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Design

Ideas I Want To Steal (But Won’t) From Another TRUE MODERN Farmhouse

I’m deep in the farmhouse design phase – you know where you whiplash around with every new idea and what started out to be so “simple” is now me just quietly chanting “too many ways to skin a cat” over and over. But I keep leaning back into what I really want – quiet + high quality, simple + special, with the foundation of it being shaker and not too much fuss. But it is SO easy to make that boring and too safe and even easier to copy deVOL or Plain English, which are INCREDIBLE but definitely too of the moment. How to be unique and yet universal/timeless? Well, as I was scrolling on our California road trip this week I re-stumbled upon this farmhouse in Canada on Instagram called Building Walnut Farm and fell in LOVE – AGAIN. Angela executed so many stunning details, with such quiet perfection and I can’t imagine this ever feeling dated. She hasn’t done a full reveal yet (I’m sure some print magazine will scoop her up now) but we got her permission and snagged my favorite shots from her Instagram to call out what I love so much. Here you go.

1. Simple/Stunning Wood Cabinetry

As you know I still want a hefty amount of wood cabinetry but how to make it not look basic or too “of the moment” requires the right species, finish, and details. I LOVE the wood she used – the mixed thickness of the railes and styles (the horizontal and vertical shaker paneling), the chicken wire (would be great in the mudroom to put anything that needs to breathe. Just stunning. I won’t copy, but I sure wish I could just show it to our cabinet maker and say, “this, just do this”. P.S. I know so many people (readers and friends and family) who have taken the mountain house kitchen or powder bath and done just that – replicated it and I am honestly SO EXCITED to see it every single time. Normally it’s not exact because custom materials are hard to replicate, but it’s so close and so fun. Of course, I can’t do that (plus I want to do something new) but I think it’s perfectly fine for homeowners/non-designers to do that, by the way.

photo by stephanie brown

I love the variety of the drawer heights and that deep warm wood. I’m assuming it’s oak or a light walnut? Dunno I will reach out because our floors are light wood so I want to mix up the tones of wood this time for a more vintage/eclectic (not like the mountain house where I wanted it more seamless – which I LOVE).

2. Sweet Kitchen Curtains

photo by stephanie brown

Now I was already going to do this so now I’ll have to reinvent it a new way – Thanks A lot Angela :), but how sweet are those curtains on that tiny brass rod?? I plan on something like this in front of the tub in the main bath (but not full window, just cafe so I can see above it) and in the kitchen as well. But the cafe curtain is back and I am loving it.

Also cheers to her for painting the window frames different colors in the SAME ROOM. I would never have had the boldness to take that risk. And I love that hood so much. This is also making me more open to having one or two open bottom shelves for my pots and pans (and of course I’m going to hang some behind the range). While I am intentionally designing this house for NO CLUTTER, a moment or two like this is great.

3. Paneling + Pegrails (And I Love The Mixed Width Paneling and The Double Peg Rail)

photo by cody ulrich photo for homebody design by joanna gaines

I 100% want to copy that mudroom. Yes to the paneling (different widths), YES to the double peg rails (with the sweet little trim beads), and YES to that wood AGAIN. I know that ARCIFORM has a great sister company, Versatile Wood Products (or more like husband company since it’s Anne’s husband Richard who owns it) that does exceptional custom cabinetry. And so much of the reason why this is so stunning is the quality of the wood and the quality of the craftsmanship.

photo by stephanie brown

Folks, if you are single and looking around, I STRONGLY suggest you start pursuing a carpenter/cabinet maker if you aren’t one.

photo by stephanie brown

That found sink. LOVE. SO GOOD. She put a slab backsplash on it, it’s big enough for flowers/plants AND DOGS (don’t get me started on the dog washing station fiasco – I think we’ve found a solution that won’t cost like $10k and take up so much space, but it’s been hard). Why not just a super large utility sink like this???

STOP!!!! So good. I’m loving this color too and so is Elliot. Just excellent (and what’s behind that little arched door???)

