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farmhouse decor

Farmhouse, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS, SHOPPING FINDS

Modern Farmhouse Stools

modern-farmhouse-stools

Stools are a kitchen island (or breakfast bar) essential! Much like lighting a kitchen bar stool can set the tone and add that needed dose of style into your space.  Stools should be comfortable (of course) but they should compliment your style and add to the room. We all have different elements on our checklist when it comes to furniture but these farmhouse stools that I sourced (likely) meet all of those expectations.

MODERN FARMHOUSE STOOL INSPIRATION

Photo credit: BeckiOwens.com

I love this amazing modern farmhouse kitchen by Becki Owens. I love the blend of clean white cabinetry and the rustic barn beam. The clean flooring and those farmhouse pendants are the perfect balance of clean modern classic and rustic farmhouse.  These stools are the best of both worlds – the warm cognac leather adds that farmhouse cozy factor and the clean lines and black legs give this stool a modern edge.

Photo credit: I Spy DIY

I love a crisp and clean white kitchen and these wood and black stools just pop! The copper accents add a farmhouse element.  But the blend of clean lines, simple styling and lighting choices give this farmhouse inspired kitchen a modern edge.

Photo credit: McGee and Co

This kitchen has the clean and classic white shaker style cabinets with subway backsplash in a white marble. The gold tone hardware installed on the horizontal add some bling to this kitchen but also add a modern element. The oversized black pendants also add some personality to the space. These natural wood floors add that warm and natural element – these stools mimic that natural wood tone.  These stools also have great visual interest with their curves!

MODERN FARMHOUSE STOOLS

What I love about the modern farmhouse esthetic is that every modern farmhouse is completely different.  You can play with this 'hybrid' and find the balance between the two styles and make your space your own.  Elements that make a modern farmhouse a modern farmhouse - texture (adding natural textures like wood), Industrial lighting (this is a great way to add black or metal), white (walls and/or cabinets) and warmth (either through colour choices, styling...) The modern farmhouse should look chic and stylish but feel welcoming and cozy.

I've sourced out some farmhouse stools that add that are a perfect mix of style and comfort.

  1. Centiar Bar Stool 
  2.  Barraute Bar Stool
  3. Dovercliff Bar Stool
  4. Gracie Bar Stool
  5. Jasper Bar Stool (or similar stool Wishbone stool)
  6. Bastion Bar Stool

All of these stools embrace that modern farmhouse feel and yet they are all different.  I personally love the mix of materials instead of just one element.  When it comes to purchasing stools be sure to get the proper size.  Not sure what size you need - click here for how to pick the right size kitchen stool.   Stools are not just a practical or functional piece they really are a style element in a kitchen, so find a stool that is both comfortable and stylish.

Which modern farmhouse stool is your favourite?


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HOME DECOR, OUR FAVOURITES

Shades of Grey

shades-grey

Grey is still a popular colour in home decor – personally I have always loved the more modern aesthetic of grey but it can also be used in cozy and farmhouse inspired decor.  Still not sure if you want to completely dive into this ‘trending’ tone? Start small by adding some grey pieces. Here are some favourite finds celebrating the shades of grey!

Going Grey…

We have seen grey make a huge push in modern and farmhouse decor – grey is being embraced like never before.  Grey was often seen as cold and almost institutional but now we are seeing such a range of shades and we have so many examples of grey home decor (thanks to home reno shows like Fixer Upper and other social media platforms like Pinterest) we have all seen and hopped on board with grey!

Love the look of this model home? Take a look at how you can get the look…click here

Grey Mood Board Inspiration:

I love this outdoor bench – it would be perfect for setting the scene on a front porch – just add some pillows! This is last year’s model but this model is very similar

Art is a great way to add some personality to your space. This ‘lifeguard stand’ art piece is beachy without being too ‘theme-y’ I love the calm and serenity that grey brings into a room – any room – this art would be perfect for a guest bedroom or family room.

