Check Your Vibe: Vintage Meets Modern with Revival Rugs

When we bought our house three years ago, we inherently agreed to a pretty hefty renovation process in order to bring it to a livable state.  We never set out for a fixer upper (though we were clocking many hours with renovation home shows).  We actually found the house by driving by it, and when we first stepped foot inside with our real estate agent, it was an exercise in emotional mulitiplicity.  The arches in the dining room, the crumbling floors, the craftsman fireplace, the beautiful windows, the non-functioning kitchen, the crumbling wallpaper, the insane window views.  All of it at once!

We had an offer in by the end of the day.

When we set to renovating, I wanted to preserve as much character as possible while bringing the house to the modern era with its comforts.  Though the original floors were not savable, we installed hardwood that I love.  We kept all of the cool windows and arches, and my absolute favorite spot is the living room with the fireplace that tons of time, effort, and money went into.  

My design aesthetic is very vintage meets modern.  In my mind, I’m always keeping a balance between clean, new pieces that hold up to my family’s use and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that bring warmth and texture.  (And, always, lots of plants.)

To bring in a finishing touch to this living space, I knew we needed a special rug.  We had a placeholder there while I searched for the perfect vintage Moroccan rug.  Enter the specialists, Revival.  Revival has offices in Istanbul, Casablanca, Mumbai and Oakland, CA and sources vintage rugs that fit their high standards of quality and ethics, and at fair prices.  In addition to their vintage operation, they also produce beautiful new rugs. 

Browsing their collection of Moroccan rugs, I stumbled across this beauty.  It had the warm pinks and beiges accented with pops of blue that I had been looking for.  Truly, it stopped me in my scroll and I just knew it was the one.

Now that I have it in the space, our living room finally feels complete.  I absolutely love the way it feels so soft underfoot, and the texture elevates the room and adds such character.  I really couldn’t be any more thrilled with my whole experience with Revival!  

My first tip when buying vintage is to trust your gut.  I’m a believer that if we surround ourselves with things that make us feel good it will all come together.  I’d also highly recommend measuring your space first, ensuring that the rug is large enough for all of your furniture to have at least two feet touching.  Since you can browse by size you won’t fall in love with the wrong rug!  

Let me know, what do you think of the new look? If you’re in the market for a new rug, Revival is offering a discount code through March 6th: 10OFF-EMILYKEENEY.

Getting Away

Where to begin with all of this? The last couple weeks have been heartbreaking, bizarre, uplifting, confusing, restful and unrestful, all at once. As a person who depends on social gatherings for a living, it’s scary times. But I’m also heartened by what’s happened with all of this down time. Seeing families gathered and doing the most random things to bond, from painters tape obstacle courses to farm work to movie nights. I love seeing how human connection rings true, even if it has to be through digital medium.

I think, just maybe, that’s why I’m feeling like it’s time to bring back some personal in this blog.

A little background, I used to write a personal lifestyle blog. Like way back in 2009, when it was the popular thing to do. I was still in college, and scraping together my budget to make outfits happen. I was constantly inspired by blogs and the idea of a whole little world meant for sharing and personal documentation. The idea of lifting a little curtain into someone’s reality was exciting. After all, the best stories are true.

Things got in the way and eventually my blogging led me to a full time job with a company that I stayed with for over six years, and then when my soul asked me to step back into creative entrepreneurial work, photography was a welcome space.

With this work, I spend a lot of time and energy telling others’ stories. And it’s the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. But, if in the spirit of my heart’s content, I’m doing what I feel called to do, it’s more of an exchange. I want to share my story, too. I want to preserve my own memories for future versions of myself and for my family to look back on as we grow. To give yourself the gift of a written and visual legacy is to give yourself the gift of immortality. Words and images from the past hold ghosts of memories that can only be accessed through them.

So here I’ll begin… again.

In the unsettling days leading up to the fall of normalcy as we know it, I had planned for a short getaway to Vashon Island. Originally it was intended to be a creative retreat for just me. As the days drew closer, and the sprouts of this awful virus were starting to pop everywhere, I realized that what I really needed was time with my husband and baby, and to be enclosed in nature with them.

We spent two nights in this cozy cabin tending fires, cooking meals, and walking the incredible grounds. News was starting to flood in, so the worry was there, too, but every time we got into the woods or down to the water, I forgot. And it was magic.

I spent the whole thing wearing exactly this:

I’m wearing an Everlane tee and Madewell jeans. I’m excited to announce that I’m in a new partnership with Everlane! You might see more pieces from them here and there, because their classic pieces perfectly fit my lifestyle right now. I stand by their direct-to-consumer pricing, and ethical business practices and transparency.

The sun streaming in through the windows every morning was seriously magical. I woke with the sun, sipped coffee and soaked in those rays. I’m glad we made it before this quarantine period, and I’ll hold onto those sweet memories forever.