4. Fun Floral Fabric

photo by stephanie brown

Angela, like me, is still into some patterns, and while I’m likely not going to go curtains (for some reason a sofa feels like a safer choice, but Brian TOTALLY disagrees). I’m obsessed with House of Hackney (I keep seeing all over the place – NO!!!) and am fantasizing about finding a vintage piece to recover. I actually want a huge custom sectional for the media room in a floral but Brian is scared. I’m not. I think when you really only have one huge piece of furniture in a big room, it can be a pattern if it’s PERFECT – plus pattern is super forgiving.

photo by stephanie brown

But I love her curtains, she kept the rest of the room calm so this is her dose of whimsy and play.

5. The Sink “Mantel”

YES. she broke up the wood with a “Sink Mantel” which I don’t know if that’s a thing (calls publisher, adds sink mantel – “sinkel” (?) into book) or if she just named it that, but it’s great. The plaster is such a nice texture, it’s a bit playful – adding a curve and a focal point. Then she custom-made these black iron doors for underneath. Genius.

6. Abunane Of Wood, That Hood And Those Micro Pendants

photo by cody ulrich photo for homebody design by joanna gaines

Brian is still iffy on this micro pendant trend which I still LOVE in the right application (i.e. when there is enough going on that the lighting becomes more minimal and not the star). Anne (ARCIFORM) is from Germany and Europe has always scaled down the lighting more than Americans (per usual, Americans LOVE BIG THINGS) so to her it’s not a trend, it’s just lighting. Of course in a kitchen, you want ample lighting so this means recessed, track, or spot in addition but that’s ok. Also note the kitchen table is the island, all wood and just so inviting.

From this shot I’m realizing she did inset drawers (not overlay) with flush lines horizontally between the drawers but exposing the face frame of the vertical stile. And I love those minimal round knobs – I can’t tell if they are wood or a bronze, but they are GOOD. No lip or bullnose on the thin stone and whimsy on the hood.

Thank you Angela Wheeler for being such an inspiration, for giving me so many good simple design ideas that I won’t steal, but have inspired so many other new ideas and helped me not miss some opportunities. If you guys are into this idea let me know – I have about 4-5 houses that I keep coming back to for this house that help remind me where I want to go, what the possibilities are, and setting a pretty darn high bar for what this “Shaker Modern Farmhouse” can be.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Angela Wheeler | Photo by Stephanie Brown

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HerselfInDublin
3 years ago

This house is beautiful, but this comment is about your bathroom window, since you mentioned it in the post.
I know you’ve completely changed the layout of your bedroom suite, so I’ve completely lost track of which way the window by the bath will be facing. But would it be possible to enclose a bit of garden outside – completely, with a fairly high non-gappy fence – and just have a completely clear picture window looking into it. You could plant it any way you want, or just pave it with a single ornamental tree out there. Either way it would give you something relaxing and completely personal and private to look at when you take a bath, that would change with the seasons too.

Vera
3 years ago

I LOVE this idea!

Ashlea
3 years ago

I thought of this too when Emily did a quick walkthrough on IG stories the other day. However, I’m pretty sure where they’re planning on placing the tub, the window would share the courtyard view with the media room (which I assume will have a window facing the hypothetical courtyard as well). I always loved that idea and think back to Jennifer Aniston’s Bel-Air home featured in AD a few years ago. Totally different style, but the courtyard off her bath is pure zen. I can’t wait for a full update!

3 years ago

The house is beautiful!! The integrated peg rail is so good (clearly thought out and designed well!). I also love that iron door (I’m assuming in the entry).

Karen
3 years ago

The utility sink room picture was my inspo for painting my bathroom beadboard green.
I’m so happy to have toured the rest of the house this morning. So many beautiful details

Brit
3 years ago
Reply to  Karen

I’ve had this one pinned for a good while and used as color inspiration, too! I don’t have anywhere near the perfect balance achieved in that photo, though. So good.

3 years ago

OMzg so much inspo here! Yes, please introduce us to the 4-5 other houses you are revisiting for inspo!!

Leigh H
3 years ago
Reply to  Merry

Yes agreed please introduce us to the other inspo houses!

sally
3 years ago
Reply to  Merry

Just bought a Victorian farmhouse in Portland. Please share all your farmhouse inspiration sources! 🙂 <3

3 years ago

Yes, yes – show us more of your inspiration homes – this one was a breathtaking!

