My Houzz: Mindful Vintage Decor in a 1922 Home in Kansas City
Midcentury furnishings add flair to this home shared by a couple and their 4 cats and dogs
Jessica Cain
August 19, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Kansas City based freelance photographer specializing in food, product + lifestyle photography
Houzz Contributor. Kansas City based freelance photographer specializing in food,... More
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Amanda Sayre and their beagle, Buckley; dachshund-Chihuahua mix, Penny; tabby cat, Wesley; and tuxedo cat, Arrow
Location: Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri
Size: 1,368 square feet (127 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Mike and Amanda Sayre’s 1922 home is mostly decorated with secondhand finds from thrift and antiques stores as well as family hand-me-downs. Since the couple also have two dogs and two cats, they tried to keep pet-friendly finishes in mind.
“We realize that having two cats and two dogs makes furniture vulnerable to damage in our home,” Amanda says. “Because we respect these vintage pieces and do not wish the inevitable on them, we chose to purchase newer furniture pieces that are leather or fabric and still fit our midcentury style — but that we wouldn’t be heartbroken if they became scratched or covered in muddy paw prints.”
Blinds: bamboo in Pecan, Lewis Hyman; accent pillow on left: Rust Southwestern medallion, Target; pillow in middle: thrift store; pillow on right: Rust/Navy Southwestern stripe, Target
Who lives here: Mike and Amanda Sayre and their beagle, Buckley; dachshund-Chihuahua mix, Penny; tabby cat, Wesley; and tuxedo cat, Arrow
Location: Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri
Size: 1,368 square feet (127 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Mike and Amanda Sayre’s 1922 home is mostly decorated with secondhand finds from thrift and antiques stores as well as family hand-me-downs. Since the couple also have two dogs and two cats, they tried to keep pet-friendly finishes in mind.
“We realize that having two cats and two dogs makes furniture vulnerable to damage in our home,” Amanda says. “Because we respect these vintage pieces and do not wish the inevitable on them, we chose to purchase newer furniture pieces that are leather or fabric and still fit our midcentury style — but that we wouldn’t be heartbroken if they became scratched or covered in muddy paw prints.”
Blinds: bamboo in Pecan, Lewis Hyman; accent pillow on left: Rust Southwestern medallion, Target; pillow in middle: thrift store; pillow on right: Rust/Navy Southwestern stripe, Target
Mike is co-founder of Easy, Tiger, a home decor shop, and Amanda is a photographer for Made in Kansas City.
The couple bought their home 10 years ago and have slowly worked on updating each space. “Every project we’ve taken on in our home was our own blood, sweat and tears,” Amanda says. “Although it takes longer when you do it yourself, all the work we’ve put into our home makes us appreciate it that much more. If we ever had to sell our home, it would break our hearts and make it so much harder for us to leave.”
Mike found a nonfunctioning record console on Craigslist for $50. He made it better than new by installing a new radio, a record player and a computer so the couple could listen to music controlled by their phones. “There is a Mac mini inside that is hooked into the receiver,” Amanda says. “It is hooked up to a small touch-screen monitor. We also use various apps on our phones to stream music to it via Bluetooth.” The console also has a place to store records.
The couple added frames to three Pachinko games they bought for $50 each at an estate sale.
Artificial plant in stand: Target
The couple added frames to three Pachinko games they bought for $50 each at an estate sale.
Artificial plant in stand: Target
“Our living room is a favorite [spot] because there’s so much natural light from all the windows and it’s a very quiet space since there is no television,” Amanda says. “We mostly use it to read by the fire, visit with friends and listen to music with the animals by our side.”
Armchair: vintage; antlers: Etsy
Armchair: vintage; antlers: Etsy
The built-ins are styled with vintage books, firewood and various items carried in Mike’s shop.
Dachshund brass planter and USA corkboard: Easy, Tiger
Dachshund brass planter and USA corkboard: Easy, Tiger
“The living room-dining room holds some of our favorite pieces in our home, which are the ones that have meaning and tell a story,” Amanda says. The piano belonged to her grandmother.
Whale print: Joao Rodrigues of Arminho; dining room chairs: Amazon; Carter rustic elm table, Overstock; shop for rustic dining tables
Whale print: Joao Rodrigues of Arminho; dining room chairs: Amazon; Carter rustic elm table, Overstock; shop for rustic dining tables
Mike’s parents found this library card catalog in a school dumpster. They kindly drove it all the way from Ohio because they knew the couple would appreciate it. The drawers in the top section are used to store wine and the drawers in the bottom hold things like candles, matches, incense and sage sticks.
“It was really important to us that our home be a cohesive blend of both our styles. We both love everything about the style of the midcentury era,” Amanda says.
Displayed on top of a vintage cabinet the couple bought at Ugly Glass & Co. for $150 is a fiberglass tray sold at Mike’s shop.
