12.05.2008

Rubyellen's Home Sweet Home


Being the nosy ladies that we are, we do love a good internet home tour and so Sugar City is jumping on the bandwagon. Behold, Rubyellen's home!

Rubyellen lives in Southern California and is the genius mama behind the blog Cakies, and mother of two adorable girls, True and Brave. She makes and sells beautiful handmade things (you may have seen her crown in the most recent Small magazine). More importantly she is one of the kindest, genuine people you will ever come across. (And, I hyperventilated when she sent me these pictures. Every single one is so lovely.)

This is her bedroom. (Isn't it pretty?) She says this: "I love white walls... Where we lived previously, we had lots of colored walls and I loved it, but something about white walls is so simple and clean looking (though you could see more crayon marks). When we moved here, I debated about painting the walls, but now I am so glad we didn't. I think the white brings more attention to the furniture, which I am glad because each piece has so much beauty and personality."

"We live in a new house in a neighborhood where most houses are somewhat similar. My dream is to live in an older house with much more character, but maybe one day. Don't get me wrong, I am content and I love this house, but you just never know, I think an older house would fit our personality much more. As far as how to give a new home and old home feel, I think the important thing is to take your time. Buying furniture or anything for your home, needs a lot of thought, so don't feel rushed to fill everything up right away. I think loving and buying vintage furniture has taught me a lot of patience because I can't just go to one store and buy everything. We have to search and look for perfect pieces that really speak to us. For example. there is just this big empty white space next to my sap buckets, I kind of know what I want, but just haven't come across it and who knows when I will, so for now it will stay bare. We must love everything we buy, otherwise it just isn't worth spending our money on it. Another thing is that we really love old things, they have so much personality and I think most things in our house have had a previous life, so that contributes in making the house feel a bit older."




Here are pictures from the girls' rooms... some of my favorites:


"...That was my quick sketch of Paris. The blackboard was a great garage sale find for $1. Really, you can't go wrong for a buck. It is hung above Brave's dresser. True's poster has such a presence that I wanted Brave's room to have a different feel, a bit more serene and simple." (I am in love with this picture.)



"A special family sketchbook is important because the girls get really excited to draw (in their case, scribble) and it is just another way to foster creativity. They have their paper and their art containers, but this book is out for anyone to draw in at anytime, so she loves it. We will be just hanging out in the family room and then True will want to start drawing together. A general rule I have is to buy paints, pencils, crayons, markers that can be erased or are washable because with white walls this is very dangerous." (Another wonderful detail. I need to go set out a family sketchbook, right now.)


I asked Rubyellen about her favorite home-keeping tips: "Baskets, baskets, and baskets. I have lots of antique ones all over the house and they keep all the messes at bay. They hold their toys, blankets, books, and anything else I like to keep hidden away. Another tip is less is really more. We rarely buy toys and if we do they are handmade or eco-friendly, so this keeps the mess down and the toys they have are pretty enough to be displayed. Also, I am always cleaning out toys and boxing up ones they don't play with anymore. Really, children don't need that many toys, they have much more fun making them."

And finally, Rubyellen shares this important tip about old furniture with little ones: "We lead check all our furniture, so nothing that goes into our house has any lead or toxins of sorts. The safety of our children is our number one priority so we make sure all our furniture does not contain anything dangerous. Also, to seal anything flaky or rusty, we sand it down and then spray polyurethane to prevent any flaking or the rust from spreading. So everything is perfectly safe. Though our motto is the more dings, scratches, and rust, the more we like it, but we make sure it is all safe first."

Thanks, Rubyellen, for letting us see your beautiful home!

20 comments:

Bethany said...

I LOVE Rubyellen's home! I have been following her decorating for awhile now. She is such a good mom too! I wish I had had that much wisdom when my children were her children's age. I love the fact that she only buys handmade toys and that they are pretty enough to be on display! Thanks for sharing this! She is a wonderful person! And so are both of you!!

Unknown said...

Wow! That home is gorgeous and those pics look professional. I am reeeeallllly nervous...
Jen

Joslyn said...

absolutely gorgeous and creative and interesting home. i. love. it.
xo

RachelDenbow said...

Wow.
When I read her daughters' names, I was hooked.

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful ! I personnaly live in a house which is more than 200 years old and I would dream to live in something more modern :) I love her decoration, the space, the light. Gorgeous ! Have a lovely weekend :)

joy said...

wow.....can I move in? I love it when people share pictures of their homes. There is no better place on earth than at home. (especially when it looks like this!)

Kellie H said...

She always has great ideas that girl! I love her sweet girls' rooms. That last photo has a great pillow in it from Nathalie B! =)
...thanks for jumping on the
bandwagon Now show more of your two homes!

Rubyellen said...

thank you much! i am so honored to be part of this. you two are just the coolest!!! good thing, no one can see my messes that didn't make the cut to be pictured. those areas are just horrendous!!!

nathalie bearden said...

ruby is as sweet as a person can get. we have never met in person, but i'm certain if we met, i would confirm my thoughts of her. she is amazing in everything she does. and her family is just beautiful. ruby's talent shows in everything she makes. and i think it never ever ends. boy i wish i could sketch like that! you ladies could not have picked a better person to feature!!! i spy my version of the anthro pillow. i knew ruby would find the perfect place for it!!! she always does!

Kris said...

So beautiful. Such calm, serene spaces. I wish... Love the family sketchbook and the sketch of Paris!

Anonymous said...

this is an incredible home! thank you so much! i had fun clicking on each one and inspecting every detail of inspiration! love the overall feel of this homey space!

Anonymous said...

What a great post! It was beautiful and it confirmed for me the wonderful feeling of an all-white space. I have been heading that direction in my home and it was so nice seeing those gorgeous pictures.

Also, the interview was very informative. Thanks.

Lauren said...

What a fabulous home - the photos are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

xo

Carissa said...

Cakies is the best blog. I discovered it from your blog. Rubyellen is so nice. I bought one of her dolls for S. and it is darling. I love her style.

melissa said...

Every photo is magazine worthy. I am always amazed by Rubyellen's creativity and magic way of photographing all the beauty around her!

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous, warm and welcoming home! It's a perfect blend of grown up style and family friendly comfort. Can't wait to see more home tours!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

How inspiring! So clean and pretty!
Thank you for sharing!

Liz Harrell said...

I love that house! Her style is so simple and uncluttered.

Melissa said...

I am absolutely inspired by these photos. I mean truly inspired. I went to sleep last night dreaming of the possibilities after seeing these photos. White walls it is!

an angel at my table said...

I get so inspired by these photos you are posting. Very peronal. I love the retro feel and the colour.

Greetings from Sweden