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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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May 30, 2015

Beautiful Farmhouse Home Tour

Oh friends do we ever have a treat in store for you today!! Are you on Instagram yet? If not, we HIGHLY recommend it! You see, Facebook is so wonky these days. Are we right? Sometimes you see things, sometimes you don’t. But on Instagram you get to see everything! And that is where we met our new friend Wendy from the blog Life on the Shady Grove. And not only did we fall in love with her absolutely beautiful home but we have been so blessed by her incredibly warm and welcoming spirit.

Stunning Farmhouse Home Tour from atthepicketfence.com

So, without further ado, let us introduce you to Wendy and try not to drool too much as you take the tour of her gorgeous farmhouse inspired home.

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Welcome to our Life on the Shady Grove…come on in and visit for awhile and I will tell you all about our “pretend” old, white farmhouse.

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We purchased our home in 2010 as a foreclosure. The Lord knew the desires of our heart and He blessed us in ways that we could not have imagined. Every time I pull in the driveway, or walk in the front door, I thank Him all over again!

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The right side of the house was always a little dark at night so we added this cute barn light over the front bedroom. I love the way it lights up the window box at night and it gives some farmhouse charm too. We also removed the shutters and changed the muntins on the windows to reflect a true farmhouse style. We chose Sherwin Williams “Roman Column” for the exterior color because it was a nice, soft, warm white.

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This home was not always white, it was green and brown actually, but my dream is to live in a white farmhouse. So, we can began the process of transforming this foreclosure into the custom built home of our dreams. The hubs didn’t quite catch the vision at first but night after night of brainwashing as he slept, finally worked. We have made a few trips to Europe and I fell in love with all the beautiful window boxes! Since I can’t afford a vacation home there, I brought the window boxes here!

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I used the shutters we removed when we painted the house and made the LARGE sign that hangs on our front porch. The hub’s reaction: “that is BIG!” I say go big or go home ….am I right? I also added lots of pops of red to the exterior because it is my favorite color….well, besides white of course.

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This is our five pound guard dog, Andy. His bark is way worse than his bite but I wouldn’t take a chance if I were you!

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We replaced our front doors when we painted the house because we really wanted a stained finish and our old ones were painted. Ok, the truth is….I tried to strip the paint off the old door and it was an epic DIY failure. So… we HAD to buy new doors. Best failure I ever had.

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So this is what you see when you walk through the front doors…did I mention that I love red and white? We knocked down some walls and added some beaded board to the ceilings. Everyone always asks about the floors! That project took me a month on my hands and knees but I am so happy with the results.

Because the house was sitting empty for so long, the hardwood floors were not in the best condition. I tried to “fix” them myself but only made things worse. Then it hit me: I love painted floors like all the cottages in Europe, here is my chance! Three coats of Annie Sloan Old White Paint, two coats of Annie Sloan Floor Lacquer, a little distressing and we were good to go! And the great news is, the more scuffed or “distressed” they get, the better! (At least that’s what I tell myself.)

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As you walk in the front doors and look to the right you will see the open stairs that lead to the “terrace level” or what we used to call “the basement”. That is where two of my teenage boy’s bedrooms (you don’t want to see!), a bathroom, game room, and a full apartment are located. That will be a tour for another day…after they move out and I take over!

We have very few walls in our home so I wanted to take advantage of this one. We added two wood beam shelves that house my kid’s senior pictures along with little trinkets that represent their personalities. It is a challenge to dust up there so I use my leaf blower (ha). The very tall ladder to the left holds many of my Nana’s beautiful quilts. The door to the right is my teenage daughter’s room and I can’t let you in there either!2015-05-27_0007

When you come in the front doors you will find our dining room to the left. This table can accommodate ten but since our family is already at nine, and growing rapidly, we may have to come up with another option. I have always wanted a family gallery wall and this is literally the only wall I had available. Several people have asked about how I arranged all the pictures…to be honest, I just started hammering and then it was done.

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This is the very first piece of furniture my hubby and I bought together…27 years ago! It has made it’s home in bedrooms, hallways, kitchens, family rooms and now it has a home, front and center, in our dining room. I gave it a facelift last year with some chalk paint …after all, most of us need a little “help” as we age.

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Here is our formal dining room. I say that with smirk on my face because NOTHING we do is formal! With five teenage/adult kids and five dogs, everything is loud, fun, and a little dysfunctional.

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The sewing basket belonged to my precious Nana who passed away last year. She was a master quilter, professional seamstress, and beautiful southern belle. The doilies are some of her handmade treasures.

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Instead of traditional napkins, try using vintage dishcloths, handkerchiefs and other other fun linens. I just tied mine up with red and white kitchen twine for kicks.

