This week is the Summer Showcase of Homes and you can see the entire week’s schedule of homes at the end of this post. The tour is online so you can view these beautiful homes no matter where you live. Today it’s my day to share my cottage style farmhouse with you and I’m pleased as punch to have you here with me!
My butter yellow farmhouse was built circa 1875 and sits on a dead end street in a small town west of Chicago where the suburban sidewalks meet the country fields of Illinois prairie. We have the best of both worlds here. The hustle and bustle of the city to the east and the tranquility and beauty of the country to the west.
Come on up to my porch! Look closely and you’ll see our cat Taffy is ready to greet you.
The Entry Way
Step inside the front door and drop your keys on the painted and decoupaged desk.
Our kitty Stella is here to greet you, too! As you tour my home you’ll find I use fresh flowers to add summer fresh style. I’m a bit of a flower freak – both indoors and out.
Even the painted desk chair gets prettied up with purple sage tied with a lace bow.
The top of this little garage sale desk reveals the script scrapbook paper that I decoupaged on after painting it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre. This desk used to be solid black and simply didn’t fit in with my bright and airy decor. Now it looks right at home.
The entry way is an extension of my living room. It was an awkward space due to the traffic pattern leading to the front door, so I configured this space into a foyer of sorts. The dining room is the room to the north but we’ll go in there a bit later.
The Living Room
Slip covers and textiles cover the furniture in my cottage style farmhouse living room. I like to keep the rooms light and bright during the summer and slip covers are a great way to change up a room. A bamboo script mat is used on the wooden floors in lieu of an area rug. These mats are highly durable and easy to clean.
Painted stairs lead to the second floor and the doorway opens into our laundry room, which is a bit messy right now so I’m keeping the door closed. Eventually I’ll get that laundry room lined with bead board … some day.
The stairway has a window oddly placed at the bottom, but I’m glad it’s there because it lets in lots of natural light. A branch painted white is set atop the window and a string of paper butterflies hangs from one end. I prefer simple window treatments in my cottage style farmhouse.
The walls in this room are painted in Lacecap by Martha Stewart paints. It’s a soft blue color with a slight lavender undertone. Shall we move on into the next room now?
The Family Room
Most family rooms are off the kitchen but ours is next to the living room, which is nice when entertaining since the two rooms together provide space for mingling and milling around .
In the corner of the family room is my crafting cabinet. When it’s messy, I can just close the doors and voila … the mess is gone!
The windows are dressed with landscape burlap (which is softer than regular burlap). I simply draped the burlap over a branch from the yard which serves as the curtain rod. White roman shades complete the window treatments in this room.
The skinny armoire in the corner was a garage sale find that I painted and decoupaged. It holds coats and shoes. Our family room has a bamboo script mat similar to the one in the living room, but with a different pattern.
The Dining Room
Let’s step on into the dining room which has changed a lot over the years. I painted the table and chairs with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The end chairs were church sale finds that I painted and reupholstered with drop cloth, painting a stripe down the middle to mimic French grain sack. The lace curtains were made from fabric I found for just $1. Again, a branch from the yard becomes the curtain rod.
The cottage style dining buffet is on the opposite wall, along with some of the vintage mirrors I’ve collected over the years.
The corner hutch holds white ironstone. I painted the interior Duck Egg Blue to show off the collection better. The walls in this room are painted Steamed White by Valspar at Lowe’s.
I found this dry sink at the antique store in town for $80. Bee’s Balm fills the small milk bottle while dried lavender is stuffed in an over-sized enamelware pitcher. The fragrance combination is heavenly!
Summer fresh flowers fill blue mason jars and take center stage on the dining table. It’s so easy to decorate your home during the summer with flowers from the garden or picked fresh from the side of the road.
This once dark dining room now has a bright and airy disposition. Not everyone likes a white room but I love the feeling of this room now that it’s lightened up with cottage style.
The Kitchen
The back door leads into our cottage kitchen. A trio of windows above the sink provides plenty of natural light for this north-facing room. The kitchen cabinets are painted Tortilla by Martha Stewart paint. They’re slightly darker than the white bead board.
