Christmas on the farm

This year I had the distinct pleasure of decorating a stunning farmhouse for the holidays as part of the Exeter Area Holiday House tour to benefit Womenade of Greater Squamscott. Thankfully, I had lots of talented helpers alongside to help me create a magical holiday setting. The tour was a HUGE success to say the least and my heart is filled, knowing that we raised a significant amount of money for people in need.

The original farm sign

The home itself is a beauty, sitting up on a hill, overlooking the Exeter river. It's wrapped in history, from once serving as an Angus farm, then as a Montessori school. Now it's been restored back it's original purpose, a warm and friendly family home.

A chalkboard coffee table is perfect for storytelling

I decided to treat the home to a little bit of what I call "rustic glamour". Using lots of natural elements and recycled products and then adding a touch of bling! 

A touch of sparkle!



Photo credit: Jaye Carr

We decked the halls using lots of greens and loads of twinkle lights. It smelled and looked delicious!

Photo credit: Jaye Carr

 
 
For a little out of the ordinary, recycled and rustic charm, we built a Christmas tree out of books. The stunning wall décor you see behind the book tree are paper mandala's and are handmade by Victoria of Open Book Studio. She repurposes broken books into works of art....very, cool! Click here to find her on Facebook.


Photo credit: Jaye Carr

To embellished a lonely corner under the stairs we created this one-of-a-kind piece, and filled it with holiday sparkle.

 

And of course, nothing brings the warmth of the holiday season to your home like a beautifully decorated tree!

 

 

 

For more photos from our festive farmhouse, and holiday décor inspiration, hop on over to my Pinterest page!

 

Warmly,

 

Renee

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old barn gets a new life!

Did you hear the news?? My 1850's barn renovation was featured on +houzz! This was one of my all time favorite projects because I felt like the barn really spoke to me! Have you ever had that feeling? It's quite surreal.

The Barn was tired of it's old ways and years of being a storage facility. But it had so much potential and it just begged me for a makeover!

Check out this BEFORE photo!

Before Photos by Exeter Interior Designers & Decorators Mandeville Canyon Design

So with much careful planning and thought, I set out on my mission to create a family-friendly space. I wanted a space that served a lot of purposes, so this wasn't going to be easy. I needed a mudroom, an eating area, and a comfortable gathering space for a family of 6...plus lots of friends! Oh, and I can't forget the pets!

I also wanted color, lots of color! A bit unusual for a barn renovation, but I'm a designer that is not afraid to infuse color into my design whenever I can! And I think the end result is quite beautiful!

 

If you are a lover of breathing new life into old barns or buildings, then be sure to Click Here to read the entire article written by +houzz and see more pictures.

I love to see what other designers can create with old homes or old barns. In particular, I loved this feature from +1 Kindesign.  Click here to read their article, 43 Fabulous Barn Conversions inspiring you to go off grid.

If your house, or barn is speaking to you, be sure to listen! Keep some of the old, but it's ok to refresh with some new.

Don't forget to read our feature article on +houzz! Just click here!

Best,

Renee

What hue are you?

Remember when you were a kid and you got one of those big boxes of crayons, like the box of 64, and there were so many shades of the same color? For a girl like me, that was true bliss! Give them a little scribble on your paper and voila! you've got a new shade of purple!

And don't even get me started on the names of the colors!!  Blue is no longer just blue...you've got everything from Cornflower, to Aquamarine and Blizzard Blue...what about Indigo and Cerulean? Well isn't that true about paint color these days? It feels like there are about a million shades of the same color.

Its seems like so many of my clients are looking to incorporate some sort of blue into their design. Maybe it's because we are near the coast, or maybe it's because there are so many shades that can appeal to both men and women without feeling too feminine or too masculine. I'm not sure, but whatever the reason, I am loving the latest color combinations!

So how do you keep it fresh and current? I don't tend to try to stay on trend, but I do keep one eye on it! Understanding your clients preferences and how the colors make them feel sometimes outweighs the need to be "trendy"  I also like to get a feel for what's behind the colors my clients choose. Are they looking for a coast feel or a more of a morning in the redwoods? Knowing this helps to create a lasting mood.

I do think it's fun to pair your colors with a little bit of "unexpectedness"! Right now I am seeing, a lot of turquoise in the fabrics, wall coverings and accessories I am finding. It's been paired with everything from red  to black and even orange! Add a neutral like grey and you've got a stunning new look.


I recently used +Sherwin Williams Indigo (SW 6531) for a seaside cottage in Maine. It was love at first sight! 

I paired it with +Sherwin Williams   Scanda (6529), Passive (7064) and Ellie Gray (7650) to create a stunning backdrop for my orange and teal accent pieces! 


To mix things up a bit in another seaside cottage, I used +Sherwin Williams Kind Green (6457). This time I paired it with +Benjamin Moore Paints Soft Glow on an accent wall in one of the bedrooms.



To round out the color palette in this cottage I used +Benjamin Moore Paints Hush. It's still a coastal color palette, but a little different than sticking with just the blues and tans you often see.

I love to think outside the box and dare my clients to paint their ceiling something other than white. It's sort of like the fifth wall in your room, but often it's not even considered when selecting paint. Take a look at this dining room in an 1850's Farmhouse in New Hampshire.

Here it really highlight some of the details in this room that otherwise would have been overlooked. So don't just look at the 4 walls that surround you, look up too!

As always, I highly recommend purchasing samples and trying them out on your walls in your home. What looks great in the store may look totally different in the light of your home.

 

 

Until next week!

 

Renee

Add some splash to your bath!

We've all heard the advice by now, updated kitchens and baths are a great investment for your home. And it's true! No one wants a dated kitchen and you certainly don't want to start your day in an ugly bathroom!

 

I love to recreate bathrooms because you can really have some fun in this (usually) smaller space. I'm not afraid to mix old and new, or to utilize some spunky colors. Take this 1850's Farmhouse bathroom I designed. The last update this bathroom had seen was in the 50's. We pulled the old Formica counter and base and replaced it with one of the homeowners cabinets. We topped it with a remnant piece of black honed granite and then placed a wonderfully hefty marble vessel sink atop. The real splurge was a  chrome faucet from +Brizo Faucet to help bring a bit of contemporary to the space.

 

 

Photos by Jared Saulnier

The walls were in bad enough shape that it gave us license to throw a splash of wallpaper up to liven up the space. Classic dot tile round out the room and keep it feeling period.

 

 

Here again I mixed the old with the new in another bathroom in this family's farmhouse. It's likely that this bathroom started out as a large closet or perhaps a birthing room. We had several hutches that seemed the perfect solution for vanities. We plated the back of the upper hutch with mirror and replaced the old wood top with a honed absolute black granite remnant.

 

The splurge was on the +Brizo Faucet fixtures and was worth every penny. Combining modern with old, two mini pendants drop from the ceiling to add extra light. Classic subway tile fit perfectly with the river rock floor and zebra stripe accent. A wall niche offers extra storage place and keeps things tidy.

 

Photos by Jared Saulnier

For anyone looking to update their bath, the possibilities are endless. Consider the style of your house and the feeling you want to evoke as you start and end your day.

It doesn't have to be boring. Go ahead, make a splash!

Renee