Hey there! Thanks for stopping by my farmhouse today! Say what? You know I have nothing even remotely close to a farmhouse, but today as part of this month’s Decor Challenge, my Decor Enthusiast Girls and I are sharing our take on ways to add a little farmhouse style our spaces.
Farmhouse style is hot hot hot right now, but with living closer to dolphins than to chickens, I tend to lean a little more towards coastal. So when my girls were talking about sharing tips for getting that farmhouse look, I had to think about it for a while. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the things I love too.
Then it occurred to me that my kitchen could easily translate into farmhouse with the white cabinets and hardwood floors, so I set out to update it a bit with some farmhouse flair. My first stop: the garage of course!
But first I needed to decide what would give my kitchen that farmhouse feel I was going for, and I came up with five things that make me think of farmhouse charm:
1.
White Cabinets
When I think of a farmhouse kitchen, I always think of white painted cabinets. Luckily I tackled this chore a couple of years ago, but if painting your cabinets is on your to-do list, I shared a very detailed step-by-step tutorial HERE. It’s a chore, but won’t break the bank for a huge impact.
You can also find the tutorial for replacing the raised panels in your cabinets with glass HERE!
2.
Bead Board/Wainscoting
I trimmed out our island in wainscoting. It’s an inexpensive way to add farmhouse charm, and lovely as a backsplash or ceiling treatment as well.
You can buy sheets of bead board or wainscoting kits like I did, which is made up of pieces that fit together rather than a large sheet that needs to be cut to fit. That helped to transition around that bend nicely.
3.
White Dishes
Plain white dishes are so versatile. You can dress them up to match any season or Holiday, and to me they have a fresh farmhouse feel as well. Stack them, create a plate wall out of them…so many ways to show them off! These are my everyday dishes, and they are ironstone from Pier One.
I told you I was headed to the garage to hunt for a few things I could use in my update and came across this little metal caddy I found at the thrift store a while back for $6:
I decided to give it a makeover to display a few more of my white dishes..
I primed it with white spray primer, then sanded it all over. No paint, just primer. I also found an old fence picket that I cut to fit the bottom and white-washed.
These chunky hobnail mugs are from Target. Here are similar ones I found on Amazon.
So cute now, right?
4.
Fresh Flowers
No farmhouse kitchen would be complete without fresh flowers!
Flowers are such a great way to add charm to any space, and they don’t have to cost a fortune. I picked up this bouquet of daisies at Walmart for $5. They are perfectly farmhouse-y in this $2 estate sale pitcher. (There are a bunch of cute white pitchers on Amazon…like this one. I find I shop more and more online these days!)
I also snipped a bloom or two for a couple of tiny arrangements…
I make these all the time for my bathroom sinks and for my kitchen window. The greenery is from a bouquet I picked up at Trader Joes, my favorite resource in the off-season for budget-friendly fresh flowers. The little jar is a thrift store find.
5.
Distressed Wood
I imagine a farmhouse kitchen to have a few distressed pieces here and there. Maybe some old barn wood used in a new way, or a chippy painted hutch. I don’t have either, but I did make a new sign for above my stove out of an old fence picket I found in the garage…close enough. 🙂
I cut two pieces to size then joined the two pieces with an old ruler I had cut in half, screwing the ruler pieces to the back of each picket piece. I wanted it to sit as flush to the wall as possible since it was going above the stove.
I used the same method I used on this sign to create and add the lettering for this one above my stove.
It actually says the same thing as the sign I replaced, but that one was a cheap one I bought years ago and it was black. This one brightens up that spot above the stove now.
I also painted this rolling kitchen cart a while back with a distressed finish in a mix of blues:
This was a $15 yard sale find, and was the perfect piece for my budget-friendly Kitchen Makeover! (Originally from Walmart.)
I didn’t include “whimsy” as one of the elements of a farmhouse kitchen, but I do think it applies. Here’s a touch of whimsy in mine…this sweet toaster oven cover I made from bleached drop cloths:
It was a super simple project and much prettier to look at than my old toaster oven!
I also love this little whimsical metal wire cloche:
Would you believe it was a thrift store find? I’m sure I didn’t pay more than a few bucks for it, and it’s perfect for holding some of my smaller thrifted ironstone pieces!
That about wraps up my (wannabe) Farmhouse Kitchen Tour! I had fun playing around in there.
What do you think of when you think of farmhouse style??
My Décor Enthusiast Girls are also sharing their own ideas for adding farmhouse style to your spaces. Check them out at the links below!
Got any Farmhouse Decor you want to share? You can!!
Take pics of your Spring wreaths and share them with us on our Decorating Enthusiasts DIY Forum on Facebook! We created this forum not only so you could participate in our fun decorating challenges, but also so that you have a judge-free zone to share your projects any time, ask questions, and hang out with other creatives just like you!
But wait! There’s more! Let’s play on Instagram too! (Updated Hashtag alert!)
Here’s how to play:
1. Add your own photo on Instagram starting today (4/14) through Saturday
2. Tag it with the #DecorEnthusiastStyle hashtag
3. Follow all six of your hostesses here:
@confessionsofaserialdiyer @artsychicksrule @oursouthernhome @restorationredoux @refreshrestyle @dukemanorfarm
We will choose one winner that will be featured on all six IG feeds this Sunday!!
I love looking through all the beautiful photos you guys share.
As always, I’m so glad you stopped by!
I’ll be back Tuesday sharing what I did with this very large oval thrift store tray:
See ya then!
UPDATE: Just like magic, see how this tray got a whole new look HERE now.