We added bead board 3/4 of the way up the walls and installed open shelving throughout. There are no upper cabinets in our farmhouse kitchen, and I like it that way. I’ve been collecting the white ironstone for a little under a year now and it’s my favorite collection.
Open shelving was added above the stove. My kitchen island is constantly in use with lots of cooking from scratch. I’m a vegetarian and love growing our own vegetables.
A trio of aqua colored bottles are dressed up with purple sage and Queen Anne’s Lace.
This IKEA sideboard fits in perfectly with the white bead board and open shelves. It also provides plenty of storage. The walls above the bead board are painted Vanilla Custard by Behr at Home Depot.
A built-in cabinet in our cottage style farmhouse provides even more storage in the breakfast nook. People often ask how I keep a white kitchen clean. I painted the bead board with kitchen cabinet paint because it wipes clean quite easily. It doesn’t stain, and grease and grime don’t stick to it. You’d be amazed how easy it is to keep this room clean.
Before you go, would you like a cup of iced coffee? I’m truly honored you stopped by for a visit today. Don’t forget to visit the other homes on the Summer Showcase of Homes tour this week!
Here’s the schedule for the week:
Monday 7/22
Atta Girl Says ~ The Happier Homemaker ~ Rain on a Tin Roof ~ Better With Age ~ Top This Top That
Tuesday 7/23
Mom 4 Real ~ Cedar Hill Ranch ~ Practically Functional ~ While Wearing Heels ~ French Country Cottage
Wednesday 7/24
The Lily Pad Cottage ~ Marty’s Musings ~ Confessions of a Plate Addict ~ Town and Country Living ~ Adventures in Decorating
Thursday 7/25
Good Life of Design ~ A Stroll Thru Life ~ Worthing Court ~ Back Porch Musings ~ The Rustic Pig
Friday 7/26
Our Southern Home ~ Stone Gable ~ The Everyday Home ~ Recreate and Decorate ~ Sophia’s ~ Vignette Design
Sharing this post at French Country Cottage, Sunday Showcase, Metamorphosis Monday, Wow Us Wednesday
I love your farmhoue and your style. My favorite is your kitchen, it is fabulous. I love all the shelves and your collections. That wonderful big builtin in the breakfast area is a dream. Thanks for such a wonderful tour. Hugs, Marty
I died and now I`m in heaven. Your blog post did that 🙂 What a great source of inspirations… Thank You Jennifer
I love your home! So pretty! x
You have such a lovely home, Jennifer! I love the colors you’ve used throughout and the welcoming feel. Love the light you get in all your rooms.
LOVE your home! Looks straight out of a magazine, it’s so bright and inviting!
Jennifer. Its always a treat to come visit your beautiful home with all of your special touches.
Beautiful! I am loving all your beadboard and soft colors.
-Shelley
As always, your home is so pretty, Jennifer. You have added so many special touches and I love all of your beautiful flowers. It is truly a sweet and charming home!
I absolutely adore your home! I have since I first seen your pics. I love how it all flows and is calming. Love the colors…..just LOVE…ok can we move in now but you have to leave everything in its place of course….LOL Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
it looks gorgeous, jennifer! i’m loving the blog hop–so many ideas:)
Hi Jennifer. I just love your home and it’s always a pleasure to see your beautiful decor. You really have a sweet flair for country/cottage decor! Beautiful!
Lovely tour, Jennifer. I still would love a farm style home. I will just live through you.
I love farmhouse cottage style. Your home is amazing, Jennifer!
You’ve created a beautiful cottage style farmhouse, Jennifer! I love all of your slipcovered pieces, and I love how you painted the interior of your hutch Duck Egg!
What a charming home! I love that so much love and style was put into a reasonably sized home. Great job!
I always love seeing pics of your wonderful home. so light and beautiful!
I love the calming colors and soft romantic touches… just perfect! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Jennifer, you have the most stunning home. I love the brightness and the way it welcomes you. It makes me itch to have a cottage home! Or maybe a beach home. I could live with that! Thank you for joining us on our tour!
