For the love of Wallpaper

It seems as if I find myself vacillating between the memories of the old house and the future visions of the farmhouse.

Yesterday's post about the nook reflected my need to revisit what I had already created.  I needed to go back and review the details.

The farmhouse house is so very different.  I feel like I want to wallpaper everything!

The ceilings are taller, the walls longer and the overall size is begging for a little intimacy.  Each room would love some individuality.

I'll just ask, why such adversity to such a great design medium?  At the mere mention of the word "wallpaper" people begin to wrinkle their nose, create lines in their forehead and of course the old stories of "when I had to remove the wallpaper from my house..." begin.

I've been there.  The little blue house was a fan of wallpaper when I first moved in.  I, however, was not a fan at the time.  I spent hours peeling, scraping, lifting and moistening layer upon layer of wallpaper in that house.  Removing the paper off of plaster walls no less.  I get the wallpaper condendrum, the love/hate relationship.

Here's the thing, though.  Paint is easy.  A well decorated home can't always be easy.  Don't get me wrong, I love paint too.  It will one day get it's glory and individual blog post.  To be fair wallpaper needed to get some recognition.

Wallpaper is a bit more complex than its paint accomplice.  There are patterns to match (or not) and colors to coordinate.  Inevitably there's the "who is going to put this stuff up?" question after you've already purchased the rolls from a company in the Netherlands and paid a hefty shipping cost.

That would be me.  I searched high and low and found the wallpaper I was looking for.  In the Netherlands.  Fortunately they ship to the states and when I received my package I was giddy with excitement.

The company is called Room Seven.

Room Seven focuses predominantly on children's bedding, clothing and accessories.  They partnered with  Coordonne in order to create wonderful wallpaper.  They have the most delightful and exquisite combinations of prints and colors.  While they are intended for children, I believe their wallpaper to be perfect for any space.

I don't intend on covering every inch of every wall but I am beginning to select a few areas in the farmhouse that have peaked my interest.  I am sticking with the Room Seven patterns throughout because I believe they are diverse enough to add interest, yet they create a flow from top to bottom.

 

I have a thing for this yellow.  I love the golden tone.  It's bright, but not too bright and presents a stellar backdrop for virtually everything.  

I immediately fell in love with this pattern.  It appears to me to have a playful sophistication that can be dressed up or dressed down.  The current plan is to hang this in the dining room.

Moving on I found a floral pattern to add to the foyer.  I can't express to you how much I love floral patterns on paper or fabric.  I've tried to look for patterns with simpler lines, geometric flow but the floral patterns get me every time.  I'm particularly drawn to the smaller floral designs, however, this pattern struck me.  The colors are vibrant, yet against the antiqued white background they become elegant blossoms.

The bright floral landscape is perfect for the foyer.   It's warm and inviting and I believe it will be a wonderful place to begin the story of our home as you walk through the front door.

I had originally decided to only wallpaper the upstairs.  The dining room and foyer were just add-on. 

I love my french provencial dressers in my bedroom.  They were my parents and not long after being passed along to me I painted them.  My mum was hesitant to pass them along at first because she loves natural wood.  I love paint.  She knew the outcome and held out as long as she could.

I believe the outcome was worth it.

Due to my affinity for the dressers, I really wanted to try to stay with my previous color scheme.  I cam across this pattern.

 

Out of all the wallpaper I've selected this is my boldest choice.  The majority of the colors, accessories and furniture in the bedroom are soft.  Based on the overall softness of the room, I believe this pattern can be pulled off.  In the evening, when the lights are illuminated it looks a bit breathtaking.  That's when I knew it would work in the bedroom.

For the spare bedroom I decided to be a bit repetitive.  

 

I couldn't help myself! I love this pattern and while I love the yellow, the blue is dreamy.  Perfect for a spare bedroom.  I'm sure there is some kind of rule to not papering the same pattern in a different room, even if it's a different color.  I don't care, I've never followed the rules.

The last pattern I selected was for Ava's room.  Ava is 11 and cares very much about what her space feels and looks like.  There are days when I highly desire a daughter who says "I don't really care about what it looks like. Pick out whatever you want."  I have to quickly remind myself that I have nurtured Ava's love for design and overall passion for art.  I have to allow her to have her own artistic identity.  

Within means.  Therefore Ava and I compromised on a more modern pattern for her room.  She is very interested in clean lines and structure, the opposite of her mum.  She loved the polka dot pattern.  We're a polka dot loving family.  While this paper takes on a different look I believe it will play well with the others.

