Modern farmhouse design is all the rage right now, owing in large part to Joanna Gaines and her HGTV show Fixer Upper. Adding some of this style to your home doesn’t have to break with bank with our list of 20 farmhouse finds under $20.
I think the appeal of modern farmhouse is that it pairs two aesthetics that are seemingly at odds with one another: modern and farmhouse. Before the Gaines’ entered my life, I thought of farmhouse as gingham check curtains and lots of raw wood. More country than necessarily chic. And modern to me has always meant simple, but a little bit cold. But, somehow the two together work beautifully, at least as conceived by JoJo. While there is a lot of wood in her designs, most of it is painted white. Stark white. And she contrasts that with a lot of black – in her doors and windows, rugs and wall decor. The effect is a simplicity that is at once clean and warm and therein lies the fascination with the trend that finds followers from New England to Milwaukee to Phoenix and back to Waco.
If you love the look – or even if you’re not ready to fully commit – we’ve found 20 fun farmhouse accents to easily and inexpensively add to your decor. Enjoy! (more…)
I love to ponder the history of our home: who lived here, what life was like through the decades, and how each family made its mark herein. We struggle to walk that fine line in this old farmhouse- what is reasonable to alter and what is not. This wall in our kitchen, in which there is an original fireplace (we think), serves no other purpose. It cuts the otherwise large kitchen in two, thereby extinguishing any designs on that extra-large center island, or any island at all for that matter. Still, we are committed to preserving it (for now). I like the stone veneer fireplace and have even warmed to the off-center firebox. A burning fireplace is beautiful to behold. Our non-working fireplace is anything but. When you enter into the kitchen from the dining or living room, this is your view. Meh. This farmhouse needs some fireplace love, and decor. (more…)
I’m usually a hold out for Indian Summer – a true believer that it will come and temporarily relieve us of the fall chill. Not this time; fall seems to have dropped in a few weeks early. With that, comes my foreboding about the months ahead, being locked in the house with my loving but rambunctious brood. I can picture too the commotion in our kitchen, the bottleneck around the island at every future gathering we host and I long for a few more weeks with the option to push them out the back door. So, I’m going for it. If you’re a friend of mine reading this, thank you- we’ll square up later. Secondly, I’m putting you on alert: don’t come over without a sweatshirt because we will be snuggled outside until the snow begins to fly. (more…)
With the return to school, we’ll take up arms once again. We’ll stand firm in our decision not to purchase that $100 pair of sneakers that ‘other loving and rational parents’ have graciously bought their child. So it shall be with the newest iPhone. We’ll brace ourselves for the lunch discourse that ensues daily upon unpacking the box’s nearly untouched meal. We’ll clear our calendar for back-to-school nights and sports team meetings. We’ll put the shredder on alert. For, despite this digital age, we are still mired in paperwork – announcements, notices, exams, reports, daily homework. Recycle the better part of that, but hold onto that which has sentimental merit. (more…)
Mudrooms are one of the top five remodel trends for 2017. I love the idea that a place created only to store your ugly, muddy things, that’s traditionally been considered unsightly, is now à la mode. The caveat is: mudrooms are relatively novel, so unless you’ve just bought a new house or recently remodeled, you may not have what is typically referred to as the “mudroom”. Fear not; we’re going to get you through this. (more…)
