Our Completed Renovation on the Prairie!

*This post includes some amazing brands that partnered with us on our project. While they may have sponsored their portion, all opinions are my own. Some affiliate links have been used.

 

 

Oh, friends. I have dreamt of this day for SO LONG. The day we finally get to share our completed renovation with you. The day I get to sit in my office, looking out at our little farm, and share the joy we feel here. It almost feels too big to put into words. ALMOST.

I could probably fill an entire book with stories of our renovation process, but that’s for another day. Today, I can’t wait to show you around, and look back at the “before” pics, compared to the NOW! This is bound to be a lengthy post…so hang in there. We have so much to share! One little disclaimer: as you know, we haven’t been here long. The rooms are not completely decorated yet, but I decided not to rush things. We want to live here awhile and see what ideas evolve. Decorating and making our house a home is one of my greatest joys in life, and I’ll continue to share that organic process as time goes by.

And NOW…let’s rewind to last fall.

It was a pretty exciting morning, that Tuesday back in September. The skies were gray, and clouded with smoke from a nearby forest fire. We anxiously arrived at the property with our realtor, Brian, of Paramount Real Estate Services (THE BEST!)…to look at this 6 acres including an 1890 farmhouse. The driveway was so inviting, the property was beautiful. But the house? Not so much. She needed some love. Ok, a LOT of love. But fast forward a few months, and we were signing on the dotted line. Signing and beginning the adventure of a lifetime. Our #renovationontheprairie.

This renovation would NOT have been possible without the incomparable work of Fridley Custom Homes. We are so thankful they were willing to take on a project of this magnitude, and do it with such expertise, professionalism, and integrity. We consider them great friends, and the team they put together for this project was nothing short of awesome. (Below: the day we handed the keys over to Nolan & Jayme Fridley to begin work! December 27, 2017)

Our home, built in 1890 by an Oregon Trail pioneer, may have been dated when we bought it, but it was solid. Ready for a breath of fresh air. (Below: “before”)

And …”After”

 

The day our beauty got painted was a GAME CHANGER. She instantly looked loved & adored. We chose Sherwin Williams “Alabaster” for the body & trim. The new cedar-wrapped posts were stained with a custom-mixed stain…we were after a very light color.

The original porch posts were rotten, and the windows were inoperable and definitely not energy efficient (but all of the original unique windows were saved for other projects).

And after. So much love was poured into this porch! Our builder’s dad, Joe Fridley, hand-made the corbels, the brick was salvaged and repurposed from an old chimney stack we had to remove (a HUGE thank you to our mason, Gene @trofimasonry for laying this herringbone pattern!), and I love this charming Anchorage lantern from Hinkley Lighting. The “welcome to the farm” was a thoughtful gift from Niki at Carpenter Farmhouse.

 

 

 

Let’s go inside! Remember the entry before?

And here it is now:

 

The stair railing, while beautiful, was really low, and not safe for our family. This was one of the things that ripped my heart out a little bit. We considered having a new railing made to look very similar, but ultimately decided if it had to be replaced, we’d do something very simple so that the other original details could shine.

 

We opted to leave the ceiling open over the entry, to showcase the beautiful upstairs floor boards. The underside of the stair treads were left open as well…we couldn’t cover up that original craftsmanship! This little spot reminds me of Olson’s Mercantile from Little House on the Prairie days. (below)

To the right of the entry is the living room. Here she is before:

And after. (below) For reference, you’ll notice the two outside long windows remained, but everything between them got a totally new look!

The fireplace was once across the room (a 1960’s renovation), and it protruded into the walkway. We opted to relocate it to this main focal wall for a more inviting first impression. Furniture arrangement was a bit of a challenge in this long, narrow space, but after one big flop, it dawned on me! 🙂 (My first try included the sofa facing the fireplace…WRONG! It blocked off the entire room.) We reused all of the furniture from our last home, and couldn’t believe how perfectly it fit. (And hubby was relieved we didn’t need to purchase new things!) The sofa/loveseat are from Ethan Allen (the “Arcata”), and you can find the rug here!