You’ve done the most wonderful things with your beautiful farmhouse cottage! I love how big and spacious it is!
What an absolutely charming home! From the curb appeal to every room there after. I am a lover of flowers as well so it was so fun to see how you add them to your decor. Love the little bouquets throughout, especially in the mason jars. I will have to say that your kitchen is a place I could see myself staying in all day. Such gorgeous light and it just exudes tons of charm. Thank you for inviting us all into your charming farmhouse,
Kathysue
Wow, you had me at the front door! I love farmhouses and farmhouse style. Your farmhouse is adorable, charming and welcoming. I love your kitchen with the open shelving. The floor looks amazing! ~Delores
Truly enjoyed this wonderful tour of your home!
Beautiful! All of your flowers on the porch are just gorgeous! And I love all the white throughout your home! Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof
Your house is STUNNING! I love all of your touches in every room. I swear at first I thought I was looking at pages from Ballard Designs or Pottery Barn. You have everything set up so beautifully. Watch out, BD and PB might steal some of your ideas!
Jeanine
So pretty and fresh. Beautiful!
Jennifer,
I love seeing your beautiful home. It is so cheerful and inviting. Congrats on being one of the home tours.
Kris
Oh so beautiful Jennifer….<3
xx
Anne
Your home is so charming. I really feel like I am in a very well restored and renovated country house. I love all your furniture and the way you have not over accessorized anything. It is lovely. Thanks for the tour.
Thanks, Patty at Home and Lifestyle Design
Your cottage style is so pretty and airy! Love the painted pieces and your pretty accessories too. Thanks for the tour.
Your home is the perfect marriage of cottage and farmhouse style. It’s about as inviting as they come!!!! My favorite room is the kitchen. I have always loved this real farmhouse kitchen!!!! I can just imagine you cooking and puttering and baking in this pretty room!!! LOVE your style!
Luv your home. The sweet cottage/farmhouse style is so fresh and airy!
Hugs, Gee
I’ve said it before and I will say it agin – one of my FAVE Farmhouses. It is everything I envision a farmhouse to be. It just exudes a down-home charm but os soft and welcoming all at the same time. I love that so many of the original details remain, such as that window at the bottom of the stairs which has always been one of my fave features since you shared it. I have really enjoyed this tour and so, so happy you joined in. xxoo
Beautiful home with all your fresh, crisp whites and special touches. Love the burlap swag. I pinned that images! Thank you for sharing. As for all the fresh flowers……….can’t have too many! Thanks for sharing your home on the Summer Showcase Tours. It was a treat!
Sigh. I want to move in to your beautiful cottage. It’s perfect in every way. Bright and inviting and welcoming and beautiful.
Your house is always one of my favorites. Every little detail leads to perfection.
so restful and charming! i loved taking the tour with you and soaking up the serene.
michele
I love everything about your home… it was so inviting with everything you did.. that now I have picked up a couple of chairs like my grandmother had in her big farmhouse kitchen (she had 12 children)..that I am going to paint and make new seating… I am still looking for two more… I will find them…need to go back to a place that I found on in and see if they have any more… thank you for all the nice things you do in your house.. and for encouraging others that they can do it too….
Absolutely stunning, Jennifer! Wow. I’ve looked at it several times now and just adore your style. If I could pull it off this is so much what I’d like but our house is just not this style. Seriously, I love everything about it and your pictures are beautiful. Thanks so much for joining us on our home tour!
Maybe your dining room is my favorite room in your house, but the whole house is so darling and of course I adore the exterior!! Here’s the funny thing. I am visiting all of the blogs on the tour and at many of the houses I see something that I have in my house, and you have two items I love! One is the boulangerie sign and the other which I think we have discussed before is the graphic font rug. Your home is so serene and so pretty.
Just adore your farmhouse and style Jennifer!! It’s so welcoming and charming! Love love those word covered rugs~ perfect!!
