You don’t have to buy all new items to get a farmhouse feel. Use what you have and change it. Start with a piece that has a story behind it. Update it with a fresh coat of paint or new hardware. Moving the item from one space to another can give a completely different feel as well.
HOW TO:
- Paint will make the biggest impact for the cheapest price.
- Shop your own home.
- Update existing pieces with paint.
- Shop second-hand to keep budget in check.
- When thrift shopping, look for good shapes. Paint can fix the rest.
- Paint is your secret weapon!
There’s something beautiful and satisfying about bringing a piece of furniture back to life and giving it new purpose. A little more than eight years ago, Elizabeth Olsen took on the project of updating and renovating her old family farmhouse that she and her twin sister, Margaret Nash, grew up in. Projects started out small, fixing up old pieces of furniture and the like, but when she put them out in the marketplace, the interest and demand for her up-cycled projects came flooding in. Surprised and excited by the success, Margaret and Elizabeth realized there was a strong demand and growing market for their sense of style. Fancy Farmgirls was born.
Liz and Marg grew up as farm kids with seven other siblings. Their mother loved to decorate their home and had to do it on a thrift-store budget. The twins grew up knowing no other way to decorate, and for them it was normal to take something someone else had discarded and make it new and desirable again.
“I love that the farmhouse style can fit any budget—finding the ugly and making it pretty,” Margret says.
It’s easier than you think to give a space a Fancy Farmgirl feel. Both Margret and Elizabeth say paint is the best way to start. It’s inexpensive and can completely transform any space.
“Keep it light and bright, then layer with textures and metals and ground it with a bigger piece,” Elizabeth says.
Look for a piece that has some history to it or a story behind it. That adds character and authenticity to the look. At the end of the day, the farmhouse style is a calm decor, so don’t feel you have to overdo it.
Looking to make over your home? Don’t start too big; it’s OK to try it out on a small scale first. Change a bathroom or a laundry room. Grab a gallon of paint, some peel-and-stick vinyl flooring and you’ve completely transformed a space for a doable price (their Instagram account and blog have a lot of good tips and information on how to do this).
Want more of the Fancy Farmgirls? They have Barn Sales twice a year (fall and spring). Their Spring Barn Sale is happening May 17-18 in Meridian. Check their Instagram account or blog closer to the date for times and specific location. There will be local vendors from around the area and neighboring states. The twins build a curated show, which means you will have plenty of relevant and great finds to look through to make your space farmhouse perfection. With their business growing (design services, working with local home builders, etc), they will eventually build an event barn for future Barn Sales. You can follow them on Instagram @FancyFarmgirls, their blog at FancyFarmgirls.com and Facebook at Fancy Farmgirls Sale.