Ally
3 years ago

I’m going with Team Brian on the patterned fabric debate. If you place your signature fabric on an upholstered piece, you’re stuck for life, unless you are willing to one day endure the expense of replacement fabric (possibly 30+ yards) and upholstery labor or buy a whole new piece. If the signature fabric is on a window treatment, you can easily remove them once you’re ready to make a change, maybe even reuse the same hardware. In this farmhouse the patterned drapery looks like a beautiful art piece. The same fabric on an upholstered piece would lose the beauty of the pattern in a mish-mash of angles and welting.

Brit
3 years ago
Reply to  Ally

A rule I definitely live by. Curtains, rugs, etc. are all just so much more versatile. At the same time, I love seeing someone be so daring as to take a risk on a bigger investment. She’s not wrong about the hiding qualities of a pattern, which is a plus that might not get enough credit. And if anyone can pull it off…

HerselfInDublin
3 years ago
Reply to  Ally

I’m a fan of taking a risk on a solid-colour sofa (I’m on my third red one) because you can substantially change the look of it with cushions and throws in various patterns and colours. But I think putting a pattern on a sofa is a big risk and also makes it more difficult to accessorise with, so I’m Team Brian too.

Lisa
3 years ago
Reply to  Ally

I’m absolutely PRO to the BIG FLORAL SECTIONAL MOMENT – I think in the right fabric and setting it could look stunning and would totally make the room without making it too busy – a visceral, feel-it-in-my-toes Yes from me for The Big Floral Sectional for whatever its worth!! 😀

Kathryn
3 years ago
Reply to  Ally

I have my grandma’s amazing floral sofa. It is amazing, I have had it for several years (she probably had it for 45+ years) and still love it. It is actually the perfect neutral because so much goes with it. It is coming to the end of its life, and it needs to be replaced, but comparatively everything else seems so boring. The things I regret most in life are not taking the risks I know are right in my heart.

melbajo
3 years ago
Reply to  Kathryn

I have my grandmother’s amazing floral sofa too!! It’s from the 1950s; she had it custom made and took impeccable care of it. I’ve had it for 10+ years and have not. It definitely needs to be reupholstered (but can you believe it’s lasted 70 years?!?!?! and it’s just now threadbare?!?) and when I get it redone, you better believe I’m choosing another beautiful floral, to honor my grandmother and keep it a unique statement piece.

Roberta
3 years ago
Reply to  Ally

Agree. I bought a floral sofa years ago and it was the worst decorating mistake I ever made. It was expensive and I was young and tried to decorate around it for over 12 years. Finally had it reupholstered in a chocolate velvet and I have loved it even when brown was frowned upon. It’s still going strong. Maybe I could have handled a floral chair or drapes, but a huge sofa was just too much and too limiting.

Kj
3 years ago

“I know so many people (readers and friends and family) who have taken the mountain house kitchen or powder bath and done just that – replicated it and I am honestly SO EXCITED to see it every single time.” Wait, what?! Were these shown here somewhere?

Aly
3 years ago
Reply to  Kj

yes, would love to see readers submissions of their inspired looks! would be a great post. 🙂

Sheila
3 years ago
Reply to  Kj

Yes! I was just coming down to comments to ask for a post about all of these replica versions. Please do share!

Vera
3 years ago
Reply to  Kj

YES this would make an excellent post!

Nora
3 years ago
Reply to  Kj

Go to the top of the blog and click on projects..one of them is Mountain House….all the details there.

Lauren
3 years ago
Reply to  Nora

I think they mean they’d like to see pics of peoples’ homes who have used those spaces as inspiration for their own. Which would be a super fun post!!

Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  Kj

We’ve actually talked about doing a post showing off these rooms! Guess we might need to now:)

Aly
3 years ago

I had only ever seen that utility sink image and loved seeing the rest of the house! what a great source of inspiration. I have been sort of meh on the whole modern traditional trend, but I can 100% get behind modern shaker. To each their own of course, but I’m excited to see your spin on this!

Cheryl
3 years ago

Please don’t post my comment, I despise the grammar police, so just fix the spelling of perusing and Abundance and you’re good to go.

Cheryl
3 years ago
Reply to  Cheryl

Omg pursuing lol, damn autocorrect. I need someone to proofread my comment.

Vera
3 years ago
Reply to  Cheryl

Yup and lol!

