This post started out as a home tour, but it isn’t really a home tour. It’s about twenty-one years of caring for an old house, making thoughtful choices, saving for the pieces I truly wanted, and letting our home evolve over time. It’s collected home decor and I hope you enjoy!

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As you all know, I grew up in Burlington, right down the street from the home we live in now. I can remember walking by this house for much of my life and thinking how beautiful it was. I never imagined that one day I would actually live here.

Our home sits on a corner lot on the edge of the historic district, shaded by beautiful old trees and surrounded by homes with stories of their own. Construction began in 1929, but work came to a halt during the “Bank Holiday” of the Great Depression, so it wasn’t completed until 1933. Today, it’s nearly 100 years old, and believe me when I say…there is always something that needs attention.

When the house came on the market twenty-one years ago, we decided to take a look. One visit was all it took, and here we are. It has truly been a labor of love and a never-ending process.

If you’ve ever lived in an old house, you know they require constant care. I believe that when you’re fortunate enough to own a historic home, you also have a responsibility to preserve its integrity. The craftsmanship found in these older homes is something you rarely see today. From the plaster walls and solid construction to the beautiful architectural details, they deserve to be cared for and preserved. It takes time, patience, and plenty of effort, but it’s worth every bit of it.

When we moved in, there was certainly plenty to do. The basement needed waterproofing, the gutters were clogged, and the kitchen was a complete disaster. We also had three daughters—two still living at home and one away at college—so our first priority was getting their bedrooms finished. At the same time we were waterproofing the basement, we were stripping layers of wallpaper, painting room after room, and simply trying to settle into everyday life. Looking back, it feels as though we’ve been working on this house from the very beginning.

And in many ways, we have.

This home has evolved right along with our family over the past twenty-one years. Every room has changed in some way, whether through a fresh coat of paint, new wallpaper, updated lighting, or new furnishings and accessories. Like most older homes, it has never been a one-and-done project. It’s been an ongoing process of trying to make thoughtful changes over time

Several years ago, I found myself wanting the house to feel lighter and brighter. Since a complete renovation wasn’t even a possibility, I focused, with my decorator Leigh Jones, on simple updates that made a big impact. Paint, fabric, wallpaper, lighting, and accessories gradually gave the spaces a fresh look and made everything feel new again. It’s amazing how good it can feel to recover a chair or even add a new throw pillow. I couldn’t have done this house without the help of Leigh…she knows my taste and has helped guide me to make good decisions and in the process has saved us so much money!

The room above is probably the best example of what I did. It looks completely different than it did 10 years ago, and it’s still one of my favorite rooms in the house. I’m not even going to tell you that I’m finished because I probably never will be but I am enjoying the bright fabric and lighter feel of the space!

I’ve never been someone who decorates an entire room all at once because I don’t love a space that feels overly “done.” I much prefer a home that looks as though it has been collected over time. The mantel is a good example of that. It’s looked many different ways over the years, and right now I’m loving this layered, collected look.

One thing I’ve always been intentional about is investing in quality pieces whenever possible. I’ll still bring home the occasional HomeGoods (or Amazon) find if it works, but for the most part, I’ve chosen things that will age beautifully and stay with us for years to come. Original art has always been a priority, along with Murano glass, framed textiles, coffee table books, and well-made lamps. These are the pieces that can be moved from room to room as your style evolves. They create continuity throughout the house because they’ve been collected thoughtfully over time, giving each room a sense of connection rather than feeling as though everything was purchased at once.

This wallpaper…it’s just too fabulous for words.

When we first moved in, I wallpapered this side entry space with a fairly expensive paper that was beautiful, but very conservative. At the time, I simply didn’t have a clear vision for what I wanted. It stayed in the entry for nearly twenty years, and while it was perfectly lovely, it never really made the statement I wanted.

When Leigh and I started talking about refreshing this small but important space, I told her, “I want something that really makes a statement.” This wallpaper does exactly that. Every time I walk through the front door, it makes me smile.

I’m still on the hunt for the perfect fabric to recover the cushion on the antique French settee, but I’m patient and have learned that it’s worth waiting for exactly the right thing.

For now, my focus is on finally getting our bedroom and bathroom finished after a long and painful renovation. Right now, I’m waiting for our headboard to be recovered, and this Saturday I’ll be pulling out the paintbrushes because I’ve decided to paint the sitting area in our bedroom myself. After months of contractors coming and going, I still don’t want anyone else in the house, so I’m tackling this project on my own.

The embroidered pillows on the settee were made from an antique textile, and the little teal pillows are by Designers Guild. I already owned all of them, which is another reason I like investing in quality pieces. They can be moved from room to room, giving new life to a space without having to start over.

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The front entry has been a bit of a challenge from the very beginning. It’s a relatively small space, and there really isn’t room for much beyond a rug.

Over the years, I’ve gone through more rugs than I can count and, after twenty years, I’m still searching for the perfect one. My favorite was an old zebra hide, but the very day I brought it home, Amos decided it looked like the perfect chew toy. He has never been a dog that chews on things, but for some reason he immediately put a hole in it.

Because the hide already had a beautifully aged, imperfect look, I decided to live with the damage. The real problem was that it was simply too fragile for a high-traffic entryway. I still have it, though, and one day I plan to use it to upholster an ottoman or the back of a slipper chair. For now, there’s a newer hide in its place, but it just doesn’t have quite the same character. I’m trying to be patient while I wait for the right solution.

