At Home With Megan Charters

We are happy to welcome Megan Charters to the blog today to share her colorful and eclectic home with us! "I live in McKinney, Texas (a suburb about 30 miles north of Dallas) in a cozy 1,100-square-foot house that was built in the 1940s. My house sits on the edge of a historic district with homes dating back to the mid-1800s. I am constantly in awe of my surroundings: Victorians, bungalows, cottages, ranch houses. The architectural patchwork is such an inspiration to my eclectic nature! I’ve always loved juxtaposing patterns and colors and mixing eras and styles to create spaces that are unique and have a sense of humor. I read a quote by Candice Bergen a while ago that magically captures how I view my personal style: 'I like houses to be cozy, comfortable and personal. Not cluttered, but filled with interesting objects and toys and as many jokes as I can get away with.' I hope people leave my house with a smile and happy memories." "My favorite find is definitely Jerry Orbach. I collect vintage portraits (mainly from estate sales around Dallas) and spotted a rather dapper looking fellow at an offbeat antique store. I couldn't shake the feeling that I’d seen the subject before, but there was only a tag on the back that said, ‘Jerry.’ After a few days, it hit me that the man in the portrait was a dead ringer for Jerry Orbach, the actor from Law & Order and Dirty Dancing. I did a bit of research and compared old photos and I'm 98% sure it has to be him (or so I like to think). On a whim at Christmas two years ago, I made Jerry a construction paper Santa hat and ended up dressing him for all the major (and minor!) holidays over the next twelve months. For Halloween, he was David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane and at Christmas, I sent out around 50 cards with the entire Jerry Orbach series on the back. He’s become an inside joke with family and friends and I love that." "I suppose the most unusual item in my house would have to be my telephone booth. I've had it for so long, it just seems natural to me now, but it always elicits exclamations of surprise when people come into my home for the first time. I’m a bit of a sentimental Anglophile and was feeling particularly heartsick after returning from a trip to the UK, so when I saw the telephone booth listed at an antique auction, I treated myself as a birthday present. Trying to get it home in my mom’s van was quite the challenge, though! It’s the perfect spot for storing odds and ends and my vintage china collection." "I moved into this space from a tiny, white-and-beige apartment almost two years ago. I rent the house from my good friends, and they have been incredibly generous in letting me paint and decorate, only having to work around a few existing features, such as the tile floor and light fixtures. Living in almost twice the square footage as my apartment has really allowed me the freedom to curate and display my collections (I have too many!) and to tackle fun DIY projects, like making a dining room table with my dad (we used Rachel Denbow's tutorial on Smile and Wave), constructing the geometric mobile in my bedroom, and sewing a billboard quilt (You’re weird. I like you.). I feel much more creative in this space and am always looking for something new to make or change."
"I love having friends and family over to cook, watch movies, discuss books for book club, and to play games and cards. I've kept a lot of my childhood toys around for when my nieces and nephew visit and I have a closet full of supplies for themed craft parties with my girlfriends. It’s a cliché, but I’m a librarian who loves to read, so it’s important to have a comfortable space to come home to, spin an old record, snuggle with my Pug/Boston Terrier Lola, and settle in with a good book. I love getting to call this space home."

Thank you so much for sharing your lovely home with us, Megan! You can find more of Megan over at her blog File Me Away or on Instagram! xo.