It’s hard to believe it has been one full year since our photo shoot for American Farmhouse Style magazine! It has been such a busy year since, and I was so burned out on decorating that I thought I would never care about decorating our own house again. Then, we found ourselves opening a shop that was originally just kitchen hardscapes (cabinets, countertops and tile), and turned into all that plus a retail shop.
Now, I am part raring to go and part ready for a nap. Thankfully, we have three wonderful design assistants (well, six if you include our kids) who help us a lot, so not everything is on my plate. Being too busy is a killer of creativity. I find that design inspiration comes most when I have time to sit and stare at things, like walls that need to be decorated. Oh, the possibilities if you just have time to stare with coffee in hand!
The shop basically looks like our house, since I chose all the items. It was unintentional, but apparently I know what I like. Anyway, we are working on getting our shop items available online so you can shop if 1) you don’t like going places or 2) if you live out of town. Everything in it is unique and stylish and something I would personally buy for myself. It’s about half vintage and half new. I think having a mix of new and old is important. The vintage finds give a home some history and permanence and immunity to trends, and the new makes those vintage things look fresh and stylish.
Also, please send me your photos of your HTH purchases in action! I love seeing them out in the wild. So far most people have been afraid to send pictures because they are nervous it won’t be perfect. But, I assure you your space is prettier and cleaner than my workspace at this exact moment. I’ll prove it:
You’re looking at the aftermath of redecorating the buffet, which isn’t done or I’d show you a finished picture of that. Here are a few of the things I’m using to redecorate, though:
That’s actually the pretty vignette version. Here are the actual pieces waiting there to be used:
The crates are just placeholders while I figure out what heights we want everything. We ordered two of the chalkboards for the shop and I thought they were so cool that I had to use one! They’re super heavy because of the reclaimed wood on the top and bottom, and are magnetic. It should probably be in a place where it’s easy to use, but I needed some black in this area to balance the lampshades.
The small art in the glass frame is a vintage French menu. The other three (all a little different) are at the shop. Two of them have red in them, and one is sepia-looking. They’re a good mix of vintage and new, and the simple frames make them look ever-so-slightly modern. It would be cool to have a gallery wall of them if it’s possible to get enough. We can order more, but I don’t know how many exist in all.
I usually lean up a bunch of things I’d like to use, and then have Dave hold them up in different spots so I can figure out where to hang them. It’s a little bit of a process getting it balanced.
That’s enough about our current mess– how about some finished shots?
Here’s a little look back at last year at the time of our photo shoot:
Our master bedroom! The door wall was to make a drywall-rich room not seem so cracker-box-y. This room is staying the same, but we’ll put on different bedding. Those brass midcentury lamps are my favorite lamps ever. We also have some marble ones that I love the most, too. A pair of them is in the shop right now, and we have a single one in our living room.
Here’s a pic of our dining room from last year! I loved how pretty and farmhouse-y it was. We have similar things in the shop right now if you want to recreate the look (chairs, table, window, chalkboard, milk glass and more). And, the table can be ordered to any size. We have a 6-foot one in stock right now.
This looks almost the same now. I love my transferware plate collage! I intended to change the plates according to the season (the brown ones were for fall), but I haven’t done it yet. The milk pail and crocks have moved to different places and the light fixture went to a client! This look is recreate-able in the shop right now, too. We have tons of crocks, glassware, wood cutting boards, and milk pails. They are all the real deal rather than reproductions, too. I am okay with reproductions sometimes, depending on what it is. If you go with all reproductions, though, it’s hard to get a natural, real look.
This picture was from photo shoot day. I was hoping to get Lucy the kitty in the magazine! The rug in the picture just went home with some clients but there are many more in the shop! The black and white oil painting is one of my favorites ever. FYI, Lucy did cooperate and ended up making the cut.
This was our living room, all styled for fall! There’s a different rug in there right now, and the bookshelves are full of books! I also change the fabric/quilt/blanket on the back of the couch every couple months to keep it interesting. We have several quilts in the shop right now that are perfect for the backs of couches, and there are wool solid and plaid blankets coming out this fall. We also have stacks of vintage books with interesting covers that are great for adding height to vignettes or look cool by themselves.
Thanks for following along and for all of you who have supported us through prayers, leaving comments, or visiting our shop (and for all of you who follow us on Instagram or “like” our facebook page!). We appreciate you and are encouraged by you more than you know!
Hopefully we can get some items up in the online shop soon. Stay tuned!
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