aeykelbo The pallet couch is a great idea, and they certainly have some very nice piece of furniture. But I'd still probably get rid of a few pieces, especially in the living room; too much to trip over .

CanvasChamp i really loved total blue bedroom with colorful stuff, good job!!! :)

housecat Love it! Mixing of antiques and newer pieces is truly an art. Great style!

kem60 Way too much stuff. I'd hate to have to clean that place.

jeanettchka Lovely home. Love the mix of styles and colorful accents. One can see that people actually live in this home and are comfortable in it. So warm and inviting and interesting, not a boring, glass and metal box with no sign of human habitation. Love all the windows and natural light.

tracyaine Just when I thought I wanted NO color! Great stuff, great combinations, very uniqueLove Love LOVE the two animal prints together on the chair, I could go on and on......Fabulous!
tracy holland

xenasmom This is truly a Home. I love the mix of color, tradition, and new things. It's lovely.

iluv2decor8 What a fun and colorful eclectic home! Great job!

becky2010 It's a wonderful, warm space! Love it.

flgrandma I love this place and it just looks so warm and inviting.

kmrudin I didn't notice clutter at all, I actually had to go back and look at the pictures to see what others were talking about! I think it looks like people actually live there, which is much more appealing than a sterile home with no character. I don't like looking at homes that are decorated with objects that have no meaning or significance. I appreciate that this home is full of items that were collected and treasured by the owners. I think the house looks fun and happy!

Inis Lovely Real home, real stuff and real people. A lovely tour, thank you!

normpo A beautiful home filled with beautiful things! Clutter? There's plenty of room in there to ad more! I love the look, the mix of things! Wonderful place!

Joan Martin I looked at this house because its age is similar to my "new" 1920 house. In my previous house there was a massive breakfront - a real signature piece. I'm not sorry to leave it behind; it fit that lifestyle, then. These rooms may seem cluttered because of the photos or due to the room dimensions. Rooms in some old houses can be long & narrow; modern furniture is much larger. Thanks for sharing.

bkdale Beautiful exterior, too much of a nice "things" inside (clutter). My favorite room is the little boys room.

jojoq Way too busy - cannot appreciate the many nice pieces they have!

millierrn I love this home! And that is why I love it-style and it looks like a home, not just a house!

franki7 What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL home! Your parents are definitely smiling. I found charm in every area. LUV the chairs in their new suzani upholstery. Kudos!! franki

judygilpin I LOVE THIS HOME!!!!!!! Don't understand the comments saying there is too much clutter. This is a truely comfortable interior showing who and what the family is all about. Comfort and history in an updated version of their lives today. Love the controlled color choices. The blues and reds scattered in, with ageless Asian and European pieces. Everything today seems to be gray, taupe, beige and spare......very cold spaces are becoming too popular. This home has an aura of love and refinement. GOOD JOB!!!

Renaissance Home Staging Never was a fan of the "junk" style. Collections of your life's "treasures" overwhelm this house. The kitchen seems to be under control, all of the other rooms look cramped because their is so much visual clutter. I I just want to gut the place

littleblessings Beautiful home, I just think it needs to be pared down a little.

lalarose People that worry about the "stuff" make me crazy! Where else would you keep your treasures? In a closet? That is what a home is for----it should be warm and cozy and if it is not your taste no problem. I personally like to see a home that shows its owners personality and lets face it if you have no real personality it will show up in a stuffy, overly minimalist home that is easy to dust and one that doesn't make you face up to your OCD issues. As someone very wise said, "If everyone in the world pulled in the same direction, the world would tip over." I personally like to see how people arrange their "stuff."

katwishing Wouldn't it boring if the only homes showcased here were just examples of "perfect" design? I liked this article because it has a story to it; I liked the idea of the homeowner getting back her childhood home and starting a new stage in its history. I was curious to see how she chose to decorate her home as an adult (it would have been even more interesting if a picture had been included of how the house had been decorated in her childhood!). For me anyway, decorating homes isn't just about the aesthetics, it's also about using decorating to turn the house into a home that the owner is happy living in. I like seeing how different people interpret what makes a home their own. We get plenty of articles on here showcasing designer-decorated homes--and those are important and interesting, too--but it would be a shame if that's all we ever saw. I just wanted to say thanks to the homeowner for sharing her beautiful home, and I hope she has many more wonderful years there with her family.

ghostchairsandmore Love this house - especially the lounge areas - seating is gorgeous and the kitchen looks really light and bright. Exterior looks great with georgian windows - a really lovely family home.

