1950’s Farmhouse Reno

by | Feb 26, 2018 | Remodel

Bookshelf-fireplace-built-in
Ah. The 1950’s green farmhouse. What it lacks in charm it makes up for in location and land. 2.5 acres, three barns, 60 chickens and 2 horses. Good sledding during snowstorms. My parents bought it and needed it redone, but had no desire to remodel it. They hired me. And then they rented to me. Sounds weird. But it worked.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
The creative direction I was given was to keep it farmhouse style and to keep all of the tile and permanent finishes white and neutral. They wanted something that would last, so nothing too outrageous, much to my disappointment. Even so, it was still a stretch and a wonderful learning experience for me.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
The bookcase makes the biggest difference here. Adding that gave balance to the room. And painting it white! Oi! I can breathe again.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
Whew! I feel like these photos speak for themselves. New white cabinets, brightened up the space, while tearing down a couple walls added more room and made it more of an open concept floorplan.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
Removing wallpaper, new flooring, paint and trim, and a new light fixture really updated the space.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno

I love the penny tile in this bathroom. It feels classic yet interesting, just what the “client” wanted. We didn’t have the budget to do full concrete countertops, so we used Henry Feather Finish to skim coat the concrete onto the top of the base we made. I installed 1 1/8 in plywood on top of the existing laminate countertops to make a thicker edge. The countertops throughout the house were so low, and this made it a little bit better. Vessel sinks also made it easier to wash your hands without throwing out your back.

Isn’t the little sink cute! What a fun idea. This was actually pre-existing, and currently disabled. After one too many flooded bathroom incidents, I decided that hygiene was overrated.

1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
We opened up the wall between this room and the dining room, turning this bedroom into a media room.
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno

We moved the entry to this room, removed a closet and added a new, smaller one that ate into the media room instead of taking up precious space in this room intended for three children. The “treehouse” was built to add a separate space to play, and because life is too short to not have a treehouse in your bedroom.

1950’s Farmhouse Reno
1950’s Farmhouse Reno
How is it that the master-spaces are always the last to finish? The baseboards have yet to go in, and after I experimented (badly) with black paint in here, I have been too lazy to paint it back. But the things I do love in here remain the same. I love the beautiful porcelain in the shower. The white herringbone was a nice way to keep it interesting and yet neutral. But my favorite detail of this room is the wall mounted faucet.