Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » meg mateo ilasco

i’m working on a special project today (i’ll let you know the details if it works out) so i’ve decided to devote today to the new sneak peek column. i’ll showcase 3-4 artist’s homes with descriptions in their own words. i’ll be back tomorrow with regular posts bu i wanted to make today all about inspiration rather than shopping. it’s always wonderful to be inspired by real people’s homes and see how people living in less than perfect apartments and houses make things work on their own terms (without the help of professional architects, designers and contractors). our first peek today belongs to writer and designer meg mateo ilasco. [click here for full sized pictures of her home]

“I live in a hybrid Eichler style home built in 1959. Over the past couple years I’ve been trying to synthesize my decorating style. I’ve discovered that, for me, rooms work best when they have these four elements: 1. new, contemporary pieces, 2. vintage, thrift store finds, 3. nostaglia, and 4. my heritage and culture. Items I consider nostaglic are decor from our (my husband and I) parents’ homes. I enjoy that they help instill a sense of continuity. Finding a good balance is key. The above image is from my living room. It has my favorite vintage find: Danish shelving by Poul Cadovius (Royal System) which I bought six years ago on ebay for a ridiculously low price. (Seriously, I miss those days!) In the beginning, I was very fixated on Scandinavian stuff. But later I felt a little disconnected with my collection. So I began introducing things from my Philippine culture and blending them in with the existing decor (some examples are the capiz lamp, rattan chairs, and wood artwork in the dining room)”

“This is the other side of the living room. The stereo cabinet is from my childhood, except now it’s been outfitted with new speakers and plays songs from an iPod. The hanging capiz lamp and shell decor are also nostaglic. We hung one inside and another outside to create a dialogue between the two–to bring the inside out.”

“Just to show other parts of my home, here’s the entry way with framed pieces from Kesuke Serizawa’s 2006 calendar (bought from Salvor Kiosk) and a step table with a vintage lamp and hanging melamine plates by Thomas Paul and Lena Corwin.”

“This is my dining room. It’s funny, when I was growing up I used to be embarrassed that our home was stuck in a 1970s time warp. I regarded my mom’s handmade goods with equal disdain: her macrame plant holders, handpainted porcelain elephant statues, and crocheted pillows. As a child, I’d think, “Couldn’t we just buy things?” She said that one day I’d grow to appreciate her stuff. Mom was right! In addition to the living room I also have a photo of Sara Paloma bottles juxtaposed with a Philippine tribal pot.”

These sneak peek posts have certainly done their inspirational job for me. Love the emphasis on personal style, new + old, and reinvention (of space, material, and function). Motivated to make our space work, we spent the weekend “shopping” throughout our apt, purging and rearranging, and making the best of what we’ve got. It does feel triumphant to spend little, stay put, and somehow have a lovely new room (or 3)!

Love this home, the integration of inspirations, materials, and style.

thanks everyone for your sweet comments! glad you like the images from my house.

the dining table was a estate sale find. it was relatively inexpensive, but i spent like 6x more having it refinished (sigh). the glass coffee table is from crate and barrel. and the lighting in the dining room is an Icon pendant from DWR.

although i am designer (of textiles and paper goods), i am not professionally trained in interior design. my interior style education is largely self-taught–coming from books, magazines, and images on blogs from other real people’s homes. i’m really enjoying this sneak peek series, because like grace said–it’s great to see how people engage their home on their own terms.

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