When Bill Montgomery was 30 years old, he stepped into a pub in Germany and met eyes with Angelica Rissmann. It was love at first sight, and they’ve been together ever since. The couple lived in Nuremberg, then New York City, and finally settled in a small town in the Hudson Valley. He teaches theater at West Point and she writes children’s books. Here’s a peek inside their colorful home…
LIVING ROOM
What inspired you to decorate with such bright colors and lanterns?
Bill: The hanging lanterns make us feel like we’re floating among colorful hot air balloons. Before I met Angelica, my houses always had white walls and brown furniture.
Angelica: Yes, I painted the walls! I wanted something more emotional. Blue is calming, so I chose many different hues. Then I added touches of warmer reds and oranges, which made it feel like a happier house.
Bill: Since the ground floor is basically one long space, using ever-changing hues of blue draw you into different areas.
Your sofa looks so cozy.
Angelica: Having pillows on the sofa allows us to tweak the color palette. We like to switch up the cushion covers and blankets depending on the season or holiday.
What first drew you to this house?
Bill: The roof has a central chimney, which evokes a very European cottage look, and a little village is just down the road. Since I lived in Germany for eight years, that really rang some bells for me.
Can you tell us more about how you first meet?
Bill: We met at an Irish pub in Germany. I was visiting my parents there.
Angelica: There was a lot of beer! I got butterflies when I saw him — I hadn’t had those for a long time.
Bill: She got to meet my mom and dad right off the jump, which basically guarantees that I’m a nice guy.
You have a lot of family photos around the house.
Bill: It feels good to reflect on all the folks who have been important in your life.
A: Some rotate and some stay forever.
Any advice for living in a smaller house?
Bill: This one-bedroom cottage is 1064 square feet. When we moved in, we took out a wall, so the floor goes all the way through from the front to the back. It made it feel larger and more open.
Angelica: We also have lots of mirrors, which make the space feel bigger.
KITCHEN
Do you have a morning routine?
Bill: Yes, as life goes on, a routine becomes very comforting. I come downstairs early, around 6:30 a.m., and grab my instruments.
Angelica: Hearing his guitar is a nice way to wake up.
Bill: At 8 a.m., I’ll prepare our powdered drink thing. Then we like to take a walk by the river for about a mile. They say if you can take walks in nature, it helps you live in the moment. Then we come home for a quick breakfast, usually oatmeal with fruit.
Angelica: Then Bill goes to work, and I stay here and write my stories and read. I still read actual novels, versus on a Kindle — I love the smell of paper books. Right now, I’m reading Alice Hoffman’s wonderful book The Marriage of Opposites.
What’s the story behind these snapshots?
Bill: The right photo was taken when we got married at Niagara Falls, 20 years after we met. Angelica has an independent streak, so making it official was not necessary for her. She was here on a tourist visa, but when it finally ran out, we had to run up to Niagara Falls and get married. Right after we said ‘I do,’ we went to a casino, and on Angelica’s third turn on the slots, she won a thousand dollars!
HALLWAY
Tell us about the painting in your staircase.
Bill: Our artist friend, Benta Martins, painted it. We thought the small staircase was the perfect place to have her paint an overflowing garden, as if the flowers were coming out of the wall.
BEDROOM
How did you decide on colors for your bedroom?
Angelia: I went on a trip to India and brought back some beautiful saris. The light glitters through them and looks different throughout the day.
Do you have any relationship advice?
Bill: Every couple has its own dynamic growth as you go through life. You grow and change together.
Angelica: Some people want lots of money, but for me, it’s the last thing. It’s nice to have, but you shouldn’t depend on it. We started with no money, pennies in the pot.
BACKYARD
How often do you hang out outside?
Angelica: I spend most of my time in the garden; I’m hardly inside. The trees, the flowers, the bushes, oh god, it’s paradise!
Bill: Half of our yard is flat and the rest is a hill with tall trees. The four seasons are visible. We’re very thankful. I come home for lunch every day, and we eat outside on the deck. We’re vegetarian, so Angelica pulls together some soup or salad.
How’s the winter been?
Angelica: Cold.
Bill: On the bright side, there’s more time to read in the winter.
Do you plan on staying here for good?
Bill: Yes, we love it. This was my 27th move since birth, but we call this our last stand.
Thank you so much, Angelica and Bill!
P.S. Many more house tours, including a friendly L.A. loft, a home in the Japanese countryside, and a book-filled Brooklyn apartment.
(Photos by Olivia Rae James for Cup of Jo. Interview by Megan Cahn.)