I love every inch of your home, Jennifer! I could just move right in! You have done a fabulous job of making the inside go with the outside…perfect! And your Miss Stella is a beauty! My Baby Kitty (he prefers to be called BK!) has asked me to send his regards…in a nice, non-stalker kind of way! 🙂 Thanks for sharing…hugs…Debbie
Your home is so pretty, Jennifer! The fresh flowers are so pretty with all the white! I still love those burlap curtains, too!~~Angela
I enjoyed that tour very much. It’s always a pleasure to step into your house!
Every Time I look at your home I sit here and SMILE!!!!! It is so fresh…fun…inviting and so you! Sending hugs… and by the way…all pictures are better with a furbaby! : ) LOL!!!!
What a fun fun fun country cottage farmhouse decor you have!
I love that your home is so unique – and you worked around its uniqueness so perfectly!
it is so light and bright and cheery and welcoming, I truly enjoyed this wonderful tour!
Thanks so much! And thanks for the coffee, let’s linger a little longer, yes?
Beauty, comfort and charm! Lovely farmhouse! Thank you so much for sharing! I am really enjoying all of these home tours! Hugs, Leena
Jennifer, I always love seeing your home. It is just so warm and inviting!
Cynthia
Your home is so pretty! love the dining room and all the touches of blue.
Thoroughly enjoyed my tour – love all your Farmhouse decor! 😉 Would be delighted to join you in iced coffee! Thank you for having us over.
Hugs,
Kathy
Your home is absolutely lovely! Love the blues and whites. Thanks for sharing!
Oh your home is so pretty and sweet! I am also loving your staircase area – so pretty! And I adore your kitchen – simple, light, friendly – just gorgeous!
Town & Country,
I adore all of the light that filters from room~to~room throughout your home, dear one!
Love the staircase. . .especially the window at the bottom!
You have creatd a warm, inviting home!
Thank you for sharing in the Home Tour!
Fondly,
Pat
Your cats are charming!!!
I absolutely love the floor mats, super original and what a way to add some unexpected flair to the floor! I have to say that your entire home is lovely, but my favorite feature is that window at the bottom of the stairs, I am crazy for quirky architecture!
Love love love your home. As a historic homeowner I adore seeing other older homes. I, too have a white kitchen with bead board walls and get asked the same question..how do you keep it clean..ummm benjamin moore cabinet paint- it is a Godsend for my house. We use it on all the moldings throughout also..
tammy
Thank goodness you’re not on blogspot, so i can comment! Really cute house and I love your use of muted colours and restrained decor. I think your “skinny armoire” is actually a jelly cabinet. They used to be sold to go next to a Hoosier type cabinet. I redid one as well, but I got mine from my neighbor’s TRASH! I use it for a small screen TV in the solarium. I plan to come back a scoot around your site later. thanks.
What a treat! There is not one thread I would change if you gave me the keys! Not sure I could be a vegetarian is the only thing I would find a bit disconcerting shall we say. 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
I just stumbled upon your blog, and I love it!
Your home is so adorable and cozy. I can tell you put a lot of love into it.
I write a blog about my weekend house named Town And Country Shuffle… please stop by and visit if you have a chance.
warm regards from New York
Emily @ Town And Country Shuffle
I love your charming home. Every inch! I would not change a single thing. It is perfection 🙂
Love you home, full of charm! Thanks so much for sharing…
Blessings,
Cindy
Lovely, as always! I love how you’ve accomplished keeping a sense of warmth in your home while still being light and fresh. So many pretty things to take in, and I especially love your little touches of nature-the branch curtain rods, the abundance of flowers, etc. It’s always a treat to stop by over here, Jennifer!
Jeanette
I love the abundance of light, white, openness, and simple decor – it all comes together to make a beautiful farmhouse. Thanks for sharing your home with us, just lovely.
Mary
Wow. What a lovely home you have created. I see pictures of so many beautiful spaces that look completely un-livable or un-affordable – but not yours. It looks inviting and peaceful and, not just ‘bought’ but collected, well thought-out. Kudos to you. And the window treatments are *brilliant*.
