(Images by John Gruen.)
“We simply acquired a pet named Mango,” declares creator Maggie Pouncey, who lives along with her husband, Matt, and their sons, Dominic and Felix, in Rhinebeck, New York. “Our pets are all named after stone fruits — our different canine is Apricot, and our cats are Peach and Plum.” Right here, Maggie provides us a tour across the completely happy chaos…
LIVING ROOM
Paint: Odessa Pink by Benjamin Moore. Couch: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Hunter. Pillows: Block Store. Throw: Inventive Girls. Espresso desk and rug: classic.
On pink paint: We rented residences for a few years, and this home is the primary place we’ve ever owned. We will lastly make the house simply how we would like it, so I went for it with the pink! I hoped our front room could be an oasis but in addition welcoming for the child crew. Odessa Pink by Benjamin Moore felt proper.
Armchairs: classic from Holler and Squall. Pillows: Block Store. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber. Bookcases: Constructed-in by earlier house owners. Flooring lamp: Schoolhouse. Desk: CB2. Portray: by Wolf Kahn.
On completely happy reunions: The portray above the desk is by Wolf Kahn, and the portray above the hearth is by Emily Mason, his spouse. They have been pals with my mother and father after I was rising up. When my mother and father acquired divorced, my mother acquired the Emily Mason portray and my dad acquired the Wolf Khan portray. Now, the 2 work are again collectively in my home.
Print: Amanda Jane Jones. Chair: hand-me-down.
On household heirlooms: We have now hand-me-down furnishings from my mother and father, grandparents and even nice grandparents. It’s humorous as a result of it will get laborious to guage them aesthetically. Typically I’m like ‘Do I even like that chair?’ However I’ve such a heat attachment to every little thing. We have now a large chest handed down from my nice grandmother, and it nonetheless has a slight scent of her fragrance, which is so wild. Every now and then you get a waft.
OFFICE
Paint: Chippendale Rosetone by Benjamin Moore. Rocking chair: classic. Pillow: Sir Madam. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber.
On a brand new chapter: I ran a kids’s bookstore, Tales, in Brooklyn for 5 years. In 2021, the pandemic had taken its toll, and we needed to shut. If you create one thing you like, letting go is so laborious. It’s a must to let your self grieve. Particularly when it’s a bodily house that isn’t there anymore, it feels so gone. However determining a brand new journey was very therapeutic and useful.
Desk: “My dad’s writing desk.” Lamp: hand-me-down. Bookshelves: built-in by earlier house owners.
On the magic of youngsters’s books: My first novel got here out when my older son Felix was born, and I skilled a really complicated identification shift. Earlier than motherhood, I assumed I used to be going to jot down fiction for adults my complete life. However on the finish of my maternity depart, I had this four-month-old child, and I noticed, ‘No means can I write one other novel.’ I felt misplaced. However in that point, I actually fell in love with present kids’s books. There may be a lot variety. A child within the adventures of a women’ basketball crew or climate-related dystopian fantasies can discover nice books that talk to them — books which might be mirrors to assist them really feel seen and home windows into different worlds. That’s what led me to open Tales, and from there, write A Fort on the Moon.
Cupboard: classic. Lamp: hand-me-down. Flowers portray: “Was my grandmother’s, painted by her good friend Abram Lerner.”
On adorning a giant house: We’re nonetheless determining the perfect spots for issues. As a author, I actually like tinkering with sentences, simply taking part in and transferring phrases round. And rearranging the items in our house feels comparable. Even simply the act of doing that makes the home really feel cherished and lived in.
DINING ROOM
Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Pendant mild: Workstead. Eating desk: ABC Dwelling. Chairs: classic. Rug: Armadillo.
On a particular desk: When Matt and I acquired married, my mother and stepfather gave us this eating desk. My mother had gotten an oval eating desk as a marriage current, and it was such a supply of pleasure for her. She used it for numerous household dinners and events, in order that was her imaginative and prescient for us. Our twentieth anniversary is that this Could, and this desk now holds many candy reminiscences and household moments.
KITCHEN
Cupboard and counters: “Nineteen Nineties formica, child!”