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Love your space and your story…and of course the scarlet begonias!
More home tours like this, please!! Love seeing something unusual, not so pristine and perfect and styled… More lived-in and genuinely expressive, with heart and soul and memories and dust. Love this. Thank you.
Absolutely agree! this is about life and home. LOVE
AGREED!
I know Bill, personally. I own the pie shop in town and he stops in for veggie pies and quiches frequently. He told me about the article on your blog and I had to check it out! Congratulations, friend! You and your lovely wife are famous! See you soon!
I love how real life just intersected with the virtual in this comment!
LOVE this – love not seeing the same old style of white walls, hanging green plants, Indian blankets, Scandinavian furniture (though those are all great!). Love seeing bright colors and a real lived-in space – YES. More real people with real lives, thank you!
Absolutely loved this!
Just loved this tour! It was a nice reminder that a home can be an expression of its inhabitants; the quirkier, the better! And clearly happy, full lives are being led here.
Angelica and Bill need to go on a double date with Terry and Jane (who picnics with wine every night along the Brooklyn Promenade)!
I Know Jane! I can only imagine the conversation! lovely
This just made me so happy! What a lovely couple and beautiful home. Loved everything about this tour!
This home is so amazing!
Aww you both are like my spirit animals lol. I love all the colours and have always used vibrant colours in my home. I’ve kind of gotten off that track but you both inspire me.
Gosh, are they cute! Lovely piece about them!
What a lovely couple. They sound so calm and centered. There’s a lot to be said for taking things slow, reading, listening to music, and spending time in nature. It seems to have worked for Bill and Angelica :-)
Sweet couple. I like that they don’t seem to worry about “rules,” and instead follow their instincts.
So nice to experience a tour in which you actually feel the authentic selves of the habitants a bit! There is nothing contrived or artificial about this couple’s home- or them, from what I read. Thanks, Cup of Jo.
My heart leaped when I saw the first photo. Yes to diversifying the tours with older couples and homes that reflect a life well lived! What a lovely couple.
So happy to see an older couple featured!
This is so refreshing, i love it!! Life goals.
Goals.
Such a wonderful bite of their lives – I can tell they’ve lived a lot! It also sounds like a perfect to start the day with a mile long walk. I think if I’m doing that every morning, I’ve basically made it in life. No social media madness, just calm, nature, and peace. So great!
Eva
Just from having read this, I already love these people! Great profile (and home!) Also appreciate seeing: (a) a house that isn’t all white walls and painstaking tidiness (with all due respect, enough already) and (b) the divergence from millennials-in-media-living-in-a-major-coastal-city. Nice one, CofJ! :)
yes, well said!
My thoughts exactly.
Yes!!! :-) so great to see an older couple, a spot off the beaten track, and a huge dose of color! Loved this so much.
Definitely life and relationship goals!
#goals
When people ask me where my aesthetic comes from, I always say: “From my great aunt Franny!!” Her house was colorful and dinged-up and filled with things she had inherited or collected over the years from her travels. There were plenty of breakable things but there weren’t any “no-go” zones for kids. And nothing was new. Perhaps that’s what some of these comments are getting at. A lot of house tours involve very beautiful, newly purchased rugs and couches and lamps (with helpful links to the stores they came from). But maybe we’re starting to miss all the things that are old and worn and smell a little musty — the lived-in messiness of life. I once spoke to a man who runs an estate auction house and he described how sad he sometimes felt that people now keep so little of what their parents leave behind because they’ve already purchased everything they want. This home feels so full of things that are truly cherished. And inviting. You’d never worry about putting a drink down without a coaster.
Great post, it reminds me of this amazing couple who live on a floating island home in Vancouver. Beautiful souls! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4500142/Meet-couple-ve-spent-25-years-floating-home.html
Thank you for posting this lovely story of a couple with some age and depth. Stories about the young are nice to read, but you simply can’t beat the life of two people that have been together for decades and shine with happiness.
Oh, I adore them! What a beautiful home!
Oh my gosh that last photo!! I’m a little teary-eyed! What a sweet cozy life they have together.
Best one yet! I love this!
That last picture of them waving from the windows, I love it!! I hope they add it to their collection of photos. Loved this feature and how warm and cozy it made feel. They’re focusing on the right things, and their house and relationship seem full of joy. How comforting this house and couple are!
Couldn’t agree more with this comment!!!
