2.24.2015

Spare Bedroom Makeover


Remember this room? This is bedroom number two. It could be another master suite with its large closet and en suite bath. It sits at the very front of the house and gets the most beautiful natural light through its four windows! There's also an additional fireplace that's been covered. We've chosen not to start any major demo on the walls or bathroom yet, so it remains behind the sheet rock for now. 

Spare Bedroom Before 

A few weeks ago I decided to go antiquing on a whim. A favorite past time of mine. :) I came across the most beautiful vintage iron bed for only fifty bucks! Score! It was exactly what I had in mind for this room, but I'd never been able to find one at the right price. I guess it was my lucky day!

When we first moved into the farmhouse we had Baker's nursery temporarily set up in this room. And by "temporarily set up" I mean he had a crib and changing table surrounded by piles of boxes and other random things. And we nailed up some cheap black-out curtains from Walmart over the windows. Yes - nailed. It wasn't pretty. But, we transformed one of the upstairs bedrooms into a really cool nursery and once we moved Baker in I was able to slowly clear out the room and get a clean-slate vision for the space. 

We wanted to make the room feel both comfortable and inviting for our guests by incorporating soft, casual textures and authentic farmhouse style. We were able to complete the room on a tight budget, as well, by recycling pieces we already owned and scouting out the local trade pages. I found a beautiful antique armoire for only $85 and the bed linens were purchased from Ikea and Target. We also made our own curtain rods and hardware and used drop cloths as curtains. All very accessible and affordable if you're feeling inspired! 

Want to come visit? Come check in at The Inn at Stillwater Farm :)



The iron bed was missing a pole right in the middle of the headboard. I used a garland from Hobby Lobby ($7) and a wreath from the Dollar Spot at Target ($3) to make this little guy to take up the space.

The bench against the wall was actually from the old barn on the back of the property! No idea how old it is, but it's definitely "vintage" :) We made the curtain rods by using 10 ft. poplar closet poles ($16) and wooden finials ($2) from Lowes. The curtains are made from 4 ft X 12 ft drop clothes from a local hardware store. They were only $7.99! I just cut them to length and folded the top over to create the ruffle. No sew!

A beautiful aerial photograph of the farm and a very special sketch of the farmhouse. 

Our friends might recognize this old door. We used it as a headboard in our last home. It looks completely different styled in this room!

A closer shot of the drop cloth curtains and some vintage goodies..

Antique paddle boards from the fire station Brett works at! They sort of move around the house, but they've settled in this new room for now.



Of course Daddy's little shadow wanted to help!




Hope you enjoyed the tour. We're really looking forward to Spring weather and friendly visits!

-Lauren

2.23.2015

It's Been Awhile


Hello, friends! It's been awhile! 

This picture just about sums up our feelings on winter. We're pretty tired of it. We've been fairly busy here at the farm.. winterizing the farmhouse, trimming lots of trees and plants and spending as much time outside as possible. Although it's been tough considering how cold it's been and how unpredictable Alabama weather can be. We decided to haul in a load of gravel for the path that leads out to the barn and the back of the property. After a few days of heavy rain we were left with a mud-pit-of-a-yard and Brett's truck nearly slid down an embankment and into a fence. We actually need a little bit more, but what we were able to put down has helped tremendously!


Nap time for this farmhand. (Baker 18 mo.)


Gravel to the rescue!


Before the weather turned too frigid, we did get in several beautiful days to explore in the woods and fish to our hearts content! As I've mentioned before, our property is home to the oldest man made lake in Shelby County, Alabama. It has a drainage system and the spillway empties on the backside of the lake's dam. The cascade of the overflow is beautiful to watch after a long rain. So peaceful.. This is definitely our happy place!





It's seems like we're always chopping/cutting/sawing/picking/building with wood in some way around here. We found this old nail right in the middle of a huge log while chopping wood for the fire pit and stove. The tree was from our property. It must have been nailed to the tree when it was young and then the tree grew around it. We're nerds, but we think it's cool!



The barrel stove has been rocking' and rollin' with all this cold weather. Brett built it to keep the barn toasty and warm while we work in the shop this winter!
Shop projects.. Antique bread boards weren't in the budget, so Brett made me some!

Brett spent two weeks in Colorado for work, but before he left our best buddies came to spend some time at the farm with us! Braxton, Cole and Caleb are the sweet boys I nanny for and Baker LOVES having playmates to get in trouble hang out with around here. :) We went fishing, rode Mr. Brett's tractor, went on a nature walk, drove the ATV, and Braxton even got to build a birdhouse in Mr. Brett's workshop. My sweet nanny family just welcomed baby number four - another precious boy! We absolutely cannot wait to watch Baby Banks as he grows and I'm sure these guys will show him the ropes in no time!


Four little monkeys playing on the farm!

To say we were glad Brett was home after his time away traveling would be a HUGE understatement. Between things around the house breaking, stomach bugs, bad weather and a surprise birth, we COULD NOT WAIT to see his face and hug his neck! They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that rang true for us this month. Not only is he our handy man and provider, but he is the heart of our home and we missed him more than words can say.





Thank you so much for stopping by to catch up. We just finished up a pretty big overhaul on one of our spare bedrooms and we're almost done with Baker's room. I know I keep saying that, but really. It's almost ready for reveal! :)

God Bless and come visit! 

 -Lauren



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