Text by Holly Seng
Given her husband, Jamie’s, career in the military, SJ Johnson is no stranger to moving or working around strict design limitations to transform the all-white interiors of installation homes into warm and welcoming environments bursting with personality. Step inside their Ohio townhouse and you’ll find yourself surrounded by aged accents and exquisite treasures.
It was during the couple’s five-year stint in Germany that her affinity for vintage pieces was born. “We’d been [in Germany] for a couple of weeks, and that’s when I discovered this world of flea markets,” SJ recalls. “I just loved the vintage European and old-world styles, so I started collecting books, baskets, and many different types of things.”
One of her favorite items to collect are floral oil paintings—many of which are on display in her living room. From gallery walls to shelves brimming with storied finds, SJ utilizes a layered approach ensuring she can give each of her prized possessions prominence as she makes the most of every available space.
By keeping the upholstered furnishings primarily neutral, she is able to seamlessly shift the room’s décor to fit the season. A weathered mantel grounds the space and highlights an artfully arranged vignette.
The dining room lies just across the living space and showcases Jamie’s talent for carpentry. Nestled under the window, a bed frame was given a new lease on life upon being fashioned into a bench. He also added a hutch to the sideboard on the adjacent wall. SJ uses the piece to style everything from terra-cotta pots and breadboards to vintage books.
SJ’s ingenuity shines in the compact kitchen, where a floral peel-and-stick wallpaper excites the eye as it infuses the space with her favorite color: green. As the Johnsons are coffee aficionados, constructing a beverage bar was a must—and the extra space for storing SJ’s breadboards and ironstone pieces serves as an added bonus. Collected copper pieces lend warmth while fresh blooms set a delightful tone as they echo the wallpaper’s motif.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom deviates from the layers that fill the rest of the home. “It’s probably the simplest room in the home, where I try to keep things minimal—as much as I can be a minimalist,” says SJ. Antique side tables flank a previously tufted headboard the couple refreshed with wood boards SJ painted white to give the bed a more cottagey feel. Jamie built the shelf above the bed that holds SJ’s first floral oil painting. Green floral wallpaper makes a reappearance, resulting in a cozy and comfortable retreat.
A secondary bedroom doubles as a spot for overnight guests and SJ’s craft room, where she paints furniture and fashions wreaths. Serving as a headboard for the daybed is a footboard she scored at a flea market. Overhead shelving shows off her other flea market finds, and the hand-painted vintage sign was one of SJ’s creative projects.
Surrounding herself with what she loves most is SJ’s secret to creating a stylish design no matter the size. And, with the help of layering, she’s able to see years’ worth of carefully curated pieces that bring her joy and make her home feel cozy. “Layering keeps everything in front of you,” she says. “I’m never afraid of collecting because my space is small. Life changes all of the time, and I don’t want to wait. If you love something, you get it.”
For more information, visit @cozyvintagelife on Instagram.