I agree with so many of the other comments— this house is LIVED IN! What a refreshing look at a real house filled with the day to day items of life and not just lookin’ like a magazine. Beautiful and inspiring!
I want to be them when I grow up! From the vegetarianism to the saris to the sweetness and joy in the little things. How much better would the world be if we all lived this way?
It’s so nice to see a warm, happy home that was put together by a couple that adores each other and gathered things around themselves to reflect their personalities and life. I love that this home is real, and messy and imperfect. So many blogs show homes that are “curated” but they come across (to me) as rather sterile, like, OK it’s beautiful but I wouldn’t actually want to live in it.
This is the BEST house tour on Cup of Jo! Please, do feature more people in the second half of their lives, their perspective is precious! :)
seconded!!!!!
I agree!
I’ve been single and happy forever, but this couple makes me want to find a partner for life!
I love almost every single one of your posts, but I believe this one may be my favorite ever. They are truly inhabiting the world and the happiness glows on their faces. Given me a lot to think about.
This was less a house tour, and more a heart tour. Do some more of these!
Thank you!
Oh I loved this house tour! I mean, I love them all, including the perfectly styled ones that end up on my pinterest board. But aside from being a beautiful house, this one made my heart ache a little as it represents some of the things I’d like to have one day – a lovely, comfortable home that is infused with memories and items from my travels, and which I share with the love of my life (love-at-first-sight meeting in a German pub optional but preferred).
LOVED everything about this post! MORE please!
Is Angela actually Frankie from Grace & Frankie? I love it!
The photo of the kitchen cupboards showing all the wear around the handles really moved me. It made me wonder how many hands had opened and closed those doors to make loved ones cups of tea, or to serve dinner, or tidy up after a party. What a beautifully lived in house, and what a warm and inspiring couple.
Absolutely love them. I love these kinds of posts! Older people (especially couples) are so wise and inspirational. They’ve been through so much.
I agree with all of the comments – I came back to this so many times today, it made me smile. What a beautiful home full of treasures and treasured memories.
They sound so lovely. I’d love to live next door and that last photo! So much fun!
This is somewhat different from the other houses. I like the other houses but they do look so clean and photo ready. This one is quirky and more real! And my favorite!
I loved this tour and featuring a couple who has grown together for years. How refreshing! You want to cozy up with them over a cup of tea and chat! More of these type of real posts , please.
Talk about a soul-filling home tour instead of a house tour! To me, they’re the living embodiment of so many pieces by one of my favorite artist/author, Brian Andreas’, drawings: “who can say when they started seeing magic in the most unexpected places, but it took them barely anytime at all to understand it happened entirely because it was the two of them together.”
(see the drawing & hundreds of his other beautiful glimmers of silly poignancy here: http://www.instagram.com/brianandreas)
Thank you so much for showing us this fabulous home. So full of colour and love. Such a nice change from the endless white, and eccessively designed (curated?) spaces we see online. This is just great xx
Finally a house that looks like mine! Without white walls and perfect lighting—it looks like they actually live there!!
It’s nice to see a colorful, bohemian, not-perfect house for a change! However, I wish there were more actual photos of the inside of the house, and descriptions of what we’re looking at (like, the kitchen–any story behind it)?
Loved that last photo of them each waving out of a window! It put a smile on my face!!! What a great home tour!
Such a sweet couple!
You could really turn thing around in the ol’ house tours scene with stories like this. That’s what this is–not a tour but a story.
How beautiful is this couple? Thank you for letting us see your home – colorful and full of life! Thank you also for the words of wisdom on marriage.
What a lovely couple!
couldn’t agree with these comments more!! it’s so refreshing to see a couple so comfortable in their relationship and a house that looks so loved and full of personal treasures. while i enjoy looking at many of the curated house tours, they sometimes feel so sterile and not personal. this house looks warm, cozy, and so lived in (in a good way)!!!
These people are just wonderful and their love for each other jumps off the page. Their home is lovely, too, naturally.
Olivia Rae James’ photos always have so much emotion and soul in them. I love looking at her images! And this was such a genuine and beautiful tour. This couple looks and sounds so in love! Thanks for sharing : )
I grew up in houses my parents built themselves completely off the grid… And we had that same fake rock linoleum in our kitchen when I was little! I loved it and I love this house!
Omg how lovely. What a refreshing read. The joy they take from small, everyday pleasures is inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
This is my favorite tour that CoJ has ever posted! I would love to learn more about these two; they inspire me and make me think of my loving fiance :-) I love to see happy couples
I’ve come back to this three times today. They really brightened my day, truly.