XO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Mary Kaiser says
Love the cute basket makeover. Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks for being so amazing!!!
Christy K. James says
Thank you thank you thank you, Mary!!! XO
Treva says
I just love the little wire tray or whatever the correct name is, you know that little cute thing with a handle.
Your kitchen is really neat. You mentioned that the cover you made for the toaster oven is made of bleached drop cloth. Did you bleach it or does it come as bleached.
You always have the cutest things.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Treva! I bleached the drop cloths using Miss Mustard Seed’s tutorial which you can find here: http://missmustardseed.com/2010/06/tips-on-making-slipcovers-with-drop/ This is still one my favorite projects. 🙂
Suzan Oxenreider says
I subscribe to your blog and really enjoy seeing all the creative ideas you have for re-using or repurposing. I think we have the same rolling cart in our kitchens and it also appears that we painted and switched out the hardware!
I hope I am not asking one of those “most often asked questions”…but I am curious a about the wine glass holder under your kitchen cabinet. Did that come with the cabinets or was it an “add on” ?
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much for following along with me, Suzan! Isn’t that rolling cart so handy and functional? Mine was missing the drop-down piece when I bought it, but it still works great. The wine glass holder was already in our house up above the window over the sink. I cut it down to size and mounted it under the cabinet when I redid my kitchen, but I purchased a metal under-the-counter wine glass holder for my last house at Pier One. It looked like this one from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1p0P0CQ and fit and worked great! XO
Brenda Near says
Hi Christy,
I really love the way you have done your kitchen! And I really like this “farmhouse” style. But I must comment that true farmers, if they had time to browse blogs on farmhouse style, would have a great laugh! Any farmers homes I have been in look nothing like this! They are messy and full of mismatched items and they certainly don’t have fancy white cabinets or distressed signs! Lol, but it sure is a pretty look for those of us not working the land and raising animals. I enjoy your blog. Thanks. Brenda
Christy K. James says
Ha ha you are so right, Brenda!! That is funny! Thank you and I appreciate you following along with me! 😀
andi says
I’m pretty sure Phil won’t let me paint the cabinets, but I do have a cow on a shelf! Does that count?? =D
xoxo
-andi
Christy K. James says
Absolutely! Cow = farmhouse. 🙂
Debbie @ Refresh Restyle says
Love your farmhouse style! Can I move in?
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Debbie!! Pack your bags and come on! 😀
Sharon says
I just love to see all the before and afters you do and also to tell you “thank you” for the inspiration they provide. You rock!
Christy K. James says
You are awesome, Sharon…thank you for that! I truly love to share with ya’ll and sweet comments like yours make it so worth it! XO
Linda says
Would like to know where you got back spash tiles?
Your kitchen is so cute I love your vision
Thx
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Linda! It’s been about 10 years now, but they came from Lowes. 🙂
Moriah says
With every post I open, i am amazed at your creativity. I am tucking ideas away for when the time for decorating our fixer-upper comes. I am new at all of this and am so excited to have you as a “mentor.” Thank you for sharing and the inspiration. Love your kitchen 🙂
Christy K. James says
Moriah you are so sweet, and I love that you are feeling inspired!! Thank you!! XO
laura janning says
oh my toaster. would you look at that adorable cover! too cute. BTW- your kitchen is so pretty. Bet you get a lot of kisses in there!
Christy K. James says
Ha ha thanks, Laura! For the record, I rarely get kisses in there, but I still feed their hungry bellies. 🙂
Sally Luebben says
Oh, I love that wire basket! I have one very similar. I can’t wait to try that makeover on it. 😀
Christy K. James says
I love it too…I wondered why someone had donated it! It can have so many uses! Have fun with yours. 🙂
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Your house is so pretty Christy!! In person and in photos!! 🙂
OH…and I do believe you may have a chicken or two just down the road from you…on that country road we traveled!! 😉 lol
xo
Nancy
Christy K. James says
Aww thank you!! And yes you might be right ha ha!! XOXO
SandyW says
Would you share where your counter stools are from? They are perfect for your house.
Christy K. James says
Thanks Sandy! They were a very generous Christmas gift from my in-laws last year. They came from Ballards. 🙂
Christy @ Our Southern Home says
Christy,
Girl you do have farmhouse style! I love all of the fabulous details in your farmhouse kitchen. AND that you do it so formidably. I so need those bar stools!
Christy @ Our Southern Home says
auto correct! grrr…….affordably!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Christy! Yes I am so cheap lol…I never would have bought those gorgeous barstools. They were a very generous Christmas gift from my in-laws…she ordered them from Ballards! 🙂
Sandi Biquet says
Hi Christy,
I love your little touches of farmhouse in your kitchen. You’ve given me some great ideas. I’m going to throw some things together this afternoon.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Sandi! It always feels good to switch a few things around to freshen up a space! 🙂
Tania says
I think you’ve done a great job adding touches of farmhouse to your kitchen :o) I really love the beadboard island. I’m thinking of adding it to my island but horizontally instead of vertically… we’ll see. I’m also planning to paint my cabinets so I’ll definitely check out your tutorial!
Tania
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Tania! I really love all things coastal/cottage for my home, but I think that style easily lends itself to a farmhouse feel too. And the beadboard added a lot of charm to this bland island for not a ton of money. 🙂
Molly Freibott says
Love this! Love your blog! It’s been so helpful and I love all the pics! I’m subscribing!
Christy says
Aww thanks so much, Molly! And thanks for choosing to follow along!! XO