Enter Liza Cowan’s Burlington home, and you might
think you’ve walked into an eclectic art gallery. That’s
not surprising, considering she owned and curated Pine
Street Art Works; ran Small Equals, an online store
from which she sold her ephemera-inspired designs;
and was co-owner of the short-lived cooperative gallery
Winooski Circle Arts. Oh, and she’s an artist herself.
At home as in her professional enterprises, Cowan’s
taste tends toward the bold — think cheetah-print carpets
and polka-dot chairs. With her discerning eye for art and
vintage collections, whimsical sense of humor, and knack for
thrifty do-it-yourself projects, she has created unique and
welcoming rooms in her two-story house. So if you’re bored
with beige, take a page out of Cowan’s book and turn your
home into a work of art. Here’s a selection of her pro tips.
Go crazy for containers.
Cowan uses wooden crates as short bookcases and
end tables, and she stacks them on her kitchen
counter to create shelving. There’s even a halfwall
made of boxes in her screened-in porch.
“One, it didn’t feel cozy, and two, I was
concerned about the cat scratching [the screen],”
Cowan says of her porch. “But I couldn’t afford
to build a half wall … This is simple because
it’s perfect storage, and I can take it down in
the winter. And I can rearrange it. I’m all about
adaptability.”
Throughout her home, colorful clementine
boxes hold knickknacks, small decorative boxes
line her shelves, and large chests multitask as
tables and storage units.
Cowan’s advice for keeping track of the
containers’ contents? “Try labeling them with
blackboard tape and a gold Sharpie.”
Improvise and economize.
Look closely at Cowan’s plaid living room curtains,
and you’ll notice they’re just folded fabric hung
with binder clips. When you can’t spend a small
fortune on new curtains, a few yards of draped
cloth can provide the same effect.
Her other tips for thrifty decorating? “The
stationery store is your friend,” Cowan says, and
she suggests watching for sales at Rags & Riches
and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores in South
Burlington.
Add twinkle.
The first thing you notice walking into Cowan’s
house is the light. Her walls are stark white — the
perfect backdrop for collections of photographs,
paintings and books. But regardless of wall color,
this inveterate decorator has a few handy tricks
for bringing light into any room.
Cowan recommends experimenting with
strategically placed Christmas string lights,
mirrors and shiny objects. Pay particular attention
to dark corners and low coffee tables, which can
recede into the shadows.
Limit the color palette.
“A variety of colors will harmonize if they’re in the
same color family,” Cowan says. Consider her bed,
with its breezy arrangement of mismatched, bluepatterned
pillows, and blue-and-white polka-dot
duvet. Even though the prints are different sizes
and patterns, a common palette unifies them.
Edit, edit, edit — and reorganize.
You don’t need to spend a boatload of money
redecorating to make your home feel special.
Cowan says you will feel better about your home if
you simply take the time to declutter and organize
the treasures you already have.
While you’re at it, “Switch things up,” she adds.
“Move the furniture around. Rearrange the things
on your tables. Put some things away for a while.
It’s surprising how this can sometimes change our
emotional outlook, as well.”
Home, Eclectic Home
The original print version of this article was headlined “Home, Eclectic Home”
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This article appears in Nest — Fall 2015.
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