Perfect artsy, bohemian home and relationship goals. So sweet and creative!
You can tell they have a great marriage from their sweet anecdotes. You should ask them for their marriage secrets next!
a big ‘ol YES to houses that look lived-in !!!
I agree! This feels like the most real place that’s been featured. Such life and beauty!
AGREE 100%. so refreshing.
Yes! More of that please! :)
I loved this home visit! This was the first one I’ve seen where I thought “Yes. Real people live here.”
totally agree!
This was one of my favorite tours. It makes you want to visit their home, be their friends. They are so full of life.
I am from Pakistan and this feature felt like home to me.with the colorful saris! Pakistanis usually have colorful homes!
“The right photo was taken when we got married at Niagara Falls, 20 years after we met. Angelica has an independent streak, so making it official was not necessary for her. ” Yesssssss.
Just lovely. You can just feel the “life” oozing from this home.
Reading this home post made me feel legit happy and good about being alive!
Lots of times home posts(which I almost never click on anymore) make me feel weary to my bones over one more ‘perfect’ stylized, aesthetic that will never feel relatable, fun or actually livable.
This one was pure gold. I loved seeing how they sparkle towards each other and how normal and cozy their kitchen looks.
Thanks!! ?
I agree 100%. I love regular old homes! I want to see the stickers on the bananas in the fruit bowl, and handpainted anything, and stuff that has been added to shelves over the years: not styled, but grown.
I concur! Easily one of my favourite tours, not because of the aesthetic, but because of how real it is. It shows LIFE and a winsome spirit!
Amen. Absolutely loved it for exactly these reasons. ?
YES! So many of these home tours are fun to look at but make me feel like I’m not doing enough, that we’re behind because we have three kids, but still don’t own a home, or that everyone else with kids keeps their home perfectly clean. I know that’s not true, but it’s hard not to feel that way when I see all those beautiful houses!
YES! A real, relaxed, home for once!
Agreed! It felt relatable and real and warm and just plain old GOOD to read this. :)
Loved it. Leaders not followers. Thank you!
Chiming in to say that I agree, and that Cup of Jo keeps getting more inclusive and real and I am into it!!
“not styled, but grown”.. Beautiful bullseye, Midge! You just defined my indefinable goal :)
i loved this house tour, too, and the couple is so charming! but i want to say, i ALSO like other ones with a beautiful personal look (anna bond’s was one of my all-time favorites). those homes feel lovely and joyful too, it’s just a different style. it’s not that their house is always clean or their kids are well behaved or their jobs don’t make them insane, it’s just that they tidied up for a house tour shoot (i would!) and/or have a few bins/closets to toss everything into at the end of the day. i want to say that i love this house tour, but i REALLY love those too! don’t think we need to throw those out with the bath water!
YES! these comments are exactly what I thought. I do love the house tours, but they feel so staged.
Yes, Midge–“not styled but grown.”
I love this couple. I can really see the spark and warmth between them and I appreciate how the aesthetic seemed incidental, an extension of who they are together. I noticed how the towels were hung imperfectly on the oven doors and it felt like they invited us into their home, rather than being on a house tour. I enjoy the house tours for different reasons but this one left me feeling warm and cozy.
Best home tour ever! It’s not “designed”…… just comfortable and personal. I would stay there forever, too.
These two have infectious good vibes even through an online interview. Love it so much!
oh man, i love this. partly because it reminds me of a popular aesthetic where i live (tucson, az! woop woop!) but also because my husband and i have had many talks about how we love older people (i.e. anyone older than us, ha). many of them have so much wisdom and kindness, as if the trials (and joys!) of life have worn and polished so much of that in them. it’s not pretentious or contrived. and it’s refreshing. i think that younger people are really hungry for the wisdom and perspective of their elders. there is so much talk about diversity, which is amazing, but one of the lesser talked about ones is hearing from people of all ages and stages of life for every area of life, whether it be clothing, relationships, home decor, parenting, etc. i have learned so much from the young and old alike, whether they have partners or kids or not, whether they own or rent or squat, whether they have a 401k or work at taco bell, i feel like every person i’ve met has given me a sliver of perspective to shine on my own life. and every person i’ve met, i’ve found a sliver of connection where we see we are the same. thank you, cup of jo, for being so aware of that!
Just had to say, I love everything you just said.
What a perfectly beautiful comment – this crystallised how I feel too!
Yes, yes, yes! Beautifully said!
This is wonderful.
Okay. That was epic!
