Meaningful, Colorful Style in Ohio
A vintage furnishings professional fills her Cincinnati home with a mix of inherited, repurposed and new items
When Emma Durham was a child, her father — “a lawyer who just loves antiques” — would take her and her brother antique shopping, a passion they did not share. “We hated it. My dad had a map and would cross off shops he wanted to visit. We were about to die,” Durham says. But eventually she came to appreciate antiques and well-made furnishings. Today she’s part owner of a vintage furniture rental company, and she’s filled her own 1929 Tudor home in Cincinnati’s Clifton neighborhood with new and old furnishings that reflect her personality and sense of humor. “I’m lucky because I had family pieces that were my baseline and I moved on from there,” she says.
Durham was born and raised in Cincinnati and honed her art and design skills through travel and at Savannah College of Art and Design. The business she co-owns, Queen City Vignette, styles and rents vintage furniture from various eras for events such as weddings, festivals, charity functions and corporate gatherings.
Durham prefers eclecticism in her home, incorporating a mix of eras, styles and, most important, pieces she loves. “I’ve got a little midcentury modern, then I tried to find a lot of Art Deco pieces because that would be the era of the home,” she says. She used Houzz as inspiration, as well as other online tools, of what she liked for reference.
How to Create and Use Ideabooks
Durham prefers eclecticism in her home, incorporating a mix of eras, styles and, most important, pieces she loves. “I’ve got a little midcentury modern, then I tried to find a lot of Art Deco pieces because that would be the era of the home,” she says. She used Houzz as inspiration, as well as other online tools, of what she liked for reference.
How to Create and Use Ideabooks
The home’s front entry leads directly into the living room, and Durham used furniture to more clearly define the area. “I tried to make myself a little foyer,” she says. The vintage rug is placed in a way that directs traffic into the space.
The antique farm table with shelving is from Durham’s childhood home and is used as a catchall for purses, keys and other items. The baskets and crates hold gloves, hats, sunscreen and board games. The trumpet on the table is a repurposed antique. “Someone turned an old trumpet into a lamp. I found it at an antique store and love it,” Durham says.
Shop for decorative storage baskets
Shop for decorative storage baskets
Here’s another look at the entry. The bookcase acts as a divider between the foyer and living room and also provides color. “It’s a color-coded bookshelf, which is kind of a design cliche, but I love it,” Durham says.
11 Ways to Get a Perfectly Decorated Bookshelf
11 Ways to Get a Perfectly Decorated Bookshelf
The living room fireplace is original to the house. It was converted to gas at some point and then disconnected. Durham loves vintage busts and uses the nook above the fireplace to display a collection of them, some of which were created by local artists. “Friends give them to me because they know I collect them,” she says.
In front of the fireplace she displays a piece of art that belonged to her grandmother. An incident with a squirrel coming down the chimney had her (and the squirrel) “screaming and hyperventilating,” so in went the art to cover the opening.
In front of the fireplace she displays a piece of art that belonged to her grandmother. An incident with a squirrel coming down the chimney had her (and the squirrel) “screaming and hyperventilating,” so in went the art to cover the opening.
The peaked arch between the living room and dining room is typical of Tudors from the 1920s, Durham says. The dining table and rug beneath it were inherited from her grandparents. The chairs at the head of the table are from her mother. She bought the others secondhand and plans to reupholster them. “I can do minor upholstering, so chairs are about my speed. They’ll be a future project,” she says.
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Find an upholstery professional near you
A 1960s-era toleware chandelier that Durham had shipped from France is a focal point in the dining room, and it was her first big home purchase. Tole pieces are hand-painted wood or tin, and the chandeliers tend to be ornate and flowery. Many are from France and Italy, and Durham is a big fan. “I have a minor obsession with tole chandeliers,” Durham says. “I found a bunch of them in antique malls and had them rewired and put in.” The candleholders from an antique mall are another special find. “The little cheetahs made me giggle,” Durham says.
An expansive wall in the dining room is the perfect place to display some of Durham’s favorite items — a blank canvas for demonstrating her skill at mixing the new, old and odd. Amid all the framed art is a sculpture of a bicycle seat and handlebars mounted to look like an animal head; Durham found it at a local craft fair and calls it “bike taxidermy.”
