For many of us, a storybook cottage is a dream home. But for artist Nita Stacy, it's a gorgeous reality filled with lovely details that are noticeable even blocks away. The bluish-green window trim contrasts against the brick walls. The architectural detail in the rounded archways and serpentine columns add character to the Oklahoma City home and nod to its age. Step inside, and it's like you've arrived when the house was first built in 1931. Just like the home's exterior, the decor reflects the charming yet glamorous style of the 1920s and '30s.
"I found inspiration in the house itself," says Stacy, 50, who besides loving all things vintage, old Hollywood and the roaring '20s, wanted to stay true to the home's era. So much so that she spent the next eight months after purchasing the home in 2004 replacing and renovating the ceiling, floors and hardware installed in the '90s.
Even more impressive, the Oklahoma native did the majority of the fix-ups herself. Having just bought the home, Stacy found the DIY route to be more cost-effective. She actually found most of her hardware and lighting on eBay. And, her furniture is an assortment of flea-market finds and pieces that have followed her from as early as her college days.
Besides the obvious initial savings, Stacy finds another benefit to tackling projects herself: You'll know how to fix it later. "A lot of people think they can't do [home repair] themselves, but it's totally doable," she says. "I think they're afraid they'll mess something up, but if you do, you can easily fix it most of the time." In fact, Stacy is a living example that anyone can DIY. She had no home repair experience prior to fixing up her house. Surprisingly, she found that it wasn't as hard as she thought, she says. It was a process of looking up tutorials on the internet and following the instructions. Though, she'll never refinish wood floor agains, she admits. The fumes were just too much.
Flip through the slideshow to see Stacy's vintage-inspired cottage, and for more photos of her home, visit Mod Vintage Life.
All photos by Nita Stacy of Mod Vintage Life