The finishes in this space were such fun to put together. I have always dreamt of white board & batten walls, so our fireplace wall was a great opportunity to showcase a pretty wall treatment. Using it on this one wall was a cost-saver, as trim can get spendy! With all of that white (Sherwin Williams “Alabaster”), I couldn’t commit to a white mantel as we’ve had before. It needed to be more rustic. Humble. Unassuming. We were thrilled with this beautiful old beam from Olde Wood Limited…perfectly aged, and the EXACT look we were going for! We chose an “overgrout” look for the stone, as we were trying to achieve the feeling that the fireplace has always been here.

Speaking of the fireplace, we were so happy with the excellent customer service we received at Home Firestove here in Salem, Oregon.  They helped us select the best propane fireplace for our home, and I’m not gonna lie…it may be summer but we’ve already enjoyed it several times! I’m a fireplace girl, so this was a must-have for us.

We added two little square windows on either side of the fireplace because, well….I LOVE square windows! I feel like they add so much charm, and of course MORE LIGHT which is always a goal around here. The windows are highlighted by these Getty Dome Shade Sconces from Barn Light Electric Company, and I love the way the black pops off of the fresh white walls.

Here’s the front window area before:

Now it’s my favorite place to sit in the morning. It’s also a great spot for our bobbin chairs…and I thought they wouldn’t fit in this house! We’ve all enjoyed sitting here, taking in the views. Even a rainy day is a good day!

When it came time to decide on window coverings, there were some points to consider. With the age of our home, I wasn’t crazy about the look of blinds in the window…it just didn’t go with the look! Woven shades were just the ticket, as they provide a bit of texture when open, and since these are backed with a  liner, they work well for blocking out light or providing privacy at night. We had a great experience working with Blinds Galore, and these are the Bali Natural Woven Shades in “Highpoint Goldspun.”

 

We ended up opening the entry up just a bit, for better flow. Here’s the before:

And here it is now. The clock wall was shortened just a bit so the door isn’t so tucked away. We are loving the extra light that floods into the room!

Standing in the front bay windows, here’s the view back through the house “before”:

After removing some walls, we love the view all the way into the kitchen now. One open, cheery space.

The dining area floats between the kitchen & living area (the original dining room became our kitchen…I’ll show you that in a sec!). I wanted a very simple, almost colonial looking chandelier here, and OH. MY. STARS. I love this one (The Alister) from Hinkley Lighting.

 

We replaced our dining table with something a little smaller, which in turn meant new chairs. You can find the black chairs here, and the slipcovered chairs here.

On the wall opposite the dining table, we closed up one of the doorways to the office (there were two!) to allow for furniture placement and additional storage. See the “before” below:

Our hutch (originally from Goodwill) now has a pretty new home. 🙂

Ok, hopefully you’re not dizzy from all of these crazy angles. 😉 You’ll notice on the pic below, our dining table now sits right where that wall is, and the dining room beyond was transformed into our kitchen.

The dining room (below) had low ceilings (under 8′) and the butler’s pantry (beyond that green door) hid some beautiful light from windows that were going to waste. Our builder opened up the ceiling and vaulted into a rather creepy storage closet upstairs (a MUCH better use of the space!). We flip-flopped the layout, and our pantry is now on the opposite side (you’ll see in a minute!). And don’t worry…that beautiful vintage chandelier got rewired and now hangs in the master bedroom.

Ahhhh….the kitchen is now opened up to the whole house and is a much-loved gathering spot for our family.

