My Houzz: Bright Colors in a Virginia Family Home
Gallery walls, sentimental keepsakes and splashes of jewel tones warm up the interior of this 1980 house
Sara Raak is a big fan of decorating with color. “People immediately walk into my home and tell me it’s such a happy house,” says Sara, pictured with her two sons, Henry, left, and Oliver. “I credit that all to the pops of color around my house. Color makes anything look better, cleaner and nicer, and that’s why I have so much of it.”
Sara and husband Paul Raak’s house in Alexandria, Virginia, is a short distance away from historic Mount Vernon. The bright hues in the interior of their home appear on a mix of new furnishings and treasured antiques.
Sara and husband Paul Raak’s house in Alexandria, Virginia, is a short distance away from historic Mount Vernon. The bright hues in the interior of their home appear on a mix of new furnishings and treasured antiques.
Sara’s mother used to own a booth at an antiques store in Iowa, and she had a great collection of furniture and other pieces that have been passed down. “She graciously let me pick the pieces that I wanted for our house, and she and my aunt rented a large U-Haul van and drove everything from Iowa,” Sara says. The coffee table is the one Sara grew up with. “My three siblings and I all have war wounds from the corner of that table.”
The light pink armchairs are recent additions to the living room. “They are perfect to curl up in and read a book, or sit in timeout if you’re my 7-year-old,” she says.
Soriano channel tufted chairs in Blush: Target
The light pink armchairs are recent additions to the living room. “They are perfect to curl up in and read a book, or sit in timeout if you’re my 7-year-old,” she says.
Soriano channel tufted chairs in Blush: Target
“The previous owner was an antique and art collector, so he created his home as a sort of showcase for his collections,” Sara says. “The built-ins, the crown molding and plantation shutters made the house a perfect canvas.” The built-in bookshelves display items from Paul’s family, which owns a telephone and cable company started in 1920.
The vintage trucks and tractor toys belonged to Paul’s father. “My goal is to decorate with items that have a story behind them,” Sara says. “I grew up always asking my parents where things came from that were in our house, and I loved the story part of it. My boys now do the same thing, and I love that they’ll have those stories with them forever and I can pass those items on to them someday.”
The vintage trucks and tractor toys belonged to Paul’s father. “My goal is to decorate with items that have a story behind them,” Sara says. “I grew up always asking my parents where things came from that were in our house, and I loved the story part of it. My boys now do the same thing, and I love that they’ll have those stories with them forever and I can pass those items on to them someday.”
The vintage phones, including this one from 1950, were ones the family company used to sell and use. “So many stories are housed in those bookshelves,” Sara says. The framed military flag belonged to Paul’s friend, and the military hat and medals belonged to Paul’s father, who served in the Army.
“It was important that I really loved to be in my office,” says Sara, who works from home as a public affairs consultant. “It’s girly and pink and is the one room of the house that’s all mine. My most cherished artwork, which includes my boys’ projects from past years, is all housed in my office.”
Sara enjoys swapping in new art in the gallery wall behind her desk. The framed black-and-white print in the middle is a quote that Sara’s late father always used to say: What will be, will be.
“I also have two closets in my office where I store all my decorating and crafting items, as well as the tons of pillows that I’m not currently using around the house. I have a small addiction to throw pillows and covers,” she says. “Decorating is definitely a fun outlet for me.”
Sara added gold stickers to a navy blue bench from HomeGoods to give it a polka-dot pattern.
Melltorp table: Ikea; chair: Cost Plus World Market; white bookshelf: 2nd Avenue; rug: HomeGoods; vintage yellow cart: Craigslist
Sara enjoys swapping in new art in the gallery wall behind her desk. The framed black-and-white print in the middle is a quote that Sara’s late father always used to say: What will be, will be.
“I also have two closets in my office where I store all my decorating and crafting items, as well as the tons of pillows that I’m not currently using around the house. I have a small addiction to throw pillows and covers,” she says. “Decorating is definitely a fun outlet for me.”
Sara added gold stickers to a navy blue bench from HomeGoods to give it a polka-dot pattern.
