Home Tour: The Witchgers
Bob and Stephanie Witchger live just outside of downtown Raleigh in the Lockwood neighborhood. By day Stephanie is a full time Library Science grad student at UNC and a part time library assistant and Bob is a graphic/web designer. By night they are extremely talented painters/photographers/sewers/fix-it-all-ers/ukulele players.
Who is your design inspiration?
Charles and Ray Eames. They were a great couple and great designers who did not hesitate to dapple in anything that struck their fancy. They did a little of everything and did it all very well.
Do you have a personal philosophy of design?
If you like it, then it goes fine with everything else.
Are there any magazines/blogs/websites that you follow for inspiration? I check out DesignObserver for keen book recommendations. Oh Joy! is a great site that constantly leads you to new websites, articles, etc. I can also waste a good amount of free time looking at the fabric and Japanese craft books on Super Buzzy.
I adore magazines of all sorts. The print ones related to design that I read regularly are Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Selvedge, and Embroidery. You can not beat the recipes in Real Simple or the wonderful photos in Martha Stewart. Selvedge and Embroidery both center around textiles.
Are there any particular stores or websites that you love to get your pieces from?
Um, I can almost never afford it but I faithfully look to Anthropologie for eye candy and ideas…and once in a while I get to take something home from them. Etc, Crafts is a great indie fabric store in Cary, NC for any quilters/sewers out there. The rest of the time I like hitting the thrift stores and yard sales because of the thrill of the hunt and the surprise of never knowing exactly what to expect.
Do you have any favorite artists?
Paul Hartley is one my favorite painters. The painting Bob & I own by him is hands down one of our most prized possessions. I also love the work of painter Scott Eagle. Both Eagle and Hartley are professors at East Carolina University. We are lucky to have landed ourselves in the middle of a wonderfully talented bunch of friends and family. I can’t list them all but a few of them that we have pieces by are photographer Geoff Wood, painter Megan Marshall, and designer/seamstress Bliss Alexander-Smith.
What would you change about your space?
Our house is perfect for us right now, however, if I could add something it would be a little more room to grow, one more bedroom and a second bathroom would be nice. I would also cover a full wall (or two) in cork board for hanging up all the bits of paper/postcards/etc. I collect. And I’d have tons of built in bookshelves….we are always searching for new surfaces to stack books on.
What bargain you’ve scored are you most proud of?
I found a creamy yellow Herman Miller filing cabinet/stool-on-wheels by the trash when I was walking the dog one day in our old apartment complex. It was heavy but I managed to push it all the way home and get it up the stairs into our apartment all by myself.
Do you have any design tips?
I don’ know if this is a tip really but I would encourage people to love and live in their spaces. For example, what is the point in having a room you never use or a chair that is so nice you don’t want to curl up in it because your dirty feet might smudge the fabric? The value of objects and living spaces originates in the roles they take on in our every day lives.
What is your favorite room? Why?
It is a tie between our kitchen and our studio (aka bedroom number 2). I love the kitchen because it has red cabinets and seems to be the area we always end up in when we are spending time with our friends and family. I love the studio because it houses all our collections of things and all the supplies for making stuff.
Do you have any special collections? What are they? Why did you choose to collect these particular items?
I have a collection of collections. If it seems that it might have a history and need to be appreciated by someone in this world, I’ll save it. I have a lot of “little things” - small objects I have deemed cute and/or appealing in appearance. I also have a lot of paper - old stamps, postcards, letters, etc.
What is your favorite thing in your home?
I have a menagerie of special objects that remind me of dear friends and kind people I have known but I’d probably have to say Mr. Hartley’s painting. Or Ted, my childhood bear.
If money and time were no object what would you do with/splurge on for your space?
Design and build that extra bedroom and bathroom ourselves. We’d also probably add in solar panels, solatubes, and a wood burning stove.
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