The pantry (now on the left side) is hidden behind this beautiful custom barn door from Artisan Hardware. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this company. They allowed us to completely design and customize our door, the ordering process was super smooth, and delivery was seamless. (And bonus! If you’re in the market for a barn door, you can use code AHYELLOWPRAIRIE for 5% off your order any time before July 31, 2018!) We added a chalkboard wall next to the barn door, similar to what we had in our last home…YES, we love chalkboard walls THAT MUCH! 🙂

The kitchen backsplash got an extra special treatment with beautiful tile from Pratt & Larson…hand made, hand glazed, so pretty. This tile is stunning in real life…a total show-stopper! This fun pattern is the focal point of the kitchen, although still soft enough to avoid calling too much attention. We also added a pot-filler here…something that’s been on my wish list for years! (Find it here, from Delta Faucet.) See below.

The countertops are Pental quartz, color is “Carrara”, and we used the same surface in the master bath & kids bath as well.

All appliances are from Kelly’s Appliances, and our experience with them was wonderful. As you know, things always come up during a renovation, and at the last minute our fridge was on backorder. Kelly’s helped us find a solution very quickly and efficiently.

The range hood is stucco, trimmed with alder, a nice addition to this sea of white.

The cute gooseneck light above the sink (The Maritime Gooseneck Light) is also from Barn Light Electric. (see below)

This beautiful farm sink (The Bradstreet II) is from Sinkology, and pretty chrome faucet (The Cassidy) is from Delta Faucet. We opted for chrome plumbing fixtures, since we decided to do flat black cabinet hardware. I love the classic look of chrome faucets (perfect for our old beauty!) and this simple hardware had me at hello! All cabinet hardware is from DLawless Hardware. Find the knobs here, and the pulls here.

Here’s another fun “before”, looking from the butler’s pantry into the galley kitchen (sort of…it’s hidden behind that little wall!).

And oh my, what a difference 6 months makes!

Our custom cabinets were made by Parkwood Design here in Salem, Oregon, and we decided on a stained island to add warmth. This was a custom-mixed color…a nice light look for this bright room. The pendants are so light & airy, and add texture to this vaulted room. My office (the doorway is under the “real estate” sign) is nice and close to the action. 🙂

What was once a very green, low-ceiling, “fragrant” and tight space…

is now open, bright, and just our style.

Here’s a little peek into the kitchen as it was when we bought the place… (below)

And the same view now, below (the kitchen was reworked into our pantry, mud bench, and back porch entrance).

Formerly, this is the view you’d have when you entered the back door:

Now the “back porch entry” is essentially our main entrance. I fell in love with the idea of a very casual back porch door (a dreamy dutch door to be exact)…but it felt so welcoming to have our friends and family enter this way…directly into the heart of our home. The hooks are from DLawless Hardware, and you can find them here.

While we’re here let’s talk about that back porch! It has become a favorite spot to sit and watch the cows, or listen to the birds. Call me crazy, but living here really does make us appreciate the little things! (The cute door mat is from Drift Design Co.)

I’ll share an overall back porch shot with you in a bit, but I couldn’t go any longer without showing you the dutch door. We decided to paint it Sherwin Williams “Arugula”, inspired by our trip to Israel last year…wanna see my inspo? We stumbled on this humble little door in old city Jerusalem…and I could NOT get it out of my head. (below)

Simple yet profoundly beautiful. Don’t you think?

The porch got some beautiful barn lights from Barn Light Electric, these are the Goodrich Marathon Porcelain Gooseneck Lights, 12″.

Ok, back inside for now…Here’s a look at how my office looked before:

We added a built-in desk along one whole side for plenty of office storage, and that cute little closet door for the under-the-stairs storage became a ‘hidden’ shiplap door! Ummmmm YES YES YES.

Another view, before…are you enjoying the wallpaper?

 

The ceiling was left exposed so we could enjoy the beautiful original “insides” of the house, and it worked well since there’s no plumbing above this room. The wallpaper was painstakingly removed from the fireplace, and Home Firestove knocked our socks off once again with the perfect little propane fireplace insert…IS. THIS. HEAVEN?

