Building a custom home is such a fun and interesting journey, blending the vision of your dream home with the reality of architectural possibilities. For our new home, I envisioned a space that is not only warm and timeless but also embodies a bit of southern charm and that cozy european farmhouse aesthetic - not sure how this will all blend together, but that’s the vision!
Here's a glimpse into the inspiration and ideas I’ve Pinned shaping our dream home.
Kitchen
Like most families, we spend most of our time in the kitchen, so it's a space that I dedicate a lot of time to planning. The plan is to mix natural materials like stone and wood, to create a space that feels inviting. While I’m sure there will be some similarities between my new kitchen and the one in our previous home, one thing that I am pushing myself to do is to incorporate moodier tones while also remaining light and bright (let’s not get too crazy here LOL). I want this space to be both beautiful and practical, with a focus on storage and functionality. Drawing inspiration from Pinterest, we are planning to build a large island with lots of seating, and a pantry that has access to the garage so that my “Costco door” dreams can come true.
Family Room
Bringing the warmth from the kitchen, we'll continue to mix materials into this space. The canvas of each room will remain light and crisp, with accent colours brought in through furniture, decor, and textiles - I’m really loving the colour of the couch below in Amber Lewis’ design. I still haven’t ironed out all of the wall treatments, but I have my heart set on a stone wall that goes beyond the confines of the fireplace. We're also exploring exposed beams on the ceilings to create some unique architectural elements, while also bringing in that somewhat worn/ lived in feel.
Source Unknown
Joe’s Office
Joe’s office is a space where we're considering experimenting with moody paint colours. While this will be where Joe works when he’s home, it will serve as an extension of our family room after work hours - think game room mixed with a reading room. We're looking into custom millwork with bookshelves encompassing the desk to house our books, and I’m toying with the idea of having a ladder on a track, inspired by the dreamy Pins I’ve been saving over the last few months.
My Office
In contrast, I want my office to be light and airy, with white shiplap and light wood tones. I'm also focusing on practicality; although we now have the shop, I will inevitably need to work from home occasionally. Therefore, I'm ensuring that the workspaces are practical for both working at my computer and also great for when I need to get creative. Similar to Joe’s office, this room will be multifunctional and serve as a guest room whenever we have company.
Primary Bedroom
We want our primary bedroom to be our sanctuary. I hope to achieve this by using a lot of the elements that I’ve already mentioned I will be using throughout our home. A big reason I love to use natural materials is because not only do they stand the test of time, but they’re also so calming. Although our home can definitely be chaotic, I want it to feel peaceful, and our bedroom is no exception. Drawing inspiration from Pinterest, I'm loving a fireplace that feels both cozy and elevated. And with our new found hobby of restoring furniture, perhaps we will incorporate some antique pieces to blend a little bit of old with the new.
Source Unknown
Mudroom / Laundry
In our Mudroom-Laundry space, storage is crucial. We need a space for everything, from backpacks to coats. Apart from storage, I’d love to incorporate some European limestone flooring, and if the space allows for it, I have my eye on a beautiful table for the middle of the room (similar to an island) that will serve as a catch all for all the things. If the table doesn’t work out, I’d love a “locker room” style bench so my littles can easily get their shoes on.
Exterior
Pinpointing the perfect exterior vibe has been so much fun. While we’ve considered a few different options, I often find myself resorting back to the classic cedar roof, painted white brick and copper eavestroughs - I have Father of the Bride to thank for that!
Source Unknown
Source Unknown
From the kitchen to the exterior, my vision is to create an inviting, and timeless space that we can enjoy with all our family friends - we haven’t even broken ground and I’m planning all the events I’m itching to host in our new home! Make sure you follow along on Pinterest as I continue to daydream and wait (somewhat) patiently for our vision to come to life.
Xo
Caroline
