Keeping it Real in a Life-Friendly Home
Ursula Carmona
Ursula Carmona is the creative mind behind the DIY and interior design blog Home Made by Carmona. She believes design should be family-friendly, life-friendly, budget-friendly, and goal-oriented. Her home is full of deep, saturated colors that are rich, vibrant, and full of life. Situated on a beautiful 16-acre two-house property in rural North Carolina, she shares her home with her husband and three teenage daughters.
“When it came to personalizing our home, I did not rush the process. I like to live in it, experience the spaces and note our needs and desires over time.”
Upon first sight, this fixer-upper was not her ideal location, but she fell in love with its potential, quant town, and private lush, wooded countryside. Ursula renovated and personalized just about every corner of the home from her beautifully decorated and super-organized workshop. "When it came to personalizing our home, I did not rush the process. I like to live in it, experience the spaces and note our needs and desires over time. Turning a house into a home is certainly a long game. Slowly, I have tweaked things over the years and learned to incorporate unique, beloved items that show personality and character. It takes time to create a collected home and to organize things to function like a dream in a way that doesn't break the bank," she says.
Nature inspires Ursula, she explains her style as a glam take on a traditional design, but throughout her home, there are patterns and textures with natural element details. "Color can evoke emotions and make you feel energized or relaxed. Soothing deep blues and rich greens are my favorite color choices and always have a way of making me feel cozy in my own home, she says.
Nature inspires Ursula, she explains her style as a glam take on a traditional design, but throughout her home, there are patterns and textures with natural element details. "Color can evoke emotions and make you feel energized or relaxed. Soothing deep blues and rich greens are my favorite color choices and always have a way of making me feel cozy in my own home, she says.
It was essential to Ursula to design her home for how her family enjoys life, which meant creating rooms around their hobbies and how they spend time together. Her living room was designed as a gaming room, with built DIY storage units to perfectly fit her tabletop games and a coffee table with pull-out gaming trays and puzzle drawers. "Often, when we design our own homes, it is easy to fall into the trap of creating copy-cat spaces of designs we see and love. But it's important to remember that everyone's homes should be a unique reflection of who they are, instead of worrying about what someone else will think about the space," she says.
"If you are intentional about how a space is put together, it can inspire cleanliness, make organization easy, and encourage lifestyle goals.”
The most meaningful item in her home is an original piece of art her dad painted. Growing up, she watched him paint as a background artist for Disney; now, he has leaned into his art full time and has made unique pieces throughout her home. Creating a home that is as practical and functional as it is stylish was very important to Ursula. "If you are intentional about how a space is put together, it can inspire cleanliness, make organization easy, and encourage lifestyle goals," she says.
Nothing makes Ursula happier than the satisfaction of seeing her family enjoy the work of their own hands. From the DIY elements to the nuances of decor, the memories and moments that went into it make it special.
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