just over a year ago illustrator and surface designer linda ketelhut moved to austin after nearly 18 years in nyc. her plan was to start from scratch – only packing a few select pieces of furniture, books, lamps and art supplies that could fit into a minivan for the drive down south. and for someone who loves space and loved rearranging furniture as a kid, the move was perfect for her (and provided a place with more than four walls to work with). you can check out more of linda’s great home here, and her etsy shop here. {thanks, linda!} -anne
[above: Because my art is driven by creating environments on paper, I wanted to approach the way that I painted my walls as a piece of paper and bring that same aesthetic to how I could creatively apply solid color in an open room. Stopping short of the ceiling and rounding the edges down to frame the furniture or doors throughout the house appeals to the graphic nature in my work. I didn’t want to forgo color all together, so it was perfect when I found this vibrant orange sofa at a vintage shop. It has great character, especially with a boldly printed pillow in the center.]
CLICK HERE for the rest of linda’s sneak peek after the jump!
as I settled in it felt only natural to continue with the theme of a fresh start. For years I had saturated my studio apartments in bright color – hot pink bathroom, chartreuse kitchen, yellows and blues, purples…. This time I decided to go totally contrary to my natural instinct of bright, and use cool peaceful tones like this sterling grey, reserving the abundance of the color I so love for my work……although, I must admit the first thing I did when I moved in was paint one of the bedroom walls green. Old habits die hard.
I know it’s just a hallway, but here I’ve captured the essence of what I was aiming for as i merged my home, my art and myself as an artist. I can now see, a year down the road from nyc that this is the perfect combination of the old and new – still some of the hues that I adore and use incessantly, but also a simplicity, mixed with the patterns and textures that I can’t live without. The pillow is one of my fabric designs and the artwork is one of my new prints. What you can’t see too clearly, but are truly sculptural, are the giant live oak tree branches sweeping down outside. They’re framed like a piece of art by the green wall. They’re all over Austin and they are extraordinary.
I like the contrast between light and dark with my parsons desk and chair. This is one place that I didn’t feel a compulsive need to put up art as the color stands on it’s own. I love the simplicity of this workspace because it captures perfectly how I had decided to set the tone with color rather than things.
I wanted to create a feeling of the bed tucking into the corner of the room, as the room is on the large side……..I’ve waited 18 years to say that! I painted just one corner and divided the room with a flokati rug. It’s a bit like sleeping in a nest with the bed low to the ground. The pillow is K Studio and the artwork are Nama Rococo newsprints from the ICFF a few years ago. A sheet of the Chateau 66 wallpaper of theirs is on my wish list.
I love this angle looking from the dining area into my studio with the built in shelves and the binders labeled in hot pink tape. The Beck show poster holds a special place in my heart as it’s from my first ACL Music Festival here.
4 of my favorite things come into play in this photo – music, chairs, lamps and fabric. The print is for the band Spoon by the small stakes and I love it’s bold graphic nature. I could fill my home with these posters. The pillow is made with one of my fabric designs.
My studio is my favorite and most lived in room in the house. I love looking up at the swatches popping out on my paint chart and having inspiration taped up all around. With large windows on two sides and birds chirping outside, this room is my nature infused, colorful sanctuary. The green paintbrush cup is one of my small treasures from the Tricia Guild shop in London.
Magazines are a source of great inspiration for me and these metal files are jam packed with great reads and creative materials. I bought the pink butterfly from Liberty on a trip to London. It adds a perfect splash of color against the dark wall. The pentagram calendar is a must have!
My most significant home purchase to date is this teak Danish Modern dining table that I got on ebay. I was very excited about this find and some jumping up and down may have been involved when I had the winning bid. This piece is symbolic of the home I wanted to create – open, filled with friends and dinner parties…. I wanted to keep the room airy, so I chose these clear Tobias chairs from IKEA. The Wayne Pate print anchors the corner of the table perfectly.
63 Comments
The subtle painted shape on the wall in the first photograph creates such a nice structure to the room!
Fabulous colors, and best sofa ever!
The table and chairs are perfect! Love your fabrics too!
I’m so very envious of your orange sofa!!! What a lucky find.
I love all the wall colors! They blend seamlessly from room to room. Great eye!
yes, i love that sofa too. also the use of colour and the studio space especially!
wow, i want to move right in here!
I love the sofa as well. What an amazing home. Grace when you have a chance come by site I would love for you take a look at my latest project. I’m calling it a Forest in our master bedroom. I plan to send you the before and after once I’m done with the space.
I’m in love with that sofa…I want to marry it!
What a lovely house! I would feel so at home there.
I love the poster art on the walls as well!
I’d love to know the name and brand of the paint color in the livingroom and in photo #6. It’s gorgeous and calm and I just might have to paint over the blue that I already have.
where did you get those magazine holders on your parsons desk?
I love your place Linda! Beautiful!
Hope you are enjoying Austin.:)
Wow! How totally wonderful! Thanks for sharing this, Linda.
wow! that sofa is lovely. Where did you get it?
what a wonderful space!
Awesome that she has those clear chairs! I look at those every time I’m at Ikea and my husband doesn’t like them, but I think he just doesn’t see my vision. They look great here!
I show my boyfriend sofas like this one that I see on craigslist and all he keeps saying is maybe we should go to ikea. oh how I envy those who live alone and don’t have to go through the red tape of explaining to the significant other how significant well made vintage pieces are.
