Appropriately themed to the area, our clients were looking for a modern, casual farmhouse for their growing family. This project was part renovation, part new construction and we worked with the existing foundation on parts of the house which created limitations/things to work around but also gave us a challenge and an opportunity to get creative. We adore how it turned out and are so excited to share it with you all. Now, let’s get started!

As we mentioned, the style of this project was a casual, modern farmhouse. We wanted that to be evident as soon as you drove up the long driveway and that began with the exterior selections. From the cedar columns and brackets, to the ship lap and board and batten we incorporated all the warm, inviting things we love about farmhouses while juxtaposing it with contrasted, black windows and sleek lines to give it an updated feel. Add in authentic, plantation style fans on the front porch and we have ourselves a space we’d never want to leave.

In the foyer, we played up the farmhouse style again by using shiplap in the entire area. Because they are a family with three young boys, we wanted something durable for the walls since it’s a high traffic area and it’s a whole lot easier to clean than sheetrock. For even more durability, we installed a custom cushion for the bench using Brooke & Lou’s Life Friendly™ fabric (aka clear coated and wipeable!).

Kitchens are typically our most favorite room in homes and that is definitely the case for this project too. For this space, we worked with part of the existing foundation and one of the things we had to play with was the ceiling (this explains the vault). So, instead of pretending its not there we decided to amplify it which is why we did the gorgeous, dramatic beams. Because the ceilings were so high, we did a few things to accentuate that while also still having it feel inviting and cozy.

To start, we painted the cabinets the same color as the walls. Typically, we would bring cabinets to the ceiling and since we couldn’t in this case we opted to paint the walls and cabinets the same color which helped to make it seem like they don’t have to be brought to the ceiling and also drew your eye up. Second, we installed beautiful, oversized light fixtures that hung over the island.

For the finishing touch we placed in a few textured, vintage, Brooke & Lou accessories that gave a nod to the collected, farmhouse feel of the home. It’s incredible how accessories can bring warmth and character to a space (especially a kitchen!) and we absolutely love the ones in this kitchen.

The mudroom gave us everything we love to see in a mudroom. A brick floor perfect for hiding the dirt, a wood top bench for durability, and lots of drawers and hooks for storage! This is what designing with intention looks like. While the outcome looks beautiful, it’s so important that its functional and practical for our clients.

Adjacent to the kitchen is the dining room. Because of its size, we wanted to put things in here that would balance the scale of the room in general. The light fixtures are massive, oversized lanterns and we chose a finish that would pop against all the white. We also mapped out where the beams were going to go based off the lights so it was important to be mindful of that. This space became such a warm, inviting area and we are secretly jealous we can’t be a part of all the fun dinner parties and lively brunches that will take place here.

The dining room and kitchen open up to the main living room so it was important to tie in certain aspects of all of these spaces to have it feel cohesive (i.e. the brick of the fireplace matches the brick from the mudroom floor). Since our clients opted for keeping the brick natural instead of painting it, we chose furnishings that wouldn’t distract from it but, instead, in a similar palette and in saturated colors.

Just one of the wonderful things about opting for deeper colors (such as the sofa color) is that it hides stains and messes that might arise with children. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “then why do you have two white chairs?”. We know that it might seem a little crazy, but that’s where our trusty friend, Crypton fabric, comes into play. All Crypton fabric is easy to clean, even white, therefore you don’t have to be afraid of it when you have little ones around. How great is that?

We’ve said this before, but one of the favorite things to do in a home is to create unexpected details or moments. In the living room, we selected a coffee table that has secret, hidden drawers that can hide toys, television remotes, etc. Genius!

As we mentioned above, our clients have three, beautiful boys. While we would NEVER pick a favorite boy, we did pick a favorite bedroom of theirs that we wanted to share. 😉 It’s no secret that we typically lean more on the softer, feminine style when decorating so it’s always fun for us to go outside of that to design a room for a boy. From the graphic wallpaper to the touches of green, we love that this space can grow with him for years to come. This room might also be our favorite because of all the Brooke & Lou pieces in it. Shop all of them (and more!) below.

Photographer: Spacecrafting | Architect: David Charlez Designs | Builder: G Cubed Homes