FARMHOUSE BATH GETS A MAKEOVER

This blog post is way overdue, but life has been happening at lightening speed! Whew! I know there are no excuses...but things have seriously been so busy. In between the craziness, The Mister and I did find time to remodel our 1970 master bathroom (it came with blue carpet) this past spring. I’ve waited eleven years to do this project and it finally happened! I couldn't be more excited to share it with you guys...

The main inspiration for the bathroom came from our collaboration with @sinkology and their stunning copper sinks & faucets. I really wanted something that would still maintain the feel of our 1820’s farmhouse, but update it and give it some character. Hunting to two vintage dressers to convert into vanities was A TRIP, let me tell you. I searched long and hard for the pieces that would be just right in the space. One day I stumbled across not one, but two, identical (!) dressers that I instantly fell in love with.

The beauty in the mess! LOL!

I convinced my amazing dad, one of the most talented woodworkers on the planet, to help convert the each of the drawers to allow a new drop-in sink to fit into the dresser while maintaining the storage in the three drawers below. We ended up with a nice bit of space for toiletries and storage.

While my dad was working on the dressers, Mr. Maple Creek was patching the walls and laying a new floor from @Lowes. We decided to go with a laminate floor that blended with the rest of the wood floors in the farmhouse. For the paint color on the walls, I chose a bright white paint from @sherwinwilliams to give the space fresh, clean feel. It was so nice to see the previously-tan walls transform!

When the vanities finally arrived I gave them a fresh coat of white chalk paint from Kilz with a dark wax coat over top, and then it was installation time. We had finally reached the point in the makeover where we could install the vanities and put everything in place! To say I was doing a happy dance is an understatement.

For the finishing touches to the space I worked with @1stoplighting to give the lights a new look. It was hard to decide what would look good with the space, since they have so many to choose from. I reached out to their amazing customer service team for help and advice, and they pointed me in the right direction. The mirrors also needed an update, so I went with two that I found from @kirklands.

Overall, I'm so glad I decided to stick with the plan of reinventing vintage dressers into vanities. It ended up being such a fun project and a great way to recycle old furniture for a new purpose! Let me know in the comments, or on Instagram: what's your latest DIY project? Have you ever tried to rework an old piece of furniture for a new purpose? Any ideas for what I should tackle next?

If you’ve followed along with me on this journey thank you so much for all of the love and encouragement during the whole process. Y’all made us keep on keeping on!

#betterhomesandgardens #table #bathroom #countryliving #country #vintagefarmhouse #farmhouse #rustic #summerdecor #sinkology #DIY #1stoplighting #remodel

DIY: SIDE TABLE

Have you ever found a piece of furniture you absolutely love that just needs a little TLC? That’s how I felt when I saw this gorgeous side table at a vintage sale. I think it was love at first sight! The price was outstanding – under $100. Ladies, if you’re hunting to a great bargain, barn sales & flea markets are the way to go.

I had THE perfect spot for the side table all picked out in the farmhouse. At first, I wanted to paint it. But when I thought about the beautiful wood that was (hopefully!) hiding under the varnish, I knew I wanted to see if I could bring back its natural beauty.

Below, see how I took a great vintage find from a 5 to a 10, with just a little elbow grease & a heart to see it restored!

STEP one: Remove doors & drawers

To effectively remove all paint and lacquer from ALL sides of the doors and drawers, I first took out the drawers and doors, and set the separate pieces out to be worked on.

Even if the paint isn't visible, it's important to clean off the nooks and crannies so that your piece is as beautiful and close-to-original as possible.

STEP Two: Plastic wrap

I covered the piece with Citristrip varnish remover and covered it in plastic wrap. The plastic helps keep the varnish moist, so that the chemical begins to peel the paint away from the wood more effectively.

STEP Three: Paint removal

Scrape down all remaining paint and wipe down with denatured alcohol with steel wool...

I HIGHLY recommend wearing gloves! My skin gets so dry and cracked from the dry winter air, and I try to save it as much “extra” irritation as possible when tackling a DIY project.

...this will help reveal that fantastic, shining wood underneath!

STEP Four: Sand

Sand off any imperfections (I just use Walmart-grade sandpaper; whatever you have on hand will work. If needed, you can repeat steps two through four.

STEP FIVE: Linseed

Wipe down with linseed oil (this one works great) - the oil helps bring out the natural texture and grain in the wood. Put in the work to add that fabulous new-find glow to the piece!

STEP Six: top coat

Cost with a top polyurethane coat (I recommend this brand). I used a flat finish because I wanted it to look vintage.

And you're done! Enjoy your beautiful side table and the vintage flair it adds to your space. Have YOU planned a weekend DIY, friends? Let me know if you try this tutorial in the comments, or via Instagram, @maplecreekmarket! Happy Friday!

Blessings,

Ginny

Shop the side table details!

Cake (Everything Dawn), Wooden sign (Currently Chic), Cake stand (Pioneer Woman)

#vintage #table #vintagefarmhouse #homedecor #rustic #fixerupper #DIY #wood #betterhomesandgardens

FALL PORCH

The fall porch just might be my favorite spot to decorate here at the farm each year. It's so satisfying to head out to the pumpkin patch and pick out just the right pumpkins to line the steps of the farmhouse!

This year I wanted to have A LOT of cornstalks. I had saved some bunches from last year and wanted to add new ones to give them that fresh fall feeling. Can one ever have too many cornstalks?

...I think not! I also wanted to incorporate lighting to give it a magical glow at night. While hunting for a great deal, I found lighting from Better Homes and Garden on sale for under ten dollars, and knew they would be perfect in this spot. Another lighting source are my solar powered lanterns from Sonnenglas. They are the very best for any occasion and can give a new look to any décor.

My next step was to find one new element. This year, that was the little postal box attached to the door. I found this cutie at Hobby Lobby. With their amazing 40% off coupon, it proved to be a fantastic deal that added just the right touch! Yay for coupons & thrifty shopping!

The wreath on the door is from Micheal’s and is feathered with the touches of autumn colors. This time of year, those wreaths have a special spot in my heart. I also added a yummy cinnamon broom from Trader Joe's by the door to give the entrance a little spooky/ whimsical vibe as well.

The old vintage scale was a piece I found in the upper barn when we moved in. It’s a heavy piece with so much character and I was longing to give it some front-and-center attention this fall. I loaded it with pumpkins and it was literally brought back to life. So much vintage goodness from this piece of history!

This year I went very light on the mums and heavy on the grasses and ferns. I love the look of fall grasses on a porch and in the gardens around Maple Creek.

How do you like to decorate your porch for fall? Do you have your pumpkins all picked out? Any fun fall finds, of vintage pieces, you've stumbled across?

Share your pictures with me on Instagram, @maplecreekmarket!

#fixerupper #interiordesign #vintagefarmhouse #rustic #countryliving #falldecor #pumpkins #porch #fallporch #falldesign