About Rachel

Meet Rachel – homeschooling mother of four and lover of all things home – the face behind Maison de Pax.
If you are a brand and you’d like to work with Rachel, click here!

If you are a homeowner looking for design services, click here!

My name is Rachel. I love coffee, painting, designing, restoring, family, Jesus, food, laughter, and beauty… not necessarily in that order.

Beautiful dining room! white roses and eucalyptus centerpiece make a gorgeous, simple spring table - perfect for Easter, Valentines Day, or any celebration #eastertable #springtable #tablescape #eucalyptus #centerpiece #vintagechina #goldflatware #easterdecor

I have always been a jack (or jane?) of all trades… I love to build, design, remake, tweak, create, photograph, and paint. I love antiques and brand new goodies. I love industrial and natural. I love casual and elegant. I love juxtaposition of many forms… I guess that’s the former literature teacher in me.

installing crown molding before picture frame moulding

In addition to running Maison de Pax, I also teach the art of photographing interiors. I offer an online course in addition to speaking a conferences and classes to other bloggers, interiors designers, and small business owners.

Photographing Interiors: Capturing Beauty - a course by Maison de Pax. Learn how to use your DSLR camera in Unit 1 of this video course! #photographinginteriors #photography #interiorphotography #photographytutorial #photographycourse #videocourse

How Maison de Pax Began

All this creative business is fueled (and supported!) by my family. I have a precious crew: Mr. Pax, myself, two handsome boys, and two gorgeous little girls, but the story for this blog begins in 2009 when my husband and I, both native Texans, uprooted and replanted ourselves in Paris.

Paris on a snowy day... maisondepax.com

I first became a “stay-at-home” wife while there. Our first child was born there.  And, though we had been married for five years before we moved to Paris, I first truly began to envision and dream of “our home” while we lived there. It seems silly, in retrospect, since our 800 square foot apartment there was not only rented but furnished… leaving me very little ownership of the style and decor in the home. I realized while living there, though, that those are simply a small fraction of the ingredients that go into the atmosphere and heart of a home.

Previous “Maisons” de Pax

In 2012, we moved back to the US, with our second son’s arrival imminent. After our time in Paris, my husband and I were both desiring an older home with great character near the city… and we weren’t afraid to put in some work. We were blessed to find a beautiful 1940 colonial, and we moved in one week before the baby’s arrival. Transformation was a whirlwind! And it was documenting that renovation that led to this website. You can now tour the home here.

What a lovely restoration! A 1940 colonial is made beautifully modern and functional while maintaining its original charm: get the full before and after at maisondepax.com

After three years (and LOTS of work), we sold our beautiful historic colonial in the city for a 1990’s home in the Austin area. It was definitely a different kind of project than our 1940’s home, but over 8 years there (as our family grew from 5 to 6), we transformed that home and filled it with so many beautiful memories, as well. Both inside and out. A few highlights include the kitchen, the primary bath, and our Christmas light tours. You can tour that transformed home here.

white house with black window trim, black door, and black outdoor fans

Current Maisons de Pax

A few years ago, we found a little property out in the Texas hill country. It came complete with a rusty old bicycle strapped to the split rail fence, a giant workshop full of vintage paint-by-numbers, and a smelly old chicken coop. As you can imagine, we’ve been chipping away at that project, as well. You can catch up on all the things at the ranch here.

rocking chairs and a cedar porch railing overlook a texas hill country ranch | Maison de Pax

Most recently, we moved into a 1980’s home, complete with miles of 40-year-old cultured marble, an epic wet bar, and 26 foot tall living room ceilings. It is definitely a new kind of project for us! But we have enjoyed rolling up our sleeves and diving in. You can catch all the behind the scenes on this newest home on Instagram or see all the full projects here.

diy picture frame molding in a small moody blue bathroom

And, of course, new adventures still await…

I LOVE sharing tutorials and inspiration with you to help you create a beautiful AND functional home. You can always find those projects for free right here on maisondepax.com. I also enjoy working with local clients on their homes.

I’d love for you to follow along.