We know you enjoy seeing a variety of homes on House Crashing, so when Katrina invited us into her Richmond townhouse to take photos and explore, we were thrilled. She’s a creative mom who fills her home with collected finds, DIY projects, and thoughtful touches. She lives there with her husband Nate and their little son, Luke.
At the front door you’re greeted by a warm, enveloping wall color (Gauntlet Gray by Sherwin-Williams) and the rich hardwood floors Nate installed himself across all three levels. Vintage light fixtures, quirky wooden shoe-molds repurposed as coat hooks, and layered textures make the space feel personal and carefully curated.
Upstairs, the living room continues the deep, cozy paint but is balanced by lighter furnishings, a painted mantel, and well-placed mirrors and frames that reflect light around the room. Katrina scored starburst mirrors from a big-box store and enhanced them with Grecian Gold Rub-N-Buff to achieve a warm, gilded finish.
One standout detail is a pallet display of delicate paper butterflies that she purchased from Etsy and pinned over the builder’s pre-cut TV niche above the fireplace. She didn’t want a TV there since the fireplace sits at an angle, so the butterflies create a soft, unexpected focal point that contrasts nicely with the rustic pallet wood.
Luke’s play area mixes old and new pieces, with a simple Ikea bookcase anchored by vintage finds: an old map, an oversized clock, and mason jars painted white and hung on the wall. The result feels casual, collected, and kid-friendly without sacrificing style.
Turning left from Luke’s nook reveals the rest of the living room. The dark walls provide drama while light furniture and bright accents keep the room lively. Katrina used inexpensive Ikea frames, inserted yellow paper, and added small spray-painted medallions to create a cohesive, architectural gallery wall on a budget.
Small, clever details appear throughout the room: a paper-mâché deer head that she “aged” with wallpaper scraps and a few extra butterflies from the mantel project, burlap curtains made from repurposed grain sacks, and wide painted stripes tucked inside the pass-through to the kitchen. These touches make the townhouse feel intentional and unique.
From the kitchen side of the pass-through you can see how the grain-sack curtains provide color and texture on both faces, functioning like double-sided panels. Katrina’s kitchen features dark wood countertops, painted cabinets with dark hardware, and a gray penny-tile backsplash that adds subtle pattern and shine. The built-in banquette they installed gives the space a cozy, functional eat-in area, and a large white mirror above it acts like a window to expand the room visually. Decorative baskets on the shelf above the banquette add practical storage and rustic charm.
Lighting and furnishings feel effortless and elegant; several pieces were found locally at outlet stores, lending character without breaking the bank. A mirror Katrina bought at auction brings a little glamour to the space and reflects the home’s layered aesthetic.
While the first and second floors share the same rich gray, the third floor, where the bedrooms are, shifts to a soft, airy blue (Oasis by Olympic). The lighter tone makes the upstairs feel peaceful and distinct from the darker shared living spaces below. On the stairway, mixed-media art—including wood planks wired with vintage glass bottles—adds personality to the transitional space.
Katrina and Nate’s bedroom features a lofted ceiling, plush white bedding, and an elegant tufted headboard. A vintage gate stands by the bed and serves as a jewelry display, while an oversized coral-pink lamp picks up tones from Katrina’s homemade art above the nightstand. She created the artwork by coloring with pastel crayons on canvas and sealing it with a clear resin for a glossy, polished finish.
The nursery is light and charming, with soft furniture and a tree-decal wall treatment that Katrina personalized by adding little chalk creatures peeking out from behind the branches. Another playful detail: she transformed basic Ikea curtains by drawing on them with a Sharpie to create a watercolor-like, painterly effect.
Thank you to Katrina for opening her home to us and letting us share so many lovely, inspiring details. If we’re picking favorites, I’ll take the eat-in banquette and the kitchen’s layered textures, while John can’t stop talking about the calming color shift that makes the top floor feel like you’re up in the clouds.
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