Beth Skogen
Touches of color like the yellow door contrast with more somber art works like the gray cloud print Nelson made herself.
Bethany Nelson, owner and designer of Milkhaus Design, often carries a tote bag or wears a pretty patterned scarf that she designed herself. As she explains on her website, “Every item you own should be stylish, no matter what it is. It’s often the little details that make life just a little bit better and a little bit sweeter.”
She’s been following this mantra the past few years as she slowly redesigns her 1941 home herself — on a budget. The 1,118-square-foot ranch had “absolutely no character” when she bought it, says Nelson, an accessories designer who makes hand-printed and dyed totes, bags and clutches. “It was basically a white box.” But she was up for the challenge of transforming the space. Her goal: To create a living space that is timeless. She works out of her home, so she likes to keep the space clean, simple and classic.
Her choices start at her bright yellow front door. The living room walls are painted a mix of gray and light blue, the color of a Midwestern sky. Coasters of her own design, candles and a stack of magazines are casually placed about the room. An art print from a trip she took to Japan is held up by pink washi tape, a color that is reinforced by the bright red cord attached to a nearby hanging light fixture. Other prints, such as one by Madison artist Emily Maryniak and a three-part print Nelson made herself, decorate the walls.
Beth Skogen
Her Boston terrier, Lucy, is curled up on the couch. Lucy isn’t a design element, but her presence underlines how the home is warm, inviting and lived-in.
“I follow the same thoughts designing for my home as I do designing an item for my line,” Nelson says. “Shape and proportion are other elements I focus on.” She appreciates mid-century design, particularly its Scandinavian roots — its simple lines, for instance.
She doesn’t go overboard with period accessories, though, and tries to avoid obvious trends. “Make sure your house reflects your personality. Don’t make changes because you think it ‘should’ look a certain way, when in reality that doesn’t fit your life,” she advises. She also warns people off buying a set of furniture all from the same store, such as 100 percent Pottery Barn or West Elm. Her furniture is a mix of pieces from various name-brand stores including Ikea, as well as antique shops, flea markets and craft fairs.
“I love wandering the aisles of a hardware store and trying to find ways to use items in an unexpected way,” she says. She’s used shelves meant for garages or closets in her living room as decorative pieces, for instance.
Beth Skogen
Most of the scavenging for materials, as well as the drilling, measuring, cutting, hauling, sanding and installation, has been done by Nelson herself. In the kitchen, she selected the butcher block countertops and oversaw the installation; she made her wooden side tables and a coffee table, and she built the eclectic, modern shelves in her family room: “I’m slowly building my power tool collection, and I have yet to lose a finger!”
Although she likes to do most home projects herself, Nelson recognizes when she needs help. The subway tile in her kitchen and the lights above the kitchen island and sink were installed by professionals: “Though I have visions of doing everything myself, I have learned that sometimes things get done faster and better if you hire someone.”
Her next project is tiling the bathroom floor, a project she plans to outsource as well.
Nelson’s advice to others wanting to renovate their homes on a budget is to “get an idea of the style you like. Look at magazines and online resources so you can start to see a trend of your likes and dislikes.” Do what you can yourself, but “know when to hire someone to do the work. Time is money, and sometimes it’s worth it to save yourself time to actually get the project completed.”
