Three Ways to Add Warmth to a Mostly White Farmhouse Living Room...

When we first walked through our house, just considering purchasing it, the living room was one of my favorite rooms. It has lots of windows and a set of french doors, so it almost feels like a sunroom. 

Once we lived here awhile, the living room just felt unsettled to me. I think most people have a room in their house that is just harder to figure out - whether it's deciding on furniture, colors, or just how to make it more welcoming.

Our January Farmhouse Shop Space

Hope your week is going well! I'm just stopping in to share a few pictures from our shop space inside of M&M Antiques in Monroe, Washington. We have some beautiful time-worn European dough bowls and a charming chippy white cabinet.

Farmhouse Fall Decorating {Part 1}

The last thing I want to do is rush sweet summer.

But, for those of us who love to nest, thinking about ideas for the coming season is just what we do! Today I'm sharing some fall images from our farmhouse last year...

Weathered Wood Farmhouse Spool Clock {And your feedback, please...}

It's official.

I'm a fool for the spool.

Spool clock that is.

There's just something about the oversized piece of repurposed farmhouse-style goodness that appeals to me.

A Farmhouse Style Fourth of July

Hi Friends!

I hope you are doing well.

This year, we brought our vintage flag indoors, for some red, white 

and blue patriotism in our white farmhouse dining room. 

Farmhouse Style: Shiplap Above the Fireplace (Natural or White?)

Well, we finally put up shiplap (actually, underlayment to look like shiplap) above our fireplace. It's been on our to-do list for awhile. 

There are lots of great step-by-step DIYs out there. We bought a 4x8 piece of underlayment at Home Depot (about $12). I measured the width and had them cut it down to 8" wide strips. (Some people go with 6", it just depends on your preference.) Home improvement stores will usually make six to eight cuts for free, and then there will be a small charge per cut.

Farmhouse Living Rooms (Tips for Living with White)

I hope you're enjoying the weekend!

If you've visited here before, you know how I feel about white in the home... 

I love the peaceful, bright and clean backdrop it creates.

And while white is not known for hiding dirt, there are ways to make living with white easier. (Even if you have three growing boys and two dogs. And two+ acres of dirt.)

Painting a Piano...

To paint, or not to paint.

That is was the question.

Here's the thing. I don't always like a painted piano.

Not everything has to be white, gray or a pale shade of blue.

While I do favor these colors, I also appreciate the history and patina of a piece.

Our Farmhouse Bathroom Makeover (Before & After)

I've missed you! I think this was my longest blogging break to date, and it wasn't by choice. I've been having major computer problems. No fun! I'm glad to be back today and am excited to share pictures from our recent bathroom makeover.

Warming Up White For Fall... {The Entryway}

Have I mentioned that our previous home was filled with color? I was inspired by the French Country master of design - Charles Faudree. As I flipped through the pages of his books, I was in awe of how he would layer patterns and textures and bring out a home's personality and charm. Each room seemed to have a story to tell. 

Well, I didn't quite achieve the look of Mr. Faudree, but we enjoyed our warm and welcoming home for eight precious years. Then, about the time we were looking to move (two years ago), I became drawn to a more simple, lighter interior. Maybe with three young boys, I realized we didn't need the added interest and "excitement" of toiles, checks and roosters anymore. 

I hoped for a home that would be a welcoming backdrop for family memories, but that wouldn't compete with its people for attention. A more restful, sun-faded interior, could balance our family nicely. So began the love affair with whites and neutrals. And more recently, I'm starting to embrace less in a room, more often.

Welcome To Our Fall Home Tour!

Welcome!

Perhaps you're visiting as part of the Blogger's Fall Home Tour 2015 hosted by Cozy Little House. I'm excited to be a part of the tour and am so glad you stopped by today!

I'm Julie, and I live here, at our little farmstead, with my husband, our three growing boys, our dog, two cats and chickens. I enjoy decorating in a vintage farmhouse style with a soft, sun-faded palette.

A New (Vintage) White Chandelier for the Dining Room...

Happy new week everyone!

Since we moved in, almost two years ago, I've been dreaming of a new 

chandelier for our dining room. It's finally here!

A More Neutral, Natural Palette of Fall...

I hope your week is going well.

Just stopping in to share a few photos of rustic fall-time beauty taken from nature.

Branches with changing leaves, apples and wheat pair nicely with bread boards, vases of white and woven baskets.

With simplicity, we welcome the crisp autumn air...

A Delicious and Simple Summer Salad...

 So you signed up to bring a salad? Or, you're hosting a meal and want a salad that doesn't come in a kit? A little something special that won't take all day to make?

This summer salad is the best part of sweet and savory. The bright colors make it a beauty as well. And, not counting salads that come in a bag, it couldn't be easier!

Ingredients:

Mixed greens

Sliced cucumbers

Fresh, sliced strawberries

"Pecan Pie" pecans (or glazed pecans)

Extra sharp white cheddar cheese (cut into bite-sized pieces)

Raspberry dressing 

Salt and pepper to taste

Just toss all of the ingredients together, preferably in a large white bowl - which makes the colors pop even more.

Then drizzle on plenty of the raspberry dressing. I found Panera's Raspberry dressing at our grocery store. It is SO good! 

Enjoy!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Xo

Sharing with:

Cozy Little House
The Scoop
Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Style
French Country Cottage
From My Front Porch To Yours
Thoughts From Alice

Decorating with Color and Warmth or White and Light...

I recently visited my Aunt and was struck by the different feel of her home, compared with ours, primarily due to her beautiful use of color. I especially loved the vintage velvet chairs at her dining room table...

