Thursday, June 30, 2016

BEFORE AND AFTER SERIES: The Farmhouse Living Room Part II: THE REVEAL



PLAIN AND SIMPLE FARMHOUSE STYLE. . .What does that really mean? . .Would you believe that the day I came up with that theme, I had no idea what plain and simple style meant. . .What I did know was that I was ready for a new start and it had to be toward a simpler life. . .I was telling you the truth when I said this has been a journey for me. . .The thing that I will ever be grateful for is that through blogging I little by little  began to embrace a decorating style that truly reflected us. . .Along the way, I figured out how to do more with less. . .and how to use neutrals with pops of color for huge impact. . .I learned this not with a specific plan. . .I just followed along as things evolved.
 


A couple of days ago, I ran across a book and was astonished at what I read. . ."Start with black and white and you'll develop a scheme that's as versatile as it is tasteful and ever stylish. Strong in it's own right, the neutral noncolor scheme gracefully accepts a vivid third element. . . " from Express Yourself With Color. . .That's exactly what I had learned these past four years. . .It would have been much simpler if I'd read the book first. . .but maybe not as much fun. . .


When it came time to add those pops of color I thought that I would go with the usual choices for a farmhouse style. . .play it safe . . .But I soon found I wasn't happy unless there was a bit of whimsy to make me smile. . .and raise the eyebrows of others every now and then. . .I giggle every time someone asks, "Why do you have cows in your living room?". . I tell them that even though we live on a cotton farm, it wasn't always that way. . .When Granddaddy bought the farmstead, a few acres could be cultivated, but much of it had been cut-over by the logging companies. . .There were still stumps everywhere that had to be removed. . .That meant time and money. . .So Granddaddy put cattle on the stumpy, land. . .and he built huge barns to shelter them. . .Simply put, there were a lot more cows on this farm than cotton for many years. . .


But I'll tell you the real truth about putting cows in the living room. . .I love their sweet faces. . .and the pops of color that brighten the neutral pallet. . .You can't help but smile at them, can you? . .It's all in fun. . .They also blend in well with the soft denim blues elsewhere in the room.





 



Black and White. . .Soft Denim Blues. . .Pops of Color. . .Plain and Simple
Surprising choices. . .even to me. . .but I couldn't be happier with the outcome. . .I think John gave me the best compliment of all when he saw what I had done. . . "Now it feels like HOME, doesn't it?". .He likes the cows, too. . .(grin)




If you missed Part I, here's the link to it:
















 






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