On a main colours: The earlier house owners designed their kitchen within the ‘90s and it has an actual classic vibe. When individuals stroll into the kitchen for the primary time, they’re like, ‘Whoa.’ My artist pals say, ‘By no means change this!’ whereas different persons are like, ‘How do you reside on this craziness?’ However it brings me pleasure. I recognize that the earlier house owners actually went for it.
Pendant lights and eating desk: left by earlier house owners. Chairs: Serena & Lily, “Initially purchased for the Storytelling Lab at Tales.”
On internet hosting: For big events, I like setting out a buffet within the kitchen, the place everybody will help themselves. Then I can keep away from feeling on the finish of the evening like I didn’t get to have an actual dialog with anybody!
HALLWAY
Framed tapestry: household heirloom. Bookcase: thrifted. Runner: Block Store.
On household hangs: We play a variety of board and card video games. We additionally simply listened to all of the Harry Potter audiobooks. It was the sweetest night custom and so cozy within the winter. We additionally like listening to The Westing Recreation, a enjoyable homicide thriller with a Knives Out vibe.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Paint: Peacock Feathers by Benjamin Moore. Bedding: Dazed however Amazed. Pillow covers: Les Indiennes. Desk lamp: Design Inside Attain. Evening stand: household heirloom. Portray of flowers: by Leanne Shapton.
On bedtime reads: Lately I completely cherished You May Make This Place Stunning by Maggie Smith. It’s fantastically structured — she writes about small moments that add as much as life story.
Picture: by John Pack, from The Olympic Metropolis mission. Dresser and wardrobe: household heirlooms. Lamp: CB2, comparable.
On bed room blues: Our bed room seems to be inexperienced within the daylight and blue at evening; I discover it very peaceable. The boys additionally ended up selecting blues in comparable however totally different shades — which is in line with them as brothers.
DOMINIC’S ROOM
Paint: Ocean Metropolis Blue by Benjamin Moore. Beatles print: Advantageous Artwork Journal. Glow-in-the-dark-stickers: GloPlay. Lamp: Schoolhouse. Bookcase: classic. Ukulele: Les Paul.
On a nine-year-old’s contact: Dominic put up glow-in-the-dark stars, and he requested a Beatles poster. He performs the ukulele and realized to play all these Beatles songs and Carter household folks songs. There’s one thing very, very candy about a bit child taking part in folks music.
FELIX’S ROOM
Paint: Within the Twilight by Benjamin Moore. Dresser and lamp: classic. Pillowcases: Brooklinen, comparable.
On elevating preteens: My children are 10 and 14, which is an intense time of life. As a mother or father, I’ve been engaged on actually listening and never providing my opinion — which is difficult, as a result of I’ve a variety of opinions. However I believe as soon as children get to the preteen years, they understand how you consider issues they usually don’t want fixed suggestions. Felix and I as soon as had this second the place I stated, ‘Felix, I’m just a bit involved…’ And he interrupted me by saying, ‘Mother, you’re actually all the time just a bit involved.’ So, it’s a piece in progress.
UPSTAIRS HALLWAY
Print: An Schooling, by Shawn Fields.
On nostalgic mementos: This print used to hold in Tales’s storytelling lab, so households who went to story time will acknowledge it. Now it’s in our upstairs hallway and I simply adore it. It captures the kid’s full absorption within the e book, although you may’t actually see their face. It brings again that childhood feeling of being in my cozy mattress with a great e book.
Calendar: The Dolphin Studio, “I framed the start months for each of my boys, that is February 2010, when Felix was born.” Chair: hand-me-down. Rug: classic from Breuckelen Berber.
On elevating readers: There’s a nook on the high of our staircase, the place we put a sofa and beanbags. With studying, I attempt to observe every little one’s lead. There’s usually some topic that they’re obsessive about, and they’re going to simply learn and browse and browse — whether or not it’s dinosaurs or graphic novels. I do know there’s a variety of anxiousness round getting our youngsters to learn, however I believe studying is basically such a joyful factor. Like, we don’t fear about whether or not our youngsters will get into Netflix, we simply belief they’ll get pleasure from it. And books may be simply as pleasurable for teenagers as soon as they get swept up into them.
Thanks a lot, Maggie! xoxo
P.S. Extra home excursions, together with a spaceship condominium and a farmhouse constructed for Black pleasure.
(Images by John Gruen.)
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