I love area rugs that add pattern to a room – but as you know by now I’m not big into colour! I love this geometric (Scandinavian inspired) grey and white area rug (I’m looking at an area rug update for my family room and this one is on my short list). This one is no longer available but here are some similar options

Pattern pillows are also a must in my books (so if the rug is just too much pattern for you – opt for pillows). I love these super affordable pillow covers from Amazon.

When I work with neutrals (like I do in my own home) I like to play with textures – I believe that is how you keep the look visually interesting and multi-dimensional. I love this decorative glass vase – the shape, colour tone and that texture would be a great piece for a console table.

I’m a big believer in not only what light can do in a space but what light fixtures can do for the look and style of your space.  I love a farmhouse pendant and this one is a perfect blend of that farmhouse feel with a modern twist – this mix of the matte grey finish and the brass accent gives you so many options for hardware…



On a cool summer night (we haven’t had much of those) or a fall evening, snuggling with a soft blanket is perfection and this blanket is stylish and soft.  This blanket is ideal for draping over a sofa or accent chair (when you aren’t cuddled with it).

Add some stylish storage to your space – this is perfect for napkins and utensils for a casual meal or eating outdoors.  The metal makes it easy to clean, too! The style of this storage basket totally fits with the farmhouse look. This one is no longer available but here is a similar option.

Just because I don’t fully embrace a colourful space (I think having 4 kids I just instinctively seek serenity in my surroundings) doesn’t mean that I don’t like a little pop here and there.  I love a fresh green paired in neutral spaces and green looks great against these grey tones.  These small faux plants are great accents for a coffee table, bathroom, bookcase and more – they are so versatile!

I hope these grey pieces inspired you to update your space with some shades of grey,


SHADES OF GREY LOOKBOOK….


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BATHROOMS, DIY, HOME DECOR

Room Reveal : Farmhouse Powder Room

room-reveal-farmhouse-powder-room

Well, my 4 weeks are up and it’s time to reveal my new farmhouse powder room!

It has been a busy 4 weeks – I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone and made a major transformation in my powder room. I love my farmhouse powder room and so have my friends and family.  The new look is truly incredible and I did not go over budget BONUS! Let me show what I did to create my farmhouse powder room….

A look back at my powder room…..

BEFORE

This powder room was dark and dull – the cabinets are right of out of 1981 and the whole room just looked blah…I really wanted to add a brighter colour, make the room fresh and have a farmhouse powder room.

My farmhouse powder room – what I did…

I knew I wanted a brighter and fresher feel in the room.  The big element here was paint.  I’m fortunate because I had almost a full can of a warm beige-y colour (it’s actually the same colour I have in my other 2 bathrooms) HUSH by Benjamin Moore This new colour on my walls has made a huge difference! The powder room looks so much bigger and brighter (honestly I still cannot get over how fresh it looks).  The next paint project was painting that vanity! I love the look of chalk paint and I thought to get the farmhouse look a chalk painted vanity would be perfect! I chose a great chalk paint colour from Rustoleum ‘Country Gray’ and I love it!!

I was going to paint my existing hardware but after doing some looking around – I found these bar pulls in an oil rubbed bronze – they have a more modern look than my old ones, they are a great price and I had room in my budget so it was perfect! I did have the brushed nickle in my cart but I then realized with my existing hinges (and limited budget) I should stick with the oil rubbed bronze – I love how this vanity looks like a piece of furniture with the new paint and hardware. These bar pulls make a big difference in updating my farmhouse powder room.

 

I have always wanted to do something with my window but I never really figured out what – I found an awesome tutorial for a new-sew window valance and that was the plan but then I found this valance at Target – it fit in my budget and the colour is perfect! The rod was a great deal, too!

 

What I didn’t get done…

I purchased some spray paint that was supposed to be used for my counter tops – it has not yet arrived so this did not get done during the challenge.  I’m a bit disappointed as I was really looking forward to changing it but now that everything else has been painted – I’m not sure that I need to paint it! I’ve asked friends and family what they think and it’s a 50/50 split of whether to paint or not – let me know what you think I should do, I’d love to hear your thoughts…..