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This is the view from the dining room into the kitchen. I bring this sweet little bench over to the dining room table for extra seating when we have everyone over.

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I use this desk to set up seasonal vignettes. I always try to find some “clever” quote for the chalkboard but I’m the only one around here that actually reads it. I use the cute baby scale to store vintage linens.

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Here is our great room. With a large family, we needed to full size sofas and extra chairs. Of course they are slip covered….remember, five kids, five dogs!

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The fireplace is one our most “accidentally” successful DIY projects! The hubs and I were antique shopping and I had mentioned I wanted to do something above the fireplace one day. We ran across these old shutters and some old tongue and groove boards… within an hour we were transforming! I love the way it turned out. Wish all of our projects worked that way!

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If you can’t tell, I’m kind of a symmetrical person. I tried to be all “loosey goosey” and “free spirited” but I just can’t. I had this 5×5 foot ottoman built so it would line up centered on both sofas. I absolutely love the sign above the media hutch…a constant reminder of His love and grace.

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I collect old jars and bottles that I display in the small cubbies around the television. My favorite is this bottle of “healing oil”…that stuff has been in there since 1929!

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Here is our breakfast room off the kitchen. I love the symmetry of this room and the view out to the pasture where the sheep live.

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We have a great little screened porch off the breakfast room. I really consider this my hubby’s room because he would live out here if he could. I have to admit, there is nothing better than a cool evening swinging on the bed and listening to the wind chimes sing.

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This is our keeping room off the kitchen. We added a large built in pantry along one wall to hide all our junk! The stone around the fireplace was really ugly (like orange colored fake rock ugly) so we had it sprayed the same color as the walls and now it is one of my favorite features! Paint is the cheapest and biggest “bang for your buck”! Great for immediate gratification people like me.

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This cute little desk is a recent purchase. You are not going to believe what I paid for it…$100!!! Didn’t have to do a thing to it and it is one of my favorite pieces!

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Here is our kitchen. When we moved in, it had walls, brown cabinets and brown granite. It was actually beautiful but not for a “light” loving girl like myself. We painted the cabinets, the tile backsplash and added a cute little farmhouse table as our island. One day I will replace the granite…when the budget allows.

life on shady grove french country kitchen

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Last year, we decided to use some of the wasted space in our basement and create an apartment for people who may need a place to live. We moved some of our kitchen cabinets down to that kitchen and of course we HAD to replace them with something. Why not something beautiful? We had this large hutch built to look like a piece of stand alone furniture instead of standard kitchen cabinets. I painted it with a mixture of Annie Sloan paint colors and finished with a dark wax to antique it.

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Here is our master bedroom. It is not a huge room but we had to make a little place to “get away” from all the other people in our house. We love to just turn on some Netflix and pretend we are empty nesters. Fun little facts: the painting of the little girl was over my crib when I was a baby and the garden painting was done by my mom. I used to play with the cute antique lamp at my Nana’s house when I was a little girl.

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These are my grandpups! Aren’t they they cutest? They spend most days at “Grammy Daycare” and I love it!

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Here is my crew! They make Life on the Shady Grove the best life I could ask for! My Heavenly Father has poured out blessings so full that I can’t hold them all. Our life is far from perfect but it is the perfect life for me.

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Thanks for visiting the Shady Grove…y’all come back anytime!

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Be sure to visit Wendy over at Life on the Shady Grove AND follow along with her on Instagram too!

27 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Home Tour, Parade of Homes Tagged With: decorating, home tour, parade of homes

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Comments

  1. Nancy says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:05 AM

    A beautiful home!!! I loved it all!!

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:15 AM

    I am so thrilled that y’all shared this tour!! She is in my dream house that I want to downsize, too if I could just get a certain man on board. We need less house and less land. This home is just my style. Now to go wipe the drool up!!

    Reply
  3. Linda says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:19 AM

    Love Love your house!! Can you tell me where you find such long curtains? I am looking for some about 108 inches long. Love yours and I love the red.
    Thanks for letting us see your beautiful home.

    Reply
  4. laura@top this top that says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:25 AM

    what a pretty home. i couldn’t get pass the beautiful exterior and the front porch with that sign. love that!

    Reply
  5. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    May 30, 2015 at 5:16 AM

    I have so very, very much enjoyed the tour of Wendy’s home. Such an inspiration for me as my hubby and I gather our thoughts to plan to build our downsized home. We are so ready for this and have had a lot that we
    have held on for 10 years just for this. I loved reading about Wendy and her family journey to make this incredible house their home!….thanks Vanessa…you and Wendy made my day! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  6. Hope Williams says

    May 30, 2015 at 5:22 AM

    Oh I love all the pops of red! Beautiful home!

