If you don't know yet, well, we have four children. That's right, four little ones who fill our life with all the crazy and all the joy. We absolutely love it!

Of course, with four children comes chaos, sticky floors, and the toys . . . all of those toys. Which is a big reason this house appealed to us. The study is on the main floor, with glass french-door entry. Easy for me to pop in and keep an eye on their antics, but also a room that can be closed off if needed (not that it's ever messy - like, ever).

The main issue in this room was the flooring. It was dated and very stained. We replaced it with Pergo and an area rug. We also put on a fresh coat of light grey paint to freshen it up.

My favorite part of this room is the "art gallery". We rotate through those prized pieces of artwork. Most of them are made at their amazing art program in school. I love seeing life through their little eyes.

While I'm more of a clean/light/airy color girl, I welcome playful brights in this room. Check out all my child playroom faves on my inspo board: click here.

The Before

image by prior listing

The After

Sourcing

Area Rug - Overstock

Kitchen - Ikea

Market - KidKraft

High Chair - Cracker Barrel

Frames - Home Goods

The Move to Florida

It was a snowy April in Ontario, spring 2013. Ben, my husband, just accepted a financial management position in Daytona Beach. We packed up our little home and moved our family to balmy Florida.

I grew up here, no, actually here, in Ormond Beach. My childhood is overflowing with happy memories all set to the backdrop of a house in the Village of Pine Run. A planned neighborhood of homes with acreage, all set far from the road. Ours had three acres, mostly wooded.

The backyard swimming pool filled our summers with mermaid adventures. As young children, we tried our hand at running a business. Selling seashells roadside and tickets to our motley circus performances. Neither proved much financial gain.

This is the life I dreamed for my littles...all four of them. That's right, four. It is our own brand of crazy. And we love it.

When buying homes, we always try to find a house where we can update and add value. Our renovations are cosmetic in nature, as that is the level of our knowledge. It still provides ample opportunity for lengthy renovations. It's all about patience and saving all those pennies so that each room can soon transform into the dream.

Our living room is my favorite room in the house. It is my studio space or "the pretty room". We freshened the walls with a grey-white paint, installed Pergo flooring, and incorporated Ben's grandmother's piano.

My style is clean, simple, and coastal. I am drawn to timeless pieces architecture, incorporating family heirlooms with current design.

The floor-to-ceiling light that pours into this space fills me daily with bliss. It is the very best for capturing images. I use this for any still life images that I shoot, like invitation suites or indie artist works.