 

Styling my farmhouse powder room….

I lucked out with some art from my sister that she was no longer using.  I also have this old wood ‘mailbox’ piece that I purchased years ago and I have always loved it but never found a home for it – it has been sitting in my office collecting dust for about 6 years – it is a great piece that works with the farmhouse look I am after so I was super happy to give it a ‘home’. I used this amazing product called ‘Gorilla Hooks’ to hang it – so easy!

I also had some decor items here that were just sort of extras like the wicker basket with my ‘guest towels’, the large mason jar with some faux greenery that I took from an arrangement in my dining room (just two branches), I had the ‘iron’ owls from my family room.

 

I used some white bar towels for my guest towels and rolled them up and put them in the basket -so simple – but that’s what farmhouse is all about, right?

My towel bar, lighting and mirror were there before – but with the new paint they kind of look new, too!

Get a farmhouse powder room with only $100

So here’s my budget breakdown …

Chalk Paint                                        $24.64

New cabinet pulls                             $4.79 (x4)

Paint starter kit                                 $8.00

Curtain rod                                         $3.99

Curtain Valance                                 $10.99

Spray paint                                         $30.05

Mirror                                                  already had

Wall paint                                           used left over from my other 2 bathrooms

Art                                                        already had

Decor accessories and towels         already had

Gorilla hooks                                     already had

Total spent                                          $96.83

Even though I have not yet used or received my counter top spray paint I still included it in my budget – without it I would have only spent $66.78 !

Farmhouse powder room photos

 

 

 

I still cannot believe that this is the same room – the transformation is just incredible! I feel great about the end results and I feel great about all of the painting that I took on – there’s a first time for everything! When you ‘shop your home’ it is really amazing what you can find and what you can give new life…

Be sure to check out the other participants in this round of the $100 Room challenge – it is reveal week and there are so many amazing projects in this challenge –


 

 

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HOME DECOR, TRENDS

Wood Bead Garland – A decor trend we love

wood-bead-garland-decor-trend-love

The Wood bead garland is a trend that we just love! I used some recently in an urban farmhouse inspired model home, not to mention I have some in my own home … I love these simple garlands and let me tell you why and how I love to decorate with them!

Photo credit – PrettySimplyStudio

What is a wood bead garland?

The wood bead garland is probably best described as ‘jewelry for the home’.  It adds a great texture and a new shape to a space.  These wood bead garlands come in different lengths and colours, some even come with different size beads.  The beaded garlands have a touch of rustic which is why they work so well with farmhouse decor.

How to decorate with a wood bead garland?

There is no set way on how to decorate with the wood bead garland but it works best in a relaxed arrangement.  I personally have mine at my front entry draped over some books and a Dutch clog from my husband’s family.  It adds to our entry vignette

The wood bead garland works well draped over a vase, vintage trophy, glass or pottery piece or even draped over a wreath…it add another element of texture.

Photo credit – PrettySimplyStudio

We also love the look of draping these garland in a bowl or tray – hung or coiled or a combination of the two works – just keep it looking casual…

Photo credit – PrettySimplyStudio

Wood bead garland also work beautifully in Christmas decor – if you like a woodland or natural look, try an extra long natural wood garland in your Christmas tree

Photo credit – The Merrythought

Mix it withe some greenery to and add it to your fireplace mantle – it has a woodland look with a touch of Scandinavian inspiration.

Photo credit – Oleander + Palm

Where can you buy a wood bead garland?

If you are crafty, you can make your own wood bead garland….

I purchased my wood bead garlands through a great little shop on Etsy, PrettySimplyStudio I love the quality and the handmade craftsmanship, plus there are even customization options for colour and also some custom tags too.

Photo credit – PrettySimplyStudio

I love the texture and the shape that these wood bead garlands bring to a decor scheme…what other ways to you see this trend working in your home decor?

