Chaletmomma Designs

Hi Friends this month my featured “Chat” is with Carissa a DIY powerhouse (along with her hubs) behind the Instagram account House on Ravine. She and Larry purchased their 1913 Arts and Crafts home in 2022 and since that time there hasn’t been a space they haven’t touched. The entry: paint, wallpaper and installing custom hand-built drawers in the closet. The livingroom: Fireplace and Carissa reupholstered a Facebook Marketplace loveseat herself. The diningroom: paint. The kitchen: paint, custom cafe curtains, new lighting. Powder room: paint and wallpaper. The family room: paint including stenciling the floor, fully rehabbing a Facebook Marketplace cabinet to house the electronics including new hardware. Heading to the second floor they added a custom built in closet in their bedroom and gutted the adjoining bath. Rehabbed the family bath through much paint and wallpaper. Their sons room: paint. Their daughters room: custom cabinetry, curtains and a custom headboard. I can’t wait to see what else this talented pair do next! Let’s get to it. Carissa thank you for carving out the time to pop by the Chalet for a chat - can you please introduce yourself.

Hi, I’m Carissa. I’m married to Larry and we have two kids, and we live on Chicago’s North Shore with our rescue dog, Lottie. Our home - what we call our “House on the Ravine”- is a 1913 house set on a beautiful ravine, and it’s been a labor of love since the day we moved in.

A couple of years into working on the house, I realized we had barely documented any of the progress – no real “before and after” moments to look back on. I started Instagram as a way to capture that journey, just for us and some of our family and friends at first. But it quickly became a creative outlet I genuinely enjoy. I began sharing more of our projects and the process behind them, and it naturally evolved into what it is now.

These days, I use the platform to document our home projects and the reality of tackling DIY as a team. It’s not always easy with kids and full time jobs, and we try to keep that part honest - showing both the wins and the challenges. It’s been fun to connect with others along the way and to build something creative out of what started as a simple way to keep track of our own progress.

What motivates you? I think it’s a combination of things. First, it’s creating a beautiful space for my family to enjoy - especially my kids. I hope that one day, when they’re older, they’ll look back and feel proud of how hard we worked to make a home for them. And that they remember it not just for how it looked, but for how it felt to grow up there. It’s also the process itself. I like a good challenge! Figuring things out, learning new skills, and seeing something slowly come together over time. There’s something very satisfying about taking on a project that feels a little out of reach and making it work.

Who or What has been the biggest influence on you? Probably my grandma. As a kid, my grandma taught me to sew, would help me rearrange my room or decorate it, and I remember when I was about 5 or 6 she built us a tree-house in our backyard! She’s a very determined German woman and never takes no for an answer, and I think I get my “where there is a will there is a way” from her. And then growing up my mom was very into antiques and old homes and I think that impacted me too!

**Carissa reupholstered this marketplace loveseat herself** .

Your Happy place – where is it? Hands down – home! I almost always prefer to be here with the fam. But France is a close second – I consider it home in a different way. I lived there during my 20s, which was such a formative time, so it will always have a special place in my heart. I think it also quietly shaped my personal design aesthetic in ways I see today.

The iteration of the Fireplace at the House on the Ravine - painted white when Carissa and Larry purchased the 1913 house, a temporary brick veneer they installed and lastly the custom tile surround they designed and installed. This incredible tile feels very fitting for their home. As Carissa said of the transformation: “This project was our chance to honor the Arts and Crafts roots of our 1913 home with a little elegance and a hint of nature pulled from the ravine outside”

When asked what space are you most comfortable? Carissa replied: I really love all of our spaces, but probably our living room because the fireplace is just so cozy!

**The totally redesigned Fireplace SURROUND**

What is your home aesthetic? I think it’s important to let the house lead and it’s a 1913 Arts and Crafts home with Colonial details. Our interiors definitely have a classic, traditional feel, but very layered. I like to mix vintage and antique pieces with newer elements, and I’m drawn to rich colors, pattern, and materials that feel like they have some history. I try to balance it all so it never feels overly formal or overly styled – just warm, collected, and intentional but feels livable.

**the kitchen - they recently replaced the ceiling can lights with sweet glass fixtures.**

What’s your personal style? I am typically dressed like Adam Sandler haha! But I find that I have a lot of pieces that are similar to our home and its wallpaper – I love a good floral pattern. Otherwise it’s really just pretty classic and simple. I want to feel put together but still comfortable – and I really like pieces that make a unique, subtle statement.

This project is an example of what Carissa accomplished without demo. The toilet needed to be replaced but, everything else is aesthetic. Carissa painstakingly hand-painted every tile and turned this bath into a sophisticated dreamy wallpapered space accented with a deep rich red.

What is something you try and do every day? Well, between kids, work, and projects I try to get a run or some kind of workout in for mental health’s sake!

What’s your guilty pleasure? Real Housewives, for sure. Salt Lake City is fantastic. I once had a French professor compare a Housewives moment to Descartes, so honestly… it’s basically intellectual if you think about it. Also Larry hates it so it’s the only time I truly get to myself haha!

Carissa thank you so much my dear for taking the time from your busy schedule to share yourself with my readers. I really appreciate it! I love all your wonderful projects at the House on the Ravine! You are a powerhouse of creativity and good taste!

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