Cheap and Cheerful
Consider Erin Flett the Goldilocks of southern Maine. For more than a year, the fabric designer and her carpenter husband, Maslen, scoured the region for a house that would suit their growing family. Some were too big; others, too small. It wasn't until the Fletts came across, of all things, a former group home for children in Gorham, Maine, that Erin's pulse quickened. "It had brown industrial carpet," she recalls, "but it was just right!"
Seating, $25 each: Plastic Eames-look-alike chairs, found on Craigslist, cost far less than the real fiberglass deal.
Plates, $2: A Goodwill treasure mingles with other secondhand dishware in the dining room's early-19th-century pine hutch.
Living Room
Erin started by replacing the dingy carpeting with light maple flooring and covering the common-area walls with sand-colored paint (Malibu Dune by Pittsburgh Paints). Then she brought in creamy white sofas and armchairs for the living room and an early-19th-century pine hutch in the dining room. On this neutral backdrop, Erin splashes colorful vintage pieces as well as bold and boisterous pillows—pink bunnies, green squirrels, orange flowers—of her own creation.
Lampshades, $72: Erin added her grandmother's shade to a metal midcentry lamp, discovered at a neighborhood antiques store.
Couch, $2,499: A neutral sofa lets patterned accessories—including an orange pillow designed by Erin—pop. (youngsfurniture.com)
Rug, $1,500: The Fletts splurged on a handwoven rug by area artisan Angela Adams.
Coffee table, $0: Once a dining table, this cut-to-size heirloom was a gift from Erin's mother.
Play Area
Erin and Maslen's daughters—Breshia, 9, (left) and Aryana, 5—share their mom's daring taste and regularly add their paintings to the mix. "Their art inspires me," Erin says. "It's so free-flowing."
Desks, $25 each: School desks from Goodwill give the girls a place to color.
Curtains, $0: Erin lifted the hand-screened muslin curtains (which retail for $152 each) from her custom home line.
Wall Decor, $0: These 1960s florals, painted on grass paper, previously hung in Erin's childhood house.
Colorful Collections
"The best way to see how my designs will work is to live with them," Erin says. "Plus, I have a bit of ADD visually, so I'm constantly swapping out little pieces. Doing that lets me keep things fresh without making a huge financial investment."
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