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Name: Kyla Burnet, husband Duncan, and pup Balú
Location: Portland, Oregon
Type of home: House
Size: 2,372 square feet
Years lived in: Nearly a year, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband and I both work from home, so we spend a lot of time in this space. Since my husband doesn’t have strong opinions on interior design (he’s happy as long as the chairs are comfy and well-made), I get to play around pretty freely with my ideas for the space. I remember sketching out chalk floorplans on the sidewalk as a little kid, so I’ve been drawn to interior design my whole life. I get in a total flow state when playing around with a floorplan, organizing a closet, or searching for juuuuust the right rug.
Since my husband and I love the outdoors, the house has a lot of earth tones and is really oriented around looking outside. Many of the windows that face the woods behind the house don’t have curtains so we can watch the light changing on the leaves, and in the summer, the deck becomes the living room.
The house is pretty organized mainly because my brain chills out when everything is in its place. There are also little goofy touches around the house, like a lamp that looks like a duck and a giant painting of bananas.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Cozy and lighthearted
What is your favorite room and why? They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, but since I’m a terrible cook it’s got to be the living room since it’s all about lounging. We intentionally have only cushy furniture; I resisted getting beautifully designed chairs yet uncomfortable chairs because few people actually want to sit in them.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A realllllly fuzzy blanket.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Add more of whatever helps your shoulders drop when you walk in the door after a long day. Because the spaces we spend time in impact us physically and mentally in really measurable ways, it’s worth taking the time to make changes that’ll make you happy.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.