The only area I have formally hung is the foyer.  I was confident with my selection for that area and when it was completed I loved it even more.

I hung the foyer over the girls spring break from school and we had a brief stay in Wisconsin.  I haven't been back to the house since.

I'm glad to have had the chance to recoup because here are the things I'm certain of when it comes to wallpaper.

1. Have your checkbook ready 
2. Have plenty of time available 
3. Have a replenished liquor cabinet

Regardless of what kind of wallpaper you are doing you are going to end up investing some money.  It just isn't cheap.  Nor should it be.  It's truly as if you are hanging a work of art so you need to be confident about what you are putting up.  You need to know you're going to love it tomorrow as much as you would today.  I can never do things the simple way.  I'm always looking for that unique, one of a kind.  Room Seven would be quite affordable for me if I lived, lets say, in the Netherlands.  But, alas, I do not.  Therefore, for the love of the paper, I will continue to save and buy each room as I can.  That's commitment.

Hanging wallpaper is a time consuming and detail oriented task.  Do not take shortcuts.  I highly considered hiring out due to the cost of the paper.  I didn't want to screw it up!  What I found was that if I took my time I was able to hang the paper quite well and most importantly to my liking.  I'm a type A.  I may have found a new career.

Give wallpaper a chance.  You might just like it. 

A few of my favorite things

Sitting here, sipping coffee and taking in this gorgeous spring morning.

I began to flip through my photo log.  There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the click of my camera.  It's pure "whatever catches my fancy!"

So the Farmhouse Countdown has begun.  59 days.  My design mind is swirling.  Enjoy the visuals and I hope you are inspired too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old farmhouse

We bought an old, white farmhouse. It has great bones.

It's hard to believe we moved out of our little blue house almost 6 months ago.  The girls and I moved in with my parents in Dayton, Ohio in order for them to finish out the school year in Ohio.  Recently I've come to the realization that finishing out the school year in Ohio sounded better than me having to admit "I'm not ready to leave...not ready to start over!"  Dave has been living in the old white farmhouse since November. 

The time is drawing near, reality is setting in and the girls and I will depart Ohio for the great state of Wisconsin in June. I'm still not quite sure that reality has set in for me as I consistently refer to my Wisconsin home as my "summer home." 

The old white farmhouse is 103 years old. It sits in the ideal town of Lake Mills, Wisconsin.  For those who have been following my blog you may remember the trip the girls and I took last July to Bartlel's Beach in Lake Mills.  I instantly fell in love with the scenery, the people and beautiful Rock Lake.  Of course, I wasn't really house shopping that afternoon but once I saw the farmhouse it was an instant bond.

Much like my instant bond with our previous little blue house, I spotted the farmhouse and envisioned a future.  I saw beautiful gardens, Ava and Cate playing in the front yard on the existing swing and cool evenings on the front porch.  I fell in love without even stepping foot through the front door. 

The girls and I left the beach that evening knowing we would return.  To our excitement the return would happen the next day with Dave and a realtor. 

We stepped foot on the old, painted porch and prepared to step in through the large, welcoming front door.  Once my feet hit the beautiful wood floor of the foyer I was "home."  

I often ask people what drives them to buy a home. Size, color, new or old?  I'm driven by the bones and the history of the home.  If it has a good foundation and story to go along with that foundation I'm interested.

We walked into the foyer and room after room was just lovely.  Everything flowed and there was a peace and tranquility to go along with the flow.  The front rooms of the original farmhouse are pictured below and include a sun room, living room and dining room.  The floors are gorgeous and the natural lighting is simple and elegant.

Upon initial glance the house was stunning, actually breathtaking.  At the same time this wasn't our fist dance with an old home.  The little blue house was a 16 year labor of love and money!  We love the look and feel of an old home, however, many times you get into these old houses and you realize that the investment is substantial.  I can remember waiting to re-do our kitchen in the old house.  I litereally collected pictures of countertops, backsplash, paint colors for a long time.  10 years to be exact.  We neeeded to gut the kitchen but there was never a good time and there was never enough money.

