Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Furnishing A Second Home

Hello, Friends, 
How are you doing today?
I hope this finds you encouraged and healthy. 


If you have been following for a while, you will know that we are trying to get a little piece of property in the country. We have looked on and off for about five years. Last year, we diverted from that plan. Sometimes to figure out what God wants you to do, you have to explore other paths. We did that by trying to get a house in town with a bigger lot. When that fell through, we re-did our floors and decided to stay in this house for the time being. 
We were supposed to be traveling during this season of life, but with the virus, that is on hold for now. Since we are staying close to home, Bill decided to go for it and find us a weekend house in East Texas. 
We found the 1932 farmhouse but we pulled out of that because it needed so much work. 
We have our inspection tomorrow on a little ranch style house in the woods. I'll share more pictures and details after we get the inspection report. 


In the meantime, I'm planning and pinning styles and furnishings. This house isn't crying out for Farmhouse decor like the 1932 farmhouse. It doesn't seem Midcentury, Boho, or a mix of the two. It isn't Modern Lodge either. I sort of feel like European Cottage Style might suit it best but it's hard to tell because there is a lot currently on display. I can usually visualize but I've struggled with this house. 
A cozy English cottage look seems appropriate but it's hard to tell until it is empty. 


I went on a streak painting most of our furniture after I started blogging. 
If you are a long time reader, you may remember that my husband was very sick for a few years up until he was properly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes instead of Type 2. It was awful because I felt that he was dying right before my eyes. He was doing everything that he could to just get through the day. He either didn't notice or he didn't care that I was painting all of our furniture. Now that he is on insulin and his medication is regulating his blood sugar, he's let it be known that he doesn't really like white furniture. 
Oops. 
We are slowly adding in more wood tones. 
I inherited three pieces of furniture from my parents last year when my step mother died. 
The corner cupboard pictured above, a wash stand which was in my childhood bedroom,  


and a commode that belonged to my great grandparents when they got married in the late 1800s. 


I almost left the commode at my stepmother's house. However, my grandmother wrote on the back that it came from her parents. I told Bill to load that up with the rest of the stuff. 
It didn't match the rest of our furniture but I love it anyway. 


When the farmhouse fell through, I realized that I wanted to upgrade some of our furniture to be more in keeping with the pieces we inherited. We picked up the new hutch and a French commode. 


(It doesn't go with anything either but I just adore it.) Eventually, it will probably end up in a guest room. 
Rather than purge anything, I've been cramming stuff in closets, the laundry room and even the shed. 
I've been keeping some headboards, end tables, lamps, and art. The lamps and art are rotated on display to fit the season or my mood. The headboards are in the attic.



Here are a few pieces that are going to the new house.


The dish shelf will go on the dining room wall or in the kitchen after we take down a bank of upper cabinets. 


The secretary will probably go in the she shed or in a guest room. The glass doors are already off and it's in the garage ready to move. 

The little dresser below was my first piece of furniture. 


I paid $45.00 for it at a flea market. I squeezed it into my Volkswagen Beetle. I'm very sentimental about it. It's been all over this house. 


We have two "make do" cabinets. 


I have a few mix matched chairs to fit around a dining table but we need the table. 
I've heard that there is a furniture shortage due to supply chain issues as a result of Covid 19. 
Typically, we like new upholstered seating but if we can't find new, I'll get gently used and slipcover it. 
The pieces I've pictured above are a good start but there is a lot to get. 
I want to take our time, enjoy the process and create a peaceful retreat for family and friends. 
I'll have more once we hear about the inspection but we don't anticipate any deal breakers this time. 
Thanks for following along. 
I think there will be a lot of projects! 
Katie 

Linking with, 


4 comments :

  1. Congrats on the new place. I hope your home inspection will not find any issues. Good Luck. xoxo Kris

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  2. Fingers crossed on the home inspection. Isn't it nice to be able to shop your house for your new one? I love the things you showed and can't wait to hear more.

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  3. Katie, how exciting and what fun. Looks like a cute house. Hope the inspection goes well..Stay well..xxoJudy

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  4. I hope the inspection goes well - it looks so sweet and you have some really nice pieces to decorate with. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

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