaming desk, Luke with a slide (quite possibly his dream come true). This is the first time they’ve had their own rooms and they are loving their independence!

Lastly, the lanai. Since I’ve never lived through a winter with nice weather, having this back patio has been a dream. I can go outside any time to enjoy a glass of wine, or even just use the grill… without the chill. It’s really fabulous. I found the whole set at Target (in store! Walked out with it. Literally they were setting out patio furniture that day and I was taking it all)!

Thank you to all the readers and followers who have continued to watch and support me through this past year. I hope you’ve all found your safe, happy, sunny place while we all heal this world… together.