Recommended Reading
ourhaus is thrilled to welcome our new arrival: The Nelson Platform Bench. Another member of the lust list has made it into our home—to round out a library area occupying a long wall that faces into an open area of our living space.

View from the kitchen toward the living room.

View of library from living room. Shelves: 2 5x5 Expedit bookshelves from IKEA. Runner: Angela Adams "Munjoy" hand-tufted wool.

Living with books is a pleasure, but the "where and how" seems to be a consistently perplexing home storage issue, especially in square-foot deprived spaces. But who wants to relegate their favorite books to storage? We took advantage of this big, exposed wall to function as a browsing library. (Any books that we can't part with, but are not in rotation, do go into storage/attic). We are happy to see that our guests enjoy perusing it, too. It becomes a living wall that invites interaction and discussion, and I love that.





Various views of our book shelf: Brownie Hawkeye camera body found at a Cape Cod flea market; C & J aluminum letters were our wedding cake topper; various Kikkerland wind up toys are gifts from my father-in-law; wooden drawing figure from IKEA; seltzer bottle bought from a street vendor in NYC.


So, if you do make the decision to invest in a piece of furniture that will be with you and your family for decades, I strongly recommend investing in authenticity. We have been down the road of copies and handmade versions of mid-century pieces. Let's just say the inherent issues in their cheap production and the need to replace them so frequently quickly added up in cost and frustration.


Beautiful, solid craftsmanship. Small wooden dowels also reinforce joints.
Designer's mark.
It lasts and retains its value.

The customer service at our Cambridge, MA Design Within Reach store is always friendly, thorough and professional. And there's nothing better than a handwritten note from your retailer

 
Featured On: Show Us Your JA (Jonathan Adler) Style
Jonathan Adler's pieces are inspired by the best eras in design, particularly regarding ceramics. His quirky, cheery adaptations are addictive to be around. I certainly hope to collect more pieces. Which is why we're very happy to be accepted into the "Show us Your JA style" community!



For the holidays, I used the JA Medium Bird Bowl in an arrangement on our dining room credenza. The bird is just so elegant and graceful and added a nice "Peace on Earth" vibe. The Bird Bowl is from Jonathan Adler's "Menagerie" collection.



It's a really great idea for designers and product sites to put the spotlight on their customers to see how everyone, everywhere is incorporating their work into their lives—a great way to build stronger relationships with customers. I feel I'm a bit more a part of the brand and creativity of the work, now.




I have visited the store in San Francisco and now that there is one here in Boston, I'll have to check it out! Have fun browsing the whole site, too. There are some really terrific ceramic pieces as well as beautiful furniture and textiles. I guarantee your "to collect" list will be long.

About Us


Christopher Scott and Jodi Vautrin are the husband and wife team behind Ourhaus, where they chronicle their adventures in home improvement, decorating and travel. After purchasing a unique loft space just a few miles north of Boston, they began photographing and writing about their projects and it blossomed into a creative outlet and platform.

When they’re not home improving, Jodi spends her days as a freelance creative director & designer with a focus on user interface and interactive design, and is an entrepreneur at heart. She serves on the board of AIGA Boston as Vice President of Emerging Ideas & Events.

In his professional life, Christopher is the Technology Director for a multi-service ad agency based in Harvard Square. In his private life, he enjoys tinkering in all its forms, whether it's rebuilding the Ourhaus home network (again), fooling himself into thinking he knows how to fix home appliances, or trying to unravel the mysteries of the guitar. He also flies planes, performs open heart surgery and sings at bar mitzvahs (though not all at the same time).

They share their “haus” with their adorable, highly food-motivated chocolate lab, Lucy.