mksf90 I just think the owner is so blessed to be back in a home that her family loved, and that her current family can love now!

becky2010 To the person who said that you want to gut this place - that's creepy! This is someone's home, and it's filled with the things that they love. I guess it makes sense since you stage houses to look like cookie cutter bland boring spaces that would appeal to the the masses, but this is a space that shows such energy and life, and that should be applauded and celebrated. You don't have to like everyone's house, or only give positive comments, but people should be aware that it's probably quite nerve wracking to display your home for everyone to see, and be a little sensitive about what they write. As I tell my children, if you don't have anything kind to say....

chrislawson1 Your home has heart! It made my day!

wandm I love how the wallpaper in the entry is reflected on the mirrored table. This is an altogether wonderfully put together home.

1stladydawn Love this house and the welcoming human feel and style that Karin and Jim have given it. It is a house in which people live and can be alive. It is a home of celebration.

wandm Hopefully the homeowners were made aware that there are people who regularly post critical and often rude comments on houzz for their own entertainment.

yogapaws Two adults, two children- family heirlooms & travel memories. This is not clutter. My idea of clutter is 20 years of National Geographic, garage sale junk, broken or nonworking items, piles of dirty or unfolded laundry.....
I think the home is well done in a personal, artful way.

patricia beharry Beautiful home. Looks lived in with beautiful things collected through the years. Not the sterile, empty, beige, cold, look how much money I spent on my credit card houses that some call decorating so that they can impress their friends and neighbours. One of a kind pieces. Not the stuff bought at Ik%#, or Roo#s to &$. The grandparents touched it, the great-grandparents touched it. Not made yesterday in China. Beautiful home.

techchick Blom family ~ wonderful home! Thank you so much for sharing and giving the readers a glimpse of how real people live. I adored your use of color, style, and space. It is a happy and confident home - put together by a family who loves one another.

For those of you who contributed the unkind words ~ I would never hire you or allow you to step foot in my home. If you are a designer, you have no heart, no sentimentality - which are qualities you should have if you are working with people and their homes. You worry more about appearance and things, and those truly aren't the important priorities in life.

lessismoore Fine example of eclectic style. Thanks for sharing.

reclamationdesign I agree with everything kmrudin said, I actually had to go back and look for the clutter people were talking about. I don't see it. I think its a beautiful house, both fun and functional. There is a lot of furniture, but there is also a lot of space. I have a large family and even though I live in a small space, I have a lot of furniture -- seating mostly, so that ... well ... so that people don't have to sit on the floor !!

Anyway, I like it ... a lot !

Nina Sentimental Values...Awesome

krolsen That's a sailfish, not a marlin :)

browncoat55 I love a unique point of view and unexpected combinations. This home reflects a family story. Inspiring.

marsia I just love the colors and textures and the sense of home. I love when people's houses reflect their personalities and interests. It feels like a house full of fun and happiness!

mcbriec Fabulous, eclectic home. I love the mix of fabrics and really enjoy the personality that shines through. The first room is my favorite, but I think it would benefit with a bit paring down. The house is so much better than those bought-in-a-day matchy, matchy, "staged-look" sterile homes with no soul whatsoever.

I think the nasty stager has been staging too much and now doesn't even know what a house with personality should look like. I continue to be amazed by the venomous old bats (aka the queens of mean) who spew their pointless invective which is only designed to hurt and lacks one iota of constructive or substantive content. Not your style? So what. Why on earth would anybody care that something is not your style?

gillianne Harsh, people! I see a tastefully collected home filled with objects that are meaningful to its inhabitants. I didn't see piles of junk cluttering every horizontal surface or clashing decor. Much about this space isn't to my taste (I favor texture over pattern and "muddy" over bright hues), but I very much enjoyed being invited in, and I'd really like to experience these rooms in person--and meet the people whose travels and histories have brought so many interesting things to this home.

magenda What a beautiful house! Love it! Great job!

ginimold A wonderful home that shows much love went into it.

uhoh_busted Really love this house! There is a big difference in a house that is staged for a quick sale or a design portfolio, and a beautiful home where people are happily living. I most enjoy seeing rooms that reflect real life. When you are decorating your home, you want to know your everyday life can fit in with the decor you've chosen, and it will always be pleasing to your eyes.

aeykelbo Look at it this way... This family is clearly made up of individuals who know themselves and what they like. I'm just guessing here, but this home seems to reflect some pretty bold personalities, rather than nervous hand-wringers waiting for Houzzers' approval of their space. I bet they couldn't care less what others think of their furnishings!

