Once upon a time—before 54-inch plasma TV screens and sectional sofas the size of yachts—homes were cozy. Everyday life took a lot of labor, so most houses were built to the scale that people needed and could heat, clean, and maintain efficiently. Furnishings were eclectic and might include inherited antiques as well as pieces built by a local craftsperson or by the homeowner himself. Materials could be scarce, so people used or recycled what was at hand. That ordinary people made utilitarian household objects with artistry speaks about human nature and the desire to live with things one loves.

Julie Vaughan’s home is a study in this principle—a small, private world where time seems to move gently. Tucked behind a green gate and high walls on a quintessential Santa Fe dirt street with no sign, it has the sweetness of old things, made and used with care. “I choose things that really speak to me,” she says. “What I love is Americana—handmade antiques, especially those that are somewhat primitive. The people who created them didn’t have formal training or the skills of a high-end craftsman, but they were often amazingly talented.”

For Julie, work and home are siblings. Her shop, Sparrow Antiques, sells the same style of antiques she collects for herself. “It’s fun,” she says. “In a way, my house is my studio. I’ll go to an antique show and buy things, then some of it I’ll live with for a while and later I take it to the shop. Things are always changing, and I like it that way.”

 

 

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