Melltorp table: Ikea; chair: Cost Plus World Market; white bookshelf: 2nd Avenue; rug: HomeGoods; vintage yellow cart: Craigslist
The dining table belonged to Sara’s parents; she painted it white. “With all the leaves in, it can sit up to 18 people,” she says. The couple enjoy entertaining their friends for game nights and in her words, “hours and hours of conversation and laughs.”
Sara uses a piece of bright wrapping paper as a temporary table runner.
The vintage globe was once in Paul’s father’s office. “It was a dark walnut color and looked so dated. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I decided to paint it a fun, bright color, and this little corner was created,” Sara says.
Oliver and Henry, pictured peeking out from the end of the hallway, “like to spin the globe and see where their finger lands,” she says.
Oliver and Henry, pictured peeking out from the end of the hallway, “like to spin the globe and see where their finger lands,” she says.
This blue campaign-style desk is a $15 find from a local thrift store, ReStore.
“My Aunt Gayle was an interior designer, and I thought she was so fabulous,” Sara says. “When I decided I wanted to paint my bedroom turquoise and orange, my mom asked my Aunt Gayle to talk me down. She convinced me to just paint some furniture those colors instead of my whole room. I’ve stuck to that method ever since. Her home in Connecticut was beautiful — every square inch. If I could, in another life, I would have followed in her footsteps and become a designer.”
Table lamps: HomeGoods; mirror: Craigslist; Revere Pewter wall paint: Benjamin Moore
“My Aunt Gayle was an interior designer, and I thought she was so fabulous,” Sara says. “When I decided I wanted to paint my bedroom turquoise and orange, my mom asked my Aunt Gayle to talk me down. She convinced me to just paint some furniture those colors instead of my whole room. I’ve stuck to that method ever since. Her home in Connecticut was beautiful — every square inch. If I could, in another life, I would have followed in her footsteps and become a designer.”
Table lamps: HomeGoods; mirror: Craigslist; Revere Pewter wall paint: Benjamin Moore
Sara loves the versatility of using an indoor-outdoor rug for her floors. “What’s not to love about a rug that kids and dogs can do anything to and all you have to do is take a Clorox wipe to it and it’s brand-new again?” Sara says. “Every time friends ask how I have a house with nice things with kids, I tell them my secret about the rugs.”
The Windsor-style chair is an antique from Sara’s mother.
Prosecco pillow: Cut Up and Dyed Pillow Co.
The Windsor-style chair is an antique from Sara’s mother.
Prosecco pillow: Cut Up and Dyed Pillow Co.
The family made just a few changes to the existing kitchen, such as painting the wall above the cabinets dark blue (Phantom Blue by Martha Stewart). “We put in all stainless steel appliances and built our dining nook (not pictured). There was nowhere to eat in our kitchen and I didn’t want to use our dining room every night for dinner, so I worked with my contractor to design a simple breakfast nook,” she says.
Find a general contractor near you
Find a general contractor near you
The guest room was converted into what the family calls its “weekend room” with a daybed, Xbox and Roku TV. “This is where my kids hang when they aren’t on the go with sports or school,” Sara says. “My husband even sneaks in there sometimes at night to play games on the Xbox. It’s super bright pops of neon and huge colorful throw pillows.”
The gallery wall features concert posters Paul has collected over the years. “They were all previously in black frames, and to save money, I covered the frames with different patterned washi tape to make it brighter. “It’s a fun room but can still serve as a guest room with the daybed and trundle.”
Discover fun ways to decorate with tape
The gallery wall features concert posters Paul has collected over the years. “They were all previously in black frames, and to save money, I covered the frames with different patterned washi tape to make it brighter. “It’s a fun room but can still serve as a guest room with the daybed and trundle.”
Discover fun ways to decorate with tape
Sara spray-painted this originally black cabinet found on Craigslist with a bright fluorescent yellow.
Decorating Oliver’s sports-themed bedroom was a team effort. “My proudest moments as a mom when it came to design have been when my kids and I worked together to decorate their rooms,” Sara says.
