Happy Thursday, friends!
Well, I hope you’re in the mood for a home post today because that’s what’s on tap 🙂 .
One of the most requested topics this year regarding our home was…show us more little details.
I love little details too, so I am very happy to oblige.
I thought we’d take this room by room and today, we’re starting with…
…what we call our library 🙂 .
Come on inside…
Spoiler alert, not much has changed in this room over the years. When we were building our home 13 years ago, I knew I wanted a room up front with bookshelves to the ceiling, a fireplace, and cozy seating for reading. If I had to pick a favorite room in my house, I’m pretty positive this would be it.
It’s just cozy…and we all know, I love me some cozy.
I don’t have sources for anything in this space (sorry!) because like I said, nothing is new. BUT, I certainly have some details. For instance, these two chairs were the very first things Andrew and I purchased when we moved to McKinney TWENTY YEARS AGO. When we closed on our first home, I told my mom (an interior designer) that I wanted to buy two really good chairs that we would have for forever. I originally bought them in a dark red fabric which was beautiful, but several years ago, I recovered them in this white. My plan is to keep them forever 🙂 .
I clearly collect coffee table books…
…I was asked if I read them and the answer is that I ALWAYS read them at least one time. When I purchase a coffee table book, I will sit down with coffee and enjoy it from cover to cover. I often sit in this room (especially if I’m waiting on a kiddo to get home) and pick one up to re-read as well. If I buy one on a trip or with a special friend or if someone gifts one to me, I always include the date/place/name inside as well. This way, I’ll always remember why I have the book and where it was purchased/who gifted it to me.
One can never have too many pillows and throws…especially in a room with books.
Speaking of books…
…we clearly collect a lot of them.
These are all very old books, most in foreign languages, that we have purchased in old book shops over the last 20 years…
…we always look for old bookstores when we travel and often, we come home with a book or two. Many of these books have inscriptions and writings inside (again, often not in English). We love them. When we were building this house, we realized that instead of coming home with one book at a time, we were going to need to buy them in bulk in order to fill the shelves, so we found some stores that would sell us crates of old books. I just love them.
We also bring home other finds from our travels too. For instance, we bought this clock…
…on a trip to Germany.
Do you see some other souveniers tucked in there too?
I actually brought this tassel back from Venice, Italy when I was 20 years old…
…and Andrew and I found that old sign back there on a trip to London.
Us under the Eifel Tower many moons ago…
Little details…
…this piece came from The Netherlands…
…my iron dog is from England…
…as is this little placard…
…and this guy too.
The moose was Andrew’s addition a few years ago and…
…the paintings have been collected from our travels. Many we brought home just the canvas and had Hobby Lobby frame them. Some we brought home framed.
On the back of each painting, I have where we purchased it and the date. For instance, the one on the top left is from that trip to Venice in 2002. The two smaller ones towards the bottom are from our time in St. Petersburg, Russia. The two big oil paintings (bottom left and middle right) both came from a consignment shop in Dallas. You can often find great pieces that are older and antiques in consignment shops…
We’ve had our sofa for 13 years, and I’m pretty positive it came from Restoration Hardware. The older and more worn it gets, the more I love it
And that’s a little look at our library 🙂 .
Do you know what would go GREAT with a book in our library today? One of…
…my VALENTINE’S KRISPIES! I have this recipe today too (spoiler alert, there is something else inside besides just Rice Krispies!).
I hope you have the BEST day, friends! I’ll see you tomorrow! xx
Laura Fuller says
I love this. I have begun to collect things when I travel as well. I’ve bought old books from along the Seine and Salvation Army in Zurich. I always find a local artist and bring home a few prints and frame them at home. Fridge magnets of course, a mug. Then I USE them! I broke a mug from Annecy, France a week ago; I glued it back together and now it holds clips in my sewing room. My travels this summer are taking me to Bermuda & Kenya; I am already researching what to be looking for while there.
Mix and Match Mama says
Wow! You are going to two amazing places this summer. I just know you’ll bring back so many treasures from your travels.
