Tour a Colonial With Relaxed Style

This Bowie, MD, home has laid-back style that says "stay awhile."

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August 18, 2022

From: HGTV Magazine

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Photo By: Alison Gootee

Photo By: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Photo By: Alison Gootee

The Story

Whenever Nedra Davis has free time, she spends it decorating — and redecorating — her house. “I’m constantly swapping things out,” says the nonprofit marketing and communications director and mom of two. “We’re talking every few weeks I’ll change the art or the pillows or the rugs.”

She’s making up for lost time, because before she bought this 1,400-square-foot brick townhouse in Bowie, Maryland, she was a renter. “I was in my last rental for six years and didn’t even experiment with paint because in my head, it wasn’t mine,” she says. When this 1991 Colonial hit the market, she found the perfect place to embrace her obsession with color and DIY projects. The owner had kept the house in meticulous shape, but the style was “uninviting and very, very dark,” Nedra says. “All the brown had to go — blue and pink and green are my love language.” She transformed the kitchen with crafty paint hacks and moved through the house, brightening each space and layering in luxe fabrics and funky vintage finds. “My house is my playground,” she says. And she loves the results...at least for now!

From: HGTV Magazine

The House

A coat of Pewter Green by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams on the shutters and door made the exterior more inviting. Nedra clearly a trendsetter — this shade is a part of the 2023 Color Palette of the Year.

From: HGTV Magazine

The Entry

Dreamy cloud-print wallpaper sets the mood in the entryway to the Davis family home. A duo of hanging hats doubles down on the casual vibe.

From: HGTV Magazine

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Hand Painted Ceramic Vase

Quincy Console

The Living Room

Nedra’s first big purchase for her house was this blue velvet sectional from Interior Define. “It’s where my girlfriends and I sit and relax with a glass of wine,” she says. Nedra’s teens, Jayvon, 16, and Aidan, 14, can hang out here — unless Mom’s friends are over for happy hour.

Pinkish pillows from Loloi add to the ahhh factor and match the blush tones in the Rugs USA carpet. The wood console table, a Craigslist score, is one of the only things Nedra brought with her from her rental home. She loves that piece almost as much as she loves Sasha, her fiddle-leaf fig.

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Bristol Sleeper Sectional

Global Views Giraffe Sculpture

The Living Room

Pull up a chair, or rather, hang one up. This fun element isn't just for show — Nedra sits in it every day.

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Threshold Chenille Blanket

The Kitchen

“I thought a lot about how to refresh this room while spending the least amount of money,” says Nedra. She gave the cabinets new life with the same paint she used on her shutters, then created a checkerboard pattern with tile paint to cover the dingy brown floor. Finally, she googled “can you paint counters?” and found a faux-marble kit from Giani. “It lightened the whole space,” she says.

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Banks Counter Stool

The Dining Room

When Nedra saw this tasseled chandelier, she had to have it. “It’s a bit boho for a dining room and sets a more relaxed tone,” she says. The jewel-toned snake rug, from Ruggable, and faux leather Homary chairs are equally unexpected. Nedra put two glossy white IKEA storage units together for a credenza and installed molding to add drama to the gallery wall featuring Black portraiture.

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Boho Fringe Chandelier

The Bedroom

Neutral colors, plush pillows from Target and Rejuvenation and a high-pile Loloi rug give Nedra’s bedroom boutique hotel vibes. “The window isn’t centered, so I hung floor-to-ceiling curtains to trick the eye,” she says. “I gasped when I put them up — I called in my kids and was like, ‘Look what I did!’” Matching textured nightstands from World Market boost the room’s symmetry — and warmth. The peachy-pink paint on the ceiling (Meet Cute by Clare) gives the whole space a cheery glow.

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Quinn Nightstand

Snug Lumbar Pillow

Neera Pillow

The Bathroom

“After sharing a bathroom for years, I was so excited to have my own space,” says Nedra. She put her stamp on it with crane-patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper, then revamped a brown vanity by painting the base Naval by Sherwin-Williams and using a white gloss epoxy spray on the counter.

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Flying Cranes Wallpaper

Jayvon's Room

Jayvon’s room was a challenge for Nedra. His two requests were a black room and LED lights — the opposite of Nedra’s fresh and airy style. "I don't typically use black, even in my clothes," she says. "I kept fighting it, but he’s a kid and they deserve to have their own personalities in their spaces." Nedra decided to go all-in on black and create a monochromatic design that they can both appreciate.

From: HGTV Magazine

Tour a Colonial With Relaxed Style

Related To:

Shop This Look

The Story

The House

The Entry

Shop the Look

Hand Painted Ceramic Vase

Quincy Console

The Living Room

Shop the Look

Bristol Sleeper Sectional

Global Views Giraffe Sculpture

The Living Room

Shop the Look

Threshold Chenille Blanket

The Kitchen

Shop the Look

Banks Counter Stool

The Dining Room

Shop the Look

Boho Fringe Chandelier

The Bedroom

Shop the Look

Quinn Nightstand

Snug Lumbar Pillow

Neera Pillow

The Bathroom

Shop the Look

Flying Cranes Wallpaper

Jayvon's Room

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