Dear Ashley Putman,

Can we be friends? If not friends, would you mind if I just walked through your house with my jaw in the "dropped position"???

Ashley Putman is a graphic designer living in Houston, Texas. Her home was not only featured in the April/May 2010 Lonny magazine but also in Fresh Home Magazine Fall 2010. I love her home because she has a lot of traditional elements, but she mixes in colorful, modern pieces. When I saw the photos in Fresh Home, I just kept thinking of how cozy and warm her home looked.

It reminds me of something Nate Berkus always says on his show: a home should feel layered and collected over time, not just filled with all brand new, meaningless items. Putman's home is a perfect example of this; I'm sure a lot of the pieces in it have stories and a history.

I'll stop gushing and share the photos now....

The first two are from Fresh Home, and I took them with my camera because I noticed her fireplace is white in one publication and black in the other. I'm hoping she changed it to black; I like it a lot better!

Love that lamp!!!!!

White fireplace...

The rest of the photos are from Lonny

.. and then black. I LOVE the painting above it as well. *It's Christina by Lucy Kirkman.

It's only fitting that a graphic designer would have beautiful gallery walls. What a great eye she has!!

I love the mix of dining room chairs. This is something I've thought of doing since we only have four chairs at our dining table. I would cover them in a coordinating fabric too. *I also have to note that if the parrot pillow is any indication of Putman's personality (as in she's fun and doesn't take herself too seriously) then we should definitely be friends.

I'm kind of joking about the whole "friend" thing. All of my coworkers make fun of me for my strange attempts at making friends. I'm basically a Grade-A, socially awkward individual, but seriously, Ashley, call me. :)

XOXO,

Kelly