Elspeth Mizner says
I love this space! The story behind the artwork is so cool! What do you do with the books you read regularly? All kindle or some physical books too?
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Mix and Match Mama says
I almost exclusively read on my Kindle. I will buy health and wellness books and those little Francophile books though. I keep them on a shelf and then loan them out to friends and my mom and such. I really like making actual notes/marking pages in those books, so I prefer physical copies.
Ashley Craw says
Love your library! So cute and cozy! Also, I love your cuckoo clock- my grandpa brought back one from serving in World War 2 and it was my favorite item in their house. I hope to get one someday. Happy Thursday!
Mix and Match Mama says
Wow! What a treasure that clock is!
Erin says
The aesthetic in this room is pretty ornate, kind of heavy and dark. The rest of your house feels lighter. Do you prefer one over the other?
Mix and Match Mama says
I like a mix 😉
Bren says
This post made me especially happy this morning, Shay! I have wondered, so many times, about where all the books in your library came from! I too love older books. However! For all the times I have read your blog and loved your home and room tours, I had never noticed the cuckoo clock! My grandparents had one from Germany and it is a favorite memory of my sister and I’s, watching the little people come out and dance when the clock would strike on the hour. Your clock is lovely, Shay ~ as always, thank you so much for sharing!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank YOU so very much! xx
Alyssa says
Ok I just have to say, I love your home because it looks like an actual *home* (and it’s also beautiful).I’m listing to your book rec. ( I just wish I had a bigger kitchen), and in today’s world it’s so easy to compare/ judge people based off of “instagram perfect” houses. Your home (and blog frankly) remind me it’s OK to be yourself even if it doesn’t fit the perfect instagram/ social media aesthetic. I love how many memories you have tucked into all the spaces, it makes it so special. Overall, it’s the realness of your photos, home, pictures, all of it that is so inspiring and uplifting to me and I’m sure others. So thanks for keeping it real Shay!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well that is a really really generous thing to say. Thank YOU so much for extending such kindness. Thank you for being a part of this community, Alyssa! xx
Lisa N says
I’ve hoped for a tour like this:) I love a home created over time. Thanks for sharing and the stories that go with what you have chosen.
Pamela G says
I love home decor posts from you and your mom…you both have an amazing talent for making a room look cozy, welcoming and full of memories and at the same time it could be in a magazine! I love the details of the pieces…thank you for sharing
Dana P says
That couch is a dream! Our friends who own the coffee/tea boutique in our town have the same one. It was her grandma’s old couch and looks amazing! I’m sure they’re pricey up front, but an example of something that really holds its value. I love it!
Paula Hobbs says
That room takes me back to the days with my grandparents. I love it!!
Alana says
I forgot about Smith playing the violin! Does he still play? Fun to see the little details we don’t generally get to see.. I think I’ll love this series!
Mix and Match Mama says
He plays for fun but not in any organized way. I hear him up there practicing/playing many times a week, and it always makes me happy.
Kay says
These are my absolute favorite kinds of posts! (Full confession, I’m a Realtor so obviously looking at homes is my thing :). I love your cozy library and the fact that you’ve filled it with things so personal to you. That is the very best kind of decorating. Can’t wait to see details in other rooms!
Mix and Match Mama says
Awwww, thank YOU!
Lisa D says
Such a lovely room! It must be so fun for you to sit in your library and smile at the memories as you see your travel treasures.
Laci says
I remember being so sad when you painted over the red in this space! I love this area of your home that you have shared with us over the years. So cozy!
Mix and Match Mama says
I loved it red too 🙂 .
stacy says
This is my idea of heaven, books gathered from your travels, layered with memories, and a fireplace to read beside. So inspiring. I LOVE that cuckoo clock, so interesting and fun.
Lisa Elliott says
How do you transport items, like the iron dog, home from your trips? When we travel, we are always trying to find spots to bring home our souvenirs and I have passed up some heavier items due to luggage already being at max weight, etc.
Mix and Match Mama says
Most of it is in my checked luggage (like that iron dog). We find that the easiest way to do it.
Angie says
I love the moose! I have always wondered the story behind him….