The interior of her home reminds me of a cottage in rural France. The spice-toned colors provide a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, which makes you want to linger! I enjoyed the colorful character and cozy feel.

In comparison, we've used a primarily neutral and white palette in our home. I enjoy the light-filled spaces, which provide a restful backdrop for our full days. 

Though I used a lot of color in our last home, this home, with its white wainscoting and many double-hung farmhouse windows, lends itself more to a light and sun-faded feel. The white, slip-covered furniture works well for our house full of boys (since it can be bleached!).

Many people have a strong opinion about color, or the lack-there-of, in decorating. (Thank you for your comments - both complimentary and "constructive." ;) But, I think most of us appreciate a diversity of color palettes, even if they are different from what we use in our own homes. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Xo

Sharing with:
The Scoop
Cozy Little House

Share Your Style

Farmhouse Dining Room ~ Buffet Makeover (Before & After)

Painting formica. It's possible! 

Our dining room is one of my favorite rooms in our house. We've shared a lot of good memories gathered around the farmhouse table. The room has many windows, so it gets a lot of natural light. 

This past week, I painted the buffet countertop, which was a dark green laminate. The effect was dramatic! Instead of your eye stopping on the green countertop, the painted white buffet now blends into the room well. It looks more like the painted piece of furniture you'd expect to see in a farmhouse.

Here's the before...

And the after... 

Here are the steps to take in painting formica countertop:

1. Clean the surface well.

2. Sand the surface to help paint adhere (I used a medium grit sanding block).

3. Clean the surface again.

4. Paint several coats if you are covering up a dark laminate with white. I used Home Depot's Behr Ultra (paint with primer). The color I chose was Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117)

5. Seal the paint with a few coats of Peel Stop Clear Binding Sealer by Zinsser (found on Amazon).

Notes: I first tried to use polyurethane as a sealant but it yellowed the white paint. Peel Stop did not yellow the paint and provides a fairly matte finish for a sealant... which I liked, since I was trying to achieve the look of an older piece of furniture. Since I just completed this project, I can't speak to the durability of the sealant yet. 

One more before...

And after...

Ahhh, the power of budget-friendly paint! :)

If you'd like to see what our dining room looked like when we were first shown the house, you can see it here.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

xo

Sharing with:

Cozy Little House

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Savvy Southern Style

Share Your Style

French Country Cottage

Home Decor DIY Projects ~ Farmhouse Style!

 Whether you're a first time visitor or regular commenter here on Little Farmstead, I'm so glad you're here! It's been a joy to build friendships, share ideas and gain inspiration from each other. 

As I've mentioned, our blog recently reached the one year milestone and I want to thank you so much for reading!

 Today, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the DIY projects featured during these first 12 months...

Beneath each photo is a link to the DIY instructional post... 

Cable Knit Sweater Mason Jars

Customized Candles

Shabby Chic Year-Round Wreath

DIY Charming Winter Wreath

Fabric Garland

A Vintage Inspired Sign

Vintage Cookie Tin Cake Centerpiece

Easy Spring DIY ~ Mini Wood Rounds

White Barnyard Animal Candleholders

Are you currently working on any decor or home improvement projects? 

I've been working on a couple that I can't wait to share with you soon!

Have a wonderful day!

xo

Sharing with:

Cozy Little House
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Style
French Country Cottage

A Desk / Work Area Makeover... Before & Afters

A week ago, this desk had a dark green formica countertop. I had wanted to change it since moving in over a year ago. But, some projects just take awhile to get to.  

Painting the desk was a small change but it made a big difference! 

It freshened up the room and made it feel more open. 

To see why this made such a difference, you need to see how the desk started...

Here's another before picture (dark and cluttered!)...

And after...

It was one of the first times I've used an oil-based paint. It was a type of paint specifically made for formica countertops (by Rustoleum, found at Home Depot). 

It took four coats. Hopefully, it will wear well! 

I found oil-based paint harder to work with than water-based because it had more of heavy, "sticky" consistency and the odor was really strong. You definitely want to wear a mask! I used a foam roller so lint wouldn't be left behind. I think that was helpful.

After the paint had dried, the fun part began. I brought in a plant...

And filled some of the jars with faux berries to go along with the Farm Shop sign...

Some fresh spring flowers...

I "shopped" our house for a lamp that fit the space better...

I now feel like I can breathe when I look at this corner of the room! :) It's nice, because this is where I do almost all of my work on the computer. 

Our middle son (9), who would like to see a lot more color in our house said, "I actually like the white. It looks clean." Ahhhhh, he said it! (And he does have color in his room, in case you were wondering!)

What have you painted that has made a big difference in the way an area in your home feels? A piece of furniture, fireplace, wall, room? Is there anything you're wanting to paint when you can find the time? 

xo

Sharing with:
French Country Cottage
Cozy Little House
Cedar Hill Farmhouse

A Farmhouse Christmas Home Tour

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the season so far!

 Today I'm sharing our Christmas home tour, where you'll see lots of white mixed with vintage and handmade Christmas decorations… Please come on in!

{The Entryway}

{The Dining Room}

{The Family Room}

We hung the boys' advent buckets from the chicken nesting boxes.

(Here, we added a table for a dinner party.)  

{The Living Room}

(Also added a table in here for the dinner party!)

{Little Christmas Touches Throughout the House}

In the kitchen, we added fresh mini wreaths on counter

 stools and cookie cutter garland across the windows. 

Mini Christmas trees in our sons' rooms provide a glow of excitement!

A little hot chocolate station with vintage Santa mugs...

{The Outdoors}

{The Front Porch}

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

xo

Sharing with:
French Country Cottage
Cozy Little House