Comments on clutter aren't rude, they are discussion; if people can't comment on what they like and they don't like, then there isn't much point to having a comments section!

JEANIE Thank you, family, for sharing this home. I am so happy when an Ideabook is presented that gives me a glimpse of the real life and love of the family who lives there, my style or not. If ever the word "curated" could be used to sppeak of a stunning and warm home, it is here. It is an inviting, beautiful collection of a life-well-lived. Nothing cookie-cutter about it, it seems comfortable and fitting and belongs to people with good taste and many interests.
Deliver us from staging our habitations so some one else will like them. Thank-you, again, Blom family. This is my favorite house today! :)

bmacp Absolutely gorgeous. And original! This mix of white and bright is so cheerful yet sophisticated. The use of patterns is a work of art in itself. Your children are lucky to live in such an interesting and visually stimulating home. Amazing work!

reminiscence 1920's home have so much charm. combination of periods and style makes for an interesting softscape. would liek to see some collections clustered as opposed to spread out. clustering adds importance and lets the eye 'rest awhile' to take everything in...

Mary Newrones love it!!!! ALL of it!

mareilmar GUT THE PLACE? What a total non-sense thing to say! i would hate to see your home staging- it's a beautiful home- all lived in a decorated beautifully- with things they have collected- so much more creative than going to a showroom with massed produced things.
I would love to come and hang our in their home! My eyes were dancing! I applaud everyone else who saw the beauty of it. As for those who didn't, decor is not their thing.

lgburney I love it.. She put everything to a good use.

drjosiepc1 I like what has been done with this house. The interior use of design is not to my taste--I prefer less and more simple--but it all works. Also, I think when children are in the home, lots of color helps to create a relaxing and fun place for them and for the parents. I especially like the use of Asian pieces here and there; I find they work with many different colors and design pieces. A wonderful use of color, texture, and design here.

noremac9 Inspirational!!

hannas1 I love this house. For the "too much clutter" remarks this is a house of memories mixed with modern colors and stuff. What a wonderful home to raise your children in!

catherinecarson So does the little boy sleep with no privacy, the people in the living room can see into his bedroom? I could that being a problem in later years.

judymay38 I love the brightness of the house, so inspiring,I love the combination of old and new.beautiful

Swirls of Color Wow, way too much! Simplify! Furniture in many areas is much larger and too much of it for the space.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Beautiful, unique and personal home. If anyone knew San Anselmo, they'd really be jealous. Hooray for you!

ursuline70 love interplay of all periods...all classic design mixes well a great testimony to "mixing it up"

bigdsmalld Isn't that the beauty of style? We each can have our own. I, personally, am a fan of an eclectic look. Though what I would choose is different from what the Blom's or anyone else might choose to make our individual spaces comfortable and homey. The creative mind can see what an idea is behind a look and incorporate it in their own way.

That having been said, I also like seeing staged homes for the same reason - getting an idea I can make my own.

middleofnowhere I had to go back and see the clutter people were talking about--I think it's very layered with a lot of color and trinkets--but isn't that what makes a house a home? It's not necessarily my taste, but its lived in, and lovely.

mirallwood I deeply appreciate the love and care that went into this home. I agree that there is too much of the stripped-down, bare essentials-type home decor (if I wanted that I would go live in a hotel). Often I wonder where people who live in minimalist homes keep their store of memories. This family home is beautiful and shows entire generations of lives well lived.

MARION ORMOND INTERIORS What you are calling an armoire is in fact a bookcase specific to the early georgian period. I have used a similar one recently in restoring a georgian house. It was purchased for around 30,000 euro, so look after it. It is a beautiful antique.

normpo To krolson: You're right, It is a Sail Fish, not a Marlin. This is a Marlin! LOL

jad2design This house is such fun, thanks for putting it on Houzz. It strikes me as a very cool, very sophisticated update of English country house style - very appropriate for a 1920s vintage home, but totally suited to the 21st century too. I love the breakfront in the livingroom - it adds a touch of grandeur, and that lovely traditional wallpaper in the dining room looks really wonderful with the modern chair upholstery. As for the remodeling remnant - the window in the boy's room - I'm betting he will remember his room fondly when he is an adult and thinking about what makes a wonderful space for a child. So many great ideas and such a nice treatment of a beautiful home. It was a pleasure to see it all.