Displayed on top of a vintage cabinet the couple bought at Ugly Glass & Co. for $150 is a fiberglass tray sold at Mike’s shop.
Radio: Crosley
In addition to the walls throughout the home, white was used for the kitchen cabinets and backsplash tile.
“Because the rooms in our home are on the smaller side, it really opened up the space when we chose to paint the walls and trim white,” Amanda says. “The white walls also complement all the dark wood in our home and work to simplify and brighten the space. You really have to be careful with what white you choose since some whites are on the cooler side and can make a room seem cold, while white that is too warm can make a room look yellow.”
Wall paint: Ultra Pure White, Behr
“Because the rooms in our home are on the smaller side, it really opened up the space when we chose to paint the walls and trim white,” Amanda says. “The white walls also complement all the dark wood in our home and work to simplify and brighten the space. You really have to be careful with what white you choose since some whites are on the cooler side and can make a room seem cold, while white that is too warm can make a room look yellow.”
Wall paint: Ultra Pure White, Behr
Removing the upper cabinets made the kitchen feel larger and more airy.
“When we decided to remove the upper cabinets above our kitchen sink and install recessed lighting, we had to deal with the electrical for the light above the sink, which meant cutting into the wall and ceiling,” Amanda says. “Not only did we find out that the wiring was poorly done and there was an exposed live wire inside the wall all these years that could have caused a fire, but cutting into the wall meant the loose-fill insulation got all over the entire kitchen.” Mike was able to disable and tape off the unused electrical wire and clean up the insulation mess before their pets could get into it.
Various thrift store mugs the couple have found over the years are displayed on the shelf at one end of their lower cabinets.
Blinds: bamboo in Pecan, Lewis Hyman
“When we decided to remove the upper cabinets above our kitchen sink and install recessed lighting, we had to deal with the electrical for the light above the sink, which meant cutting into the wall and ceiling,” Amanda says. “Not only did we find out that the wiring was poorly done and there was an exposed live wire inside the wall all these years that could have caused a fire, but cutting into the wall meant the loose-fill insulation got all over the entire kitchen.” Mike was able to disable and tape off the unused electrical wire and clean up the insulation mess before their pets could get into it.
Various thrift store mugs the couple have found over the years are displayed on the shelf at one end of their lower cabinets.
Blinds: bamboo in Pecan, Lewis Hyman
Succulent arrangements and houseplants, both real and faux, are found throughout the home, adding a touch of green to the white.
“One project Mike took on that is special to me is the platform bed he built after our beagle kept hurting his back from jumping off our previous taller bed,” Amanda says. “It became our guest bed when we moved upstairs once our attic master bedroom was finished, but it’s still Buckley’s favorite bed to sleep on.”
Another houseplant graces a corner of the guest bedroom. Its foliage is a perfect match to the pillow on the bed.
“One of the first things we needed to change about our home was the finished attic,” Amanda says. “The previous owners had it finished, but it was poorly done and didn’t match the look of the rest of the home. We strive to keep the original style of our home as close to the way it looked 95 years ago as possible. For example, when we decided to gut and completely redo the attic and turn it into our master bedroom, we made sure to match the color of the hardwood floors and style of the trim pieces to the ones in the original part of the house so there was a flow from one room to the next.”
Finishing the attic took the couple almost five years. “The fact that it looks original to the home makes it all worth it,” Amanda says.
Finishing the attic took the couple almost five years. “The fact that it looks original to the home makes it all worth it,” Amanda says.
A vintage set of brass deer that Amanda found in a thrift shop is displayed on top of the bedroom dresser. The landscape painting is also vintage.
Instead of replacing or finishing all the attic flooring, the couple painted some of it black.
“Every room in our house is the same white throughout,” Amanda says. “One tip I would give is to make the wall and trim the same paint color so you don’t have to tape off the trim, and it makes touch-ups much easier.” These vintage theater seats in the upstairs office were a $40 Craigslist find.
Gingham throw pillows: Threshold, Target
Gingham throw pillows: Threshold, Target
“Probably the most costly part of all the projects we’ve taken on in our home was all the wood we had to purchase for our attic renovation, since there is wood from floor to ceiling,” Amanda says. Mike built these shelves, which pull out from the wall and double as drawers.
A hanging houseplant adds color to the all-white bathroom.
Shower curtain: Urban Outfitters
See more 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: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Shower curtain: Urban Outfitters
See more 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: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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I love their style! The bit about turning the record console into a custom music solution resonated with me since coming up with the perfect solution to play music all over our house is a constant quest for my husband and I. What a great idea! I also loved the bit about making a bed that their beagle could reach. What a sweet, inventive couple!
I love the woven wall hangings displayed... are they vintage or available or purchase somewhere? Beautiful home, great taste!
Can you share details about the flooring in the kitchen? Love the contrast it provides with the white cabinetry and how it blends with the wood floors.