Not only does the white farmhouse have beautiful features, the fundamental features of the home are all up-to-date.  New windows, new heating and air, new plumbing, new(er) electric.  Dave and I felt like we were at the casino and we had hit jackpot!!  The underlying and unseen expenses in old homes can make it difficult to ever touch the surface from an aesthetic point.  While we didn't get this house for a steal, the updates that had been done made the price point worth it.  We're excited to focus on putting our mark on the house and picking up where previous owners left off.  It's a collaborative work in progress.

I mentioned that I was distraught leaving the old house because we had waited and saved to do two major areas of the house.  10 years for the kitchen re-do and 15 years for the art studio.  Retrospectively, I believe we could have done both projects sooner but I believe if you're going to do something, do it right and do it the way you want.  I wasn't willing to compromise on either project.  It's all in the details, baby!

After walking through the main rooms of the original farmhouse I noticed a room off the dining room connected to the kitchen.  Immediately, my head began to think "studio space."  The kitchen is quite nice, however, the kitchen is where everyone hangs out so it has to display personality and character.  Both rooms were blank canvases upon first glance.  They weren't horrible by any means, just waiting for a touch of color and some energy to be moving through,

In addition to the kitchen the original butler pantry is connected. It is absolutely stunning! As of now, a wall separates the pantry from the kitchen.  However, that wall will be coming down very soon!

After seeing the kitchen and potential studio the allure didn't end.  The back door of the kitchen led to a delightful, small sun room next to the original limestone basement (the house has an updated basement as well as a new addition basement).  We are moving to a really cold state so I was seeing myself sitting in this area in the winter sipping hot tea and summer sipping crisp cocktails, windows open of course.

As if the house needed more, an addition had been built on to the main level.  On the opposite side of the foyer a family room space had been added as well as a functional second basement area.  I wasn't exactly sold on these two areas, but I saw the potential.  The family room is spacious and houses a second, gas burning fireplace.  Carpet has to go!  The previous owners were brilliant and were using the basement as a yoga/music hangout area.  Currently brainstorming the plan for this space.

At this point it's a bit exhausting because we haven't even made it to the upstairs as of yet!  Dave and I laugh at the enormity of this home.  It's a bit over the top.  Our last house was around 1,900 square feet and we loved the intimacy and cottage-type feel we had there.  We had three bedrooms, a bath and a half and lovely little cottage gardens outlining the exterior.  What more do you need?

Well, our biggest fear of moving (and moving to a lake) was that we wanted to have enough space to house family and friends.  The last thing we want is to invite someone to Wisconsin and not be able to give them a comfortable bed and a gourmet meal.

The farmhouse compliments our need for entertaining and hosting our long distance guests.  At the same time it fills a 20 year goal.  Dave and I had always dreamed of being Inn owners at some point in our lives.  The new house allows us to have an Inn "like" aspect and the bonus is entertaining those we love.  Potentially even hosting artist retreats down the road!

So now we have this space.  Around 5,000 square feet.  5 bedrooms and 4 baths and guess who's the maid!  It's a bit overwhelming, especially for the detailed oriented person.  So I just keep compartmentalizing my design thoughts, in a cohesive manner, of course.

All of the bedrooms reside in the upstairs.  A couple of the pictures posted here represent the previous owners spaces.  Ava will probably have the best room in the house.  The bedroom boasts a second floor nook area surrounded with windows and a connecting bathroom with a clawfoot tub.  Right now Ava and I are trying to decided on a color scheme for her room.  I think you'll want to stay tuned for that exciting blog entry as we don't exactly see eye to eye!

Aside from the 2nd level of bedrooms and baths there is a third floor space that just needs to be worked on and completed.  I am hoping to make this space into the art studio by adding dormers and natural ceiling lighting via the roof.  It would be phenomenal.

Last, but certainly not least, we are surrounded by absolute beauty outside.  Rock Lake resides not far behind us and the landscape is irrisistable.

I will say it.  The gardens and landscape to the farmhouse need work.  While it's naturally beautiful, the curb appeal can be so much more.  Dave and I are gardeners.  We built our last masterpiece and I hope we can do it again.

 I know this was a long entry.  I had been waiting to feature the house until we were closer to moving in.  June is right around the corner and some changes have already occurred.  I absolutely can't wait to share the updates with you.

The difficult (but fun) part now comes from basic decision making: do we use Home Depot or Lowe's, do we wallpaper or paint, do we do it ourselves or hire out.

Follow our journey...it's just the beginning.  Bonus, we have a zip line~

Photo credits to my exceptional fine art photographer, Tom Lolan. a.k.a. Dad