Making a House a Home

allie • February 2, 2012

So many times I see some amazing houses,  but they feel a little cold.  Not quite “homey.”  Do you know what I mean?? When we were working on this house I loved seeing the finished product take shape but it still wasn’t quite feeling like the vision I had.  Frustrating.  Until..I realized why.  My house wasn’t yet quite a home.  I hadn’t added the finishing touches.  To be quite honest, I was so burnt out from cleaning up debris and trying to keep an environment for the kiddos that I got burnt out on “decorating.”  Yes, that is a tragedy:)  Especially for those of you who really know me!!  But, as of the last couple of weeks I have been having so much fun painting, sewing, staging, hanging and everything in-between.  Not to say that it’s done yet, But I think I have finally found my vision:)  When I first started this endeavor I wasn’t sure if I wanted to transform this house into more of an elegant, chic farm house, or a true country farmhouse.  After living in it for the past 5 months, the latter won.  I stayed true to who I am and decided to turn it into the country charm farmhouse with hopefully a bit of a cottagey feel to it:)  So, what did I do to make that happen?  Well I already had some of the bones taken care of with the rustic looking floors and school house lights.  I just needed to add the finishing touches.  So, here’s a few areas I worked on.

before..

and now…

I am always amazed how much drapes and curtains help to warm up a house. I love this huge picture window and the bench fits a lot better in between these two curtains.

You also know my love of chalkboard paint from the last house, and I wanted to find a spot to put it in this house too, I just wasn’t sure quite where.  I have seen so many people use it as backsplashes…

and this…

and think it’s oh so cool…just I think that I personally would get sick of always having to have it look good, since it’s so focal in my house.

I’ve also seen people people do complete walls..

so fun..

but, with my hoodlums they’d be writing on it all the time and it would drive the neat side of me kinda insane..pretty sure.  So, when I had this little nook that served pretty much no purpose….I couldn’t wait to paint a chalkboard wall!!

Yay for finally having a door to the cellar, even though it still needs to be painted and a handle put on…but even bigger yay for a chalkboard wall!!! I love it back here! Especially because it get so much light on it from that big window:)

a peak from the kitchen…

and if you haven’t noticed yet…I’ve got some cute little boxes hanging on the wall over there.mI first spotted them on Layla’s blog at our last house and fell in love, and actually bought them before we even purchased this home. Who would have known what a perfect fit they would be!!

I’m kinda in love with them..

The pops of green are getting me through this drizzly brown winter. I admit…spring has sprung at my house:)


oh, and if you’re wondering where to find those little cutie boxes, you can get them here.

So, a few curtains, some paint, some greenery and wall decor and you have yourself a home…at least its feeling more like it everyday:)

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