My Summer Home Tour-Welcome to My New Home!
Hello friends! It's been awhile since I have popped in with any updates. I must admit that this past spring was pretty chaotic. We found out we would be moving from Washington to North Carolina in late February. My husband starting working in North Carolina right away and between house hunting, house selling, and the moving process, well here we at the end of July! I'm finally feeling somewhat settled and I'm so excited to take you on a summer home tour of our new house.
Of all the homes we have lived in, this house might be my favorite so far. I feel like it just fits the modern farmhouse esthetic that I love so much. My husband did a great job picking it out! I only saw pics online and never saw the house in person until we actually moved across the country. EEK!
This home is not as open as our previous home and I kind of like that. There is a little more separation of space. And I feel like there is less wasted space. When you enter the house the front hall has beautiful white wainscoting. It feels really fresh and inviting!
We don't have an entry closet or anything to stash bags or shoes so I added my gold bench to the front hall as a place for guests to place their purse or put on shoes. I found these cute baskets at Hobby Lobby and they are a perfect fit for a welcoming fern. A few pillows never hurt either!
When you enter the house the dining room is to the right. Except I decided that we really didn't need a formal dining room so I am using it as my office.
Now I just have to try to keep it neat and tidy since it is the first thing you see when you come in the door. Not sure how that's going to work out. I created a wall of "built in" storage by using an old tv armoire that I painted white and an Ikea book case on either side. I plan to add crown moulding to the book cases too so that they blend a bit more.
I changed out our builder basic light fixture in here for my vintage chandelier. But I used the shades from the builder light on my chandelier. I wasn't sure about changing out the lights (it's hard to change out something that is brand new) but I'm so glad I did. It really made the space more personal to me.
I had to put my china cabinet in my office since I don't have a wall for it in my kitchen. But I am loving it here. It pulls in all the gray from the kitchen and I get to see all my favorite treasures displayed in it.
While I want my shelves to have functional storage, I also want to have space to display all the pretty things I love. This egg art is a page pulled from a book that I found at a vintage store. I framed it and now it's the perfect art for my shelf. It pulls together all the colors that I love and have in my house.
Also, who says all your shelves have to be the same distance apart? Pull one shelf out and leave some extra space for taller art or photos. I love how this creates an instant display area for larger items.
I read somewhere that every good design should have some black in it. Do you think that applies to black and white stripes too?
My office connects to the kitchen and this might be my favorite kitchen I have ever had. The flow is great and the space is open but not too big. And I love all the finishes in here. It's a little hard to tell but the bottom cabinets are a soft gray and the tops are white. And if you were wondering my favorite farmhouse style pendants made the trip across the country and replaced the builder grade lights that were there. (I have 1 extra, who wants it?)
I have a bit of an obsession with marble and I would love to have marble countertops one day. But until then I'm really happy with the addition of some marble accessories (probably much more practical anyway!) I'm looking forward to changing up my display.
My farmhouse style bar stools fit perfectly at the bar and give us a bit more seating. I added more gray and white stripe pillows to each barstool to tie together all the gray and white in the cabinets.
Do you have a lamp in your kitchen? I think every kitchen should have little lamp for soft evening lighting. Just make sure it is out of the way so it doesn't get greasy. Yuck!
My dining room table fits perfectly in this space. And I love all the light I get in the breakfast nook. I have plantation shutters on order for all my windows except for these. Privacy really isn't an issue back here and I don't want to block any of this wonderful light.
My vintage chandelier made the move too. I wasn't sure I want to replace the breakfast nook light. The builder light was actually pretty. Very streamlined and just different for me. So after some debate I had my husband switch it out and I'm so glad I did. Now this space just feels like MY space.
Family room time. I still have my white slipcovered couch from Ikea. It's starting to see better days and I have plans to replace it. But it works for now.
In my old house I had a woven seagrass rug in my family room. I opted for a softer look with this rug I ordered from Joss and Main. It was my first time ordering a rug online so I was a little nervous that I wouldn't like it when it arrived. But I love it!
I freshened up my coffee table with one good trip to Homegoods. I walked around the store with this woven tray styling it with things from the store. I highly recommend that method. It really helped me pull the whole thing together.
It's also fun to add a box and hide the remotes from your family. They figured it out eventually!
My wingback chairs made the trip as well and they work perfectly next to the windows. We use the table for games, reading or a quick meal in front of the tv. I try not to let the kids eat on the couch but I do let them eat at this table.
When we moved into this house my husband commented a few time about how well our old stuff fit into this house. Little did he know this has always been my master plan. I buy neutral, that way no matter what room a piece of furniture has to go in, it always matches and works.
This table is no exception. It's been an entry table, a hall table, a console behind the couch. Now it fits perfectly on my back wall with my chippy barn doors.
I still use my Restoration Hardware style books all over my house. I stained garage sale books with tea to give them that aged look and then ties them with twine. You can get the tutorial for that HERE.
Ok, so here was my compromise for this house. I love most everything about it, but you know there is always something in a house that you didn't build that is not your favorite. Something you would change if you could, but is livable. The fireplace is that thing for me. I have never been crazy about a corner fireplace. I think it just makes positioning furniture and creating a focal point for the room a little tricky. I opted not to put the tv over the fireplace to change the focal point to the main wall of the family room. I still think the fireplace is pretty, but let's face it, we will sit and watch the tv way more than the fire in the fireplace.
Still trying to decide what to write on my chalkboard. Any suggestions? Hope you loved seeing my new home. I have enjoyed decorating it and making this new house a home for myself and my family. If you found a few things you liked, please feel free to pin any of the images or share on your Facebook page or Instagram.
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