I absolutley love your home Jennifer! Every time I come here I know I’ll see more of your wonderful home and decorations and I have a smile on my face even before I see the first picture, really, your home is so romantic and fresh and airy and light and gentle and peaceful, amazing! Love the fact that htere are so many different rooms, it is something unseen here, unless you live in a house like a castle maybe, but most people still don’t…. and we certainly don’t either 😉 Over here familyroom, dining room, livingroom and often even the kitchen are all just one space; and familyroom and livingroom are one and the same thing. Far less possibilities to decorate and there would be far less to show on a house tour of course. I really enjoyed seeing all the different rooms in your home. Every single room is so cosy and beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Marian
Beautiful! i love all your painted furniture. what an great place to call home.
Your home is just lovely. I feel like I could be right at home there.
Jennifer! I really love your house! It’s so romantic and fresh!
It’s always a pleasure to visit you and enjoy all the details.
Besos!
Simply gorgeous! Your home is so pretty and lovely 🙂 Thanks for the tour, Jennifer!!
Greetings from Australia♥ ~Pernilla
I love your home tour! Your home is the closest (structurally speaking) home I’ve found that resembles mine! I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from you =)
This is a terrific blog. Love your house. It so sunny and pretty. I would love to do a wedding at this location…… 🙂
I know it’s your home, but it would be pretty.
My favorite is your dining hutch, but I’m in love with the rest of your home’s style 🙂 Very welcoming!!
Very Very Cute home…I am in Love with it!
Daisy~
Your farmhouse is truly a dream for me. I love it, the feel of it, the colors. Great job and thanks for the inspiration!
I love your entire house! I would love to have a drop leaf dining table as yours. Is this antique or purchased from a store. I would love to know wherie to find a drop leaf like this.
It’s such an incredible treat to see all these rooms at once here in one fabulous post because I never get enough! Pure perfection!!
I love everything I’ve seen here, absolutely everything.
I love your home! I love the colors you have chosen! I have currently bought my first house and am trying to figure what paint colors to use. Could you tell me the paint colors you have room by room? I specifically love the grey color in the foyer and the blue in the living room.
You have such a beautiful home. Just lovely and so inviting
I could live in your entire home from the outside to the inside and I would not change a thing. Your style is simply beautiful!! Have a great weekend! ~ Jamie
I absolutely LOVE your house! I have been trying to get that look for my cottage for a few years now. I will using this page for reference for sure! Great job!
wow, I love the decor, and I love what you did with the curtains in the living room, very smart idea 🙂 Amazing bright space, I love that you went for the light coloured furniture, I agree that oak and pine furniture works best for farmhouse decor. I’d love to create similar theme in my house.
Your home is beautiful beyond words. You have such attention to detail! Thank you for sharing this.
Your home is sooooo gorgeous! I started drooling when I saw photo #1. Just adorable. It has inspired to get up and start working on some projects in my own home. I have a long list of things I want to tackle but have been in a bit of a funk lately. Thank you for the inspiration!
Beautiful home! It’s like looking at the pages of a magazine!
You’ve made an enormous effort decorating the house, and I bet it took you years and years, but the effect is stunning. I most adore the window treatment in the living room, I’m pretty sure I’ve come across this image with the burlaps and the ‘stick from the yard’ as the curtain pole, earlier at one point, and it made a huge impression on me. So simple and rustic solution, and it is awesome look. Well done, greetings from Cherrie Hub!
http://www.cherriehub.co.uk
Your home is stunning! I have always wanted to live in a vintage farmhouse. There is one for sale in my area but it needs WAAAY to much work and would cost a fortune to revive. The land and location are wonderful though! Maybe someday….
Eu amei o tour. Aqui no Brasil não temos casas assim. Amei. Obrigada por compartilhar.
I love the look! You’ve inspired me 🙂 Do you have a name for the cabinet paint you used for the kitchen beadboard?
Also, where did you get the open shelves above the sideboard?
Love it all!
Love, Love, Love your little Cottage, so comfortable and welcoming.
I am hoping you have a source to purchase the sheep painting that is above your
buffet (Ikea). I have seen similar to that before and would love to buy one.
Thanks
Pam
What a beautiful home. Simply delightful.
Where did you get the Cucina sheep picture above your hutch?