But what is the the story behind the snapshot on the left? :)
This has inspired me to do a house tour on my parents! Who knows what great stories or insight I might learn from the decor that I always take for granted.
Definitely love their spirit, though the house feels much too busy for my liking. I need way calmer spaces to calm my crazy mind. But glad for them that the colors bring them joy.
That last photo – what fun!
god, they’re adorable. i want them to be my fun aunt and uncle!
It felt almost nostalgic looking at these photos. I remember visiting people’s homes growing up and they looked so much like this versus the perfectly curated homes we sometimes see today. This home and couple really tell a story.
Their child-like, sweet romance is warming me up today. May it last forever, you two.
That last question: Do you plan on staying here for good? My husband and I were just wondering out loud together if/when we might find the ‘for good’ spot. He has moved over 20 times, as well, and his heart is longing for a digging in spot. I hope we find a spot that both our hearts can call a long term home. And I hope it has such a warm and colorful embrace as this one. Thanks for sharing this little piece of hope and joy.
“pennies in the pot..” i love this line so much, it resonated with me
and i adore that he comes home for lunch with her, when they only just spent time walking together a few hours earlier for breakfast…
What happened to Megan? She’s no longer an author on your “About” page.
thanks for asking! megan isn’t working full-time for Cup of Jo anymore, but she’s still contributing posts as a freelancer. we adore her and wish her all the best. we’re hiring a couple new people this spring, and caroline donofrio (my first hire) is coming back to help out during lexi’s maternity leave. exciting times. :) thank you!
Oh no! I would’ve loved to send Megan off in the same way we did with Caroline when she left that spring. Could you make announcements about things like this in the future, Joanna? Megan was part of our community and we want to know what she’s up to!
CAROLINE IS RETURNING?!?! WONDERFUL.
Edie – My thought exactly! I was just wondering what she might be up to. Does she still have a growing cookbook collection? What color lipstick is her current fav?
I love them. : )
I love your house tour series! Thanks for bringing in some diversity in terms of age. That last photo is fantastic!
Also, I just love her outfit in these pictures! That orange blazer and jeans and her hair half pulled back? stopppppppp
…a week of outfits, maybe?!??!
I concur! A week of outfits please :)
I agree!!!
yes to this!! more of her outfits, please!
This is my favorite home tour by far. They seem so interesting and charming, and I love their style. It was so nice to see something other than than the neutral mid-century/hipster look (which to be fair we have going on in our house to a degree). What a nice, colorful escape on this cold winter day.
Also chiming in to share my appreciation for this post. They are so obviously crazy in love and this home shows it. Even in their daily goings-on, there’s so much love and intention.
Thank you for including an expanded age range. I can only hope my house will continue to fill with treasures from our travels and be as interesting and comfy as that beautiful couples!
This is just beautiful, especially the last two photos…
Man, I love home tours! This one was so genuine and unique, what a sweet, fun couple.
Just like I love all the dogs, and lots of different kinds of people, I love the minimalist all white scandinavian houses, the boho midcentury, the cozy cabin tiny house cottage. No matter what my own home looks like or how it reflects me, it’s just plain fun to see how others live and love in their own homes. Thanks for doing such a great job with these tours coj!
I loved this house our! You get such a sense of them as a couple and the love they share for each other and life. Wonderful.
I love that the West Point students are taking Theater!
seconded!
Me three!
Kudos for showing a house with a different look. Not my style – but great for them.
I love this one, what a beautiful couple and home!
It was great to see the home of an older couple. It looks so cozy and inviting, and I like their use of color throughout the house. The lamb posing on the picture frame looks similar to two which I have and which came from my grandmother’s house, are very old, and from Germany.
This house! The couple! Their love! Their lunch! That garden! ♡♡♡ Thank you for this tour! A post worth savoring and revisting.
Oh, also, their careers! ♡♡ And their meet cute!
life goals right here. perfect.
thank you.
This is so lovely. I love their perspective on having a lot of photos in the home. So sweet.
Something just happened to me after reading this, like I got permission to shut the quest for inspiration and live my life. To live in the moment and find inspiration from actually living. Everything in their life seems to have come that way. What a beautiful life and amazing couple. Thanks for sharing, this made my day!
Yes! I completely agree. So refreshing!
The last photo-I had to hold myself from waving back at my screen. Their enthusiasm is infectious.
haha agreed!!!
