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PofR Visits // a compact condo big on comfort, function, and style

4 min

A short series from 2017/2018 celebrating the Port of Raleigh community. Our customers welcomed me inside their homes and shared a slice of life via their favorite things and spaces. Photography by Ana Maria Muñoz

Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina

We kick off the new year with a fresh new home visit in Downtown Raleigh. Rachael and Shane have turned a traditionally styled condo into their own modern oasis reflecting the things they value most. We enjoyed spending a quiet morning with them getting to see where and how they enjoy their PofR finds!

How long have you lived in your home and why did you choose to live here?

Shane and I have lived at Bloomsbury Estates for 7 months. We moved in this past spring from just a few blocks away. From the time we moved to Raleigh in July of 2014, we were immediately attracted to the building’s stunning architecture, as well as the location. Living right at the top of the hill from Downtown Raleigh is the perfect location for us. We enjoy spending time strolling around downtown and exploring our charming city, as well as running up to the YMCA on Hillsborough Street or Cameron Village for a quick errand. It’s centrally located for us, surrounded by downtown shops, bars and restaurants, neighborhoods, green spaces, and convenient for our commute to work, as well.

Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
A Kate & Kate cotton throw blanket on the sofa and Graf Lantz coasters on the table
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
Bedside Flip Clocks and Night Cables
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
A Yoshii Hand Towel and Umbra Wood Waste Bin fit perfectly in this traditional bathroom

How did you approach designing your home and each space in it?

When we approached designing our home, the first things that came to mind was that we wanted the pieces in our home to have intention, to be functional, practical, interchangeable, simple, clean, and purposeful. We want to be able to find items easily, and not have any visual clutter. I also have learned to appreciate white, empty space, and don’t always feel as though we need to “fill space” with things that don’t serve a purpose to us. Seating is also something very important to us; we love having friends over and family visit from back home in the Midwest, so having enough seating in our living space was a high priority on our list. We mostly want to have a space that is our oasis from the outside world, a place where we feel loved and are being filled with love, so we’re able to pour that love out to others in our home, or in the world around us.

Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina

What object/piece do you enjoy using most on a daily basis?

Something we enjoy using most in our home on a daily basis are the white step stools from Port of Raleigh! I absolutely love these step stools and seriously use them both multiple times a day. We have high cupboards in our kitchen, so I use the two step, step stool daily to reach items high in our kitchen cupboards, and we have the one step, step stool in our bedroom closet to also reach clothes up high. They have a modern, simple, clean design, which I love because it’s something I use so regularly, so I’m able to leave it out in each space without needing to store it away in a closet or have it take up too much room.

Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
A Lemnos Plywood Wall Clock bridges the kitchen to the bar
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
Shane grates Parmesean with a Pinch Cheese Grater by Normann Copenhagen. Rachael selects the perfect spice with a little boost from her Slim Step Ladder.
Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
Good Thing General Tray and Graf Lantz Wine-O's

Fill in the blank and share why: “We always have/keep ___ in our home”

We always keep candles in our home, and ALWAYS have one burning when we’re at home in the evenings and during the weekends. I love the comfort and warmth it gives to our home, they make things feel so comfy cozy inside. My favorite places to find candles are from either Port of Raleigh or Anthropologie. We usually have one of each going in separate rooms of our condo at all times! It’s also nice to have a candle lit for a fresh/seasonal smell when having guests over.

Modern Raleigh home tour at Bloomsbury Estates downtown Raleigh North Carolina
A cozy corner with a Hasami Porcelian Mug and Graf Lantz Square Coasters

What’s one thing we might be surprised to know about your home?

One thing that may be surprising about our home is the amount of spices we have, and our kitchen cabinet specifically designated for a very organized array of seasonings! We really enjoy cooking whole foods plant based recipes together, and loooove spicing up any meal with our variety of seasonings! You can never have TOO many spices in one home, right?!

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Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us, Rachael and Shane!

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Time for care

2019 Design Forecast

2019 Design Forecast

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