All of our door knobs are from Emtek, the Winchester in flat black. We adore the simple look!

Let’s head into the laundry/mud room. This area was reconfigured….originally it was a tiny bathroom and the laundry was behind it, see below:

We decided to give up this bathroom (since there are plenty of bathrooms in the house) in order to create a nice flow into the laundry. (below)

Let’s face it, no one LOVES laundry duty (or do they?)…but this inviting space has made it one of my favorite tasks! These beautiful luxury vinyl floors are Phenix Flooring’s Free Expressions with Stainmaster® PetProtect™ in “Dove.” We chose them for their durability, and since they’re 100% waterproof, it was a great option for a laundry room! I love the concrete look, which ties into the CUTEST sink you ever did see!

The Ventana sink from Native Trails in made of an innovative material that’s 40% lighter than traditional concrete, is stain & scratch resistant, and is just gosh darn farmhousey. The countertops are butcher block, which brings so much warmth to this very white room.

The washer & dryer came from Kelly’s Appliances, and their customer service has been second to none!

Even though the layout of this area has changed, I’ll show you what the laundry room looked like before! (below)

Ok! Heading back out of the laundry room, here’s what it looked like before:

And now:

We’ll hang a right and go down the hall to the powder bath. The access has changed due to the new layout in this side of the house (a 1960’s addition), but the bathroom remains within the same footprint. Before:

Now the powder bath is more welcoming to guests, with beautiful cement tile from Riad Tile (this is the Zanzibar Grey tile), and a darling green light fixture (the Bantam Wesco Sconce) from Barn Light Electric. Wall to wall shiplap doesn’t hurt either! 🙂

 

The master suite was redesigned as well, but here’s the view before:

The ceilings were low, and it felt dark. We vaulted up into the attic in the bedroom space, and here’s the outcome!

The vintage dining room chandelier hangs proudly in here, flanked by beams from a former client’s horse barn, for a rustic touch. They play so beautifully off of each other! Floor to ceiling board & batten was added on the bed wall, and it added so much texture and interest. The cozy carpet is SO INCREDIBLY SOFT, Phenix Flooring’s Clever Expressions with Stainmaster® PetProtect™ in “Cast.” We just love the subtle pattern!

 

The bed can be found here, the bedding can be found here, and the area rug under the bed can be found here.

In the original layout of the house, there was a bonus room connected to the master (below). That felt less than ideal (can you imagine trying to sleep next to your 16 yr old’s slumber party? haha), so we flip flopped the layout once again and put the master bath & closet in that area. We will eventually add a garage, with a bonus room above. And I SOOOO look forward to that day. (Apparently I kept a LOT of stuff in the garage.) 😉

You’ll notice another pretty barn door from Artisan Hardware on the master bath…so fun! (Don’t forget to use the code AHYELLOWPRAIRIE if you order by July 31, 2018, for 5% off your order!) Still some decorating to do in here…but these things take time. 🙂

The master bath was not only relocated, but completely reimagined. It may be one of my favorite rooms in the house! Here’s how it used to look:

It was functional. But it wasn’t the bathroom of our forever home dreams. Here’s the master bath now:

Marble basketweave floors, soft gray board & batten (Sherwin Williams “Front Porch”), fresh white cabinets, and a freestanding tub? Better than we imagined. (Find the chandelier here.) The tub is from Delta (find it here), as well as the beautiful chrome fixtures.

These Cassidy Two Handle Widespread Faucets really add sparkle to this vanity. I still feel like I’m staying in a fancy hotel!

Are you still here? This may be the longest post ever. 🙂 Not gonna lie, I miiiiiiight have just taken a taco break. Let’s head upstairs and I’ll show you the kid’s rooms!

Going upstairs before was not much of a joy. 😉

I almost couldn’t imagine HOW the upstairs was going to feel homey. But now? I LOVE!!