I agree! When I got to the last photo I immediately had a huge smile on my face. Their happiness is infectious! :)
I heard laughter and silliness and it was perfect!
did they coordinate their outfits to match the living room?? :)
Their personality and joy jumps off the page! I bet being in their home is so peaceful and fun. This was a departure from the usual home tours, and it might be one of my favorites.
yesssss! So nice to see house thats loved & lived in , not trying to look like a museum piece ….it was refreshing and unpretentious like the couple in it!
wish there were more like this!
Chiming in with similar sentiments to everyone else – LOVED this home tour! Home tours on blogs (and not just CoJ) usually just aggravate me because they ALWAYS feel the same: always white walls and then either minimalist &modern or midcentury furniture & vintage decor. In other words – super trendy. But, this house….this house feels SO much more relatable to me. It’s inviting and full pieces that illustrate a life well lived. I want to invite myself in, make myself comfortable and enjoy long conversations with Bill & Angelica :) Thank you for sharing CoJ!
PS – I second an earlier comment – I would love a backyard/garden series!
This x1000!
I usually skip clicking on home tours for that reason. But I was so happy to saunter through this one. Lovely, energetic, real, inspiring!
Oh I know. So many house/apartment tours with the minimalist walls and midcentury modern furniture and huge white kitchens make me feel like I’d have to tear my 100-year-old prairie style house down to the ground and start from scratch in order to make it acceptable. But this tour reminds me that any space can be beautiful and really, really cool when it is home to people who are cultivating their interests and following their passions, whatever those may be.
thank you, everyone! we strive to do a range of house tours — white walls, colorful walls, wallpaper; city apartments and country cottages; bigger and smaller budgets; families, couples and single women; different locations around the country and world, etc. we will keep working hard to keep them feeling diverse, fun and inspiring.
here are a few you might like, if you enjoyed this particular tour:
https://cupofjo.com/2016/10/new-hampshire-house-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/10/seattle-colorful-house-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2016/05/jess-brown-dolls-house-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/02/japanese-countryside-house-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2016/08/berkeley-house-tour/
A breath of fresh air!
Well this is just lovely!
I will second everyone’s sentiments: this feels like a real home. I didn’t find myself wondering, “Was it staged?” “Did they have a designer?” “Where can I buy that hand-lettered poster?”
While I love modern style, and can understand people’s tendency to stage a place they’re about to share with the world, this made me feel like EVERYONE’S houses are worthy of a tour, and that was very inviting.
Please keep sharing these organic homes that have developed over time :)
Everyone’s homes are worthy of a tour! I love this.
YES! It looks so lived in. So many home tours, while beautifully styled, just don’t look like people actually live there… never a thing out of place or a spot of clutter or a discolored wall. “This made me feel like EVERYONE’S houses are worthy of a tour” is exactly how I felt… this was the first home tour where I felt like I was actually peeking into their lives and everyday home, versus getting a staged, stylized, perfect “pinterest” shoot.
You’re so right. This was beautiful. I thought to myself “it would be fun to live there!” but it didn’t make me feel like my own house was ‘less than’ or have jealousy about the things they have that make their home beautiful.
Looove this home tour!! So different and refreshing, they are lovely :)
Love the blue walls and the floor in the kitchen! Love a space that reflects the people in it!
this made my day. :)
The house is actually decorated with their personalities. I love that.
I love this so much and echo many of the sentiments above.
Their home is a showcase of a life well-lived!
What a great, great house tour! Awesome couple, and they really shine from the portrait pictures (including the last one!) Olivia Rae James took.
olivia is their niece! how cute is that? i first saw (and then scouted) their home on her instastories! :)
Joanna, I’m always so curious about everyone who does a house tour, it would be fun to include that info in the story, always. How did you find them? I always want to know!
Thanks for sharing about their niece/photographer.
haha my scouting regimen is so bizarre and constant! i would love to share it sometime :)
I loved this house tour because it reminds me of my parents home, with lots of color and art from around the world. Thank you for showing homes that have character – not just stark white homes. This is real life, and the photos show the beauty and love in this home!
I love this house tour! The colorful, loved (in the best way imaginable) house reflects their personality so much and it looks so cozy. I was growing very weary of the all white, trendy houses typically featured on the home tours. This one is absolutely refreshing.
What a lovely couple! I would love my backyard to look like that. Could you do a post on gardens and backyards? I need help. Something easy please!
great idea! our upstairs neighbor is actually an AMAZING landscape designer. i’ll ask her! :)
I love their backyard, too, along with the rest of their beautiful home. I was coming to ask if Angelica moves all of her potted plants inside during the winter freezes. I’m in Texas and have a lot of plants in pots on my patio, so I can just cover them with blankets when we get a short freeze. But I wonder what people who live up north do with their plants during the winter. I love having potted plants because you can decorate with them and move them around easily.