SHOP WOOD BEAD GARLANDS…

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HOME STYLING, HOME TOUR, SHOPPING FINDS, TRENDS

TimberWood Towns – Get the Look!

timberwood-towns-get-look

What is TimberWood Towns? Well if you have been following us on Facebook or Instagram – you have seen this amazing project that we have spent the last 6 weeks of our lives working on…It’s been a while since we have posted anything new but we hope this makes the wait worth while…..

TimberWood Towns is a new townhome community here in Ottawa and we had the amazing opportunity to design the sales center, the model and select all of the finishes top to bottom – it was an incredible experience, we learned a lot and created something beautiful!

It was a full 6 weeks – of selecting all the finishes for this project from flooring to paint to plumbing and lighting and everything in between. When you work with such a tight timeline you learn a lot about working together as a team, you also learn a lot about working with items that are in stock! We wouldn’t have been able to get this done without the pure magic of online shopping! Stores like Wayfair, Amazon, and Bouclair really came to the rescue! We have some amazing ‘friends’ at Urban Barn and they really pulled though with large and small purchases for this project! And of course, Home Sense (to our US readers, this gem is coming to the States soon and you will love it!)

Let us breakdown what we did in the space to create this industrial farmhouse look…

Reclaimed Wood Accents:

The look at TimberWood Towns is industrial farmhouse.  We mixed a lot of great texture in the finishes but also the furniture and accessories.  We found so many amazing pieces that really pulled this whole look together.  Our construction team found an old barn (a little over an hour’s drive out of the city) which is where we found all of this reclaimed barn wood for the accent wall in the den and to create these beams (which are included in every one of these townhomes, what a great architectural feature!)

Creating contrast:

A big part of this look was to create contrast so that the wood was a highlight but the the white walls and lighter furniture pieces really added to the feel.  You can definitely get contrast with colour but you can also get contrast with textures.  We needed to balance out the hard and rough texture of the wood with some softer elements – like these white linen chairs, leather sofa and lots of pillows. We added some rope texture to the space too – the pouf, the rope on the large clock and even some photo frames with a rope accent. Another great texture in this space is the cowhide ottoman.

Lighting :

We all know that lighting can totally transform the look of any home and this project was no exception! We needed some great lighting that would really help set the tone of this industrial farmhouse look – we found some amazing pendant for the kitchens (that’s right, we have 2 kitchens in this sales center) and bathroom. We used aged bronze finishes for the lighting as they really add a rustic touch to the space.

More TimberWood Towns …

TimberWood Towns Shopping list:

If you like this industrial farmhouse look – you are in luck! We have a list of the items we purchased for this beautiful showroom.

These are just some of the amazing pieces we used in this project – we love to mix styles but also price points. when you mix styles and price points, you end up with final product that is truly one of a kind. We love how all of these items come together in a cohesive and unique way…

Let us know which piece is your favourite, we can’t decide!

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INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – What is Chalk Paint?

answer-wednesday-chalk-paint

“What is chalk paint? I have heard people talking about it. “

Yes – chalk paint is a term we are hearing a lot …so here are the details.

What is Chalk paint?

Chalk paint is an actual brand of paint – Annie Sloan has trademarked the brand (but there are other similar paints by other companies). But it is a paint used mostly on furniture.  The paint has a flat and chalk like finish and is used to create an aged finish on furniture pieces.  Plus you can distress the finish as well (very easily).

With the popularity of the Farmhouse look in home decor – chalk paint is being used a lot. To update great garage sale finds or transform pieces to give them a rustic, shabby chic or country look. Don’t you just love the charm that the chalk like finish adds to decor pieces and furniture?

Get creative with Chalk Paint:

Frames:

Chalk painting your photo frames or even old frames that you often see at yard sales or online – look so chippy and vintage with a spot of chalk paint.  These look great in a gallery wall

Storage furniture:

Adding chalk paint to a large piece of furniture transforms the look of the room.  This dresser looks aged and adds a romantic look and feel in the bedroom.

Vases:

Trying painting your mason jars . This is a great idea for a center piece, spring decor, weddings and Easter – the finish of the paint and the tones are perfect for the spring season!

Chairs:

I love these chairs – they look like an old vintage find from an old cafe and that robin’s egg blue really adds some personality in the space.

