Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Playfulness and Practicality in a Maryland Family Home
This suburban brick colonial is anything but cookie cutter with its colorful, eclectic style
“Our style in our previous home and when we moved into this house was relatively safe,” says Rebecca Carrera, owner of Maven Beauty Bar in downtown Frederick, Maryland. “There’s nothing wrong with safe,” she adds. “Safe can be beautiful, but we definitely moved in a more eclectic direction when we started decorating this house.” Together with husband Anthony, the bassist in the rock band Charm City Devils and an IT manager, she turned their builder-grade, suburban home into a space with an eclectic, laid-back style that’s a perfect blend of their interests and personalities. “We’re pretty casual with three kids and a large dog, so we wanted our space to feel homey, where guests could put their feet up and relax,” says Rebecca.
Vintage lockers labeled with the initials of their daughters keep outerwear and book bags out of sight and organized. A vintage industrial-style laundry bin is used as a drop-off place for shoes and bags.
Laundry basket: Lucketts
Laundry basket: Lucketts
The living room is anchored by a sectional from Ikea. “Someday it’ll go to the basement,” says Rebecca. “I keep wanting to upgrade to something different. But now we can have a bunch of kids over or large family gatherings, and I really don’t care about something happening to it.”
The family has lived in the home for 10 years. “It took us the first four years to figure out the flow of the house and how the rooms worked for us,” says Rebecca. “We still had interesting vintage pieces, but we didn’t mix colors, styles and textures.”
The sideboard is a secondhand item passed down from Anthony’s family.
Chairs: Sweet Clover
The sideboard is a secondhand item passed down from Anthony’s family.
Chairs: Sweet Clover
Jonathan Adler is one of Rebecca’s main design influences, as can be seen here in her playful style choices that mix colors and patterns for an eclectic look.
Art: Ikea; Parsons table: Sweet Clover
Art: Ikea; Parsons table: Sweet Clover
The home office occupies the space that the home builder intended to be the formal living room. It includes a table and a cart filled with arts and crafts supplies that also lets the office space function as a craft room and homework area for the whole family. Orange accents play off the black and white feel of the space.
“We used to have a love seat and two chairs in here, but no one used it,” says Rebecca. “Meanwhile, we had that big desk crammed into the little room that was the office. It functions better for us this way.”
Anthony works full-time as an IT manager even when he’s on the road with the band, which tours nationally, so a dedicated work space was a must. Rebecca says, “Sometimes he can be home almost all year, and other years he can be gone nine months out of the year.”
Desk: Pottery Barn; Ghost chair: Silk & Burlap; Philippe Starck Masters chair, dinette set: vintage market; pendant lights, Lowe’s; orange rug, Chartreuse and Co.
“We used to have a love seat and two chairs in here, but no one used it,” says Rebecca. “Meanwhile, we had that big desk crammed into the little room that was the office. It functions better for us this way.”
Anthony works full-time as an IT manager even when he’s on the road with the band, which tours nationally, so a dedicated work space was a must. Rebecca says, “Sometimes he can be home almost all year, and other years he can be gone nine months out of the year.”
Desk: Pottery Barn; Ghost chair: Silk & Burlap; Philippe Starck Masters chair, dinette set: vintage market; pendant lights, Lowe’s; orange rug, Chartreuse and Co.
This dining area is often used for large family gatherings. Anthony is the youngest of seven children, and family Thanksgiving dinners are frequently held here.
Table: Pottery Barn; clear chairs: Tobias, Ikea; sheepskins: Ikea; leather chairs: HomeGoods; rug: Natural Area Rugs; chandelier: Silk & Burlap
Table: Pottery Barn; clear chairs: Tobias, Ikea; sheepskins: Ikea; leather chairs: HomeGoods; rug: Natural Area Rugs; chandelier: Silk & Burlap
A four-piece art display and this antique record player in the dining room are hand-me-downs from Anthony’s family.
Anthony is the bassist for the Baltimore band Charm City Devils. This room, once a small home office, is now a music room and a place where Anthony can keep his instruments when he’s not on the road.
Love seat: vintage Madison and Mabel, Chartreuse and Co.
Love seat: vintage Madison and Mabel, Chartreuse and Co.
The autographed sports memorabilia in the room is from players on the Washington Redskins, including a few pieces from former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. “We both grew up near D.C., and Anthony’s been a lifelong Redskins fan,” says Rebecca.
A sunroom off the kitchen gets a generous amount of natural light. Rebecca made the curtains from painter’s drop cloths — washed several times for softness — and hung them on galvanized pipes for an industrial look.
This wood chest that sits against the sunroom wall belonged to Anthony’s grandfather. Rebecca uses office supply metal clips to display the kids’ artwork in this space.
Chairs, light fixture: Relish Decor; table base: from a neighbor; tabletop: Sweet Clover
Chairs, light fixture: Relish Decor; table base: from a neighbor; tabletop: Sweet Clover
Each of the three daughter’s rooms has been thoughtfully decorated in a way that reflects their unique personalities. Eleven-year-old Sofia’s room has hits of turquoise and plenty of sophisticated patterns.
Bedding: Land of Nod; wall paint: Senora Gray, Benjamin Moore
Bedding: Land of Nod; wall paint: Senora Gray, Benjamin Moore
A combination desk and vanity area gets plenty of natural light.
Desk: Pottery Barn Kids; chair: HomeGoods
Desk: Pottery Barn Kids; chair: HomeGoods
In Larissa’s room, turquoise predominates, while hot pink and yellow add contrasting color pops.
An inviting chair is a dedicated spot for reading and practicing guitar.
Wall paint: Geddy Verdigris, Benjamin Moore; reading chair: Chartreuse and Co.; Eiffel chair: Silk & Burlap
Wall paint: Geddy Verdigris, Benjamin Moore; reading chair: Chartreuse and Co.; Eiffel chair: Silk & Burlap
Twinkle lights, soft poufs and plenty of pink mark 4-year-old Gianna’s room. It reflects the preschooler’s color preferences without being awash in a princess theme.
Instead of a desk for homework, there’s a comfy area that’s ideal for browsing through picture books and plenty of floor space for pretend play.
Canopy: Ikea; beanbag: Pier 1 Imports; side table: HomeGoods; bed: Silk & Burlap; bedding: Land of Nod; dresser: flea market; nightstand, Target
Instead of a desk for homework, there’s a comfy area that’s ideal for browsing through picture books and plenty of floor space for pretend play.
Canopy: Ikea; beanbag: Pier 1 Imports; side table: HomeGoods; bed: Silk & Burlap; bedding: Land of Nod; dresser: flea market; nightstand, Target
The family of five relaxes in their living room.
See more photos of this home
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.
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
See more photos of this home
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.
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Anthony Arambula Carrera and Rebecca Carrera and their daughters, Sofia (age 11), Larissa (9) and Gianna (4)
Location: Adamstown, Maryland
Size: 2,900 square feet (269 square meters); 4 bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Year built: 2005
Sofa: Kivik, Ikea; coffee table, Reverb Black Rug: CB2; wire chairs: vintage Madison and Mabel, Chartreuse and Co.; mirror: flea market; wall paint: Hazlewood, Benjamin Moore