Many of the pieces are from friends in the art communities of Cincinnati and Savannah, whom she likes to support by displaying their art. “I love looking at walls and seeing my family and friends through the artwork,” she says.
An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall
Many of the pieces are from friends in the art communities of Cincinnati and Savannah, whom she likes to support by displaying their art. “I love looking at walls and seeing my family and friends through the artwork,” she says.
An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall
The painting of the girl in the turquoise dress on a pink background was one of Durham’s grandmother’s pieces and was the inspiration for the rest of the wall. “We were similar in that we like color a lot,” she says. “It was the first piece on the wall and I went from there.”
Another of the items on the wall is a small schoolbook from the 1800s that has a schoolboy’s doodles and a drawing of a teacher on the back. Durham also scours antique malls, thrift stores and Craigslist. “Because of work, we’re always hunting for stuff. Sometimes something doesn’t work out for work so I use it for the house,” she says.
Another of the items on the wall is a small schoolbook from the 1800s that has a schoolboy’s doodles and a drawing of a teacher on the back. Durham also scours antique malls, thrift stores and Craigslist. “Because of work, we’re always hunting for stuff. Sometimes something doesn’t work out for work so I use it for the house,” she says.
Durham needed a cabinet for her great-grandfather’s china. She wanted an Art Deco piece and kept looking until she found this one from the 1920s. The faux taxidermy goat head handle is from a friend.
Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts: What’s the Difference?
Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts: What’s the Difference?
This round metallic wall shelf holds knickknacks, including a goose head statue and a shovel that says, “I planted a tree in the Amazon rainforest.”
Everything in the kitchen was redone by the previous owner, resulting in what Durham calls “bland gray and white.” The first order of business was to have her contractor paint the cabinets a teal color. “I like the cabinet color — it makes me smile,” she says. Using color on the cabinets was Durham’s way of expressing her artistic side. “There wasn’t a lot of wall space for art so knew I wanted something to make a statement and be creative,” she says.
The faux wood floor planks were installed by the previous owner, who also put in the stainless steel appliances.
These Kitchens Do Blue Cabinetry Just Right
The faux wood floor planks were installed by the previous owner, who also put in the stainless steel appliances.
These Kitchens Do Blue Cabinetry Just Right
Durham swapped out the old light fixture for a striking modern metal gingko leaf chandelier. One of her cats, Frankie My Dear, is seen looking out the window.
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Find a kitchen designer in your area
The guest half bath on the main floor served as a canvas for Durham’s creativity. An admirer of de Gournay wallpaper, she decided to tone down the room’s intense green and try to replicate the botanical designs that are typical of the French company’s hand-painted wallcoverings. Working from a photo, Durham sponged a silvery tone over the green to make it look like fabric, then hand-printed trees and a fence to create a trompe l’oeil, or visual illusion, effect.
The previous owner installed the vanity and flooring. Durham found the mirror at an antique mall, as well as the chandelier with its hanging crystal ball. “My tall friends hate it. They run into that disco ball every time, but it works for me. I can’t reach some cabinets, so life’s a trade-off,” she says.
The previous owner installed the vanity and flooring. Durham found the mirror at an antique mall, as well as the chandelier with its hanging crystal ball. “My tall friends hate it. They run into that disco ball every time, but it works for me. I can’t reach some cabinets, so life’s a trade-off,” she says.
Durham’s mother studied cabinetmaking when she was in her 20s — “the old-fashioned way with no screws,” Durham says. She made this cabinet when she was 25.
This peek into the guest bedroom upstairs reveals a sofa side table in the shape of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. “My dad gave that to me in middle school. It has traveled with me from apartment to apartment throughout life,” Durham says.
This peek into the guest bedroom upstairs reveals a sofa side table in the shape of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. “My dad gave that to me in middle school. It has traveled with me from apartment to apartment throughout life,” Durham says.
The guest room walls are painted a pale turquoise. “It’s almost a Tiffany blue. I love that shade of turquoise,” Durham says. “I had the contractor paint the ceiling and the whole thing turquoise.” The chandelier is another tole piece, and the mirror is an antique. The art behind the couch includes prints from craft fairs and local boutiques.
