Christine Visneau is cool. She’s the proprietress of an indie kids’ shop in Dallas called Little Bean, the designer of an adorable clothing line, one of the creatives behind Small Magazine, and she plays the drums. You just smiled about her being a drummer, didn’t you? I told you she’s cool.
The home she shares with her husband, Steve, and their two daughters, Miette and Amelie, is also effortlessly cool; a space where bursts of creativity can grow wild, and bright ideas even brighter. It’s a space where professional art hangs side-by-side with Miette’s and Amelie’s, which sends an incredible message about value and worth, don’t you think? Enjoy the tour!
Describe your decorating philosophy. Has your aesthetic changed since your girls came along?
My style is simple and modern with indie art, tons of books, and stuff I collect from estate sales all thrown together. My style has gotten a little more relaxed since the girls and my husband came along. They all have a very strong and creative opinion on how things should look, so it’s always a compromise.
How much influence do your girls have on the decor in their spaces?
A lot! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree coming from artist/designer parents. They both have a strong opinion on everything from their clothing to how our home is decorated.
I love seeing a peek of your drum set in the playroom! Do your girls play?
My husband and I are both drummers, so our kids are learning to play, too.
You’re a textile queen; I really enjoyed this video of you at work on your collection. Did you make some of the pillows in your living area? It’s an eclectic collection that really makes an impact.
No…the pillows are Liberty for Target, and the George Washington pillow is from my shop and by a local artist called A.Wahl. The New Jersey — where I’m from — and Texas pillows are from another local artist, Local Honey.
Your walls all seem to be white. Do you tend to gravitate toward a clean backdrop?
I love white walls. I would get tired of a colored wall or wallpaper really fast, so we use art to keep the walls interesting.
All the color seems to come from artwork; who are your favorites hanging on your walls?
In the living room, there’s work from Ryan Berkley, Ashley G, Apak, Dear Dodo, and Catherine Campbell, all mixed with art found at estate sales and painting by my girls. The print above our bed is by Debbie Carlos, and the large painting in our dining room is by a local artist named Richard Smith.
You’ve collected a lot of stand-alone significant pieces, from the dining room table and chairs to the turquoise Eames rocker; where are your favorite sources for furniture and decor treasures?
Craigslist and local shop Lula B’s Antiques for vintage modern furniture, Ikea and West Elm for basics, and estate sales/garage sales for everything else.
Tell us the best design advice you’ve either given or received.
It’s not advice as much as it is inspiration from friends’ homes and the many blogs I read. I gravitate towards more casual, lived-in homes rather than perfect ones in magazines.
What is your family’s — and guests’ — favorite area to hang out together?
The dining table. Homework, dinner, crafts…it all happens there.
When does your home work best?
It works all the time. We live in a small house, so every corner of our home is used and has a function.
Thank you so much, Christine! This was a treat. See you at Alt Summit!
All images by Steven Visneau. Except: the first photo from Christine’s shop was taken by Sara Kerens for the Dallas Observer in an excellent article about Little Bean. You should read it for another dose of cool. And if you’d like to share your own space in my Living With Kids series, I’d love to hear from you!
LOVED the house tour. The items in her home seem to be placed so deliberately. Once October weather hits I hope I’ll be inspired to edit my belongings and give my home a more deliberate feel.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Little Bean. It carries the cutest little things and is my go-to for new baby gifts. It is a huge bonus that Christine and her husband are just so darn nice. A few months ago, her husband and mine spent 30 minutes discussing thier art and advertising. Very cool.
Thanks for featuring a little Dallas gem :)
Beautiful home! Love the Richard Smith painting, but didn’t see a link to his work. Do you know of one? Thanks!
Whoa, this house is incredible. Seeing these house tours always makes me wish I were more…designer-y and less “old crud from ikea”-y. One day….one day.
What a comfortable home! I love her combination of colors with white walls. Also love her mixed use of modern and vintage. Thanks!
Finally a house tour with kids that actually has kids toys & stuffed animals!!! I love this house – it screams family!
little bean is a fantastic little store!
i had the privilege of going there a year ago while i was visiting my parents in the dallas area.
christine is very sweet and cool too!
and her house… awesome!
love the eclectic mix of interesting pieces.
and it’s lived in… love that.
with kids you don’t have much of a choice, do we?
so i like that it’s stylish but still hospitable. :)
great tour!
what i love most is that the house actually looks like a house with people living in it :)
cosy and happy and styled in every corner! just lovely!
It is nice to find something real on the internet :)
This house is the best! I love how lived it it feels!
thank you all for the wonderful comments about my shop, family and home!
Another house that looks beautiful while also looking lived in (in the best possible way). Love it! It’s def. the look I strive for in my own hour. Not that my house is as pretty as all this :)
I love how light and airy the house seemed. I know that it could just be the lighting effects but it seemed like the decorations really gave it a happy and uplifting feel.
Christine is a dear friend in real life and I can 100% unequivocally say she is totally and completely amazing!!!
This is such a fun and comfortable looking home! Love your artwork, vintage games & books, that awesome turquoise Eames and from what I can see, your drums are fuchsia :D
Um, hello. Can I please come live with you? Love the look. Clean and inspired but approachable. Awesome!
This is a great tour! Thanks for introducing her, Little Bean and the magazine to me- some new inspiration is always 100% welcome!
Miette…. really? What next? Crevette?
She does indeed look cool, but she named her kid crumb as in bread crumb!
Nichshee, Jessica – I’m sure she knows what Miette means. It’s adorable! Of course, my opinion is coming from someone who named her firstborn Ralph. Which in American slang means: to puke. : )
Just curious, what does Nichshee mean?
The name Miette came from our favorite movie, City of lost Children.
A great film but I think I prefer Delicatessen – I remember my amazement when I saw it for the first time when I was 18 – it staggered me.
Apparently Miette is also a character in a Zola novel, which I haven’t read..
It is a mix of my first and middle name. Some of us have jobs that do not welcome our name being all over the net… others of us are rock and films stars and STILL fans of design mom… ; )
I love this house! My seven month old daughter is just about to start crawling, and I’m going to have to get over my ‘place for everything, and everything in it’s place’ design style very, very soon! I love Christine’s slightly chaotic style, and her light fitting in the dining room is just gorgeous.
Wow, I love it. There’s so much colour and light. And stuff. Tons of stuff. Tons of stuff that looks great.
I am such a huge fan of Christine and her projects. Loved the tour!
I love this and it seems so easy to do! Your bedroom is to die for. So airy and peaceful. I just love it all!
Thank you so much for sharing such useful and interesting information.