Almost as soon as we accepted Jordan and Dave’s wedding for a feature, Lisa was clamoring for a home tour. Knowing Jordan was an interior designer and seeing the impeccable style she deployed at her nuptials, we had a hunch we were in for a treat! Happily, we were right. Her and Dave’s Tampa condo is a colorful and eclectic blending of “his and her” style, without losing the distinctiveness of either one. And, even with just two months of marriage under their collective belt, these two have lots of wisdom to share!
Big hugs to Brittney Forrister (Jordan’s sister!) for the interior styling and Baxter Miller for the photos!
Photo by Kristin Sweeting
The couple: Jordan Forrister Winston (30) and David Sinclair Winston (30)
Years married: Almost 2 months
Where they live: Tampa, Florida
Tell us a little bit about yourselves. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and Dave grew up on the water in Tampa, so while we had very different childhoods geographically, we both grew up with an appreciation for being on the water (fresh or salt). I went to an ACC school, UNC, and he went to an SEC school, Auburn, so we travel around the Southeast quite a bit when fall hits. I’m an interior designer and Dave is project manager for a construction company, so we talk in blueprints! We both have an appreciation for what the other one does 9 to 5, and that makes a big difference.
Tell us your love story in one sentence. “Why are you dancing up there, when you could be dancing down here with me?” – Dave, the night we met at a popular Nashville honky-tonk.
What is your favorite part of being married? Dave and I dated long distance for two and half years, and it wasn’t until after we were engaged that we lived in the same city. It’s wonderful to come home to him each night and speak to him in person. I’m still learning all these amazing things about him and his everyday life!
What has been the most surprising thing about marriage? The amount of laundry! Doing laundry for two people is quite different and I feel like I can barely keep up. It did help justify purchasing a very cute laundry hamper, though!
What is your favorite memory from your wedding? Our favorite memory of our wedding was the loud clapping as we walked back up the aisle. It was almost deafening. The sound was assurance that we have so much support behind our marriage.
Tell us a little bit about where you live. When we decided to move to Tampa for Dave’s job, we knew we wanted to purchase a home. We had both rented places in our respective cities, and knew that Tampa would be a place where we could settle down for a few years, if not always. We knew we wanted to purchase a place we could call our own without breaking the bank, so we bought a small condo in South Tampa that needed to be completely gutted and renovated. For three months, we spent nights and weekends tearing down/adding/painting walls, installing new tile, and installing a new kitchen, all while planning our wedding.
Tell us about the process of moving in together. Since we both lived independently for several years, we had each accumulated lots of furniture and art. It was important to us that the condo reflected each of our personalities, which began the process of deciding what to keep and what to donate. Our gallery wall is an excellent example of that motivation. It is a blending of our personal art collections above a vintage record player (it still works!) that Dave found while thrifting, and is a great reminder of our separate lives coming together. Also, a sailfish, which Dave caught, hangs above our living room couch. As a mountain girl, I loved getting to do something different and fully embrace the coastal aspect of our new town. While we have blended many of our things together, our nightstands remain his and hers. It’s just another way of claiming your side of the bed!
Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? Our favorite room in the house is the kitchen. It was the room we completely renovated, and we poured so much sweat equity into reconfiguring the space and installing new cabinets. All the hard work makes me appreciate it even more, and it is so rewarding to see the beautiful space finished. I especially love how our tiled floor-to-ceiling wall turned out.
Which items from your wedding registry do you use the most often? We use our new Keurig every day. I am most excited, however, about our custom pottery dishes by Handmade Studio in Nashville. They are so simply beautiful that it makes me want to entertain every night, just so we can use them.
What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? I wouldn’t register at so many places–I would keep it to a maximum of three. It was very hard to keep all of ours organized when it came to returns and duplicates.
What most makes your house feel like home? Our art–each piece contains meaning. We can both tell you which artist or friend painted each piece, or why we picked it up at the thrift store. A commissioned photograph by Andy Detwiler of Paradise Park, the honky-tonk in Nashville where we first met, hangs in our living room above a side table. Our art is a constant reminder of our journey before and after we met.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? I splurge on textiles–fabric and rugs and pillows! As a designer, I have access to amazing fine furniture brands, but you can’t beat a good thrift store find. I’m always searching for one-of-a-kind chairs to recover, wooden side tables, and even lamps. In fact, some of my favorite finds in our condo are the lamps–we have a pair of brass lamps on our nightstands and the lamp that rests on the campaign-style side table in our living room were found at local Tampa thrift stores (I have the most luck at Salvation Army). Unique pieces really bring a lot character and soul to our space.
Who cooks dinner? We usually both cook. Dave will grill and I’m usually in charge of the sides. Making dinner is our time together after work to catch up and hang out with one another.
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? During the week, we try our best to be healthy, with dishes like spinach salad with pecans, cranberries, goat cheese, and grilled chicken, dressed with a honey walnut vinaigrette. We have three adorable nieces and nephews that we enjoy being close to now that we live in Tampa, so our favorite weekend meal is spent at my in-laws’ house each Sunday evening. The meal is secondary to the company!
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? When I travel, I will often pick up a new cookbook to remind of us our trip. One of my favorites is the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook I bought a few years ago in Charleston. Food stains coat the pages, I use it so much!
How does your family handle finances? We are both frugal, so we never worry about who is spending what on what. We did set a limit on what we can purchase without having to consult the other one–if were going to make a purchase greater than $500, it would need to be a discussion.
What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? Make your spouse your first priority. Consider your spouse in your plans, making him aware of what and when you are doing things. It’s always nice to be in the loop!
What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? I always fold his clothes and put them away.
Do you have children? We are enjoying being an aunt and uncle right now to our adorable nieces and nephew. I do tell them there are cousins coming, just not sure when!
Is there anything else about your home or family life that you think our readers would be interested in? “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3
We’re so grateful to Jordan and Dave for sharing their hearts and home with us! Be sure to follow along with Jordan on her Instagram.
A little reminder: we’d love to hear from you! Our hope is to feature REAL couples in the South – not just folks who write blogs (though we love them, too!), but also your inspiring friend, super talented cousin, or neighbor with the cutest house – the kind of person everyone would love to “e-meet.” If that sounds like you or someone you know, take a peek at our Southern Newlywed submission page and shoot us an email!
I love those blue and green shams! Any chance we can find out where they’re from??
Hi there!
The bedding is from Matouk. Hemingway Collection. Glad you liked it!
There is absolutely nothing about this home tour that I don’t LOVE! Such a fun mix of color and texture that works together so well to tell their story!
jordan is a true talent and a wonderful girl! love seeing her fabulous home