The little built-in shelves near the guest room entrance couldn’t be more perfect for Durham’s collectibles habit, a trait she says she inherited from her grandmother. “I’m not sure if the shelves are original, but I love them. It gives me space for all my tchotchkes, some from my grandmother. It’s a genetic thing.” A Hermes scarf from her grandmother hangs on the far wall, “because I was too scared to wear it,” Durham says.
Her bedroom is a testament to everything Durham loves, all in one space. She chose the paint before moving in, while the electrical, plumbing and other work was being done, holding out for just the right shade. “I tried like eight different shades of pink before finding one that made me happiest,” she says.
The blue rug is from her grandmother. “She had amazing taste in rugs, which made her happiest and makes me happiest,” Durham says. The vintage headboard is an old folding screen, which she drove two hours to pick up in Kentucky. “I’d been looking for folding chinoiseries. I wanted the height of a folding screen but didn’t want a footboard,” she says. A blue tufted velvet bench at the foot of the bed complements the blue rug. “I just loved the color and had to have it.”
Shop for upholstered bedroom benches on Houzz
The blue rug is from her grandmother. “She had amazing taste in rugs, which made her happiest and makes me happiest,” Durham says. The vintage headboard is an old folding screen, which she drove two hours to pick up in Kentucky. “I’d been looking for folding chinoiseries. I wanted the height of a folding screen but didn’t want a footboard,” she says. A blue tufted velvet bench at the foot of the bed complements the blue rug. “I just loved the color and had to have it.”
Shop for upholstered bedroom benches on Houzz
Durham swapped in cheetah-shaped pulls on her dresser drawers. She keeps necklaces on vintage hooks on the wall and worked flowers into the room’s overall design. “I like to decorate with flowers in general,” she says. “All the art is floral art; it’s all part of my larger collection. It feels kind of like a garden, even in the middle of winter.
“I love to garden. That’s another family trait — my mother and grandmother love it too.”
“I love to garden. That’s another family trait — my mother and grandmother love it too.”
Here’s a closer look at the dresser, which is curated with Durham’s favorite colors and flowers. An oversize pink peony is taped to the wall as a decorative accent.
This bureau is a Victorian piece that belonged to Durham’s great-great-great-aunt. The name Emma is written on the back — for the woman Durham is named after — with a date from the late 1800s. The paper roses over it are party decorations.
The vertical art of poppies is from the 1970s. “It’s the first piece of art I ever bought. When I was 12, I used my allowance to buy it in France on a family vacation,” she says. The pink peonies were painted by her best friend because she knows Durham loves peonies — she even grows them in her garden.
The vertical art of poppies is from the 1970s. “It’s the first piece of art I ever bought. When I was 12, I used my allowance to buy it in France on a family vacation,” she says. The pink peonies were painted by her best friend because she knows Durham loves peonies — she even grows them in her garden.
This armoire belonged to Durham’s grandfather and she uses it to hang clothes. Although she has a closet, it isn’t wide enough for a rod, so it’s used for storage.
In the main bathroom, Durham removed the double-sink vanity and found a 1920s dresser, a basin-style sink and brass fixtures that she had her contractor put together to create a unique piece. “I wanted it to feel more like the 1920s,” she says. She had the room painted a grayish purple, put up new sconces and hung little vintage mirrors in the window. As with the rest of her home, she first visualized what she had in mind. “I start with this idea of what I want, go out and find what I want.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
See other home tours
Find a general contractor
Shop for home products
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Emma Durham and cats Frankie My Dear and Gus
Location: Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati
Size: 1,800 square feet (167 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Contractor: Jim Knolle of JEK Construction
Durham’s living room epitomizes her eclectic, personalized style with its mix of vintage and modern furnishings and art. The hardwood floors are original. The couch and pillows are in some of her favorite colors. “I love the combination of mustard and pink, which is trendy right now,” Durham says.
The living room rug is from her childhood home. The acrylic coffee table makes for fun cat entertainment. “I wanted one of those clear waterfall tables,” Durham says. “If you have a clear table and a cat on top, it looks like a cat puddle, like liquid.” The settee near the windows belonged to her grandmother; she had it re-covered in a plaid fabric.
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