House Voyeur: Photo-Centric in Palm Beach

A few days ago, More Ways to Waste Time reader Lena Hyde sent in these beautiful photos of the Palm Beach, Florida, home she shares with her firefighter husband and their two young sons, Ethan and Cal.

I love the soothing color palette, the simple and unusual items showcased in this home, and the inventive ways that Lena has incorporated photographs of her family into their decor -- understandably so, since she's a professional children's photographer, and the photos are her own.

Here, Lena gives us a virtual tour of her photo-filled home:

"We'd always lived in old homes with details and character. So when we moved from an 1892 San Francisco Victorian to a brand-new, almost-generic Florida house six years ago, it was quite a shock. It took us a long time to make it a real 'home.'

It's been a challenge to create a tranquil and inspiring space from a concrete rectangle. We completely renovated the kitchen, added and subtracted areas, installed wood floors and crown mouldings, and opened up the staircase. Recently, we added a wonderful pool and outdoor space that we use daily. The kitchen appliances are KitchenAid, the rug tiles are from FLOR, and I reupholstered the chair seats with repurposed fabric from an Anthropologie shower curtain!

My husband is a renovation stud. He can do everything: framing, sheetrock, plaster, tile, moulding, windows, painting, you name it! He also makes the best crème brulee you've ever tasted. The paint we used in the breakfast room is Martha Stewart's Caneware. The capiz-shell chandelier is from West Elm, and the antique buffet is from a great shop in Delray Beach called the Beached Boat.

I really love being home, especially after traveling monthly for work. It’s where I can stop, breathe, and just be. My home is filled with so many years of memories, collections from travels, and photos ... hundreds of photos.

Our style is completely eclectic and constantly evolving. I buy a lot of design books and magazines for inspiration. It's an addiction. I also subscribe to design blogs (including this one!) that give me a daily eye-candy fix. I have a loft studio in downtown West Palm Beach that I’m always changing as well. That space is very modern, white, and sparse. It gives my modern side an outlet, too! The old cameras, Scrabble pieces, and marble collection shown here are from eBay.

Our furniture comes from all over: Tag sales, Lee Industries, Williams-Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, IKEA, Ballard Designs, and Maine Cottage. Our lighting is mostly from Target, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Anthropologie.

I find lots of treasures at tag sales and flea markets, as well as from shops like Anthropologie, HomeGoods, and Sea Shell City.

My favorite thing about our home is the palette, mostly pale blues and greens. This paint color is one of my favorites: Martha Stewart's Mineral Green (actually a light blue-green). I love it, and it helps keep me cool in the Florida heat!

I found an old Victorian crib at an antique shop in Berkeley, California and converted it to a little daybed. It has both pink and blue peeling paint on it, which tells a bit of the history of its original owners. I love that. The pillows are from HomeGoods, Pier 1, and Pottery Barn.

The paint in Cal's room is KILZ Casual Colors' Mint Jelly from WalMart. It's amazing. I tried it after it was ranked number one by Consumer Reports, and it was literally one coat!

More of Martha's Mineral Green in Ethan's bedroom. We got the photo lampshade from PB Teen a few years ago.

This is the boys' W.C. The window shade is from Pottery Barn.

The playroom lounger is from PB Teen.

My advice: Buy what you love, and surround yourself with images of your family."

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us, Lena!

I don't know about you guys, but I am seriously inspired. I have ten thousand digital pictures of Nick and the kids languishing on our hard drive (though of course they're not nearly as good as Lena's). But after seeing all the wonderful ways that she's incorporated family photos into her home, I'm determined to make better use of mine.

How about you?

P.S. Want to see more? Click here for a peek inside other readers' homes.

P.P.S. A huge thank you to Terri Sapienza at The Washington Post for the shout-out in this week's "Blog Watch" column!