I've never really fully embraced the home decor obsession. Over the last eight years John and I have been married we have moved five times. I always knew the home we were in wasn't our forever home, so I made it "homey" without really getting into it. I didn't want to waste money when I knew we would eventually find the forever home we both wanted and that I really wanted to make to my taste. I'll try to link as many of our finds as I can. We really stayed on budget and avoided going into debt when furnishing our home.
Back up to the decision to buy, first. We bought our first home, which I often call the Harmony House on the agreement that it would be our five year home (we owned it for 4 years and nine months!). It was a great price, great location, and houses sell in that neighborhood so quickly. It was small, fit our budget, and our current lifestyle, as we didn't have children yet. It was right in the center of all the great things to do, places to eat, and best places to shop. It really was one of our best financial and logistical decisions.
Before John left for basic training and AIT we had discussed putting the house on the market. John's dad and stepmom were also preparing to sell their home (the home Jen raised all her children in) around the same time. I was completely frustrated with all the listings we were being sent. Because we wanted something farther north, none of them fit what we wanted and the prices were at the top of our budget. The homes were older (which I liked) but did not have garages, gym space, lots of extra sunlight, etc. I was ready to just stay in our tiny home- I wasn't moving again if it wasn't the house. Moving is expensive and a lot of work, so I was willing to hold out. Out of frustration one night I joked about buying his parents home because it dawned on me that it was exactly what we both wanted and in a more convenient location than we were entertaining at the time. Within five minutes, John had called his dad, and this was going to be the new plan. As long as our house sold in time. I was 37.5 weeks pregnant when he returned from training and within four days of him being home our house was listed and we had about 10-12 walkthroughs. It was sold within 40 hours. The even more amazing part is that over the previous months as his parents were updating, they would bring samples and photos to me on our weekly visits, so I was able to choose a few of the upgrades, like the subway tile with gray grout, to contrast with the new granite countertops, and the front entry door replacement. They also laid all new hardwood floors which are just heavenly. The shade of wood is perfect- it doesn't show dust or kid messes.
I never knew I had it in me to actually decorate a house and it turn out well, in my opinion. I'm happy. At first I was super timid and second guessed every decision. Eventually I embraced it and here we are! It was so fun seeing all the pieces come together and my vision come to life. I honestly would go through phases and get on pinterest and poke around, but pinterest overwhelms me. I ended up finding some colors that I loved- cool gray, white, and navy, which looks amazing when my light pink peonies show up! I You know I have a weakness for them! I also wanted to stay under a specific number when buying and found that wayfair has some great items. They also offer coupons when you move! Yay!
I wouldn't say my style is completely farmhouse. I have a thing about decorating "farmhouse" style if the house is clearly not a farmhouse. However, I do like it and I also love industrial style. I wanted to incorporate both into the house. These chairs were the item I was most excited about. I had to be super careful when purchasing a table because they did not come with a recommended table and the seats have wood thatching. They all needed to match and be the right size. This is exactly what I envisioned for this space. I love a good deal, so I felt like these were more a splurge item. There were other cheaper options that I just couldn't fall in love with, but they were okay. The white color was also more expensive than any other shade. I decided if we were going to spend the money, I would splurge a little more on these, and save elsewhere. Similar chairs are available here, but it seems like the white is being sold out quickly on both Wayfair and Amazon.
The hutch is a family piece John's dad made many years ago. I was going to have it painted white, but I'm loving the natural look and details. It also ties in the sunroom (family room) furniture. Plus, I don't want to cover up all his hard work. Both of our dads are very talented when it comes to building high quality furniture, so there are a few pieces throughout our home that will not be carried in a store. However, if you like something, I would be happy to share their information.
The barstools are Amazon and were very affordable. I wanted something low profile that would not take away from the breakfast nook chairs and the family room chairs. I also use a cute beaded cake plate found at Marshall's to keep the dish and hand soaps all in one place and up off the counter. It's easy to wipe off and there's no soap scum or rings on the counter. I also HATE cluttered counters. And, if you're super curious, our love cactus is from Lowe's. We often joke that relationships are beautiful and prickly all at the same time.
This quote and sign was one that I had been searching for for a while. I have made wood signs before to save money. However doing that now with two littles is super challenging. Because I can make this for a good price I wanted to save on this piece. I ordered the 44"x22" sign for $39 and found a coupon code online. Shipping was also super affordable. I think it was around $35 all in, including shipping. Disclaimer: I'm still working on the mantel and it may take a while! Ha! I'm super terrible and uncomfortable with mantel decor. This is where my love for minimalism comes in and I just do one large decor item and throw in the towel... but I'm really trying here. I'm looking for a tall recycled glass bottle to correspond with the short fat one and a few other little things to vary height and colors.
It was important to me that these rooms focused more on nature and family time, so we decided not to have any television or technology in these rooms. Additionally, I do not want to add any window coverings. I want to be able to see outside at all times. This room is one story off the ground and faces the trees, so it's pretty private. Scroll for additional pictures. Links are below!
The large wire basket I got on clearance for $17 at hobby lobby- it's no longer available. The large paper roll was also a hobby lobby find. The plant is an ikea find. If you know how to keep them alive, please clue me in!
Things we still want to do- update the lighting throughout the downstairs, new kitchen appliances, and new cabinets. Ideally, I would like stainless steel appliances and my vision is to do glass paned cabinets on the uppers and continue with the white fully enclosed lowers. I'm pretty minimalistic and organized in my kitchenware so I'm not really concerned with people seeing in my cabinets. I love the open, clean look. I want to do black rectangular knobs to tie in the light fixtures, which will hopefully lean more to the industrial style. I also want to brush over the gold on the fireplace with black. My friend Rachel showed a super easy and affordable hack for this that I'm going to attempt- wish me luck!
Paint color is Rock Candy by Sherwin Williams! I hope this answers all the questions! Thanks for reading!
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