It’s not every homeowner that will take a chance on a distant Facebook Marketplace find, hopping in the car for a 10-hour round-trip journey for the purchase. But that’s just what Amanda Yong and her husband, Kyle Dworak, did when she spotted a stunning marble mantle from Veranda Antiques in Columbia, Missouri. Though the homeowner originally had something else in mind for their Dundee home library, the siren’s song of that solid marble piece just couldn’t be ignored.
Yong has been renovating their 1912 home with a focus on creating an eclectic, romantic, and bohemian aesthetic. Originally, the now pretty-in-pink library was the former owner’s primary bedroom. The pair decided to prioritize this space and turn it into Amanda’s light and airy dream library. The husband and wife team started by ripping out a large closet to add more square footage, then leveled out the former step-down area for a more seamless flow. Yong shared, “This was the longest and most difficult piece of the renovation, and Kyle did it by himself.” David Wood Floors was tapped to refinish the floor—a tough ask to match the original quarter-sawn pine, but the end result shines.
Next was building solid oak bookshelves from scratch—another task the couple tackled themselves, with Amanda focusing on design and Kyle on the execution. “I’d never be able to do this without him,” she laughed, sharing that she’d be forever stuck in the design phase without her partner. A faux fireplace, the perfect companion for the aforementioned marble mantle, followed. Paint, a gorgeous blush tone called Modern Love by Backdrop, helped lighten the space.
Photo by Bill Sitzmann
Styling the now-refreshed room was the fun part. The homeowner shared, “I want my house to feel like living in perpetual spring,” so Yong tends to favor a lot of flowers, plants, vines, and nature-inspired design elements. Plants from local favorite Mulhall’s—which she’s amusingly named Ramona the rubber tree and Cathy the calathea—and a whimsical garden statue from Etsy help liven up the soft pink background.Vintage rugs from the women-owned company Canary Lane, sourced from Turkey and Morocco, add texture and interest. An intricate wooden mirror (another Facebook Marketplace steal) was painted white by Amanda before finding its eventual home in the room. Curtain rods and curtains from Target, a pink lamp from the local secondhand shop Forever Yesterday Exchange, and artwork from local artist Jaimee Backstrom round out the library.
An Anthropologie couch and chair add lushness and mesh well with Yong’s goal of a feminine, romantic vibe for the space. A mix of family heirlooms and Yong’s impressive book collection add a sense of style and history to the custom bookshelves. Crown molding, sourced from uDecor online and installed by the couple, provides some historic glam, while Hyggelight candles and a desk made by Kyle add atmosphere and function.
Though Yong enjoys walking around her charming Dundee neighborhood, she’s also perfectly content curling up on the couch in her ladylike new library. What’s not to love?
See Amanda Yong’s decorating journey on Instagram @thelittledovehome.
This article originally appeared in the May issue of Omaha Home. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