Sue
3 years ago

That curtain billowing over toward the stove reminds me of the fire prevention movies we had to watch in school. Yikes! LOL!

Amy
3 years ago
Reply to  Sue

I was imagining it billowing into a just-frosted chocolate cake or bowl of salsa 🙂 No thanks!! While it looks pretty for the photo shoot, practicality wins in my house every time.

Vera
3 years ago
Reply to  Amy

Haha the idea of it flying into salsa is hilarious for some reason! Kinda like watching AFV

Vera
3 years ago
Reply to  Sue

Ooo good point, I loved the shot but now all I can think of is the This Is Us fire!

Teresa
3 years ago
Reply to  Sue

Also absolutely no cookware hanging above the stove! It will get covered with grease and you will have to clean before using!

Sarah
3 years ago
Reply to  Teresa

I agree – the amount of grease on our hood and in our hood is nasty and that’s just from sautéing with minimal oil. To have to degrease all my pots would be too much. If people cook regularly, they know that kitchens get gross. It’s funny how they’ve become the showplace of the house.

Emma
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

I cook regularly and hang everything on the wall behind the stove. It’s definitely not for looks – my kitchen is too small to store that stuff anyplace else. If something gets grimy I just wash it, it’s no big deal. I cook daily and use everything I own, so it all gets washed regularly anyway.

Kate
3 years ago
Reply to  Teresa

Exactly. And it doesn’t come off with a little soap and water and a sponge. It is aerosolized grease that clings and is terribly sticky and you ruin a sponge getting it off.

Amber
3 years ago
Reply to  Teresa

I hang the saucepans I use regularly behind the stove, and it’s fine. I have a good hood vent, and the insides of the pots face the wall. They get used enough that they don’t have a chance to get greasy. I wouldn’t hang utensils though, as shown in this example.

Krista
3 years ago

Love this house so much! I saved the picture of the mudroom and used that when we renovated our downstairs half bath! It’s not exactly the same, but I loved the inspiration!

Emilie
3 years ago

“Ladies, if you are single and looking around, I STRONGLY suggest you start persu-ing a carpenter/cabinet maker.” Or men, or gender nonconforming folks 🙂

Tamanna
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

I also came here to respond to this line! It assumes a woman, who couldn’t possibly do any woodworking herself, pursuing a male identified person who would be the carpenter/cabinetmaker…..? As someone who is not single, in a hetero relationship, and takes pride in having learned how to restore my Victorian house MYSELF – so many assumptions here to question. Ladies (and gentlemen and gender nonbinary folx) – no need to pursue ANYONE – you can do it yourself! =)

Allie
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

I wanted to comment on this as well as I’m trying to remove unnecessarily gendered language in my own writing and speech . . . My kids ask me all the time things like “wait, how do you know it’s a HE?” It can be a small change – just remove the “Ladies” and you keep the intended meaning without any assumptions about who can do what or who’s pursuing whom!

Riri
3 years ago
Reply to  Allie

I’m a teacher, and I used to commonly address my students as “ladies and gentlemen” or refer to individual students as Ms. or Mr. [insert first name]. This year, for the first time, I have four non-binary students (I teach 7th grade), and I’ve really had to work hard on removing the gendered aspects of the language I use. Now that we’re learning about sexual reproduction, the stakes are even higher. I no longer say that “females make eggs”, for example, and will instead say “humans with ovaries make eggs”. The culture is definitely shifting and it will take effort and patience for our collective language to shift with it.

emily jane
3 years ago
Reply to  Riri

I am so deeply heartened to hear that in these divisive times there are people out there caring enough about the human beings in their orbit to take on the challenge of changing -updating!- our understanding and language around a subject that most of us have never really considered as it takes both intention and commitment to alter any wiring in our brains that is so deeply ingrained and the work you are doing is truly neuroplasticity at it’s best! Thank you.

Shana
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

Yeah, came to add to this too. This made my stomach wrench.

Lee
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

Why are you assuming “carpenter/cabinetmaker” is a man then? Why couldn’t the “carpenter/cabinetmaker” be a woman, etc. Nothing about that phrase is “gendered.” Maybe you need to police your own thought.