    Reply
  7. Leslie says

    May 30, 2015 at 5:44 AM

    Beautiful home that holds a beautiful heart! ❤️

    Reply
  8. Sonya~at home with the barkers says

    May 30, 2015 at 5:44 AM

    So happy you are sharing this…one of my VERY favorite need finds has been Life on the Shady Grove, both instagram and blog! Hope you ladies have a great weekend! ~Sonya

    Reply
  9. susan says

    May 30, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    This is just beautiful, I love the red and white it’s so pretty! Thanks for sharing with us!

    Reply
  10. Donna says

    May 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

    Thank you for sharing your home. It truly made my heart sing!

    Reply
  11. Deborah says

    May 30, 2015 at 8:50 AM

    Love Wendy’s style for sure. Now I must pick up my jaw and move on 🙂

    Reply
  12. Bryanna says

    May 30, 2015 at 9:52 AM

    My sweet mother-in-love is the best! So incredibly talented! The best part? I get to pick her brain ALL the time, and I get her hand me downs! And the drooling from the mouth happens every time I come and go! Great pick At the Picket Fence!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      May 30, 2015 at 11:41 AM

      You are so blessed to have such a wonderful mother-in-love and we are so blessed by our newfound friendship with her! Kindred spirits for sure! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Nancy says

    May 30, 2015 at 1:17 PM

    just curious……u mentioned that u will replace the granite countertops in your kitchen in the future…..and since I am not a granite girl either, what would you replace it with?

    Reply
  14. Michele says

    May 30, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    SO glad you shared – what an awesome home and gal!

    Well done.

    Reply
  15. Nancy says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:34 PM

    What a wonderful home! I love all of your decor, the details are out of this world awesome!

    Reply
  16. martina says

    May 30, 2015 at 5:23 PM

    WOW LOVED this tour!! What a beautiful home inside and out!! Love Wendy’s style!

    Reply
  17. rebecca says

    May 30, 2015 at 8:33 PM

    Everyday I receive at least 100 emails full of beautiful homes and ideas but your home is by far the most beautiful because of all the warmth and love it possesses. Thank you for sharing your home….Rebecca

    Reply
  18. Paige.Rose says

    May 31, 2015 at 1:48 AM

    Wow, Wendy!!! Hands down top 5 of my favorite homes architecture & style wise!!! I mean the light , white & farmhouse decor along with the actual home… literally cozy PERFECTION !

    Paige.Rose
    from
    http://www.TheQuaintSanctuary.blogspot.com

    Reply
  19. missdoodoobug says

    May 31, 2015 at 10:38 AM

    I feel like I just had a little vacation, being able to view your home. You seem like you have such a kind spirit!
    I wonder, if I may….ask about your dining room table? Did you have it made, or? Thank you for sharing your hoe with us 🙂

    Reply
    • missdoodoobug says

      May 31, 2015 at 10:39 AM

      home not hoe 🙂

      Reply
  20. Marijean Jenson says

    May 31, 2015 at 6:26 PM

    I absolutely LOVE this home !

    Reply
  21. Nikki says

    June 1, 2015 at 9:45 AM

    I absolutely LOVE your home!! It is so light and cheery. Mine is dark, but I am working on it. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Rebecca says

    June 1, 2015 at 6:41 PM

    Your house and your story are great. Love what you two have done to your place.

    Reply
  23. Julie says

    June 2, 2015 at 5:59 AM

    I’d love to know more about painting the floors with chalk paint! I’m guessing it would be extremely expensive to do with Annie Sloan paint, but I’m intrigued. 😉 Is this a better solution (does it hold up better or create a better patina) than painting with regular paint?

    Reply
  24. Madelaine says

    June 20, 2015 at 7:36 AM

    What are you doing in MY house? 🙂

    Everything is just perfect!

    Reply
  25. Hillary says

    March 4, 2018 at 3:26 PM

    Hello:) I have followed you on Instagram and relate so much to you! We just moved to the country and I’m dying to build a smaller type home that is rich in character… my style is shabby chic, French country with a mix of others too. I’m obsessed with everything white. And old and I love antiques and farm home styles. ANYWAYS. I have no real reason to message you except to say that I was searching on Pinterest for ideas to find my perfect home exterior and yours is my top pic! I love the windows and porch and just everything!
    I’m fascinated that you painted your floors white! Love that idea!
    💗hillary

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
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Happy Easter from my home to yours!
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What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

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Where are things collecting in your house right now?
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