Chalk paint allows for you to get create with some old furniture items, garage sale finds or just updating your space! We all know what a difference fresh paint can make in a space so why not try something new!

It’s only paint…

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HOME DECOR, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS, TRENDS

How to Get The Look: Modern Country

how-to-get-look-modern-country

Country decorating has come a long way. It has always been a popular home decorating style but it has really changed in recent years. In the past this has included such elements of the style as handmade items, collections, and rustic charm. While country style will always epitomize home and warmth, its time to bring country design into the modern era. We call this decorating style “Modern Country“. Modern country is still charming, and rustic but with some clean lines and cool colour palettes it has a ‘cooler’ vibe. If you love that laid back rustic style with a modern edge – better know as Modern Country,  here’s how to get it.

 

Clean it up

Traditional country decorating has been often accused of being “cluttered”. Modern country decorating is anything but! So it’s time to seriously edit and pack away all those little things that don’t contribute to the overall design scheme. Don’t go overboard though, country is about home and family, so you don’t want to eliminate everything that’s personal. Create a box of decorative items to store, and rotate favorite accents with the seasons.

Choose a simple and clean color scheme

Update your country decorating look with a more modern color scheme. Pick one color, then try combining it with white or neutrals for a stylish look that isn’t dated, and doesn’t cause confusion for the eye. Add textures to give the room great interest and contrast. Keep patterns to a minimum, and try to incorporate some of the new classics or a modern floral that uses white and one color in its design. Think tone-on-tone for a soothing look in the space. We like a great light neutral on the walls and then for accessories layers of soft greys, taupes even dried herb tones look great with this style.

Choose your inspiration

Choosing your inspiration for the modern country decorating look is kind of like choosing a theme. But instead of the cutesy country themes of the past are passe, you are choosing an inspiration that creates a feeling. Gone are the roosters and instead think of a theme inspired by the mountains in Colorado, or the high country of Santa Fe.
You can actually picture the “feeling” of the room just by those descriptive words, and that’s what will give you guidance and keep you on track. Look through photos for inspiration, that will help you stay on track but again, don’t go over board! You don’t want a theme room like “this the dairy farm room” take what you love about the feel of the country and incorporate that in the space.

Light the way

One of the fastest ways to update an outdated decorating shame is to add a modern lighting fixture. This works great with the “Modern Country” as they compliment each other well. Think West Elm, Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn.

Texture

So important in this look! When it comes to country decor it’s really about comfort and ease, so texture can really help with that.  Think canvas, wool, distressed denim, flannel, distressed leather and mixing it all up on a sofa.  Be sure to add other textures too like reclaimed wood, stone and brick for another layer of texture. Elements of nature are another great way to add texture to your space.

Accessorize

The “more is more” traditional country decorating look of the past is just that…it’s in the past. Choose a few great pieces to display at a time. Mix and match with other styles, offering interest and contrast, and bringing more attention to your beloved possessions. If you have a collection, or want to showcase Grandmas quilt, then showcase it. But display it gallery style and give each piece importance. Don’t just use something for the sake of having something fill a space. Treat the things you love like art.
Another great way to make a country piece look more current is framing your art.  So a country landscape with a clean white over sized matte and black frame is easy and looks clean and modern.
Look for country piece like large milk jugs, butter churners, pickle jars, mason jars etc…they add great character and some texture to the space and of course, they have that country feel
Look for inexpensive antiques that can be used to create a unique wall collection such as postcards or antique flatware. Add items from nature, but be selective. Leave some space around your treasures for the eye to rest. If a wall or a room is cluttered no one can focus on your beautiful pieces – art or artifacts. So keep it simple that’s really important in modern country decor.

Relax

Above all, relax and enjoy the creative process. There are no rules in decorating that can’t be broken. Modern Country Decorating is a fantastic way to take a beloved home decorating style of the past, and give it a current twist.

 

 Modern country might sound contradictory but it is a beautiful blend of relaxed and styled decor.  We hope you love this look as much as we do!
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