Fjällbo desk and Nyponros duvet cover: Ikea; desk chair: HomeGoods; bed and nightstand: Pottery Barn Kids; Varsity monogram pillow cover: Target
Fjällbo desk and Nyponros duvet cover: Ikea; desk chair: HomeGoods; bed and nightstand: Pottery Barn Kids; Varsity monogram pillow cover: Target
Paul’s mother had saved his sports pennants and collection of sports cards from when he was young. Sara bought two large frames and made the baseball card collages that hang over Oliver’s bed.
Oliver plays competitive sports, including baseball, basketball and swimming. He added foam fingers featuring the logos of local teams to his headboard.
A collection of sports memorabilia is displayed in one corner of the room.
Opposite the bed, bobbleheads and superhero figurines top a red cabinet from Ikea that contains Oliver’s favorite books.
“Henry is into all things transportation, particularly school buses, so I bought prints, coupled with old cars that were his grandfather’s, to make his room what it is today,” Sara says.
Hemnes daybed: Ikea; Jersey X quilt and Jersey X pillow sham: Target; browse more children’s bedding
Hemnes daybed: Ikea; Jersey X quilt and Jersey X pillow sham: Target; browse more children’s bedding
Old Navy wall paint: Benjamin Moore
Although the Raak family spends a lot of time together, each person has a special place to retreat to at the end of the day.
“The tiger on top of the bookshelf was given to Henry when he was in a coma for almost a month in the ICU. One of my best friends sent this to him in the hospital, and he had it with him during his recovery and he never let it go,” Sara says. “He’ll always have that tiger.”
Above the white Ikea bookshelf are medals from soccer, basketball and tennis. Henry is also a huge sports fan and plays competitively.
“The tiger on top of the bookshelf was given to Henry when he was in a coma for almost a month in the ICU. One of my best friends sent this to him in the hospital, and he had it with him during his recovery and he never let it go,” Sara says. “He’ll always have that tiger.”
Above the white Ikea bookshelf are medals from soccer, basketball and tennis. Henry is also a huge sports fan and plays competitively.
A colorful comforter in the master bedroom makes it a welcoming space to unwind.
Norwich linen platform bed: Baxton Studio; Smastarr duvet: Ikea; art: HomeGoods; wall mirrors: Target: table lamps: vintage
Norwich linen platform bed: Baxton Studio; Smastarr duvet: Ikea; art: HomeGoods; wall mirrors: Target: table lamps: vintage
Collyn Capp, Sara’s sister, helped assemble this gallery wall in the master bedroom. “It is comprised of some amazing artwork by local artists and also ones I’ve met through Instagram and Facebook. [Our] dad passed away last December, so I included some sentimental items on the wall that remind me of him too.”
The abstract art in the center is by Elizabeth Snodgrass. The dog portrait is by Winnipeg, Manitoba, artist Lisa Whitehouse. “The mirrors were from the Target dollar bin and were originally black, and I added some color by putting washi tape around the frames of them,” Sara says.
Silver Spring wall paint: Benjamin Moore
The abstract art in the center is by Elizabeth Snodgrass. The dog portrait is by Winnipeg, Manitoba, artist Lisa Whitehouse. “The mirrors were from the Target dollar bin and were originally black, and I added some color by putting washi tape around the frames of them,” Sara says.
Silver Spring wall paint: Benjamin Moore
All three art pieces in the entry are by Sara’s grandfather. “The woman was done when he was an art student at the Art Institute of Chicago. The boy, Paco, lived in a mountain village in Colorado. The town was an abandoned mining town,” she says.
“I love the stories behind all the pieces in my house,” Sara says. “So though it took close to four years to fully furnish, it was worth it. I love every single piece in my home.”
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“I love the stories behind all the pieces in my house,” Sara says. “So though it took close to four years to fully furnish, it was worth it. I love every single piece in my home.”
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.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Paul and Sara Raak; their sons, Oliver, 10, and Henry, 7; their black Labrador retrievers, Reagan and Martha Washington; and their Maine coon cat, Lois
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Size: 2,600 square feet (242 square meters); four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Year built: 1980