Transformations I believe that home should be filled with those things that give you joy and embody precious memories. This house must deliver for it's occupants! I think they are the kind of people that would be fun to know...

mcbriec Well said, Gilliane. I too have a preference for "muddy colors" (rather than primary colors), but I, like you, really enjoy and appreciate collectors' decor, whose taste differs from mine when it has style and personality.

marcie31 "The couple found themselves on HGTV's Design Remix several years ago, and their master bedroom got a brand-new look. They adjusted the style but kept the blue." Good for them! I often wonder how many people "adjust" some of he HGTV makeovers. lol. Lovely home!

Fiona Taylor Lovely house! I would not have so much furniture in there myself--but then again, it's not my house. Very fun and cheerful.

jbodrova This is a REAL home.
Home made for people not for staging.
Love it.

cranberri99 Lovely! My husband and I bought a 1922 Craftsman home in San Anselmo when we married. Brings memories of the easy days to Drakes Beach, Phoenix lake mountain biking forgetting the traffic and high cost housing! So you are doing it right to make your home a lovely retreat from a family treasure. Thanks for sharing.

ladan1 Too busy! And I understand people who say that people who say there is too much stuff drive them crazy, but isn't it great that there are different strokes for different folks! Definitely a home though. Just too busy and too much stuff for me. You either have color and tone down the number of stuff, or you have stuff and tone down the color and patterns (and lord there are patterns too, and not just color, as in the wallpaper, the suzanis...). This basically defines busy for me, but I understand those who love it and think of it as a real home.

katino This is my first, and may be my last, comment post on this site, now that I read how so many of the comments are criticisms of different, and sometimes very different, opinions and tastes - one of them even by a member who refers to "If you don't have anything kind to say..." One person's clutter is another person's enlivening collection. Most of the style here is a moderately visually overstimulating for me, but if you love it or hate it, I'm not going to tell you what a mean and bad person you are! Here's to confidence in having and hearing different perspectives.

mary micallef This house tells the story of a family. The furnishings bring happy memories of the travels of the family members. I bet this family has so much to share.........................

I remember an article in one of our glam magazines that suggested a colour scheme for the Christmas tree decorations, and my reaction was that every bauble reminded me of someone or some event..................how could I part with my colourful baubles in favour of a colour scheme.

Enjoy your home, this is a beautiful reflection of you and your family.

loisdenny1 Lucky you living in your childhood home it is lovely if I was a child in your home I would love living there and when I grew up would also want to come back home to live. Very personal and homey I love having lots of "stuff" as we say in south africa

Dana Veach This is a delightful home...key word, being, "home." It has obviously been put together with love, respect, and joy with a view to nurturing the people living within the "decor." I am seldom a fan of red, white, and blue color schemes, but that master bedroom and office is stunning...bright, bold, cozy, inviting. My personal favorite is Christian's quirky but sophisticated space...what a treat to grow up in a home like this! (To the person commenting on the view through the interior window...did you notice the curtain rod at the top of the window?) Thanks for inviting us in for a visit, Blom family!

patricia beharry I have spent the last two days looking for the clutter. Cant find it. See a lot of texture and colour, but no clutter.

Amanda DeCort They're not staging it, they live in it! It's gorgeous and personal and lovely.

Speaking of staging - I suspect my own homes would be too "cluttered" and have too much saturated color for those who love beige boxes, but guess what? I sold my first home - a 1940s jewel box - in less than 2 weeks for exactly what I wanted. I still get compliments from total strangers who toured the open house. You have to know your target audience! You don't necessarily have to embrace minimalist greige or off-the-shelf decor.

Transformations Amanda, you are right: how we live is so different than how we sell a home. I don't live the way I work and I'm a professional stager! But I would like to stay that staging has evolved and good stagers do more interesting staging than in the past. Color is our friend and a well-designed decor with interesting touches does sell houses! So your experience has been replicated by many stagers, too. ;-}

gschneider You've created great, personal spaces for your family to live in & welcoming for visitors as well. Such a great job blending your lovely eclectic belongings & furniture together - I feel the love, warmth & personality. Kudos!

frenchdecor House decorated very lovely and I am so glad people actually treasure their heritage, roots, sense of belonging.

jjdesignkloos what a beautiful home!! I love the mix of styles and memories!

