A limited budget meant that Sarah Greenman and her household had to get creative after decorating their fresh Dallas home. A hodgepodge of their own bits, Craigslist finds, hand-me-downs and intelligent DIY projects helped them fix up the entire 1971 ranch for only $5,000. Regardless of the strict budget, skimping on style was not a choice — Greenman used bold colours, personal art and eye-catching textiles to distinguish their eclectic and joyful home.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Jack and Sarah Greenman and their kids, Walker and Charlie
Location: Lake Highlands area of Dallas
Size: 2,100 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Greenman really desired wallpaper but it didn’t match her budget. Instead, she painted circles on the wall. The blue door color is custom, and also the bird painting is her own job.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman: When you found your house, was it love at first sight?
Sarah Greenman: Yes, it was the very first house we looked at. We looked at 10 or 12 more but kept saying, “Yeah, but it’s not as good as the very first place.” It is a normal ranch home, like thousands of others from the Dallas region, but it’s great flow and also a really good energy.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Although her husband was hesitant initially, Greenman didn’t think twice about going dark in the dining room. Employing Cracked Pepper by Behr on most of the walls was a danger, but they are both fans of the end result. “It reads dark midnight blue during the day and charcoal black at night,” says Greenman. “I really like it!”
VMD: When did it actually feel like your home was your personal?
SG: once we covered every last terrible wall color with our very own palette.
VMD: How can you select your palette?
SG: This is a pretty intuitive process. I needed trendy colours to cancel the Dallas heat. In Seattle our walls were all gold yellow, terra-cotta and sienna. But in Dallas, in which summer time starts in April and ends in November, we had something cooling. So we have mostly stayed in the gray, sable, ocean blue, sage, midnight, mushroom facet of the color wheel.
Wall paint: Cracked Pepper, Behr; artwork: household creations
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
To liven up the informal kitchen nook, Greenman discovered these vibrant classic chairs at a local consignment shop. She had no desire to change their daring and brilliant colour.
VMD: Which are your favourite places to look for your home?
SG: There are some wonderful consignment and used-furniture areas in Dallas, Lula B’s and Again & Again being two of my favorites. But when I’m short of money and also have some time to dig, Craigslist is my own go-to place for home products.
VMD: If you could invite four people over for supper …
SG: I would invite Judy Dench, Bill Cosby, Tom Stoppard, Bill Moyers.
Wall paint: custom; kitchen table: Ikea; seats: classic, Again & Again; window coverings: Etsy
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
The living area includes a mixture of secondhand furniture, bold textiles and framed prints by Leo Posillico.
VMD: Do you have a favourite designer?
SG: I adore Steven Gambrel for his soothing, heavily textured, monochromatic insides. His job is truly daring and yet still very livable. I also adore Isabel Lopez Quesada. Her insides always have a appearance and yet manage to feel rustic and tasteful at precisely the exact same time. I also adore her selection of art for her distances. It is always very playful and lively — occasionally in stark contrast to the space.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
A self-portrait of Greenman painting when holding her younger son, Charlie, rests on the living room mantel. She considers it a visual reminder to stay positive and to always keep making artwork.
VMD: What was or is the biggest design issue?
SG: we’ve got an extremely restricted budget. Our 1-year-old son, Charlie, has cerebral palsy because of a stroke that he suffered while still in utero. He also has a condition known as craniosynostosis — that is when the skull plates fuse, causing limited brain growth. As you can imagine, our clinic bills are high, and there is usually no money left over for our property. Our biggest dilemma — no budget — becomes our greatest source of imagination.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Framed pieces of background samples add color and texture to a gallery wall in the guest bedroom. Greenman mixed the lovely sage green wall color on her own. She saves money by buying leftover or “mistake” paints in the shop and then combines various hues at home to make her own custom colours.
VMD: What or who inspires your own personality?
SG: Traveling, international fashion and casual bohemian insides.
Bed: Ikea; bedspread: Urban Outfitters
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Four-year-old Walker’s room features a classic map and globe, a plane mobile and an oversized chair that pulls out into a bed for sleepovers.
Rug: Pottery Barn; green textiles: Ikea and Target
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
A classic globe light fixture that is original to the home hangs from the nursery. A butterfly mobile made by Greenman’s mother dangles within the crib, also Greenman additionally painted art for the room. “This is not a conventional nursery color combo, but I love the saturated rich color and feel of the space,” she states.
Wall paint: Morocco Red, Behr; drapes: Cost Plus World Market
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
“I love using a home library area,” Greenman states. “A favourite place of mine would be in my son’s nursery, sitting on the rocker beneath the phone of white newspaper seagulls.”
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Installing a classic chandelier at the master bedroom is among Greenman’s proudest homeowner moments. “I love my master bedroom,” she states. “It is inviting, soft and quiet.”
Wall paint: Ashwood, Behr
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
This wooden decoupaged screen from the master bedroom after belonged to Greenman’s grandmother, a talented artist and costume designer who hand-painted every design on the panels. For every generation, she would paint them over and begin again. The piece is just one of Greenman possessions. Next to the board is Greenman’s harp, an upholstered seat and framed placemats from Mexico.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Greenman values sustainability. Her most recent splurge was a backyard garden, where she grows an range of fruits and vegetables.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Renaissance girl Sarah Greenman at a makeshift office space just off the kitchen, where she cranks out copy for her three sites: La Maison Boheme, Smaller Sarah and, most important, Assist Charlie Heal.
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