We get asked often if our girls are interested or involved in what we do and the answer has always been, “not really.” They have their personal passions that we nurture and don’t force design, renovating or home decor interests in their direction. But Polly. Polly, our sweet 2 and a half year old has already started showing deep interests in just about everything going on around the house. She has made friends with all the contractors, enthusiastically calling them by name when they arrive in the morning, “Hi! Dave!” She wants to hammer. She wants to clean. She wants to watch tile be laid and watch as Chris draws out closet plans listen in as 5 guys discuss exactly how they are going to finish framing in this arched window.
And just as I was calling for her to come with me to go play upstairs, Dave said, “No, she should hear this. It’s her house.” With a wink. It was such a sweet and gentle and thoughtful gesture to nurture her interests at such a young age. She listened so intently and when they pointed, she looked. And I thought–maybe she’s the future of all of this.
Other fun things this week.
• The 12 Houses of the Zodiac. (Can I trade in my Saggitarius for a Libra?!)
• I renovate for a living but this before and after kitchen is STILL blowing my mind. Seeing a space take on a whole new life is so incredible.
• “We didn’t talk about decoration but a kind of philosophy about how we live now and how we will live in the future,” explains designer Axel Vervoordt of reimagining Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s California estate. “We changed the house by purifying it, and we kept pushing to make it purer and purer.” In practical terms, those lofty ambitions translated into a transformation of the proportions of the house’s many rooms, all of which are sheathed in a luminous, off-white plaster. “The proportions are the decoration,” Kanye says of the rarefied architecture. (I REALLY wish we could see more than 10 very cropped photos, but interesting to see how people choose to live so differently nonetheless!)
• This seemingly simple bedroom is MADE by that quilt.
• This olive striped top I wore almost broke my DMs this week! (I take a small–TTS) And it’s on sale! (pants and shoes are both a few years old–sorry!)
• Our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide (and our guide from last year where everything is under $30!)
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We do most of our renovations in our house by ourselves AND are contractors by profession. One son, he ist 17, is and was always mildly interessted, well, better not to bother him with tiles and all these things. Our other son, he is 15, was always on top of everything, tried everything, wanted to help all the time. It was a little tiring sometimes when he was very young. But he sticks to his talents, rearranges his furniture in his room twice a year and started a school for contractors one year ago. Maybe Polly will become a designer? These talents show at a very young age!
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Selina from Graz, Austria, Europe
The only reason I follow Kim on insta is to get glimpses of her house! A couple months ago she shared their master bedroom tv- it raises from the floor and completely disappears when down! I love it cuz if I had their money that’s exactly what I’d do lol.
Oh my goodness! That picture of Polly chatting with the contractors just melts my heart. It looks like they love her as much as she loves them. Thanks for sharing :)
This post gave me chills. How special to see your interests expressed through your daughter’s eyes.
Polly is a super star. And her and Willow need their own account, YouTube channel, all of it!
The Polly Picture–best on blog.
That is the most thoughtful gesture towards Polly! She will have memories of this season, for sure. Question (thought I’d put it here rather than a DM!). Have you been happy with Alabaster in the new dining room? I know it’s still very much in progress but we are planning to paint our main living area of our new build that color and I’d love some feedback from CLJ. :) Thanks again for all your continued inspiration! xo
Love it
I’m a Virgo and my husband is an Aries. The house of the Zodiac explains a lot ????
You can Kim and Kanye’s house tour on the ‘Vogue 73 Questions With Kim Kardashian West’. You can watch it on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaZ93sibpk0
Kim also did a video with Vogue in which you get to see more of their house:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaZ93sibpk0
Love the zodiac print, too! I’m an Aries but the Leo house is soo cute!
Polly is so adorable!! How stunning was the greenery “wall” outside of Kim and Kanye’s bathroom?!
I’m fascinated by Kim and Kanye’s house! Kim did a tour of their bathroom on her instastories a while ago (watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNX5IC0d5KQ) and it’s mindblowing to see how they just totally got rid of any “rule” we typically have for our bathrooms and made something I’ve never seen before.
I loved that!! Thank you!
I’m a Gemini, but I would NOT want a Duplex-unless the hubs would hangout on one side while had the other, LOL. Otherwise I am all about the Libra, the Aries and the Virgo!
Watching Polly in your Stories with the contractors was so cute. I remember when they were bringing in the Smeg fridge her say “I help, I help”. She’s definitely interested! Thanks for a great Casual Friday per usual.
I’m a libra but I’d swap for that cancer house anytime! And am charmed by little Polly.
Okay LOVE the 12 houses of zodiac print link – both my husband and I are virgos, and we’re building a VERY similar house to the virgo one this spring. It’s a tad more modern, but the colors and siding are all dead on. :o
I do like your Sag though, but not for every single day of my life living with other people. :)
Exxaaaacctttttly.
I LOVE that Polly is showing an interest in construction at such a young age and I DOUBLE LOVE that her interest is being nurtured by the contractors and you both! My personal opinion is that women and men are probably both as likely to be born with an innate interest in construction and building, but over time women are implicitly (or sometimes, explicitly) discouraged from developing those interests because they are considered more “masculine” endeavors. To that I say, nonsense! Cheers to Polly, the future architect, or builder, or structural engineer, or whatever she wants to be :-D
Also, I am likely in the minority, but I love the Kim/Kanye house. It would be too sterile for me personally, but I can see how it would be soothing for people with anxiety issues (which Kanye has said that he suffers from).
Coincidentally my name is also Julia. Julia…you and your family are incredible! So kind and talented! The very best to you! I enjoy your work immensely!!