Mudroom Makeover

I'm not sure it should be called a makeover since it wasn't ever really "made" to begin with.  When we built our house 16 months ago, our mudroom was all function and no flare.  It served a purpose, albeit a good purpose, but it wasn't welcoming.

Before:

Every person in this family walks through the mudroom at least twice a day, so I wanted it to be a place that inspired on the way out and welcomed on the way in.

After:

We had some leftover wood from our keeping room ceiling, so we decided to add a little character to the wall.  I would prefer white, but this is a MUD room and mud is BROWN.  We make a lot of dirt on this plot o' land so practicality wins again.  I'm okay with that. :)

 I needed an inexpensive way to fill up 16' of bare wall space.  Thanks to Melissa, I found these maps at Paper Source.  They are actually considered wrapping paper, but they look and feel like real maps.  I will probably add more eventually, but for now I chose maps of the world, the U.S. and places I've visited.

I love the colors and texture it brought to the space.

This is a very functional room in our home so I wasn't sure it could feel warm and inviting.  We use this room to wash eggs, feed the dog, and drop the coats and shoes.
We recently added a new granite countertop (I love small scraps that can't find a home!) that our granite-guy friend cut grooves into for egg drying.

This space also leads to the half-bath.  With so many events at the farm, we are constantly pointing people to the bathroom.  I made this little sign to help them find the way:

A little metal frame found in the dollar section at Michaels, a Sharpie, and a fun ribbon made a quick little project.

For the first time since we moved in, I finally really like this space.  Instead of the mudroom, I'm thinking of renaming it the welcoming room.  Doesn't that sound better?

I'm linking up with Imparting Grace today.

The Church Pew Revival

On New Years Day, whilst still in a vertigo fog, we had brunch with some dear friends.  Though much of the conversations were a blur, I do remember my friend Suzanne saying, "Gretchen, I don't want you to feel like you have to take it, but I have an old pew..."

In which she was interrupted with my over-eager YES!  I'll take it!!!

She described it as "chippy" and in need of some TLC.  

I like chippy.  And old.

 But the chips were falling off like snowflakes.  Chips that were probably fully leaded.  So I decided to give it a good spa treatment... of sanding.  Well, actually, my sweet farmer did the sanding for me.

Yes, I'm wearing "mom jeans" because the barn was freezing cold and I had 25 layers underneath. 

We buffed and cleaned and brought back her original beauty from the ashes of a 1976 mustard colored bad decision.

My original plan was to give it a glaze treatment but when I saw the price of glaze, I decided to try white washing it.
Because I wanted the grain of the wood to show through I combined
1 part paint/2 parts water
Using some leftover white paint we already had, this became a FREE project.  Woop woop!
 It turns out to be the best place to display my great-grandmother's quilt, too.

 It fits perfectly between the windows, separating our dining area from the living room.  Being over 7' long, I was sure hoping it would fit!

I'm so thankful my sweet friend couldn't find a spot in her home for this beauty.  I'll think of her every time I walk by.

I'm linking up with Coastal Charm, A Stroll Thru Life, Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Cozy Little House, Imparting Grace

The Room I Didn't Know What to Do With

When we began designing our home, I told the architect that the kitchen and keeping room were my top priorities.   Because of the layout of the house plans,  I knew that we would have a family room but I didn't give the space much thought.  Which is strange, because every other square foot of our house we planned with a purpose.

And so she was left undecorated and unnamed for almost 10 months.  For a while we used it to play Dance3 on the Wii because there was so much open floor space.  Do you know how great it is to dance on hardwood floors in socks?  Moves like Jagger, baby.

Eventually the Wii found it's permanent home in the kids' playroom and so the room sat.  Mostly empty, save for the gigantasoraus armoire that couldn't be moved another foot into the recesses of our home.

 We walk through the room everyday, but other than that, I really wasn't sure what purpose the room would serve.

Over the course of a few months, I realized that it had become the quiet room.  Strange, since it is located in the center of the house, but nonetheless, it became our reading room.

It is the space where I step away from the work in the school room, the busyness of the kitchen, and the noise of the tv.

 The room has become my space to enjoy one-on-one time with my daughter when she gets home from school.  We often work on homework together on the couch.  My sweet boy and I often read together here.

It is filled with worn out furniture and cherished objects that would be of no value to anyone else.  But still...
The afternoon sunlight streams in beckoning me.

.

