Hello Friends! I hope you're having a wonderfully relaxing summer and if not, hopefully at the least you're feeling productive! We just got back from our two week roadtrip west! I can't wait to share more of that adventure with you (plus we found some amazing places to stay that I think you guys will LOVE!) For those of you following along on Instagram, you may have seen our stories from the trip along with an unplanned surprise when we returned home. For those of you that missed it, Sunday evening we returned home to find an overly saturated wall in our downstairs bathroom. A crowbar, gloves and an hour revealed that behind our bathroom tile, was a wall saturated in moisture and mold!!! And if that wasn't a big enough wammy, the adjacent wall backs up to our kitchen ~ it too is covered in mold. So, we currently know that an entire gut of our downstairs bathroom as well as our kitchen is needed. I'm currently waiting for someone to come access the damage and help determine the source of the problem. Hopefully, we'll know more this afternoon. The only other concern (and fingers crossed I'm wrong about this), is that the downstairs plumbing ties directly into the upstairs bathroom (these being the only two bathrooms in our house), and while I had eventually hoped to re-do that bath as well, I'm hoping this current issue doesn't require a complete gut of it as well. Essentially making our house un-livable for a time being. Gah! How's that for a good dose of reality after vacation! ha! Well, the good news is we haven't done anything to the house yet. When we purchased it last year, we knew we were getting into another fixer upper. But like most things, we just hadn't planned for the fixin' up to be needed so urgently! And with another project on our horizons (so exciting, I'm hoping to be able to share more about that soon!!), this ordeal really isn't part of our current budget! But alas, that's life! So, there are a lot of big decisions needed to be made, and to be completely honest, I haven't even started deciding on our current look and vibe for this current home (cape cod style, located in Atlanta, 3 beds, 2 baths, total: 1,400 sq. ft). As most of you know, our last home was neutral with lots of vintage accents. LOVED that house and LOVED that style...for that time in our life. Now, our family has doubled and with two year old twins in the mix, I'm wanting a house that's more youthful for them, while also staying a bit more classic for us. So, over the next couple days, I'm going to share my top four design ideas for this house...why I love each, and why I'm hesitant to fully commit to that particular style! Typically the bathroom isn't where I would start the design process, but given our current situation, that's how we're gonna do it! So, today we're sharing Design Style 1: Farmhouse! (See Design Style 2 : Industrial in this post here)
Oh, the modern farmhouse look! I love the style and the overall mix of whites and natural tones! It's no wonder that shows like Fixer Upper, have greatly influenced and brought this style to mainstream home design. For me, I love that this look allows an abundance of white in the home, while also allowing for a lot of texture and depth to a space. It instantly says laid back, country living!
photo by Laurey W. Glenn, via Southern Living
What's not to love about this space?! Simple, beautiful! Horizontal boards, a statement mirror mixed with fairly traditional accents like a pedestal sink and shaded sconces. Design decisions to note...those built in corner shelves! We too have a small space, and storage is of the utmost importance!
photo via @babylonstoren
Now, THIS is a bathroom! If only our space was large enough to accommodate this design entirely! An updated stock tank acts as a soaker tub, paired with subway tile for a sophisticated take on an otherwise barnyard essential. With budget being a huge priority for us, this room has me contemplating how to turn a standard horse trough into a luxurious tub!
photo via Heather Bullard
Heather Bullard can do NO wrong! Like ever! I've been a huge fan of hers for a long long time and loved when she completed this concrete vanity a few years back! Her eye for mixing vintage and antique with new design is unparalleled! This is modern farmhouse done with a parisian nod!
So, what's NOT to love about this look?! Honestly, the style is stunning. But my concern lies in two places. This look is way more my style than Brian's (he tends to lean more towards industrial ~ see that design inspiration here!). Plus, in living in the city, I'm concerned I would grow wary of this look in a few years, plus our exterior is a traditional cape cod, and I'm a big fan of having our exterior and interiors meld together. But, trust me when I say, I'm wanting to take huge inspiration in this design style for our current plans, just not quite sure how that will be executed overall!
So, what do you think? Is the Modern Farmhouse Design here to stay? Would you use it in a city? How about with kids? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Lots of love your way today! Michelle