Emilie
3 years ago
Reply to  Lee

Lee, “ladies” is gendered. Jess, thanks for updating it!

Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

If you are a reader of this blog you know that Emily of course didn’t mean to say that only men can be carpenters. But she (and we) don’t want to contribute to a bad narrative and will be better about phrases like this. The post has been edited.

Drew
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

Funny I actually dated a cabinet maker. I thought it was kinda hot and he was very talented. I also thought I was being so smart by being with someone “handy”. He ended up getting laid off from three different cabinet making jobs was out of work for more than a year and a half and now switched careers and lost his desire to make things. We are also married now and I am the one the does most of the “handy” stuff. Never saw that coming.

Emma
3 years ago
Reply to  Emilie

Hello from a woman who does woodworking! We exist!

P kovach
3 years ago

You should visit Pleasant Hill in Kentucky. This is a shaker village that is beautiful and would be a wonderful inspiration for you. I used random width tongue and groove in my kitchen and peg rails to hang aprons on.
While you’re in pleasant hill be sure to have lunch. It’s quite a treat.

anon
3 years ago

“Ladies, if you are single and looking around, I STRONGLY suggest you start persu-ing a carpenter/cabinet maker.”
Or you know, just learn how to build stuff yourself.

Can you imagine someone posting something along the lines of “Guys, if you’re single and looking around, I STRONGLY suggest you start pursuing (sorry, couldn’t bring myself to type that wrong) a baker/house-cleaner.”

Barf.

I thought this was a woke blog?

Sandberg
3 years ago
Reply to  anon

Being highly skilled in a craft is not something that a person can just pick up in their spare time and get the same results as a master craftsperson. Clearly, the person who built these cabinets is master in their trade.

Teresa
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandberg

Agreed! SO tired of people oversimplifying people’s occupations especially in the trades. There is a big difference between being handy or tackling a DIY and being a skilled professional!

Jen
3 years ago
Reply to  anon

It’s the implied reinforcement of heteronormative ideals for me.

Are all single and looking ladies straight?
Why are single and looking men or non-binary folx not also encouraged to pursue a carpenter/cabinet maker?
Are all carpenter/cabinet makers cishet men?

Christina
3 years ago
Reply to  Jen

What’s wrong with “folks”? I am genuinely confused because I thought folks was a great gender neutral term. Also, Emily didn’t imply that a skilled cabin maker or carpenter is necessarily a man. And seriously, skilled and masterful carpentry is not something people usually just figure out on their own, as Sandberg and Teresa so aptly point out. Whatever. I’m just tired of people on the internet losing their mind over like…everything.

Shana
3 years ago
Reply to  Christina

The term used in the post wasn’t “folks,” which I agree is a great alternative to “ladies”! The idea was that carpenters are men, and the people who obviously partner up with men are women. Ick.

Christina
3 years ago
Reply to  Shana

I mean, if she had said, “Ladies, if you are single and looking around, find yourself a man who is a skilled carpenter!” I would see the point. Can’t a carpenter or cabinet maker be a female or non binary individual? And I think the primary demographic of this blog is females hence the ladies.

Christina
3 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Also, just wanted to add that I truly am not trying to be snarky or rude! I care deeply about these issues as well but I do think Emily is held to a standard of perfection that’s simply unattainable and it makes me feel bad!

Emilie
3 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Christina, the post originally used “Ladies.” The blog updated it once the issue was pointed out.

Lee
3 years ago
Reply to  Shana

Shana: Where does this say a carpenter/cabinetmaker is a man? That is the conclusion YOU jumped to. It’s not what this says. She’s directing this at “ladies” because most of her readers are “ladies.” “Folks” would have worked. But nothing about “carpenter/cabinetmaker” is “gendered.”