Everyone has said this already, but the authenticity, the genuineness, the warmth, the colorful coziness — this is my favorite home tour yet. Thank you!
Well they are adorable.
So adorable. Don’t you want to be invited over for dinner?
Adorable!
I love that the white paint on the kitchen cupboards are worn and slightly dirty – it instantly made me think of the different dishes they must have prepared in that kitchen and the conversations that may have taken place. What a charming couple!
Yes! I felt this exact same way. It reminded me of my grandparents’ home (literally the best and most magic place in the world before they passed away), and the homes of aunts, and other people who have lived full and exciting lives and settled into their things. It’s like everything they have feels like them.
I also feel like I know exactly the way this house smells.
Oh my…how sweet are they. I feel like they’re the neighbors everyone dreams of having.
love this so much!!!
I love that you featured a house with color on the walls! I feel like so many of the houses you show only have white walls.
yes, we are always working hard to scout houses with colorful walls and wallpaper!
a few others, if you’re in a house tour mood :)
https://cupofjo.com/2017/10/seattle-colorful-house-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2016/04/alice-gao-new-york-city-apartment-tour/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/09/fort-greene-townhouse-grt-architects/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/12/brooklinen-sheets-calamine-paint-bedroom/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/12/san-francisco-house-tour-lorena-siminovich/
https://cupofjo.com/2016/06/liz-libre-home-tour-brooklyn/
Ahhh… Beautiful REAL couple, beautiful REAL home! Reminds me of the mantra that “you can have the life you want.” As I sit at my desk eating a frozen entrée, I’m dreaming of going home for lunch on a lovely back porch with my husband every day. Love everything about this post!
Older people on Cup of Jo! Represent! We can do saris as furniture too!
In all seriousness, I hear the age in their voices and it is so beautiful to me. Mirrors my own joy in being 61. Thank you for this post.
our pleasure!
here are a few other older women we love, if you’d like to see:
https://cupofjo.com/2017/09/linda-rodin-beauty-aging-advice/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/08/outfit-ideas-for-teachers-gay-cioffi/
https://cupofjo.com/2017/10/a-secret-to-a-happy-marriage/
https://cupofjo.com/2016/03/beauty-uniform-jean-goddard/
Ohh, this is my favourite house tour you’ve ever done, guys! I just grinned the whole way through–and this looks like a real, lived in house.
I just sent this to my partner with the gloss “LETS GO LOOK AT BLUE PAINT”
What a wonderful story and couple…I want to hear more! (and YAY for independent women who are cool with a low-key wedding!!) Love the peaceful deck, charming details and sentimental keepsakes around the home, and the cool red lace screen in the bedroom. Their home is the aesthetic I strive for. Thank you for sharing Angelica and Bill with us!
WOW. Just wow. What a lovely read to start the day. What a testament to finding what you love and works for you and your partner. <3 So wonderful!
Okay, they are adorable and just ooze positive vibes. Love their colourful home, the painting in the staircase and OMG THAT GARDEN.
More house tours like this please! This tour was a breath of fresh air- real people live in this home. It’s not full of trendy furniture. I makes me excited about living in my home instead of finding the next right purchase.
What a wonderful couple!
I second all of this 100%.
Erika, what a nice thought. I’ll try to think that too, despite my empty house!
You put the “right purchase” thing so perfectly. Most home tours make me feel like my home has to have a certain look to be beautiful and appealing, but this one was totally the opposite.
Totally! I don’t know why I’ve been chasing a “curated life” when a LIVED life looks so much more special and comfortable. Wish this house tour came with soup.
I so agree. It’s fun to see a house that reflects the lives of its owners much more than it reflects whatever is trendy in the moment.
“makes me excited about living in my home” I love love love the way you put that. Thank you. <3
STOP IT I LOVE THEM!! The house is delightful but these two are MAGIC. Also –
great job on the photos, they feel so warm & happy! (The series of 3 where they kiss in the middle one, my heart! haaa)
I feel the exact same way as you do soph!
What a wonderful couple! I love how their love for each other, their appreciation of the present and nature, and their gentleness comes through just in this post. Bravo! More of this, please!!!
I am in awe of people like this, who can weave together so many different items into a cohesive look. And I’m heartened to see homeowners whose home doesn’t adhere to the latest aesthetic but reflects their love of their house, the world, and each other. Well done, Angelica and Bill, and thanks to COJ for featuring this.