Mix and Match Mama says
Andrew harvested him on the Alaskan/Canadian border. I think it was in 2022? Fall of that year? I think.
Bailey Morris says
UGH I wish I was there with a cup of coffee and my kindle instead of my cold, fluorescent office right now!! Curious — what’s the best way to bring items back with you when you travel? Do you ship them or carry them in your luggage? I’m a doomsday packer that leaves juuuust about no room in my bag hahhaha. International shipping is so stinkin’ expensive – and if it’s old art, I’d be worried about the safety!!
Would love your tips here. This could be a whole blog post LOL.
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s a great question! We almost always pack it and bring it back with us (either wrapped tightly in our luggage or carrying it on), but on occasion, we will ship. My mom ships most things back as she finds that much easier. Canvases roll so nicely that they’re easy to bring back in a suitcase.
K.K. says
I love this post!! And I love the idea of collecting books on your travels. I’ve always collected ornaments when traveling so that I can reminisce when I’m putting up the tree on all the adventures. I love that your books can be out all year and that you have them signed. 🙂
Maryellen reimers says
I have 90% of my mom and dads old books and I love reading the inscriptions in them!
Mix and Match Mama says
That is THE BEST!!
Melanie says
Love the warmth of your home….cozy and meaningful. Thanks for sharing.
Sue Jones says
Well that was fun! Thank you for sharing with us. Where is your favorite place to read in your house and what are you sitting on? I know it’s a strange question but I want to invest in a more quiet, comfortable place in my home.
Mix and Match Mama says
This room! I love to sit on the couch and put my feet up to read 🙂 .
sandi says
With the high ceilings, natural light from those gorgeous windows, dark woodwork and heavy furniture, I would read in this room every day. In an age where woodwork is painted white, I love the dark wood and the heaviness of this room. My favorite paint colors are dark and moody… think Sherwin Williams cyberspace, oak moss, rock garden… moody blue/greens are my favorite. Over the last 27 years, we have lived in a few different styles of homes. The home we have been in for the last year is coastal with a view of the bay. I am trying to reconcile my love of dark moody colors with this coastal vibe. Got off on a little tangent there, but this room is lovely and you have such a great eye for making pieces from different places all work together.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you, Sandi. I always always look forward to your comments. xx
Diann says
I love everything about this room! Love the items you have bought from your travels. I too love buying different things when traveling. We lived in Egypt for 3 years and one of my most favorite items is a Bedouin (Arabic nomadic tribe) mask bought over there. It’s framed and hanging over my fireplace. Thanks for sharing!
Mix and Match Mama says
Wow! What an incredible experience to be in Egypt for three years. Thank YOU for sharing!
Laura Holmes says
I love the momentos from your travels that have been incorporated into the room! You do a great job with recording on the paintings and in books where each came from. I need to do that! It will be great when they are passed down to your children one day. I love having some special pieces around our home from our trips. We have a very cool mask from Venice carnival.
Ramona Puckett says
Your library is amazingly beautiful!
Leslie Wilcox says
I absolutely adore this room!
Kristen says
Beautiful room. We travel quite often as a family and our thing is to always buy a xmas ornament from every place we visit. It gives us so much joy every year decorating the tree as a family and always saying “oh remember when we went to this country.. etc!!”
Susan says
I absolutely love the look! How do you handle the dust? I have a small bookcase in my office and I swear it is such a dust collector.
Mix and Match Mama says
Denying that there is dust at the top, ha! We do not get up there and dust. It’s too high.
Julie Eggleston says
Where do you keep physical copies of books you read, like book club books? I know you read some on a Kindle, but surely you must have some chapter books.
Mix and Match Mama says
Out of the 58 books I read last year, I think only 4 were physical copies. The rest were all on my Kindle 😉 .
Debra says
I love a library. This is beautiful and cosy. I could stay in here for hours. Thanks for sharing it.
Ari says
Your home is so beautiful, Shay! I love all of the sentimental pieces in this room 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank YOU!!!
Karen says
Gorgeous! I love the paintings on the wall. I can’t wait to see the next room in this series!