This Michigan House Has a Different Gorgeous Rug in Every Room
Adrienne Breaux
·6 min read
"Our living room is where we spend the bulk of our time, so I wanted to make it cozy and stylish," begins Katy Maiolatesi. "I love the big picture windows (which we can open!), the large entry closet, and our rust-colored L-shaped couch." The couch is from Albany Park, the rug is from Rugs.com, the plant stand is from Amazon, and the TV console and coffee table are vintage. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"I wanted to make the entryway a place to put things upon getting home, but also make it a cute little vignette that I like to stare at. The console, from Target, is where we store all the dog gear, the lamp is from World Market, the plant from The Sill, and the mirror and little man/dog statue are vintage. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"The countertops are Wilsonart quartz, the larger of the light fixtures is from Home Depot, the light fixture above the window and the sink faucet are from Wayfair, the backsplash is from Floor and Tile, and the flooring is from Amazon. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"The dining room, which sort of acts like a hallway between the living room and sunroom, is small but functional. The rug is from Wayfair, the chairs from Amazon, and the table is a Facebook Marketplace find. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"This is our four-season sunroom. It is a mixture of vintage and new and it fills me with joy to look at and hang out in. The couch is from Amazon, the bookshelf from IKEA, the rug from All Modern, the floor lamp and side table from Home Goods, and the green cane chair, orange lamp, and record player console are vintage. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"The chair is from IKEA, the clock from Target, the pillow from Home Goods, the dog bed from PetSmart, and the rug from Ashley Furniture. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"I don't mind a tight bedroom — mostly because this one has two closets. Also a small bedroom feels more cozy to me. That's where you sleep, you know? Placing the bed in front of a window wasn't my first choice, but it makes the room feel so much more spacious than if I were to place it perpendicular to the door. The headboard is from Amazon, the quilt is from Target, the throw blanket is vintage, and the rug is from Rugs.com. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
"We had new countertops and a sink put in the bathroom because the original dingy one was still there when we moved in. I am all about preserving original features, but the countertops were a bunch of cracked tile, okay? Don't yell at me! Countertops are Wilsonart quartz, sink faucet is from Menards, shower curtain is from Urban Outfitters, the clock is from Target, and the Ball jars are vintage. The walls are Sherwin-Williams 'Repose Gray' lightened by 50%." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
After receiving a sudden MS diagnosis, Katy Maiolatesi explains that she and her husband, Andy, moved from New York to Michigan to be closer to family and to be “back to the same city we lived in for years prior to our NYC adventure.” Katy is an educator and comedy writer and Andy is a staff editor for Audubon Magazine. And for the past nine months they’ve shared this 1876-square-foot house in East Lansing with their two Shih Tzu dogs, Gilly and Jolene.
"My office is a place I spend a lot of my day, whether I like it or not, so I am going to make sure it's a pretty spot," Katy explains. "I created this nook, which has turned into the dog resting area. The dogs make great work buddies and on-camera muses." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
“We chose this house for its mid-century vibe, even though it needed some design updates. The outside, which initially drew us in, is in great shape, but the inside walls were painted a different circus-type color in every room, and the kitchen and bathrooms needed to be brought into this century,” Katy writes. “We had painters come in before we moved to coat the entire house in the same color — a much appreciated Sherwin-Williams ‘Repose Gray’ lightened by 50%. I, like I do with many things in life, obsessed over this color for weeks before choosing it, and I am very happy with the result. Everything vertical is now bright, cohesive, and soothing.”
"My favorite room is the sunroom, which is an addition to the house the previous owners had put in," Katy admits. "Sun is right in the name, so the whole lot of us like to soak it up and check out birds and frequent deer that hang out in our backyard. I love the way the decor has come together in there and it makes me happy every time I look at it." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
“We have slowly updated the kitchen and bathrooms into places that feel new, funky, and calm. If we can’t walk out our door into a bustling NYC street, we are going to make up for that with a house that we want to spend our time in.” Although their kitchen was about “75% renovated” when they moved in, they had new quartz countertops, a sink, and a faucet installed, as well as added a DIY sage green subway tile backsplash. And Katy says they recently added new vinyl flooring.
"The kitchen is the space I was least excited about when we bought the house, but we have transformed it into a space we love to be in," Katy admits. "Keeping the previous cabinets and appliances has saved us thousands, and updating the countertops, backsplash, flooring, and light fixtures has breathed new life into this frequently used room." Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
“Listen, sometimes you have to go with the peel-and-stick vinyl tiles, which have come a long way in recent years,” Katy admits. “They turned out great and I love the punch they give the kitchen. We kept the white appliances and the maple cabinets. At first I was disappointed to be inheriting both, but choosing elements that complement them, rather than having an entirely white kitchen, has been made the space unique and pleasing.”
"The last thing I bought were the '70s-themed pillow shams on the bed. They are funky, like Farrah Fawcett in pillow form," Katy writes. Credit: Katy MaiolatesiCredit: Katy Maiolatesi
While Katy describes this home’s decor style as “filled with fun stuff,” she says her own style is always going to be fluid. “Sometimes I see something and immediately know my house needs to have it, and other times I will scour the edges of the Earth to find an item that I’ve conjured in my head and know a room needs.”
Thanks, Katy!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