Where do I find a lamp similar to the large white one in her dining room?
I love the green you use that’s behind the desk. I have that green in my bedroom. It’s so vibrant and energizing!
hi Shanon, thanks for your comment.
Both colors are Benjamin Moore.
The living room is Sterling and the
blue color in #6 is Oxford Gray.
There is nothing square about this footage. It is a unique mix of whimsical instincts and unending creativity. Your decision-making is a sight to behold from any angle. A perfect portrait of the artist as a young tenant.
Beautiful home! I adore the way the walls are painted and your explanation of how it relates to the way you work.
The white arc lamp is CB2, I believe.
So great, Linda. Clean lines and uncluttered, but pops of color and interesting pieces. Good idea to make the corner cupboard artsy too with colorful binders and neon labels.
Hi Peggy, the magazine holders are
from Target.
hi Maria, I’m so happy my sofa is
getting the love it deserves! I found it at
a vintage shop called Prototype Vintage
design here in Austin.
Hi Linda, what an inspiration! What about the paint color in the living room? Looking for the perfect grey right now and would love to check that one out. Doesn’t look like the “sterling” in the other photo…
Beautiful home! I really love the painted corner in the bedroom. Thanks for sharing your space!
fantastic. i want to move in asap.
Gorgeous space, Linda. Did I notice a niced curved edging to your paint job in the photograph of the sofa-room?
oh my gosh, i love the color, the dining room chairs and the fact that they planted a mini tree in an Orla mug. Adorable!
Great house! What is that cool purse in the photo tacked by the Readymade mag? Is that something you sell, or did you design just the fabric? I really like it!
Beautiful decorating! I love all the color and the head print
this is my dream! Perfect place….
congrats!
What a wonderful home! I love the patterns and vibrant colors in the home, which still has a wonderful lightness to it.
I love this website! But I preferred the old format for sneek peaks, where all the images were posted full size on the page itself. Scrolling is easy. Now I have to click, scroll, click, scroll, click, scroll, etc. to see the slide show.
I would commit crimes for that sofa!!
heidi
unfortunately because of high image hosting bills, we needed to place fewer images on the main page. i’m hoping we can undo this at some point, but for the time being, we’ll need to place the majority after the jump.
that said, you actually only need to click once- just click “read more” or “click here for the full peek” and you’ll get the full post with the images. you don’t need to click all the thumbnails to see the pictures- they’re full sized after the jump :)
grace
grace
Wow – I absolutely loved your NYC apt, but this absolutely takes the cake! This move was a great thing, wasn’t it!
i ADORE this sneak peak! its the perfect balance of color, style, and space! i was wondering where she got the fabric runner in the very last picture. it has gray leaves with blue/teal hydrangea like flowers on it. its so pretty!
What color of gray is that in your kitchen? It’s just the mid-range gray that I’ve been looking for. I love any opportunity to bust out my Benjamin Moore color preview fan. :)
What I love about your space is how you are able to make the transitions work between the vibrantly colored spaces and their muted counterparts. I’m amazed at how well the wide range of colors flow together. Great idea on the structural painting elements in the living room, btw. I may have to borrow that idea if you don’t mind.
Grace, I love the way the thumbnails look on the front page of the sneak peeks :D
thanks bre- they’re being a little wonky today (sorry) so i’m working to get the sizing and spacing right. :)
grace
Hi Dallas, thank you! yes, i did curve the edges when painting around the sofa and throughout my home. I wanted the walls to have style, and the ceilings are high, so I thought rather than paint the entire wall, it would be interesting to use the color graphically to complement the decor.
hi Genevieve, thank you! i think the color may look different due to lighting? the living room with the sofa and dining table is the Sterling color. It looks beautiful and takes on pretty hues as the day progresses and the light changes in the room.
Hi Patty, i feel terrible because I don’t remember who designed this purse and I love it too! I had printed it out as inspiration which I have taped up all around me in my studio.
Thanks Rachel! What looks like a fabric
runner in the picture is Orla Kiely’s flower blossom wallpaper. I haven’t decided on the perfect use for it yet so
I just rolled it out on my table because
it’s so beautiful to look at.
Hi Katie, thank you for your nice comments, I appreciate hearing that. The color I used in the kitchen is “shaker gray”
I copy everyone else, just luuurve that sofa!
And I smiled when I saw the NYC ‘Ork’ poster. The bf and I are in talks to move to San Fran and you better believe I’ll take my Chicago neighborhood ‘Ork’ poster and display it with pride.
i love the tobias chair. it’s been on my wish list for a while now. too bad i don’t have any room for it. you’ve used it in a most lovely way. je l’adore.
This house is incredible…I feel a weekend of re-decorating my flat coming on. What brand is the kitchen paint – would love to know if i can get hold of it in London.
Love the green wall especially
Linda, How many inches did you leave btwn the ceiling and the edge of color/painted wall? Thanks for listing the BM colors you used.
Thank you Jo. The paint brand is
Benjamin Moore
Hi MissMary, I left about 12″
I love that orange couch!
Beautiful space! I was just wondering where you got the kitchen cart? I’ve been looking for one like this and I cannot find one!
lovely sneak peek.
Oh, I don’t know how I missed this when first posted, but what a great home!! :)
-maria
Where did you find the blue vase on the kitchen table? I love the color!
thanks Karlee. The vase is from Eurway.
thanks Cristina, I’ve put 2 kitchen
carts next to each other from IKEA.
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