The wallpaper inside the panels on the walls was installed about ten or eleven years ago, and I can honestly say I’ll never change it. The flocked black floral pattern on the metallic gold background is elegant, dramatic, and exactly what this space needed. It continues all the way up the staircase, creating a beautiful first impression the moment you walk through the front door.

The lucite side table fits the space perfectly, and the little benches tucked underneath gave me the opportunity to add a much-needed pop of color.

What an evolution, and what a decorating challenge this room has been!

It may look symmetrical in the photographs, but I can assure you it is not. The fireplace is centered, but the large arched opening immediately throws everything off. The sofa can’t be centered in front of the fireplace, which means the entire room has to be arranged a little differently than you would expect.

The man who built this house was also its designer, although he wasn’t actually an architect. Because of that and as charming as this house is, there are little quirks like this throughout, and over the years I’ve learned to embrace them rather than fight them. Sometimes there simply isn’t a solution.

Last year I changed the window treatments, and they immediately made the room feel warmer, cozier and in my opinion, more sophisticated.

The sofa is almost an exact copy of one I spotted years ago in a magazine feature on Tory Burch’s home. I loved it so much that I saved for two years before ordering it because the fringe and trim were such investments. The Scalamandré Tea Grey fabric on the pillows came later…again, after a little more saving.

That same classic Scalamandré fabric now covers our dining room chairs, and it transformed the whole room. Evidently, Lee Radziwill also used it on her dining chairs, which only makes me appreciate it even more. She was such a style icon and continues to be! Some fabrics truly never go out of style. I’m including an older photo of the dining room below that was taken before the chairs were covered.

While looking at these pictures of the living room, I realized that there is a story to almost every item in the room. I could basically tell you where I got it all, what I was happening at the time in our lives, and the story behind it. This is what it means to live in a collected home.

Amos steals the show!

When Leigh was photographing the house, she wanted the dogs to be in a few of the pictures. Archie, however, had other plans and couldn’t behave, so he was politely escorted out. Amos, the wise old soul that he is, walked over, sat down right here, and posed as though he’d been doing photo shoots his entire life and he really has.

This corner room is probably the most eclectic space in the house. It’s filled with a mix of furniture, original art, books, pottery, and collected treasures that have found their way here over the years.

With windows on three sides, it’s one of the brightest rooms in the house and one of my favorite places to spend the morning. I’ll often sit on the sofa with my laptop while the dogs keep watch over the neighborhood, barking at everything that passes by.

The rug is a Perennials performance rug, and after years of living with dogs, grandchildren, and everyday life, I can honestly say it’s just about indestructible and can even be bleached (thank goodness).

The room above is my office and has evolved into a beautiful space. You can’t see it, but the ceiling is covered in a gorgeous floral wallpaper and it’s such a nice contrast to the more modern white leather chairs. I think painting or wallpapering a ceiling is one of the chicest things you can do to a room. It is unexpected and why not use the ceiling as an element of design instead of just painting it a flat white. There is also an antique French chandelier hanging in the center of the room that I wish had been photographed. I got it years ago and it’s another piece that moved with us to this house.

Don’t tell Leigh…but the pillows in the chairs are from Amazon and couldn’t be more perfect. I may find another fabric I like better, but for now…these pillows are just fine!

This beautiful painting above is by Sherry McAdams. Leigh had it in the shop, and I immediately fell in love with it. The only problem was that I wanted just a bit more pink to tie it into the room. Sherry graciously took it back to her studio and made a few adjustments specifically for this space. The finished piece couldn’t be more perfect.

I’m still working on our bedroom, bathroom, and closet. After a long renovation, these rooms are finally coming together, but I have just not had the energy to do it all at once and I’d much rather wait until I’m completely certain about the direction before I start a project. I do know that I want to continue the wallpaper that’s in my closet into the bathroom, and I’ll get to that soon enough. Right now, the room still feels a little stark, but I know it will evolve into exactly what it’s meant to be and the wallpaper should help.

I’ve had the little stool pictured below for many years. It came with us from our previous house and is still covered in the same animal print fabric, which proves my theory that animal print never goes out of style. In my book, it’s a neutral, and I firmly believe every room needs at least a touch of it.

The beautiful collage paintings above the stool are also pieces I’ve owned for years and still love just as much today. The small pillow was made from an antique textile. All of the antique textiles throughout our home have been collected over many years from Pandora DeBaltazar. They add so much character and history to each room and another story to be told!

I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I absolutely love this closet…although I still don’t have enough space!

Part of being a maximalist is also being a collector. I’ve approached my wardrobe in much the same way I’ve approached decorating our home. For the most part, I believe in buying quality pieces and keeping them for years. I also receive beautiful clothing and accessories from brands I work with, and many of those are pieces I don’t want to part with. And that’s not such a bad problem to have. For now, I have clothes scattered all over the house and I am constantly editing. One day, I’ll take a week off and tackle it all at once.

I wanted this special room to make a statement, and I think the handmade cabinet doors, wallpapered ceiling, and gorgeous light fixture do exactly that. Even though it’s a closet, it feels like a room in the house rather than just a place to store clothes and I love to be there spending time putting outfits together and filming content for Instagram!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of our home. I’ve shared glimpses of it over the years, especially during the holidays…but this is the most up-to-date look yet.

The next room on the list is our bedroom! As soon as the headboard comes back from being recovered and I finish painting the sitting area, I’ll share the finished space with you. Wish me luck!

Thank you so much for spending time with me today. If you have a favorite room, a decorating philosophy, or if you’re living in an older home yourself, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. I always enjoy reading them, and I truly appreciate every one.

~ XOXO, Suzanne

P.S. – you’ll enjoy this tour of our home for Christmas from 2018