Hi everyone! I get asked all the time if I have photos or a blog post of my home.
So... I had my home photographed a few weeks ago here at Casa Roca.
The name “Casa Roca'' evolved from the first few weeks that we moved in. We had our property in the back of our house excavated and there were huge boulders and rocks that were brought to the surface. The workers were starting to haul them off one day and I was like “no, those are staying on my property, place these three here and these 2 here, etc.”
Mathew 7:24
“All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock.”
My husband built a retaining wall with some of them which tells you how many we had. These are the small ones.
What inspired me to finally take action on our home being photographed, was that we did a renovation and enclosed our garage. We have a detached 3 car garage so don’t worry, we still have garage space. We needed the additional living room/media space. It took us 8 months to complete this project because of waiting for things that were delayed, due to Covid, but it is finally ready for family movie night!!
OUR NEW FAMILY ROOM/MEDIA ROOM
As you know, I was born and raised in South Africa and once you have lived and breathed the African air, there is no taking that vibe out of you.
I absolutely love texture and natural elements and gravitate towards earth tones as well as lush color. I’m drawn to items that are unique and different but also want a peaceful, uncluttered space.
I’m also a DIY’er and look for treasures that I see have potential, like this lamp that I painted black. If you follow me on social media you know that I post a lot of my finds as I’m shopping at thrift stores, estate sales, consignment stores, etc. on my Instagram stories. I do this because I want to inspire others to do the same! Join me here if you would like to follow along.
Our home is filled with things from our travels and I certainly love an eclectic style. Many say that the look of my home appears to be like the way I dress, I find that to be a compliment since our homes should be a reflection of us, right?
My husband also grew up overseas so he has lots of meaningful artifacts, baskets, spears, shields, etc. from his past. We had fun incorporating some of those items in our new room. I left some of the scarier items like masks, etc. for his office, LOL.
We had a giant picture window installed so we can see our pool while chillaxing. It really made the space bright and light! My husband wasn’t quite sure about it at first due to how pricey it was but it was one of those times I treated him like a client and said “trust me on this one, it will be the best decision we make for the space.” He tells me now that I was right!
I layered 2 rugs because I thought that would look more interesting. I found the black tribal rug first and then bought the other one to go underneath it with the square poufs I already had (see photo above). We purchased 3 console tables from World Market and we built the room around them. As you can see they fit perfectly all lined up together as if they are one giant piece. It is great storage too, which I really needed.
We have a large sectional facing the TV so we can kick back and enjoy movies together. It is super super comfy and reclines!!
I love that it is a metallic Navy.
The wall sconces add that soft lighting at night when we are just reading or enjoying the space with family and don’t want overhead lights. I’m a huge fan of accent lighting and love our recessed lighting on a dimmer too.
These glass wall vases that I found on Amazon are perfect for fresh greenery or flowers. You can find them in my Amazon store here.
OUR ENTRY
Yes, that’s wallpaper on the stairway. Everyone who comes into our home asks. The hide rugs look amazing layered together. Everything else is a mix of old and new finds. As you can see, I mix modern with traditional pieces and purposely made it all work together.
I had the stair railings painted black to make it look more sophisticated. One of these days we will replace the shag carpet that goes all the way upstairs. Now that the girls are moved out, it’s time to do it. I can only imagine how many small earrings and nail polish spills are in their bedrooms.
This is a snapshot that I took into my office from our entryway. This is where lots of hard work happens!
My desk is actually a dining room table and I chose that because I like to spread things out and no desk was big enough. I kept all the leaves in it and it works perfectly.
I have two wingback chairs in my office because my assistant Lesley and I like to sit there and plan out our weeks.
I also did most of the art in my home (see the black and white piece). It’s what I do to relax and it’s been fun to add my pieces throughout my home!
OUR LIVING ROOM
This family living space is filled with color. The walls are painted a light khaki and its been that way for 12 years now. I never get tired of it. I painted the ceilings the same color in this room. This space has had lots of family gatherings and used to be the only downstairs living space we had. You can see why I wanted an additional space for our huge family to gather. It worked fine but now we can spread out a little more which is fantastic!
I’m old school and still love to incorporate antiques into my designs. They add character and warmth. I purchased this buffet from a lady that was moving and she had it filled with her collection of linen napkins. Now that it is mine, it is filled with my Christmas china and tablecloths.
I recently added the grass cloth to one wall in the room because I felt like it needed texture and a bit of whimsy. The wall sconces were brown and I painted them white!
I tackled the wallpaper project myself because I thought it wouldn’t be that hard since it doesn’t really have a pattern to have to line up. It was not easy, let me tell you! Grasscloth wallpaper is heavy and once the glue is applied you need more than just one pair of hands to hang it, especially if you aren’t an expert. I was covered in wallpaper glue by the end of the day!
I don’t have many “collections” besides lots of coffee table books, but I do love unique handmade pottery. They don’t have to be expensive collections, sometimes the pieces that I gravitate towards are signed by a 5 year old on the bottom, and I love it. It is about how the piece speaks to me when I see it.
This specific piece of pottery I found at a thrift store and it has an elephant on the right side of it, isn’t it fantastic? I usually have some kind of fresh greenery in it, sometimes florals. I add a small drinking glass inside the pottery for the water, so it doesn't leak. I love how you can see my blue and white ginger jars in the mirror reflecting my mantle.
I have lots of lamps throughout my home. There are usually about 3 or 4 in each room. My husband always says it takes him about ½ an hour each night to turn them all of at night. Lamps create a mood and I’m all about a home that has a mood and a soul.
Yes, I wallpapered my coffee table tray. I didn’t like the floral artwork that was on it when I purchased it and knew I could change it up. It worked perfectly since I’m not too crazy about lots of floral prints.
I also painted the bamboo legs on the coffee table gold, they were black. I really wanted that dramatic contrast.
I found this camel saddle about 15 years ago and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s old and used but that makes it even more special because I have memories of camel rides on the beach in Kenya. The horn that is hanging on the glass lamp was discovered at an estate sale, why not hang it on a lamp!
My down filled pillows have a tropical flair and our backyard has large palms behind the pool so that’s why I chose the palms. It brings the outside in, don’t you think?
One of the things we love about our house is that you can see the pool from just about every room in the house which makes it special.
Also, my favorite candle scent I love to use in my home is teakwood tobacco. It smells more masculine than sweet and everyone loves it!
This coral piece was purchased on one of our vacations to Florida.
We have really enjoyed this rug because it goes with so many things and hides spills. I have lots of ottomans placed in my living spaces for when we entertain. It allows for extra seating and I’m always on the hunt for cool looking ones.
THE FORMAL DINING ROOM
We have a round table in our formal dining room because that was what fit. However, that is my preference when choosing dining tables. You can squeeze more people around a round table and they are perfect for dinner parties. We entertain a ton and round tables are great for playing cards too! The arrangement was created by Botanical Mix.
Our Master Bedroom
When the kids were teenagers, we use to spend a ton of time in this room while they took over the house with their friends. I wanted a room that felt cozy and allowed us to sit and watch television. We have a sitting area in this space too which is perfect for catching up after a long day.
I use my bust to store some of my jewelry and it looks awesome next to my bed. The floral arrangement is from my oldest daughter's wedding as a keepsake! Thank you @botanicalmix.
Thanks for joining me on the tour.
Photos by Aaron Dougherty Photography.