 Ironic how the space I didn't know what to do with has become my sanctuary.

Wall Color: Crushed Ice by Sherwin Williams

Sign: Red Letter Words

I'm linking up with Imparting Grace today

Farmhouse Master Bedroom

 Welcome to one of my favorite rooms of our new house!

We took a risk with the intense paint color, but we haven't regretted it for a second!

 With a huge white headboard and white bedding, the color is a perfect contrast.
  Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik (SW 7602)

I wanted to add a pop of color and I love a bold pattern... in small amounts so Premier Prints Chipper in chartreuse from Fabric.com was the answer for me.

To save money and leave my options open (because you know I love change) I chose to just add a topper to the Ikea Ritva panels.  I didn't even sew them together.  The curtain rod rings hold both pieces of fabric (curtain and topper) together.  To let the light in, we currently have Ikea sheers behind the heavier curtains.  I can sleep through daylight with no problem, but my sweet man is thinking that some blinds will be a better choice soon.

 Another way we saved money was refurbishing the lamps.  Two buffet lamps from Kirklands were hanging out in the attic.  I didn't like the color or the shade, but the tall height was perfect for our super high bed.

A coat of metal spray paint and two new shades were all they needed:

Total cost for "new" lamps: $15

Eventually I would like to paint all of the wood furniture white.  When I have lots of time on my hands I'll paint my furniture and learn to quilt.  For now, I've learned to accept love it as it is.

If I ever want to change the feel of the room I could easily do so with just a few toss pillows (wouldn't coral be fun?!) and new fabric on the windows.  But for now, the blue and green are soothing and happy.

Farmhouse Dining Area

 When we built our home we opted out of having a formal dining room.  It was a room that used up square footage in our last house and only got used twice a year.  We decided to create a large eating area in our kitchen.  No regrets so far!

It has been a  challenge to make it feel homey because it is in the middle of the living area.

 I decided a pop of color would awaken the space.  Giant buffalo check has always been a favorite of mine.

I played around with my happy wall until it fit with the feel of the dining area.  I have a feeling this wall will be a continuous playground.  By the end of September, I'm sure it will have a "fall feel."

I wanted to keep it light and airy, so I added the pop of color to the bottom of our existing white sheers.  The sheers are Matilda from Ikea.  These are the best gauzy sheers in the whole world.  I love their long length and great price: $20 for a pair!

I ordered three yards of the buffalo check from Fabric.com.  I love their return policy!

We've had this old desk forever.  I decided to tackle it with the leftover paint from our pantry door.

After:

I found this free printable online at Creative Cain Cabin.  She offers so many fun, free printables!  This one fits my color scheme perfectly!  The burlap matted frame was a TJMaxx score.

 The dining area is finally coming together.  It took 10 months, but I now feel at home in this room.

Do You Antique?

Does the word "antique" make you smile or turn up your nose?  I have to admit the smell of most antique stores makes me wrinkle my nose.  Literally.  The thrill of the hunt is what keeps me coming back, even though 97% of the time I walk out of those places empty handed.

But then I run across an inspiration like this (at the local coffee house) and I suddenly want to search for an aqua phone and an old fan.

Isn't that the cutest display eva?  When I retire from motherhood (ha!) I think I'll open a coffee shop and create cute little montages like this.

There is a delicate balance between using antiques with discernment and having antiques that scream J.U.N.K!  It is important to find things that share a common ground.  In the photo above, it is the light aqua color and school day charm.  

I've started a collection of enamel pots above my kitchen cabinets.  Don't get grossed out, but the pot  with the red handle is the pee pot my husband's father used growing up. Yes, it's been washed.  I think it's pretty cool.  The others have been yard sale and antique store finds.  

Speaking of my father-in-law... he found a ladder back chair for me.  When I turned it around, I found this gem on the back:

"State College Property 1935"  Oh the learning that occurred in that chair!

I love that some antiques have a story that speaks for itself.  I recently ran across a quilt that had been lovingly made by a group of women.  They each stitched their signature on the squares they had quilted.  Oh the conversations that occurred at that quilting bee!  Totally regretting not purchasing the quilt, by the way.

The best thing about antiquing is finding something that you know you can use with something you already have.  Old and new.  It's a beautiful combination.

Check out this idea, again, from the coffee shop:

 A-mazing.  Painted pallet.  Bike on the wall.  Red watering can.  Sigh.