It only takes a few touches to change the feel of a room. There’s something about “farmhouse style” in the bedroom that’s so inviting and I was longing for simple beauty to make my husband and I want to snuggle in and stay for a while.
The first item tackled was adding a barn door to our master closet area. Purchasing an unfinished door was less expensive since we wanted it to match our wood furniture. (We stained and polyurethaned it ourselves.) The hanging kit was fairly easy to use.
Next we painted the entire space with a dark “greige” (Behr paint: Shiitake Mushroom) and hung brick-pattern wallpaper on the back wall to warm up the space.
The bedroom furniture set we had was in really good shape so we didn’t want to paint it. We decided instead to change the hardware to get away from its mission style and instead added white, porcelain knobs for that farmhouse feel.
The old rocking chair was found at a re-sale shop for $20. It was beat up and needed some love. I sanded the entire chair and painted it a heritage blue. To give it an old-weathered feel, I sanded the high spots and wiped it down with a dark stain to match the other furniture. After a coat of polyurethane, it looked worn-in – like it’s been there forever. Over this chair, we built the blue drawer with knobs and added it to this gorgeous cathedral arch for wall décor. This is my favorite place to sit and read a book or just enjoy a few minutes to myself with a cup of coffee.
We wanted to add some depth to the walls while still being true to the farmhouse vibe. Each item on the walls were designed and built for that specific space. Décor items were added as we found them on trips to local antique stores and boutiques.
Just outside the master bath, I had a very cool rattan trunk that was pretty dated – so a quick touch of oil-rubbed bronze spray-paint brought it back to life. The shelf was constructed from a piece of value wood and molding attached to a couple of metal corbels found at a big-box store. We made the sign ourselves using vinyl letters. This great little mirror was found hidden in a pile of old windows.
On the other side of the dresser, I placed this awesome jewelry stand that we found at a local consignment store. A touch of furniture polish and new knobs – it was ready to go. We put together the wall hanging using a basket I found in the basement along with a piece of distressed wood.
The final project for the bedroom was to place items over the bed. This was more difficult than I had imagined. The brick was a very busy pattern and anything hung got lost on this big wall. We first found a large, ornamental medallion and turned it longways. After a coat of off-white paint, it looked perfect. The two lantern sconces were very inexpensive but rather small. We decided to mount them to pieces of painted wood to make them seem bigger. LED timer candles were placed in them and create the perfect ambiance when we turn in for the night.
Lastly, we built three drawers to hang under the medallion. This really added some depth to the wall and allowed me to add greenery. I matched the paint to our throw pillows and added matching knobs.
The final product is a farmhouse master bedroom that is cozy, comfortable and full of charm. We started with warm wood tones and layered in a neutral color palette. We used colors that we’re fond of as accent pieces – but in order to stay true to the farmhouse look – we tried to keep the overall color scheme neutral. There are a variety of textures in order to give the room depth. Accessories are an important element. We used a few of our favorites mixed in with handmade items. Our intent was to surround ourselves with things that make us feel good. It’s still a traditional room without being fussy, It’s comfortable in a way that really does make you want to snuggle in and stay awhile!
About Cindy and Bill Menth:
Cindy and her husband, Bill, enjoy working with wood and other found furniture and decorative items. Their hobby and passion for creating farmhouse-style items is a business is called Stone Creek Farms. They sell their one-of-a-kind pieces at the Antiques Village (booth 9005) in Dayton, Ohio.
