"When Shannon Morscheck and her family found their gorgeous home in Spokane, WA five years ago, they chose their new abode because of its location and the property’s expansive, forest-like backyard. After their big move, blogger and mom-of-three, Shannon slowly began working to turn the place into the Morscheck family’s dream home by renovating and chicly decorating nearly every inch of their more than 5,000-square-foot house. From adding bold barn doors to the master bedroom’s sitting area to designing and building a custom entertainment center and cozy reading nook in the living room, Shannon and her husband have had their hands full with DIY projects around their home â and the results are nothing short of amazing. Scroll down to see more photos of the Morchecks’ house (wait until you see the exterior’s dramatic before and after!), and prepare to be inspired by Shannon’s Pinterest-worthy decor.
Name: Shannon Morscheck
Location: Spokane, WA
Square Footage: 5,100 square feet (but that includes a large portion of an unfinished basement!)
Rent or Own: Own
Children: Gwyneth, 9, Calvin, 7, and Franklin, 3
What was your first job and how did you land it?
Other than working in restaurants through high school and college, my first ârealâ job out of college was working at a high school as an English teacher. I simply interviewed for the position and got it!
Before
After
How would you describe your design style?
My design style is a little all over the place. I would say itâs a tad modern farmhouse, a tad industrial, a tad cozy cottage, and I am always looking for how I can get the look for less with DIY projects.
Your property is full of so much gorgeous nature! How has this influenced the design of your home?
The main reason we bought our home was because of the forest-like backyard. We knew we could change things on the inside of the house, but that yard was priceless to us. Itâs an element that makes us feel good, so why not bring that into the home too?
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Youâve spent the past 5 years gradually DIYâing your home â what project did you begin with and why?
I believe our first big DIY was the shelving/bed unit in our oldest sonâs room. With a new baby on the way, we decided to give him a bigger room but that meant having him go downstairs. In order to make the transition smooth, we decided to surprise him with a new âbig boyâ room, and thatâs where the idea started. It was a hit!
Renovating your own home can be an intimidating task â what advice do you have for first time DIY-ers?
My advice would be to not feel like you have to do it all at once. I understand there are scenarios where this is a must to save money and sanity, but for us, we have decided to do one area at a time. This makes things much more manageable and has allowed us to learn along the way. And also, do your research! There are SO many online tutorials that show you every step of the way. Take advantage!
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Were there any unexpected challenges that you encountered while redesigning?
I am sure there will little things that came up here and there, but because we took the time to plan it out first, and research the steps, things have gone pretty smoothly.
Where do you source most of your design inspiration?
Online! Mainly Pinterest and Instagram. I am so inspired by those who have walked before me.
What are some of your favorite stores to shop for furniture and decor? Any splurge items you especially love?
I love stores like Homegoods, TJMaxx, and World Market. I love when there is a bit of a hunt for the perfect item; it makes finding it that much more rewarding! I have only splurged on a couple of items in our home, and those came from vintage fairs. I knew they were one-of-a-kind pieces, and I love the history and stories behind them! For instance, one of them is a giant vintage mail sorting cabinet with the names of the tenants still written on the inside of the cubbies. This piece now houses all of our craft supplies. Functional AND pretty!
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We love the outdoor patio you and your husband built together! It looks amazing for entertaining. How did designing your outdoor space compare to your indoor space?
The outdoor took a lot more math! The projects we have done inside are on a much smaller scale compared to the deck. That one took a lot of time to design to ensure everything was done properly and took longer to execute due to its size whereas we are usually done with an indoor project in a few days.
Between your creative ideas and your husbandâs building support, what is the process between you two for collaboration?
Iâm usually the one who comes up with the idea, and he is the one who usually jumps on board. I have learned over time that if I can present a clear plan (drawings included!) that the visual in my head becomes that much more clear, and he then gets excited about the project too. Oh, and I have found actually mapping the idea out with painterâs tape on the wall or floor to be extremely beneficial to conveying my ideas.
Does your husband have his own strong sense of style? How do you compromise on your vision of a space?
Honestly, no. Ha! He trusts in my design style completely and lets me lead the way.
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We love the blend of your homeâs cozy, family feel, along with its clean and refreshing design. How do you strike this balance?
Making our home cozy and functional are my two main goals with our home. While I love pretty things, I really need them to work for our family. Those are the things I try to focus on first, so when I come across something that meets those needs and is also visually pleasing, I consider that a big win.
How do your kids inspire your space and its design?
As I was saying above, I want things to work for them too. We all live here, and I never want them to feel like they canât use a space or enjoy an area of our home, so I design everything knowing the kids will be using (or jumping off) it.
What are some easy DIY activities youâd recommend to update a space that doesnât involve building or carpentry?
Paint! A space can be completely transformed with a little paint. We recently painted our fireplace a moody blue, and it has changed the look drastically and didnât cost us very much at all!
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How do you and your husband share parenting roles and divide the responsibilities?
Because my main âjobâ is to stay at home with the kids and take care of the home, I resume the majority of the responsibilities when I am the only one home. When we are both at home, we do a good job of splitting things pretty equally. As for actual chores around the house, I do the majority of the things inside (other than fixing things), and my husband resumes the responsibilities outside.
What are some of your familyâs favorite activities to do together?
We love playing basketball outside in the driveway, taking a family bike/scooter ride down to the park, and playing games like Connect Four and Checkers.
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When it comes to motherhood, what are you most confident in? What are you still insecure about?
I am most confident in my abilities to set up a routine for our kids. Our kids thrive when they know what to expect, and it has always been important to me to set up a schedule to make things easier on us all. This includes things like sleeping, chores, and overall expectations. I feel insecure when things are chaotic. That might include when our toddler is throwing a tantrum in the middle of the store or when our house is in disarray. I begin to doubt everything!
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If you have to pick just one, whatâs your favorite moment from motherhood so far?
I guess I would lump these moments into a category, but my favorite moments are when I witness our kids doing good for others. This includes being the one to help the injured player on the field or sitting by the lonely child in the lunchroom. I beam with pride during these moments.
Shannon Morscheck is The Everymom…
Must-do activity in Spokane, WA?
We love going downtown to ride the giant carousel. Itâs such an iconic childhood activity, and I hope they still want to do it for many more years!
The last book you couldnât put down?
The Best Yes was the last book that I got so much out of. Itâs all about saving your âyesâ moments for when they really matter so you donât burn out.
Favorite way to spend your weekend?
We absolutely love when the sun is out and we can be outdoors doing something. One of our favorites is going up to Coeur dâAlene for the day and spending time at the Coeur dâAlene Resort and at the beach.
Kids movie youâve seen the most?
Gosh, is it bad I tune out a little when these are playing? Ha! Maybe Frozen?
Favorite season for home decor?
I love spring and summer. I love adding greenery and flowers to brighten up the mood and space after the winter season.
Funniest thing one of your kids has said recently?
I love when our kids butcher words and sayings. Some frequently used words around here are, âGator-eggâ for Gatorade, âpootfrintsâ for footprints, and âbuzzertâ for dessert. And I will never, ever correct them because I love it so much.
Most embarrassing mom fail?
I once dropped my son off at preschool with no shoes on. It wasnât until he was getting out of the car did I realize we never put his shoes on and with a new baby in tow, driving all the way home for shoes seemed daunting. Luckily, his teachers saw the humor and let him stay as-is!