Tamanna
3 years ago

Okay this house is AMAZING and gave me sooo much inspiration – but also so much anxiety that the kitchen we just designed and is going to be installed in the next couple months is a “copy of devol/Plain english” and will end up feeling dated….UGHHH. We were also hoping to keep some of those timeless, crafted, Shaker-y ingredients, with our own personal touches….need to revisit our design with new eyes. We need to see your other inspiration homes soon too…

emily jane
3 years ago
Reply to  Tamanna

Please don’t despair! I think deVOL & Plain English kitchens will be/are absolutely timeless -their designs might be a ‘trend’ in the US but have stood the test of time back home. (Also! does anyone else think it’s more realistic to expect to have our taste’s/perspectives evolve..? For instance, when designing my kitchen remodel 5+ years ago, I thought it would look like I was too big for my britches if I went with marble for a backsplash so instead went with subway tile -but, have since come to realize it’s perfectly acceptable to wear my britches on the snug side (and when I say ‘marble’ I mean ‘Formica Calacatta Marble Satintouch Laminate Sheet’ which I am absolutely going to install directly over the existing subway tile w/dark grout backsplash despite that it screams ‘treeeend!’. I shall do this simply because I want to : ) Okay, and because my eye craves the quieted pattern, the seamlessness between counter and backsplash in the same material, how it helps to visually expand my small galley style kitchen etc, etc. Which is a VERY roundabout way of saying “do what you love!” but maybe, perhaps, with the understanding/expectation -permission!- to make adjustments… Read more »

Emily
3 years ago
Reply to  emily jane

Agree! I’m also remodeling my kitchen and I’m also going for that “deVOL kitchen but on a budget I can actually afford” look. Is it trendy right now? Yes, but I think it’s one of those timeless trends. It’s not my fault that I’ve always loved British design and it just so happens to be the hot thing here in the US now that I can finally afford to redo my kitchen! My guess is in 5-10 years it will still look classic and beautiful and rather than being dated, it just won’t be the IT kitchen of the moment. Kind of like how all white kitchens will always be a classic, even though they’re not as popular now as they were 10 years ago. If you love it, go for it!

emily jane
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily

yes, exactly!

Caity
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily

I seriously cannot imagine any deVOL or Plain English kitchen ever looking dated, and I was shocked to hear she thought it was a trend!! I guess I can see how it might be (?) but also the materials and design are just classic…and I would really love to one day have a deVOL kitchen…sigh….

Kristen
3 years ago
Reply to  Tamanna

DeVol is nothing but timeless. I bet it’ll be beautiful. I think she just meant we are seeing more of it. And that’s because it is SO good.

Mj
3 years ago
Reply to  Tamanna

Yes to what the others who replied to you said – devol is classic and definitely won’t go out of style! I think what Emily meant more is that as a very public designer, she feels like she can’t adhere too closely to the work of another brand, especially one that is getting a lot of attention right now.

Caity
3 years ago
Reply to  Mj

Yes, that makes sense.

designpo
3 years ago
Reply to  Tamanna

I thought the same. Plain English has been around for a looong time, and it’s incredibly well made and designed. It’s timeless, not a trend.

Caity
3 years ago
Reply to  Tamanna

Noooooooo do not question yourself!! Their designs are absolutely timeless and classic and will look incredible in 100 years! My mother’s house has handmade cherry cabinets in a shaker style done in an overlay (not Home Depot style). They were handmade by the carpenter who built her home. They are 36 years old now and still look incredible. Yes, the kitchen wasn’t the “white kitchen with subway tile” that was so trendy for so long, but it didn’t matter because the materials were handcrafted and lovely. Those things NEVER go out of style in my opinion. Even kitchens from the 1950’s can be really great!

emily jane
3 years ago

Wow, Angel Waters -SENSATIONAL ..!!!
(btw, Reath Design of California has a plethora of patterned sofas in their repertoire that might ease Brian’s fears -the Brentwood House sofa in the room with the shutters is my favorite but they are all SO good!)

RO
3 years ago

DeVol is ‘too in the moment’? Timeless is timeless.

Amber
3 years ago
Reply to  RO

Glad you mentioned this. I was perplexed by the comment. I know DeVol and Plain English are popular now, but their cabinet styles are rooted in tradition.

3 years ago

I have been OBSESSED with Angela’s house since it was in Homebody. I even considered buying her home plans for our new build (in the end, I was inspired by her tenacity to design the home layout herself and went that route). That kitchen is brilliant and is the photo I keep coming back to when I try to stray from wood cabinetry in my kitchen. I only want wood when I see that picture. She is a genius!

