Cozy, Functional Family Home Tour VIDEO

For Emily and her husband Sean, a 60-year-old Pittsburgh house on 2 rolling acres is the first house they’ve called home. With two boys age two and under, Emily’s focus in their home is making it pretty and cozy, but most of all, functional.

Her favorite place in the house is their kitchen, which they renovated. Emily’s uncle is a contractor, and he did the work while she designed it.

They removed a wall separating the kitchen from the living room, allowing Emily to watch the kids play while she’s in the kitchen — and opening up the space to more natural light, which makes a huge difference for Emily. She loves the clean white look of the kitchen but also treasures the carrera gold marble tile, which layers a nice texture at the same time.

As Emily guided us through her home, she mentioned that her son Jack loves to read, so she has little book stations set up in each room so that a good book is always within reach, even for little hands.

She also mentioned that sometimes with kids, things will get scratched, knicked, and maybe even ruined. Often, she says, it’s easier just to accept that will happen and wait on investing in more expensive furniture for when the kids are older!

Another of Emily’s favorite places in their home is a long room along the back of their house that is just lined with windows. It’s one of the main reasons they bought the house, she says, and you almost feel like you’re in a treehouse back there! The natural light pours in on the entire space, which serves as their dining room on one side, and further down, a playroom/school room area.

Emily shared several great tips for decorating a home on a budget:

Thrifting: you can find lots of great items with character at thrift stores and through sites like Facebook Marketplace. Emily’s home is full of pieces she loves that have been loved by a previous owner too.
Sales: when Emily finds something she likes, she often waits for those once or twice a year major sales that will significantly reduce the price. She got her kitchen cabinets on Black Friday, and some of her rugs on Memorial Day. Patience pays off!