joanbertha Joanbertha The thing with this home is a family...the wife wants her husbands input & furniture in the design of the home so it's his home to, making sure he had the fish on the wall, all the things the family love. I have done design work on business, homes, cottages & trailers...a good designer should never have a style, it should be putting together things they love with good design.it's there house. I've always said if you really love something use it, show it or wear it ( I was also in fashion for many years ). Remember it's your home. This shows a family who thinks about each other & their comfort...how wonderful :)

Also I find most designers are not versatile, they do the same for all & constantly talking about price & brand. I also respect people giving all opinions either for or against. That's what I like about comments threads. Wonderful thread. Hugs to you all Joan

morgana44 I'm no expert but I think the reason people respond to what they call 'cluttter' is because life is hectic. Cell phones, computers, tv, iPhones, iPads, work, children, soccer, hockey, basebll, football, ballet, dinner, dishes, housework, homework, bill paying, aging parents, teenagers and their drama, run run run. Some folks seek a sense of calm in their life. Color and pattern on pattern may be too jarring. Tablescapes, books, art, and collections are visual stimulation and require cleaning. Keep it neutral. Minimal. Calm. Nothing is wrong with that.

But wouldn't a homogenized world of decor be boring? Every kitchen white with stainless steel and granite. Every living room with a cream colored couch and 2 chairs on a beige rug with a beige ottoman and facing a mantleless fireplace with a tv above. The only decorating in this room is a small box for the remote and one print above the couch. Snooze fest.

I'm not saying we return to a world of decoring before Syrie Maugham. Even I find the Victorian style a bit too stimulating. But I think we should acknowledge the world of differences. My style is English Country (think Chatsworth) I love color and pattern, and art on every wall. We have thousands of books in our library, and I've collected blue and white for thirty years...but I so appreciate some of the modern spaces. The openness, the spareness of good design, sleek lines and even the colors beige, white and grey in that context.

I think that's what Houzz is about...getting us to open our eyes to the world around us. To step ouside our boxes and admire what is beautiful. And maybe help us to define what it is we really like or what we simply can't stand. Maybe we don't want to live in that particular way but we can appreciate the style, design, art, textiles and color in other people's abode.

To me, Houzz is like getting a new issue of Architectural Diget, Verenda, Traditional Home on a daily basis. Some days the ideabooks are like a stroll through MOMA...a history lesson on decorating. Love it.

patricia beharry @morgana44

I could not have said it any better than you did. My neighbour and friend loves the sleek shiny stuff, all bought new and very very expensive. I go visit and admire her stuff. I then come home to my vintage and a few heirlooms (will never refinish),and I feel the warmth of my home and I smile as I pass my hands over the surface as I remember how I haggled the seller to the lowest price, and I thought "I won". My neighbour and I both have beautiful homes; She cannot live with my furniture, and I cannot live with hers, but whenever we bring a new piece into our houses, call each other and even help place it. And that's what it's all about.

Svietka Rivilis i m not a minimalist-much the opposite. But even being a collector and lover of color this house overwhelmed me as well. However, i know from personal experience-when u live in YOUR own surroundings(collections and stuff) u know exactly where each piece is and what your eye catches. If even 1thing was removed-the owners of the house would notice and miss it....
I love 99% of all the things they have-i just dont care for the way they r mixed and matched-but i can totally see why the owners of the house would love it.
As u can see from my own eclectic sitting room-i love mixing and matching

Studio NOO Design Beautiful cozy house with great color schemes in each room. This is not a secret anymore: don't be afraid to mix and match to get a great look !

Becky Harris I wish I were this savvy with print and pattern, the textiles they've picked make this home unique and wonderful in every room.

maijasmama I tried to Post earlier, but it did not go through. I am the homeowner and loved all the responses good and bad! There is much room for improvement. That being said if anyone knows Martyn Lawrence Bullard, would love a little Probono work in living room for a Houzz before and after story! The black and white couch should be a solid colored sectional and we need one giant beautiful rug instead of the smaller ones for starters! It is all time and mostly money so as I tell my wonderful husband, "make do". Again thanks for the compliments and criticisms! Karin

stacyashley We live in my husband's childhood home. You can read about it here: http://awestsidestory.wordpress.com/the-story/

patricia beharry What a woman. Like Bob Marley would say " The strength of a Woman, What a Woman."

yoerinn I enjoy how the glass kitchen cupboards are filled with actual dishes stacked up, some are even mismatched and !!Gasp!! colorful. I'm so tired of seeing kitchen cabinets staged with non-kitchen related collections of porcelain dogs, art glass, etc. who would really devote valuable real estate like that to something so frivolous. I just think....where are their cups?