Suzanne
3 years ago

So gorgeous! I’m trying to figure out what she used for flooring. I want to say it looks like concrete stained a very light grey. And the wood is hard to determine. It looks like cherry before it darkens in some of the shots, but in others, I’m not sure. The knobs look like aged unlacquered brass to me, based on what I have in my own house. I’m definitely going to deep dive on her website and Instagram. It’s so good! I can’t wait to see how you do your own spin on the “modern farmhouse.”

Suzanne
3 years ago
Reply to  Suzanne

I found out the cabinets are white oak, which I also considered, but the stain is different than many I’ve seen.

Suzanne
3 years ago
Reply to  Suzanne

And I found out that the floor is concrete. I used concrete in my bathrooms on the floors 12 years ago, and I really love a concrete floor. I’m not sure I’d want it in the kitchen, because it can be hard to stand on while cooking and baking. I prefer wood or Forbo linoleum floors in the kitchen.

Tanja
3 years ago

I wouldn’t call it stealing if they are old and traditional features that have been done time and time again. The paneling and pegrail is so shaker and would be so lovely to see incorporated in your farmhouse. I also like the idea of a big wooden dining table next to the kitchen. It would be so homely.

Vera
3 years ago

Lovely!! This post was fun and really well explained. YES I would definitely be into 4-5 more of these posts – one for each of the houses! And then when you publish your “style” post where you explain the style direction for your house, you can refer back to those inspo posts. It’s perfect! Yay I love this project so much.

Teresa
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing the beautiful inspiration!

Jane
3 years ago

I love this post but I take very slight issue with the idea that DeVol and Plain English are too of-the-moment. I have been yearning for a kitchen along those lines since I bought my first flat fifteen years ago but I’ve never been anywhere long enough to put one in. I think they are completely timeless in their styling though you can make them feel of-the-moment with how you accessorise them. This kitchen is probably the least exciting aspect of the house which otherwise I love – it feels quite cool and bare compared to the vibrant colours and details elsewhere in the property. But that is really nitpicking on my part – it’s all beautiful and it’s just that for me the main kitchen feels like a non-event compared with the mudroom/bedroom colours and details.

Kate
3 years ago

FYI – do not hang pots above/behind the range – they will have a film of aerosolized oil all over them in no time.

Kristen
3 years ago

This kitchen is a DREAM! So relaxing, clean, timeless, and just gorgeous.. I wish the comments dissecting and interpreting (misinterpreting?) the words of the post were as relaxing and gentle. Nobody expresses themselves perfectly all the time nor, should they be expected to. Let’s give each other some grace.

Jacqi
3 years ago

The sink mantel and hood feel like forced designer choices … look how clever I can be. Meh.

Char
3 years ago

This house is a dream, but the thought of lifting a big dog up and into that high sink makes my back spasm. My cats bathe themselves, so there is that. Cool sink though!

Amy E Jones
3 years ago

This is such a stunning house! Wow. Just wow. One question I had: what does the word ‘abunane’ mean? I looked it up but couldn’t find a definition? Merci.

Ruth Ann
3 years ago
Reply to  Amy E Jones

I suspect she meant abundance?

Ulrika
3 years ago

Such fun ideas! We have a cottage in Sweden with patterned sofas. I could definitely see the right floral pattern working for your sectional, but have you thought about gingham (thinking back to one of your other posts). We have a medium scale medium blue/white gingham sofa and the pattern is perfect! It hides stains and pet hair, looks fresh and can lean more modern or traditional depending on the cushions and rug, giving you long term styling flexibility. Less predictable than stripes (though I love a good stripe!). The regularity of the pattern means that it can act as a center point piece or a neutral. Depending on the curves of the sofa you can also keep it from looking too sweet or twee. Love it!!

3 years ago

Love love love this house too!!! Angela’s utility sink was the inspiration for my own laundry sink and although literally EVERY trade mocked me for it, they are now eating their words and agree it looks fabulous! It’s so handy, too.

Yes, please do share alllll the inspo! Best of luck on your farmhouse xo Laura

Felicity
3 years ago

Better than Shaker peg rails built into paneling are Shaker peg rails within a tiled wall…especially in a damp climate. We bathe the dog in a human shower, outdoors in summer, indoors in winter.
The human gets wet and messy, too.

oh my goodness. i love all of these as well. i have never been into farmhouse style, but this is done so well. sigh.