The loft in the Barnhouse is done! I am so excited to have this work/hangout/craft space that I can work on my website, cuddle with the pups and be creative in. One of my favorite things about the loft is the painted wall above! I was feeling inspired so grabbed a foam brush and started dabbing paint on the wall and came up with this (watch the process unfold on IGTV here)! It was crazy to see how many of you recreated the same pattern on your walls, and how amazing they looked. If you try it make sure to sent me a picture!!! Now on to the rest of the loft… lets start with the before…
The wallpaper wall and carpet had to go! And we removed the chimney on the lower levels because it cut right through the kitchen, so it had to come out up here too. Then we were left with a wide open space!
After we drywalled the space it was feeling to stark (you can see it here) so I wanted to add paneling to the back wall. And initially I was planning on just using this as hang out space, but after I thrifted a desk and bought a work bench, I figured the space was big enough for working, relaxing and crafting!
I just LOVE how the space functions now! It’s the perfect space for work, naps and watching movies on my computer. Cozy was key for the long narrow space, and two elements that added to that were the leather couch and oversized pouf! I have had this Nirvana Dakota Tan couch from Article for a couple years now, and it keeps getting better with age. The pups jump on it daily and the leather has never been punctured. Every time we curl up on it, you just sink in and it’s hard to want to leave! The Hira pouf is also from Article, and is so perfect for the space, because I wanted something that was easily moveable because the space is so skinny, but something everyone could put their feet up on. It’s huge! So if you have a big space that you are looking to fill I highly recommend!
I thifted this desk, and scuffed everywall trying to get this up the stairs, but it was worth it for the 20 bucks I paid for it! It actually came from a little restaurant on the corner, so I love having a part of the neighborhood in my house! I do all my work here while Griff oversee’s on this beautiful deep green velvet couch, that as Griff will attest, it QUITE comfortable! This pennant from McGee and Co fill perfectly in the space, and is a daily reminder that “Creatively take Courage”.
Big Papi never misses a moment to shine in front of the camera, ha!! I am just SO happy with how this area turned out. This is my little area where I learn new skills and display my crafts, like the pottery, and someday I will replace the thrifted art with my own!
The loft is really a mix of thrifted items (like the art, antlers, truck) and new items that feel old like the bed and the rug. But most importantly, everything is cozy up here! We added the panel wall a few month ago using this tounge and groove paneling, and painted it with Dusty Laurel Chalk Paint from Behr. And then I experimented by painting the vinyl window black…which ended up being a fail…but someday I am going to try spray painting over it, which I hear should be more successful.
The mudroom at the Barnhouse was the only space that was completely untouched during the renovation, because I was not quite sure the direction I wanted to take it. After living in the home for the last few months, I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted the room to function, so I came up with a game plan. And then two of my favorites, The Home Depot and HGTV Magazine reached out to see if I wanted to partner with them on the room renovation, and I said “Heck ya!”. Bonus: the final space will appear in this month’s issue of HGTV Magazine!!
The before space was rough, lots of different siding and layers of paint. It looks like there were many band-aid fixes to this room right off the kitchen of our 1875 built home. The plan was to tear off the siding, replace with vertical tongue and groove boards, but leave the ceiling open, and really transform the existing space with paint! You all know how much I love a dark room (Behr Hostaleaf here, Black Evergreen here, and Blue Metal here) d but I wanted to do something different to brighten up this space off the kitchen, and fell in love with BEHR Doeskin Gray Interior Paint and Primer from Home Depot. This gray color is perfection, it’s soft and inviting, with a hint of beige in the sunlight which brings a lovely warmth. If you head over to @ISPYDIY Instagram, I have the whole renovation process documented in the MUDROOM highlight, and it truly is amazing to see the transformative power paint has renovating this space!
This transformation is one of my favorites in the house!! Keep reading for the steps, then stop by my MUDROOM highlight and IGTV on @ISPYDIY Instagram! And check out the mudroom in this month’s HGTV Magazine!
The backyard at my Airbnb is refreshed and ready to use!! You might remember two Summers ago when I was living at the house, my sister and bro-in-law and I, tackled this backyard (read more about it here). I moved out of the house since, but use it as an Airbnb, so like to keep the backyard looking great for visitors. I did a little refresh with new Article furniture, a new door color, and changed up the accessories a bit, and I just love how it came together!
I asked Instagram readers to send in questions about the backyard, and I’ll a bunch below:
Is the furniture ok in rain? How about the coffee table? I was have some rust issues with the previous furniture, and it would stain the deck after it rained so we would have to re-stain it every year which was a HUGE bummer. So when Article reached out and asked me to try thier outdoor furniture I said “YES PLEASE!” And I am happy to report, we have had no rust issues (and it’s been a super rainy Spring). I am obsessed with The Kezia sectional couch,Aeri Slate Gray Lounge chair and Toba Vintage Brown Coffee Table outdoor pieces, they look SO chic and have been holding up great in all weather. One super nice thing about the couch is that it comes in pieces so you can arrange it however you want, I have the secional plus an extra seat so I could fill the corner-space. I am super impressed with the coffee table! It looks nice enough to be an indoor piece, but is meant for outdoor. I might even use it as a coffee table inside this winter!
Do you have storage for the cushions and pillows or do you keep them out? The pillows are all outdoor pillows, I got these striped lumbar ones, these staccato ones, and these tan pillows, but if guests are not using them, I store them in the garage. Eventually, I want to get an outdoor storage box so they can be easily accessed. Article suggests taking in the cushions or covering them if you have extreme weather, but since I am not at the house all the time, they are left out. I have been really impressed with how quickly they dry, and how easily they can be wiped down. The better you take care of them, the longer they will last!
How will you keep all those potted plants alive on the wall? And where are the pot hangers from? I had real plants in the living-wall for the last two Summers, but it became a lot harder to keep them alive once I was not living there full time. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, this year I used faux succulents! I got them from Ikea for $4 each, and they are meant for indoor/outdoor, so I am hoping I can keep them looking good for a few years. The pot hangers can be found in the garden section at Lowe’s!
What kind of wood and stain did you use for the fence and how soon can you stain it? I had my buddy’s company build the deck and the fence (we did a similar DIY version of the fence at our new house) and they use treated pine. You should wait a year to stain treated pine, but I was too impatient, and whitewashed with Behr Pinto White the fence after it was up for a couple months (it looks great, I think white wash is more forgiving then a darker stain, or paint because the inconsistencies are not as obvious) and I used a Behr Cape Cod Solid grey stain on the deck…which I did end up having to repaint the next year because of rust and leaf stains.
What is the door color? The old door color was HGTV Home for Sherwin Williams Desert Lake, and I just repainted with Behr Spiced Brandy in Satin Exterior paint!
Is that an outdoor rug? Can it get wet? Yes! It’s an outdoor rug and since it’s made out of polypropylene it can get wet and drys super quickly. I picked a darker color this year so it would not get dirty as quickly and can be used for multiple summers.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I can answer in the comments!
