Creating a beautiful farmhouse style home is tons of fun, but it’s also really challenging. Where do you start? Should I paint my walls, wallpaper, or put up a little shiplap? And if I want to paint what’s the right color? What about furniture? And don’t even get me started on decorative items. You see. It’s challenging. And even more so when you’re alone.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to try to figure it all out on your own.
You want to create the home of your dreams. You want your home to be cozy and welcoming. But you’re stuck. That’s where I come in.
You see just like you I’ve been exactly where you are. I took a leap of faith in 2013 and decided to move to the country. As a big city girl rural living certainly had its challenges. I not only had to adjust to small town life, but I was also faced with decorating an old country style home. I was clueless.
I had a small budget, no furniture, and no idea where to begin. So, I did the only thing I knew how. I started searching the Internet. I spent several hours a day going through different sites online trying to get a good deal on used furniture. Craigslist, eBay, online flea markets, anything I could find.
Then something incredible happened. People started posting pictures of their rooms showing the item that they were selling.
For example, let’s say someone was selling dining room chairs. Before they would just photograph the chairs. There would be one picture with all the chairs available, let’s say four chairs, and then the rest of the pictures were of the individual chairs. Instead, what I started seeing was rooms fully decorated with the chairs in the rooms. Not staged photographs from a store, but real pictures from inside of people’s homes.
I thought it was brilliant. It allowed me to envision how the chairs could live within a particular space. This got me inspired. I then started saving all the pictures. I literally had hundreds of pictures on my computer. I would then look through the pictures over and over to see what resonated with me. Which rooms could I live in? What style did I prefer? How did I want to feel within that space? What did I like? What didn’t I like?
It became obvious pretty fast that I resonated with farmhouse style décor mixed with a bit of French Country. I also like some Shabby Chic and Boho.
Once I knew what I liked I could look at the pictures of the rooms and then try and find exactly those pieces, or something similar, to make my own variation of that space. I then started visiting all the local flea markets. I couldn’t believe the treasure trove I’d stumbled upon. Country flea markets are not the same as big city ones.
Through my journey there’s so much that I’ve learned.
Here’s a snapshot:
- I learned how to get the best deals online (even tons of stuff for free)
- I learned how to DIY and up-cycle
- I learned how to take a simple piece of furniture and make it into something more functional and glamorous
- I learned about colors, textures, and layering
- And so much more…
Today I’m blessed to be able to share my knowledge with others through Lovely Farmhouse. I started this blog to help people create the home of their dreams.
So, if you’re looking to re-do a room. Need a little inspiration. Want to learn some tips & tricks I’ve discovered along the way then you are in the right place.