It has come to our attention that we don’t have enough pictures of our interior….So I promise you , gentle reader, that we will do our best to provide a decent house tour in the next couple of months…Even if the rooms aren’t quite where we want them to be ….just yet.
This is the room we spend most of our time in, so it is most fitting that it is, by far, the most complete room in our house …..You can see what it looked like the first time we walked in here…….
Here’s a close up of the coffee table, usually that basket is full of remotes…….even though we both have Uverse remote apps on our Ipads …go figure.
The coffee table I absolutely love ….it’s a huge glass cube. Just like to one Anthony Michael Hall was trapped under in “16 Candles”. If you’ve never seen that movie, you need to watch it right now … Seriously …. RIGHT NOW. This can wait.
Did you watch it? I KNOW!!!! GREAT movie , isn’t it???
So here’s a little more of the tour…..This is the view from the front hall.
If you close in on the tool box, you can see that we use the drawers for “tear-sheets”….which is wayyyyyyyy easier than saving 300 magazines and catalogues….trust me.
The toolbox came from the garage of an abandoned house my brother was remodeling.
The pillows were all made by me, except the bandanna ones, with scraps from work projects.
I can sew an A-Ma-Zing straight line. The Letterman’s patches I have been collecting for years (and have quite a few more…Quite a few). The big L, from my personal high school Letterman’s jacket, is on a pillow on the other side of the sofa.
Here’s a great shot of the mantle….Notice how John Lennon is just slightly bigger than Jesus, ( just like he said he was ).
The belt buckle in the shadow box was a prize Jamie won showing horses, my favorite because of the red coral Texas.
The brick fireplace was half-ass painted some kind of semi-gloss olive-beige when we first moved in. Jamie primed and painted between all those bricks for 2 days…pretty sure that the black paint is Ralph Lauren Granite in flat.
Speaking of chalkware Jesus, he was only 10 bucks at the Dolly Python, one of my favorite junk shops here in Dallas.
The altar candles were a house-warming gift…as was the “Red 5” votive.
Y’all might remember the plumbing pipe firewood holder from a few months ago…we’re still very much in love with it.
The vintage white pots hold firestarters and Pinon….AHHHH Pinon!
Here’s a shot of Jamie’s Restoration Hardware chair……Still as awesome as the day they delivered it.
The Woodrow Wilson patch I found on a Letterman’s jacket in the street while walking the dog one day……actually the jacket was pretty unwearable, but it had several great patches on it.
My brother the military expert tells me that the Guadalcanal patch is a replica of the one the first marines to step foot on the island were given. Although mine is bullion. That pillow was a Christmas gift from dear friends…pretty sure that I would grab it if the house were on fire.
After the Doberman, of course.
The horn bowl on the table next to it has some interesting things in it…….Some milagros, a clay and horsehair bear from New Mexico, a bundle of sage …. and, umm, a couple of dog skulls.
The far wall has the entertainment center, of course aimed at the sofa and kitchen.
One can never have enough books….they are just so decorative. “Don’t you think?”
I really hate TVs that dominate the room, but our’s seems pretty integrated into all the crap around it…. when it’s on, it’s almost like it’s just another picture on the wall.
I’m a firm believer that there can never be enough pictures of James Dean in a house….and the rodeo poster is one of my all time favorite prints.
Ohh, and another crucifix, and another Rossary……as if a Catholic lives here.
The Red lockers were an UN-freaking-believable dumpster dive find…Can you believe that someone, actually a Hermes store, would throw these away????
We I use them for storing out-of-season clothes….and the RRL boxes on top hold receipts and other boring paperwork….Remember the ceramic Doberman we found at a thrift store last summer? He fits just fine in that little nook.
And this concludes the tour of our den…..
Please keep all comments on a positive note.
Thank You,
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
Absolutely awesome!!! Your attention to detail and creativity is inspiring! Every corner is full of new discoveries! Thank you for sharing!
James, looks great. I love your sense of style and creativity. It is such a nice reflection of the both of you! Shelly Abbott
Thanks Shelly!!!! we hope to have y’all over to see it all in person soon….
Just came over from Artie’s to see MORE of this fabulous room!!!! Love it and can’t wait to see more of your home. I’ll be a new follower. Pinky
Pinky, we are both so glad to have you here..we hope to keep inspiring you …
I left my comment for this posting on the wrong posting! LOL
Love your style!
Thanks for emailing me! I couldn’t help but add you to my blog list – your home is wonderful! I’m so enamored with a small, basic house that has become spectacular through the homeowner’s talent. Looking forward to future posts and more pictures of your home. Sally
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i know i have already said “love” 800 times on all my comments…sorry but i LOOOOOOOVE it LOL! love the dog skulls. love the entertainment area, love the wood rack. love that you love old junk. love the patches.
We are just BEAMING!!! You can LOVE it all if you have to!
I was wondering where your enormous sectional is from…I love it!
Danielle it’s from West Elm. We got it on a close out a few years ago. Jamie
This space is gorgeous! I just love everything about this. I especially love the doberman statue, we have a dobie of our own (real, not ceramic!). If you ever decide to get rid of it, call me! lol
(I find you via Kara Paslay’s blog.)
Amanda, we’re so glad that you love our place!!! The doberman is a tribute to our baby girl Harley Davidson. They are by far my favorite breed…. So smart and loving! Every time I see that ceramic I think it’s Harley sitting there like a ” good girl”… Ha! Like she ever sits still without a personal agenda!!
So glad that you found us !!
James
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Your home is so creative and beautiful — and all the more stunning when one looks at the “before” photos.
Thanks Julie..It has been quite a change from how the previous owned had this house….we imagine that he reads our blog and says “Wow! my house could have looked like that”?
Could you please tell me the source of the large Indian print in the den?
“Chief Sitting Bear” is an Edward Curtis photograph printed on scrim, We streched him over a custom canvas frame so he wasn’t so see through…We got him at Ikea about 5 years ago and sadly they don’t sell them anymore…but I have seen them on eBay a couple of times
Love the Black fireplace! getting ready to paint mine (is red) black & I love the color you used. Was it Ralph Lauren granite or Caviar black? Love your home & blog
Hi Tammy, Jamie painted it RL Granite before we even moved in ….We LOVE it, makes it look chunkier too…
And Thank you, glad that we can share it with you
I suck at keeping up with blogs. I just ran across yours by looking up some canvas I have. I’m not sure why google images sent me to you but it must have been the stars aligning just right. I just moved to Ohio from Austin (my beloved home!) and I’m having an awful adjustment. Your living area is to DIE FOR. DO YOU HEAR ME? TO. DIE. FOR. I am in love! I have been in my new house four about three months now. It looks like we just walked in the door. I am inspired to change that very soon. Like now. Thanks!
Valerie
Hi Valerie!!! Must be the stars, we are so glad that you found us as well. And really glad that you like our space…it’s all still a work in progress. Austin is soo cool, we love that city. Much of our house is inspired by Austin, the cedar, Texas flag, cow hides and the taxidermy whitetail deer in the master….OOOhh even the flower beds in front filled with cacti. Glad that we could inspire you.
BTW, I was born in Ohio, Toledo…you won’t miss that bitter cold.
James
I just stumbled on your blog while searching for home décor/DYI blogs, and I am in LOVE! You have a beautiful home, and your taste is phenomenal. I am so impressed! If I saw one more chevron + gold boring interior, I was going to scream. Your blog is such a breathe of fresh air, and your living room is amazing! Love!!!
*breath (ugh sorry for the typo)
Hi Laura, so glad that you stumbled on us. We’re pretty aware that our style is a little different. Happy to have you.