the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
~ Maya Angelou ~
We've been on our small farm for almost a year now. I can hardly believe how fast it's gone by. We've settled in and so have our alpacas with their livestock guardian dog, as well as goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, a barn cat, and our three dogs, three parrots and miniature pig.
Our house has undergone some significant changes in how it views the world. Gone are the small windows in the kitchen and master bedroom and in their place are gloriously large double-hung windows. The living room now hosts a beautiful door and large picture window overlooking crop fields at the front of our property. Our bedroom furniture that couldn't fit up the narrow, steep staircase found it's way up through the new bedroom window. And with the coming of spring, the front porch will be undergoing a face lift. I can almost hear the house sigh as sun light filters in.
I'm a proponent of letting a house speak in regards to its design and how it wants to be lived in. Now that we've settled in our routine, I'm beginning to hear our little farmhouse speak . . . in whispers. Her rooms are gently whispering in my ear that they want to be yellow or a soft white with touches of red and soft green. They want to be uncluttered. Simple. They want to be pretty but not frou-frou. And they want to be lived in, cozy, warm.
I began my farmhouse makeover in the main floor bath by removing the dated wallpaper and painting it a soft, worn green called Burlap (6137) by Sherwin Williams. This room is very small but I wanted to do something unexpected because it is right off the dining room . . . so I added engraved prints in large antique frames.
The large master bedroom is divided into two rooms. I had thought to take down the dividing wall and open the space, but that may well be in a future renovation. For now the second room is a relaxing retreat for reading or taking a nap. I used Turning Oakleaf (ATC-38) by Pittsburgh Paints. It was their 2014 color of the year. "A buttercream yellow that evokes tranquility and is the perfect "no fail" yellow". Don't you just love that? The color changes depending on the light and varies from a soft bright yellow during the day to almost cream in the evening. It's a beautiful color.
My large kitchen and back entry will also be painted Turning Oakloaf and I'm considering painting the dining room this color as well. Because it acts as a neutral (at least to my eye) I think it will tie all these spaces together while adding warmth and light.
The living room was going to be painted a cayenne color, but since listening to the house, it may end up a soft white. My furniture is dark (it suited our previous house well and because it's new we won't be replacing it). So I think white in here will help brighten the space.
I love this picture found at a second hand store for $35.
And so I go thoughtfully and carefully through our small farmhouse that is now our home. Listening to the house as it guides me through each room. Because in my experience, a house knows what it wants. From the paint colors on the wall, to the furniture placement, to the people who live in her. A house knows.