I’d much rather live in this colorful, comfy, lived-in space than in one of those stark, cold, white homes that have been featured. To each her own, but this one is lovely.
totally agree!!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I love all the house tours but this one is so refreshing! Thank you for providing some variety!
My favorite house tour yet! What a colorful couple. I just want to drink tea and listen to their stories.
Thank you for including this post– a home that looks like somewhere people actually live, with some lovely people. You can see them shine through in the photos! What a lovely match of personality & relationship energy with living space!
What gracious and vibrant people! I just got back from a therapy session in which my therapist told me that it is very possible to find a partner that matches my needs. (I know it sounds so obvious, but feels just the opposite). Something about this article really helped solidify this! I too have an independent streak like Angelica, and seeing how confident and joyous they each are even after years of togetherness makes me think that the love I want is truly possible. Thank you for this house tour, though truthfully their relationship is what hit me hardest!
I just want to second what your therapist says, there IS someone out there, just right for you. Someone who feels like, oh there you are, of course you’re the one for me. I totally get why it would seem impossible, but keep looking.
I’ve been with my husband for 26 years (holy cow), and as we grow older, and closer, I feel more and more lucky to have him. But also more and more sure that there is that person for everyone. And just to be honest, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, there have been hard times too, but something inside of us let us know to keep fighting for us.
Best of luck! I’m rooting for you.
Well this was just a joy to read.
My three year old walked up and spied the last photo of them. She said, “Please Mama, I want to meet them. Do they live far away?”
so sweet.
Haha! That s so funny!
Lovely.
What a lovely home and couple. I want to hang out on their back deck. I hope my home tells a story like theirs in the future.
PS – curious how you find your house tours? They are such a good mix of people from all over. I really look forward to them!
I love their daily routine! That sounds so delightful to walk first thing, then enjoy breakfast together.
#marriagegoals
You bet!!
This has to be my favourite home tour! Not that it’s my favourite home, but they’re my favourite people and it seems that every detail has a meaning and a story. I would just love to spend some time on that porch with Angelica and Bill. I’m sure time feels magical there… Thanks!
Me too! They look so in love. I’d love a post with their advice on how they stayed so happily married!!
Me too
This was the cutest. What a sweet couple!
I love that their vibrant house is perfectly matched by their vibrant personalities. Decor should be about who you are, how you feel and what you need to feel comfort in the space that surrounds you.
This is my favorite. Not because I want to use these ideas to make my house look like theirs – but because it is the least generic-looking house tour yet and conveys such self-possession.
How well worded, Louisa! I felt the same way.
Agreed! I absolutely LOVED the personality spilling out from their home and their words. Just gorgeous. And I especially loved that it was a ‘real’ home – not too perfect. It was a perfect little glimpse into their lives. Now I want to know more!!
I agree! I feel like this is the most “lived-in” house tour yet. Totally unique, yet very much like many homes I have been in – rather than feeling overly polished and trendy/out of a magazine. Thank you for featuring this!
Amen!
Agreed– this was one of the first houses that felt as if they’d truly decorated it themselves. Lovely!
Perfectly put.
It also made me decide to stay with my various shades of blue, open floor plan main floor. Calming and draws you in? Exactly what I want and articulated beautifully!
Me too!
Yes!!!!! Agree 100%! There is so much personality in this home, which I don’t see in many of the others. Don’t get me wrong, the homes are all gorgeous, but this one looks like I could spill a drink and no one would freak out. Lol!
Your words, Louisa, say exactly what I was thinking.
Agreed! This is the first house tour (I think) without any links or mention of where to buy the items, which I deeply love and respect. I’ve definitley found a few things for my own home via previous house tour links, but I especially appreciate that they’re absent in this post because it makes it feel like what’s been curated here is love, joy, and comfort, rather than material things.
Oh goodness, that last picture. What a delightful couple!
I was going to say the same! )
Yes! Oh, the last picture is SO sweet, just brought tears to my eyes! They look so happy and full of love, real lasting, through thick and thin, love.
I find myself feeling like this was such a short bit on these two! Like it was a synopsis and I want the whole novel to read. :)
yes, they couldn’t be more charming!
Agreed, felt too short! Would love to see more from these two.
Same! I was like, was that all? :( I want more, they are so lovely!
Yes! This was a personality tour, rather than a house tour. The house is just where they live, after all. Love everything about it, from their morning walks to waving goodbye!