The stairwell itself was (and is) pretty tight.

We brightened it up with lots of white shiplap (Sherwin Williams “Alabaster”), and the horizontal lines of the shiplap add some nice interest.

Do you see how LOW the railing is? Scary! (below)

Ready for one of my VERY favorite additions to the house? This sweet little window in the stairwell! More light, more views, more charm! (Beautiful chandelier is from The Vintage Industry, one of my favorite shops just over an hour from here.)

This first bedroom would become our son’s room. (He’s living at home while in college, and we’re happy to have him here!)

The floral wallpaper and bright blue carpet wasn’t quite his thing. Here it is today.

Ceiling fixture is the Brantley semi-flush mount from Hinkley Lighting, carpet is the same as the master bedroom, Phenix Flooring’s Clever Expressions with Stainmaster® PetProtect™ in “Cast.”

Another view “before”:

And now, a little toned down. 😉

The next room down the hall is the kids bath. Before:

The vanity was relocated to allow for a mirror over top, aaaaaand of course everything else was freshened up. A lot.

Uhhhh, these floors. Heart eyes for days. These are luxury vinyl (Phenix Flooring’s Free Expressions with Stainmaster® PetProtect™ in Toasted Brown), but they have the look of real hardwood floors! We are pretty much obsessed.

I gave the walls a quick stencil treatment the other night, and voila, DONE. This is a great option if you’re not into hanging 97 things all over the walls of your bathroom. 😉

If I haven’t mentioned it yet (it’s all a blur!), the interior walls are all painted Sherwin Williams “Alabaster” and the trim is the same, although we used a different sheen (walls are a satin finish, trim is semi-gloss). The interior doors are Sherwin Williams “Amazing Gray.”

The chrome plumbing fixtures in here are also from Delta, the Cassidy Two Handle Centerset Lavatory Faucet.

We opted for hooks in the bathroom, instead of towel bars. And I’m SURE this will encourage my kids to hang up their towels, right?  That’s the hope. 😉

The last stop upstairs is our daughter’s room. We combined two small bedrooms into one, to allow for a walk-in closet, and a little linen closet in the hall. Here’s her room “before”:

And the windows below are the same location as above…but now the room is fresh, white, and clean, with just a touch of board & batten!

This bed is a good one, if you’re looking for a pretty iron bed. And so affordable! Find it here. Bedding was found on Ebay.

The next two photos represent the areas that were combined to make one big bedroom/closet. Sort of confusing, I know…but trust me, it works so much better!

Now the room is open and bright, and the closet (behind the gray door, below) allows for plenty of organized storage.

Did you notice the original brick fireplace chimney that was left exposed in the hall? Oh, it’s so pretty!

The sconce in the hallway is the Alister sconce from Hinkley Lighting. The simple lines are just right.

While we haven’t even STARTED tackling the landscaping, I’d love to share just a couple more pics with you, of the exterior. Here’s a before pic from December:

And today.

Good thing we decided to re-do the old back porch…we found out there was an entire den of snakes under there! UGH!!!

Our goal was to make the 1960’s addition look more like it should be connected to the old house. Here’s our version of the back porch. 🙂

We can hardly wait for the next step, landscaping…especially that middle planter! But, we also know that we don’t want to take a second of this for granted. So maybe it’s time to just sit back and enjoy the farm for just a bit.

One of the biggest blessings of this entire experience has been YOU. You’ve cheered us on, taken a personal interest, written us the sweetest notes, and we are BEYOND thankful. Thank you for joining us for the adventure of a lifetime…but guess what? We’re not done yet, friends. There are barns to fix up, acres of land to care for, animals to adore (in the future!), and the process of home-making will be ever-continuing with our #renovationontheprairie. So, will you hang around? Join us for the next season of life here on Prairie Hill Farm? We can’t wait! But for now, I’m tearing into a fresh box of Hot Tamales to celebrate a renovation completed.